Avid Technology Inc. has purchased the intellectual property assets of Character Animation Technologies Ltd. Those assets will be managed by Avid subsidiary, Softimage Co. Softimage will continue to provide the same sales, support and services that were available from CAT in the past and CAT customers will continue to have the same sales and support contacts as they have had in the past. In addition, CATs cto, Philip Taylor, has joined the Softimage team in Montreal, bringing his expertise and knowledge to contribute to our future vision for character animation
CAT has been a pioneer in providing intuitive tools for animators, developing plug-ins for 3ds Max since 2003. Softimage, of course, has a 20-year history of developing high quality, artist-focused products for character animation with tools such as SOFTIMAGE|FACE ROBOT and SOFTIMAGE|XSI. This combination, according to Softimage vp/gm Marc Stevens, will allow them to work together to deliver an even broader range of character animation solutions that allow animators to reach their artistic goals with greater ease across multiple 3D platforms.
Softimage Co. (www.softimage.com), a subsidiary of Avid Technology, Inc. delivers innovative, artist-friendly character creation and effects tools to animators and digital artists in the film, broadcast, post-production and games industries. Its flagship product, SOFTIMAGE|XSI, the industry's only non-destructive digital character production software, frees character animators and digital artists to create compelling animated 3D content and effects from major motion pictures to CG features and commercials, to videogames.
Avid Technology Inc. (www.avid.com) is a world leader in digital nonlinear media creation, management and distribution solutions, enabling film, video, audio, animation, games and broadcast professionals to work more efficiently, productively and creatively.
Bill Desowitz, former editor of VFXWorld, is currently the Crafts Editor of IndieWire.
