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Houdini To Port To Linux

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

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