Softimage (company)

Softimage, Co.
Formerly
  • Microsoft Softimage (1994–1998)
  • Avid Softimage (1998–2008)
Company typeSubsidiary
IndustrySoftware
Founded1986; 38 years ago (1986)
FoundersDaniel Langlois
DefunctOctober 23, 2008 (2008-10-23)
FateBrand and 3D assets acquired by Autodesk; Other assets continued to be owned by Avid
Headquarters,
Canada
Products
Parent

Softimage, Co. /ˌsɒftɪˈmɑːʒ/ was a company located in Montreal, Quebec, Canada that produced 3D animation software. A subsidiary of Microsoft in the 1990s, it was sold to Avid Technology, who would eventually sell the name and assets of Softimage's 3D-animation business to Autodesk.

Its first product, Softimage 3D, was used in the creation of special effects for movies such as Jurassic Park, Terminator 2, Titanic and The Fifth Element. Its successor, Softimage XSI, was used in the production of the Academy Award-winning feature film Happy Feet, 300 and Charlotte's Web (2006) and the production of games such as Konami's Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots.[1]

In 1997, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences awarded Softimage a Scientific and Engineering Award for the development of the "Actor" component of Softimage|3D.[2]

During the Microsoft years, Softimage also developed a non-linear video-editing and compositing suite named Softimage|DS, which was available from Avid Technology under the name Avid DS, until its EOL on September 30, 2013.

  1. ^ Watanabe, Yoshiyuki. "Case Study: Metal Gear Solid 4". SoftImage. Archived from the original on 13 February 2009. Retrieved 2008-10-31.
  2. ^ "CBC News Indepth: Oscars". CBC News. 26 January 2004. Archived from the original on 29 January 2004. Retrieved 6 November 2008.