Ten years ago: 64-bit SOFTIMAGE|XSI previewed

[This screenshot is] actually one we showed at GDC and IDF a few weeks ago. Its the USS Ronald Reagan provided to us by Digimation. The model is 1.5 million polys and there are 36 of them on screen so there are plenty of polys in that scene too. I think that scene is taking up about 3.7 gigs RAM.

The workstations we are using are Dell 670, 380’s and also Intel provided boxes, both dual Xeon and dual-core Pentium 4EE’s with 8 gigs in the dual core boxes and 16 in the Xeon boxes. I was hoping for some SLI goodness but the boxes are single PCIE machines at the moment so we’re running single Quadro 3400’s.
— marksch on cgtalk

Avid to Preview 64-bit SOFTIMAGE|XSI Software at Microsoft Conference
WinHEC 2005 – Seattle , WA – April 25, 2005
Avid Technology, Inc. (NASDAQ: AVID) today announced that it will be demonstrating a technology preview of a native 64-bit version of SOFTIMAGE®|XSI® 3-D animation software during WinHEC – Microsoft’s annual Windows Hardware Engineering Conference – from April 25-27. The technology preview will provide attendees with a first-hand look at a prototype of SOFTIMAGE|XSI software that is designed to take advantage of 64-bit computing architectures in order to streamline time-consuming 3D animation tasks such as modeling, texturing, and rendering. The 64-bit architecture of SOFTIMAGE|XSI software will leverage the increased performance capabilities found in a range of technologies, including Microsoft Windows XP Professional x64 Edition, Dell Precision™ Workstations with 64-bit Intel ® Xeon ™ processors supporting up to 16GB of memory, and the new Dell Precision 380 with the Intel ® Pentium ® Processor Extreme Edition – Intel’s first dual-core processor-based platform which also features Intel ® EM64T, supporting up to 8GB of high speed memory.

“At Softimage, our customers create incredible CG visuals for feature films, commercials, and video games – and they are consistently delivering greater realism and more sophisticated 3D content,” said Marc Stevens , director of product marketing and research & development for Softimage. “Advancements in 64-bit hardware, like dual core processors, enable artists to work at greater speeds and to produce incredible results in less time. We’re pleased to be a part of WinHEC this year in collaboration with Dell and Intel, and for the opportunity to show how 64-bit applications are poised to dramatically change the creative process for CG artists who create some of the most complex and compelling visual imagery in today’s media.”

André Bustanoby, visual effects supervisor at Stan Winston Digital, a LA-based visual effects shop, said, “At Stan Winston Digital, we are dedicated to delivering the highest level of character animation and visual effects for our projects, often with huge 3-D scenes that can slow software applications as we push system memory to its maximum capacity. With 64-bit technology, we expect that our team of artists will be able to increase the complexity of their 3-D work – without sacrificing time – to deliver greater visual experiences to viewers than ever before.” Artists at Stan Winston Digital have used SOFTIMAGE|XSI to create CG imagery for films including Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow, Garfield and Cat in the Hat.

The technology preview of the 64-bit version of SOFTIMAGE|XSI will demonstrate increases in performance over 32-bit memory systems. Some of these benefits include greater interactivity and faster rendering of massively complex 3-D scenes, and less rendering required for creating special effects with longer sequences that require layering of 3-D, film, and video content.