Havok, a company that provides interactive software and services to digital creators in the video-game and film industries, announced the release of Havok 5.5 at the 2008 Game Developer’s Conference (GDC) in San Francisco. The latest edition includes enhancements and new features across Havok’s modular suite of run-time technology and artists tools, dramatically accelerating the development of cross-platform electronic entertainment, according to the company.
Havok 5.5 includes major enhancements to Havok’s core products’Havok Physics, a real-time collision detection and physical simulation solution; Havok Animation, the animation SDK and tool set; and Havok Behavior, a system for developing event-driven character behaviors in a game.
Havok Physics 5.5 promises a new level of continuous multi-platform physics optimization, as well as enhanced collision query optimizations, especially for the PlayStation 3 console. Havok Animation 5.5 is designed to provide developers and artists with improved tools and technology, including Spline-based compression, export of Float Channels for morph target support, and Multithreading optimizations. Building on the first unified authoring environment and SDK that intuitively combines the power of physics with procedural animation and traditional animation assets, Havok Behavior 5.5 includes an enhanced Behavior SDK and tools. Together these features improve performance and allow developers to significantly cut content creation times and memory requirements.
Havok’s physics software is featured in more than 200 video games currently on the market. The company’s products have also been used to drive visual effects in such movies as Poseidon, The Matrix, Troy, Kingdom of Heaven and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. GDC attendees can find Havok at booth ES162 in the West Hall at the Moscone Center in San Francisco.
