MONTREAL, Canada ­-(Jan. 23, 2001 )-- Softimage Co., a subsidiary of Avid Technology, Inc., today announced that its SOFTIMAGE|XSI version 1.5 flagship software is immediately available to animators in the film, broadcast, games and interactive markets. With SOFTIMAGE|XSI 1.5 software, Softimage is dramatically expanding its collaborative high-end 3-D content creation package, delivering a complete end-to-end production solution.

"We touched virtually every part of the software to add new tools and improve existing ones," said Michael David Smith, SOFTIMAGE|XSI product manager. "We are enabling all animators and 3-D artists to create higher quality work faster, because they are spending less time on repetitive tasks and more time on their art. We also want artists to be free to spend more time on the finishing touches and fine tuning of their work and less on basic construction tasks."

Utilizing the solid architecture of SOFTIMAGE|XSI 1.0, a large number of new capabilities and performance enhancements were incorporated into the SOFTIMAGE|XSI 1.5 version. These include a new polygon mesh modeler, subdivision surfaces, a new texture UV editor, cloth dynamics and Net View, a fully integrated Web browser.

Softimage has always focused on the needs of users and the new polygon tools fully demonstrate this. Subdivision surfaces in SOFTIMAGE|XSI 1.5, for example, allow animators to model, texture and animate complex, one-piece characters, while keeping resolution low until it is time to render. The whole process of content creation is thereby made faster and much more efficient. It is even possible just to increase the resolution of the model when rendering, thus getting rid of processing overheads when building and animating elements.

Dynamic simulation includes cutting-edge particles, softbody and cloth dynamic simulators. These features reduce the time it takes animators to build and animate realistic elements, while also allowing for experimentation with photo-realistic effects. Simulation also allows the animator to determine and refine the relationship between characters and objects within a scene, enabling lifelike motion, actions and reactions.

Net View provides artists with access to a fully integrated HTML browser within SOFTIMAGE|XSI 1.5. Conducting research on the Web for materials and linking to the Softimage user community is now possible without the need to leave the Softimage interface. Drag and drop features also allow scene components to be added directly from the Web into SOFTIMAGE|XSI 1.5. The ability to execute scripts from Web pages makes this an ideal tool for content and asset management. Now technical directors and producers can organize projects using simple HTML-based Internet or Intranet sites, eliminating the need for complex and expensive management systems.
With SOFTIMAGE|XSI 1.5, animators can also take advantage of the following new features:

-- Polygonal Modeling Tools - The new polygon-modeling suite is extremely fast, intuitive and interactive. Mesh modeling in SOFTIMAGE|XSI 1.5 delivers ease-of-use and productivity without compromise, inheriting its accessibility from the state-of-the-art SOFTIMAGE|XSI graphical interface, and adding a complete, robust suite of construction-history based polygon tools. Founded on a self-validating core mesh structure, artists will never lose time working around corrupt data.

-- Animation Mixer Improvements - New bridge transition tool intelligently blends multiple motions of different frequencies, such as smoothly transitioning from a walk cycle to a run cycle. Also, several new clip editing and manipulation tools have been added for increased productivity. This allows very complex animation to be blocked in and fine-tuned quickly in a totally non-destructive environment.

-- Texture UV Editing - Full-featured UV texture editing for both meshes and surfaces fully support multiple textures with independently editable UV coordinates.

Additionally, based on feedback from users, features from SOFTIMAGE 3.X have been improved and re-introduced into SOFTIMAGE|XSI 1.5 to provide a more flexible working environment. These include:

-- Spreadsheet - A new view to query, sort and display relational scene data in a compact table for easy consulting and editing of several elements or parameters at once.

-- Dopesheet - A new view that provides an overview of animation data that drives objects directly, so that large animation tasks such as re-timing, can be carried out with a minimal amount of effort.

Softimage recognizes that more efficient content creation will be achieved in the future through collaboration. By simplifying the processes needed for animators to work together and integrating the Internet via Net View, performance and workflow are enhanced significantly. SOFTIMAGE|XSI 1.5 software provides artists with all the tools they need to innovate, create and collaborate.

Pricing and availability

Softimage offers two varieties of the SOFTIMAGE|XSI system: Essentials and Advanced. SOFTIMAGE|XSI Essentials Version 1.5 is available for $7,995 USMSRP. For artists who push the limits of animation, the SOFTIMAGE|XSI Advanced package includes: simulated Particles, Softbodies and an additional mental ray license and is available for $11,995 USMSRP. International prices may vary. Existing users of the SOFTIMAGE|XSI version 1.0 system under a valid maintenance contract as of December 1st 2000 are eligible to receive the upgrade to version 1.5 as part of their maintenance agreement.

About Avid Technology, Inc.

Avid Technology, Inc., of which Softimage Co. is a subsidiary, delivers the solutions that Make, Manage and Move Media. As the recognized digital standard for professionals who Make the world's media -- from video, audio and film to animation, special effects and streaming media -- Avid's products are used to make more television and news shows, commercials, music videos and CDs, corporate/industrial productions and major motion pictures combined than any other nonlinear editing manufacturer in the world. Now, building on its Oscar and Emmy award-winning heritage in creating content, Avid is extending its reach by redefining how digital media is shared, stored and distributed. To Manage today's increasingly rich collection of dynamic media, Avid provides powerful servers, networks and media tools to help customers search files, share media and collaborate on new productions, both locally and globally. Avid's solutions also empower users to easily Move media, whether on air, over cable or satellite or through the Internet. Like no other media company today, Avid's end-to-end solutions span the continuum of media creation, management and distribution. The company's corporate headquarters are located in Tewksbury, MA. More information about the company is available at www.avid.com and www.softimage.com.

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