07.10.2008
Softimage Enters Strategic Development Relationship with Exocortex Technologies
Industry-renowned innovator Ben Houston to develop next-generation fluid dynamics simulation technology leveraging the Softimage Interactive Creative Environment |
Softimage Co., a part of Avid Technology, Inc. (Nasdaq: AVID), today announced it has entered into a strategic development relationship with Exocortex Technologies, a privately held software company that develops graphics, information visualization and simulation software and services for government and private industry. Ben Houston, chief technology officer and founder of Exocortex, has numerous patents in the physical simulation field, and will focus his development on next-generation interactive fluid simulation solutions that utilize the new Softimage® ICE platform—a visual, multi-threaded, node-based programming model, designed for high-performance 3D effects and deformations. Ben and his team will develop and introduce new techniques for solving interaction between fluids and objects in a 3D environment built on the Softimage ICE platform.
Simulation of liquids and gases is one of the most compute intensive processes in 3D production today, and requires massive computation resources to achieve high-quality results in a reasonable amount of time. With the convergence of core density in the standard computing workstation and new techniques for multi-threading, Softimage is engaging Exocortex to develop next-generation interactive fluid technologies utilizing the new, multi-threaded ICE platform, introduced in SOFTIMAGE|XSI® 7, the company’s professional 3D modeling, animation, character creation and rendering software package.
“The Softimage ICE platform offers a development environment ideal for next-generation fluid simulation. Combined with the Gigacore 2 interactive processing power in SOFTIMAGE|XSI 7, we believe we will be able to reach new levels for real-time fluid interactivity,” said Ben Houston, founder and chief technology officer, Exocortex Technologies. “Softimage has always been an innovator, and we are delighted to be working with them to advance the state of the art for 3D visual effects—for linear media, such as film and television, interactive and gaming applications.”
“XSI has become a platform for innovation with the release of SOFTIMAGE|XSI 7, and our customers are extending the ICE framework to suit their individual production needs,” said Marc Stevens, general manager of Softimage and vice president, Avid Technology, Inc. “Our development relationship with Exocortex will help expand the use of XSI as an aggregator of industry-wide innovation”.
Softimage and Exocortex Technologies are currently in a technology development relationship, and at this time have no product announcements.
About Exocortex Technologies and Ben Houston
Exocortex is a privately held technology company specializing in the development and deployment of graphics, information visualization and simulation software and services for government and private industry. The company has a demonstrated track record of success and we are considered subject matter experts in these fields with numerous patents and publications.
The company is now developing new applications that were traditionally thought to be too computationally intensive or too complex. Areas of expertise include real-time fluid simulation and visualization tools to aid the analysis of intelligence data. Target markets include the gaming industry, simulation software applications for the fluid simulation applications and government agencies, intelligence communities, legal community and organizations that have a requirement to analyze relationships of unstructured data for data visualization software.
Ben Houston is a senior systems and development architect with an impressive list of accomplishments. Prior to founding Exocortex in February 2005, Ben was the Lead Architect & Commercial Strategist at Frantic Films. Ben contributed to a number of films including Paycheck (2003), Italian Job (2003), Scooby Doo 2 (2004), Cursed (2005), Stay (2005), Poseidon (2006), and Superman Returns (2006). Ben also contributed to several research publications and patents, and is recognized as an industry expert in graphics and fluid simulation amongst his peers.
About Softimage
Softimage is a part of Avid Technology, Inc., and develops leading-edge 3D technology used in customer-centric solutions that enable professionals in the games, film and television industry to realize their creative vision. Award-winning feature films, television productions and top-selling video games are made using Softimage software. Its flagship product, SOFTIMAGE|XSI, is an extensible 3D animation software solution built on the most modern architecture in the industry and is used by leading media and entertainment companies such as Digital Domain, Ubisoft, SEGA Corporation, CAPCOM, Animal Logic, and The Mill. Other solutions from Softimage include: SOFTIMAGE|FACE ROBOT®, lifelike facial animation software; SOFTIMAGE|CAT™, a complete character animation plug-in; and SOFTIMAGE Alienbrain®, a digital asset management solution for artists; For more information about Softimage, visit www.softimage.com
About Avid Technology, Inc.
Avid is a worldwide leader in tools for film, video, audio, 3D animation, gaming and broadcast professionals – as well as for home audio and video enthusiasts. Avid professional and consumer brands include Avid®, Digidesign®, M-Audio®, Pinnacle Systems®, Sibelius®, Softimage and Sundance Digital®. The vast majority of primetime television shows, feature films, commercials and chart-topping music hits are made using one or more Avid products. Whether used by seasoned professionals or beginning students, Avid’s products and services enable customers to work more efficiently, productively and creatively. Avid received an Oscar® statuette representing the 1998 Scientific and Technical Award for the concept, design, and engineering of the Avid® Film Composer® system for motion picture editing. For more information about the company’s Oscar, Grammy® and Emmy® award-winning products and services, visit www.avid.com
