http://usa.autodesk.com/adsk/servlet/item?id=12022457&siteID=123112

http://www.fxguide.com/article505.html

http://community.softimage.com/showpost.php?p=13603&postcount=86

http://area.autodesk.com/index.php/blogs_ken/blog_detail/autodesk_acquires_softimage_choose_your_passion/

Many people have posted negative feedback in the various forums over the past few days with one big concern that Autodesk will absorb Softimage and kill off XSI. To date, I am unaware of any applications that Autodesk has purchased and has summarily "killed off". In fact, this same issue came up during the acquisition of Alias.

To Autodesk's credit, many companies they have purchased has been more or less rescued from the financial scrapheap, Alias and Sofimage included. While we might all disagree on the results, many good things have come as a result of these acquisitions. In my opinion, it is the IP (intellectual property) that Autodesk really wanted form Softimage. I would image that CAT will find it's way into 3dsmax and that ICE might work its way into the 3D/Systems product line at some point. Also, I'm quite sure that XSI will continue for many years to come. Everybody thought that 3dsmax or Maya would be axed or that a new product would arise. I cannot speak for Autodesk here, but I think that we will all win in the end (by we I mean Autodesk application users).

All this being said, I wanted also to post an amusing YouTube video regarding this issue:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kR7UWImpG54

Obviously, somebody has a ton of time on their hands. In any case, it's pretty funny.

Commments?

Mark Kauffman
Technical Lead / PA
Project Visualization TEC
Parsons Brinckerhoff, Inc.
Kauffman@pbworld.com