Archive notice: This article was originally published on April 1, 2012. Links and embedded videos are preserved as part of the historical record.
Simulating crowds is no longer an obstacle for Softimage, thanks to the implementation of CrowdFX in Softimage’s ICE environment. Alongside CrowdFX, Bullet Physics has also found its way into ICE. Particle-based rigid-body dynamics thereby receive, for example, improved collision detection for obstacles(Obstacles). Alongside the two newcomers, ICE received internal improvements to increase general productivity.
The “High Quality Viewport” not only improves quality in the 3D viewport, but also makes it easier to adjust a wide variety of materials and lights in real time. Activating this new function automatically brings shader networks such as reflections, bump maps, and glossy materials to the highest quality and makes them visible in the viewport window.
Switching from 3dS Max to Softimage is made easier with the new Interaction Model, which changes navigation and control maneuvers to 3dS Max hotkeys.
When many users work on a particular scene, essential information can be exchanged through annotation objects in the form of speech bubbles.
Naturally, several core elements were also revised, which according to Autodesk provide better performance when modeling and animating objects. In addition to the improved performance, new tools are integrated for the areas of selection and modeling.
For better analysis of ICE modeling techniques, Autodesk added various sample scenes and sample objects. This makes complex workflows easier to understand. Last but not least, the Softimage SDK was further filled with useful functions and classes that allow Softimage to be adapted even more to users’ own needs.
