Softimage and Epic Games Collaborate

Avid Technology, Inc. announced that its Softimage subsidiary and Epic Games have collaborated to co-develop the UnrealActor X Exporter for the XSI toolkit – a solution for professional developers and enthusiasts interested in creating interactive titles with Softimage|XSI animation software and Epic’s Unreal Engine technology. The Unreal Actor X Exporter for the XSI toolkit enables game developers to use technologies from both companies together in a game development pipeline. Gamers and enthusiasts known as "modders" – who routinely change the way video games are played – can also use the toolkit with the SOFTIMAGE|XSI Mod Tool to create their own characters, props and environments for titles powered by the Unreal Engine 2. The Unreal Actor X Exporter for the XSI toolkit will allow users to export any type of model or character created with Softimage|XSI software directly into the upcoming Unreal Engine 3. Gamers and enthusiasts who generate their own material with the Softimage|XSI Mod Tool can also use the toolkit from Softimage and Epic to incorporate their content into titles based on the Epic Unreal Engine 2, such as the award-winning Unreal Tournament 2004. Based on the commercial version of Softimage’s leading animation software, the free Softimage|XSI Mod Tool includes multiple toolsets for texturing and animating characters, as well as designing and previewing real-time effects.