Softimage Releases Tools For PS2 Developers

Softimage announced the availability of a new suite of utilities and tools designed to speed-up and simplify the creation of games animation and effects for the PS2. Called the Platform Development Kit (PDK) for Softimage|XSI, this suite of tools lets developers create and edit shaders directly from within Softimage|XSI with immediate on-target feedback, reducing the time it takes to review changes made to the game. The PDK contains support for PlayStation2 on-target previewing via SCE’s monitor and viewer applications. The PDK also features a File Tool Kit (FTK) for building support for the dotXSI file format into your whole production pipeline. In addition to the viewer and the FTK, the Softimage|XSI PDK also includes add-ons for simplifying the creation of shader effects. The Softimage|XSI PDK for PlayStation 2 includes:

Support for Sony Computer Entertainment graphics libraries.

Dedicated Softimage|XSI Real-Time Shaders for creating rendering effects.

Dev Tool Remote Fileserver for Windows.

Softimage|XSI FTK v.3.62 for the PS2, for enhancing your art pipeline so that you can export art from Softimage|XSI more easily.

An high-level UI that gathers all the PDK components for the PS2 platform into an integrated Net View-based management utility. The Softimage|XSI PDK for PlayStation 2 is available from the Sony Computer Entertainment Developer Network website. Softimage|XSI 3.0, which supports Windows, Linux and IRIX, is available starting at $6,750. For a limited time, Softimage is offering trade-in credit of up to $6,500 for other 3D software towards the purchase of Softimage|XSI.