I cut my teeth as a modeller on Softimage|3D 3.5 on NT workstations, not seen any version being used for many years. Thanks for posting, great memories.
This was an indication that Intel x86 architecture (and the original proprietary 64-bit Itanium architecture which failed to catch on) had advanced to the point that running Windows NT, Windows 2000 and their successors (Wintel) or running GNU/Linux (Lintel) would virtually wipe-out the high-end workstation niche market which ran Unix on 64-bit RISC architectures: IRIX on MIPS [SGI], Solaris on UltraSparc [Sun], AIX on POWER [IBM], HP-UX on PA-RISC [Hewlett Packard], Tru64 Unix on Alpha [DEC].
Impressive software! More modern features than I expected. But I dont understand how a a single core 32 bit Pentium Pro 120 mhz could perform better than 64 bit SGI machines with gigs of ram (at a time when my first computer had 16 mb).. I get the point of easier game development and price..but in pure rendering power? I got into Lightwave a few years later and it still lacks native lattice deformers..
Depends in the hardware configuration. Not only the Pentium Pro, but also PCI, and the improvements in the Chipset technologies made the PC beat propietary configurations in the Price/Quality ratio. But you have to know that you need an special video card with drivers specifically for the SoftImage 3D "kernel" to get the results you see here, like the Intergraph/3DLabs Wildcat cards. I've heard even Geforce cards (which beat the Wildcats at other 3d tasks) have performance problems with this software due lacking these special drivers. These cards weren't cheap at all, and you needed high performance PCI-64bit chipsets to use them. But... Ironically, even with these extra costs, these WinNT configurations were far cheaper than a proper equivalent SGI workstation. And that was were SGI got killed.
Used it since 1997 until today. Still best 3d tool out there.
I cut my teeth as a modeller on Softimage|3D 3.5 on NT workstations, not seen any version being used for many years. Thanks for posting, great memories.
Good old times with IRIX, PowerAnimator and Softimage3D....
This was an indication that Intel x86 architecture (and the original proprietary 64-bit Itanium architecture which failed to catch on) had advanced to the point that running Windows NT, Windows 2000 and their successors (Wintel) or running GNU/Linux (Lintel) would virtually wipe-out the high-end workstation niche market which ran Unix on 64-bit RISC architectures: IRIX on MIPS [SGI], Solaris on UltraSparc [Sun], AIX on POWER [IBM], HP-UX on PA-RISC [Hewlett Packard], Tru64 Unix on Alpha [DEC].
Impressive software! More modern features than I expected. But I dont understand how a a single core 32 bit Pentium Pro 120 mhz could perform better than 64 bit SGI machines with gigs of ram (at a time when my first computer had 16 mb).. I get the point of easier game development and price..but in pure rendering power? I got into Lightwave a few years later and it still lacks native lattice deformers..
Depends in the hardware configuration. Not only the Pentium Pro, but also PCI, and the improvements in the Chipset technologies made the PC beat propietary configurations in the Price/Quality ratio. But you have to know that you need an special video card with drivers specifically for the SoftImage 3D "kernel" to get the results you see here, like the Intergraph/3DLabs Wildcat cards. I've heard even Geforce cards (which beat the Wildcats at other 3d tasks) have performance problems with this software due lacking these special drivers. These cards weren't cheap at all, and you needed high performance PCI-64bit chipsets to use them. But... Ironically, even with these extra costs, these WinNT configurations were far cheaper than a proper equivalent SGI workstation. And that was were SGI got killed.
nice background music 08:33
Wow they were really pissed by SGI !
Thanks.
Co-sponsored by Microsoft, I see? Hence all the backstabbing of poor old SGI, already past its peak...
XSI THE BEST!!
:-)
class upload
So lame, I LOVE IT!!!