Houdini 8 [commercial]

[Tami]

Side Effects Software, developer of the award-winning Houdini family of 3D software, today announced the immediate availability of Houdini 8. Developed to provide creative freedom without compromise, Houdini 8 combines innovation with practicality with powerful features such as new dynamics architecture, light linking, Interactive Photorealistic Rendering (IPR), character animation enhancements and more.

New Dynamics Architecture

In Houdini 8, dynamic simulations can now be created using Houdini's renowned proceduralism with ground-breaking results. Built from the ground up, the new dynamics architecture focuses on the needs of artists in production. The Rigid Body, Cloth and Wire solvers work together to create highly sophisticated and never before seen simulations. In addition, production studios can seamlessly integrate their in-house solvers into Houdini’s dynamics environment. The new dynamics architecture tightly incorporates Houdini’s world-class particle system and information such as impact data can be used to create more complex effects such as crushing objects or staining surfaces. Also, the new Rigid Body solver has exciting features such as glue that make it possible to hold together the pieces of a pre-fractured object until it is acted upon by an outside force.

Light Linking and Interactive Photorealistic Rendering

With its production-proven built-in renderer Mantra and full integration of Pixar’s RenderMan®, Houdini is the ideal tool for layout and lighting. In Houdini 8, new tools such as the light linker and the parameter spreadsheet greatly improve workflow. Houdini’s new Interactive Photorealistic rendering provides the ideal tool for tweaking a shot while Takes are used to record and manage all the parameter changes. As a result, lighting artists can record the decisions that go into developing each shot then choose the best approach for final output.

Character Workflow Improvements

Also in Houdini 8, the character animation workflow has been refined while bones have been optimized for better interactive feedback as animators pose and animate character rigs. Improvements to Digital Asset creation now make character assets easier to use for all character artists and animators.

While the new dynamics architecture is available in Houdini Master ($17,000 US), the character enhancements are available in Houdini Master and Houdini Escape (from $1,999 US), and the lighting and interface enhancements are found in all products in the Houdini family including Houdini Select (from $1,299 US). With the choice of tools in Side Effects Software’s Houdini family, production studios will now more easily build cost-effective pipelines that will meet the technical and creative needs of technical directors and artists.