I received information today from Autodesk that they have signed an agreement to acquire Softimage, another very powerful 3D software. The acquisition is expected to close next month, until then, Autodesk and Softimage will continue operating independently.

We are pleased to announce that Autodesk and Avid Technology have signed a definitive agreement for Autodesk to acquire substantially all of the assets of Softimage, a Canadian subsidiary of Avid Technology. We are excited by this opportunity to join forces, combining two strong teams into a world-class center for computer graphics software research and development.

Both Softimage and Autodesk Media & Entertainment are headquartered in Montreal, Canada. Softimage has been developing state-of-the-art 3D technology for more than 20 years. Its products are recognized as best-ofbreed in the entertainment industry. With nine million users, Autodesk is a world leader in 2D and 3D design software for the media and entertainment, manufacturing, building and construction markets.

Autodesk now has a majority of the powerful 3D software out there, including Autocad, 3D Studio Max and Maya, which was purchased about 3 years ago from Alias. Some of the other 3D software not owned by Autodesk includes Blender, Cinema 4D, Lightwave and Bryce.

What does this mean for Softimage users? When Alias was bought out, a lot of Maya users had concerns about the UI changing so drasticlly that they woudl have to relearn the software. Other concerns were that both software would merge into a hydrid in which neither Max user nor May auser would fully be experts in. With a third major software introduced, it will be interseting to see the plans that Autodesk has for the future. I do think however, we will see drastic improvements in ALL software (3D Max, Maya and Softimage).