Houdini To Port To Linux
Side Effects Software is the first high-end 3D animation company to adopt the popular O/S Toronto --- March 30, 1999---Side Effects Software today announced its plans to port its Houdini(R) 3D animation software to the Linux operating system. Side Effects Software is the first high-end 3D animation company to announce plans to adopt the Linux platform. While many hardware vendors support the popular operating system, there are presently few graphics software packages available for it. It is expected that a Linux version of Houdini will be beta tested with Houdini 4.0 beginning in May. Side Effects Software has always maintained a customer-driven development philosophy, said Richard Hamel, Director of Sales and Marketing at Side Effects Software. Our decision to port Houdini to the Linux operating system is based on a growing demand for the operating system within the digital media industry. We are pleased to be able to offer our film, broadcast and game partners sophisticated graphics technology on their platform of choice. Linux for 3D Interest in Linux has grown enormously during the past year, stated Paul Salvini, Director of Research and Development at Side Effects Software. Developers like its open source nature and production facilities will, no doubt, find it easy to integrate Linux systems into their existing environments. Customizability is something Houdini and Linux have in common and this makes them a powerful combination. Daryll Strauss, Software Development Manager of Digital Domain commented: Houdini is a world class package for effects animation that is used extensively here at Digital Domain. Running Houdini on Linux workstations will provide a cost effective solution that is stable, flexible and integrates easily into a UNIX environment. For the making of Titanic, Digital Domain used Linux for rendering. Linux handled every job we threw at it, Strauss stated. The flexibility of the existing devices and available source code gave Linux a definitive advantage. Game Development The introduction of a Linux version of Houdini will be especially welcomed by the game development community. Renowned Japanese Computer Entertainment Company, Konami was pleased to hear the news of Side Effects Software's plans to port Houdini to the Linux platform. The combination of the open source Linux operating system, with the powerful procedural Houdini software will be welcomed by many game developers, said a spokesperson from Konami. This announcement is further proof of Side Effects Software's responsiveness to its customers. Availability External testing for Houdini 4.0 is scheduled to begin in May 1999. The final release date for the product has not yet been announced. The Linux version of the product will have the same look, feel and feature set as the IRIX and Windows NT versions. Mantra, Houdini's photorealistic renderer, will be available on Linux at the same time. About Side Effects Software Established in 1987, Side Effects Software is a world leader in advanced 3D graphics and special effects software for use in film, broadcast and game development. Under the leadership of co-founders Kim Davidson (President) and Greg Hermanovic (Chief Executive Officer), Side Effects Software continues to lead the field of procedural animation with its unique visual network technology. The company's main product, Houdini, is used by a number of digital content creation leaders including Digital Domain, DreamWorks SKG, Rhythm & Hues and Sony Pictures Imageworks. For more information about Side Effects Software and its products, please visit http://www.sidefx.com. Houdini is a registered trademark of Side Effects Software Inc. All other trademarks are the properties of their respective owners. For More Information, Press Only: Donna Teggart, Communications Manager, Side Effects Software, (416) 504-9876, donna@sidefx.com