“SideFX Inc., a Toronto-based software vendor, last week
began demonstrating the latest version of its Houdini 3-D
application software at a trade show in London. The software is
among the first to offer visualization and 3-D computer-assisted
design functionality for Linux. Until recently, the absence of
3-D graphics drivers for Linux was considered one key reason why
the free operating system is not as popular in the desktop
workstation market….”
“Earlier this year, executives from IBM Corp. said Intergraph
Corp., Huntsville, Ala., approached them about developing 3-D
graphics drivers for Linux-based workstations. At the time,
Intergraph executives said they were not interested in spending
resources to do the development, and IBM said it had no immediate
plans to jump into the complex work.”
“But the Armonk, N.Y.-based computer maker now is developing a
version of its FireGL graphics driver for Linux, hoping to deliver
it for Intellistation workstations in the first half, an IBM
spokesman said.”