Independent artists and game developers are in for a very special treat at Side Effects Software. The Houdini Apprentice HD version is replaced by a new indie licence model and allows the commercial use of Houdini for small budgets. More specifically, freelancers can access the full potential of Houdini despite the low price. This includes the efficient workflow based on a sophisticated procedural network and the Mantra Renderer. With the indie version, Houdini can therefore be used in all areas, as is usual with the commercial version. Starting with modelling, character animation, special effects, compositing through to lighting and rendering.
According to Side Effects, independent artists and game developers will also benefit from the use of a render farm. Amazon’s EC2 cloud can be connected via HQueue for this purpose.
Voices from Side Effects Software
“Independent animators and game developers are the lifeblood of the entertainment industry,” says Kim Davidson, President and CEO of Side Effects Software. “With Houdini Indie, they now have a comprehensive set of procedural tools and assets to help them experiment and realise their ideas!”
Indie in a double pack
Not only Houdini is offered with an Indie licence model, but also Houdini Engine. Using Houdini Engine Indie in combination with Houdini Indie, all digital assets created in Houdini Indie can be opened in programmes such as Maya, Cinema4D, 3DS Max, or in frameworks such as Unity and the Unreal Engine. If you don’t want to create your own assets, you can download ready-made assets from the Orbolt Asset Store and work with them.
Cost model
Houdini Indie is available for 199 USD, while Houdini Engine is offered for 99 USD. Of course, there is also a set of rules for using the Indie licence. Only freelancers and small studios earning less than USD 100,000 per year may use this licence. Further information on the indie versions will be available live at Siggraph 2014 in Vancouver at stand #901. Alternatively, you can find out more here from your PC at home.
