Avid Technology’s Softimage Co. today unveiled the SOFTIMAGE|XSI 6 Mod Tool, a free 3D modeling and animation software application for non-commercial game content creation and modification. Based on the SOFTIMAGE|XSI 6 engine, the tool is designed to enable aspiring game developers to create 3D characters, levels and content designed for use with Microsoft XNA Game Studio (http://msdn2.microsoft.com/en-us/directx/Aa937794.aspx).
Integrating natively with the XNA Framework Content Pipeline, XSI Mod Tool comes with an enhanced user interface and training videos from Noesis Interactive to help newcomers to 3D game content creation learn the ropes.
‘Softimage and Microsoft are committed to nurturing the next generation of game creators,’ says Softimage product marketing manager Leonard Teo. ‘With the free SOFTIMAGE|XSI 6 Mod Tool and XNA Game Studio Express, anyone can download these tools and learn how to make games. Students, enthusiasts and aspiring game creators now have a similar toolset used by professional game companies to make their first games.’ Teo adds that SOFTIMAGE|XSI 6 Mod Tool also offers game publishers a way to extend the life of a game title by providing their mod communities with a powerful, free 3D toolset.
XSI 6 Mod Tool also comes with mod support for Valve’s Half Life 2 so users can export 3D characters and assets for use in Half-Life 2: Episode Two. Models are limited to 64,000 triangles at the time of export for each mesh in the scene and no rendering capabilities are available.
SOFTIMAGE|XSI 6 Mod Tool is available for free download at www.softimage.com/products/modtool.
