Side Effects Software has introduced Houdini for the Mac OS X operating system platform with the new release of Houdini 9.5. After a rigorous public beta program Mac beta customers have helped Side Effects Software build a great first release for the Mac. Houdini 9.5 is available immediately for purchase through the Houdini Store online.

Houdini 9.5

Houdini 9.5 for Mac has a nice OS X interface (see image below) and this version sports an improved documentation set with a better set of resources for learning Houdini. This includes new search functionality with boolean search, phrase searching and spelling suggestions.

Houdini 9.5 requires 64-bit Intel Macs running Leopard OS (10.5). The program requires 1GB or memory but runs best with 2-4GB. Multiprocessor machines should be configured with additional RAM for optimal performance. Houdini supports multiprocessor compositing and rendering. OpenGL 1.2 support on preferably workstation-class graphics cards is required but the program will take advantage of OpenGL 2.0 support if available on the GPU. Houdini 9.5 can run on professional-class laptops if they meet minimal requirements. Houdini 9.5 does not require support for Direct3D — all viewports and interfaces use OpenGL. The program requires 500 MB of disk space and a Wacom tablet is recommended for Houdini’s brush-based tools.

Houdini Escape cost $1,995.USD while Houdini Master cost $7,995.USD. There are monthly rental prices, upgrade prices and network licenses for studios available.

For full features of Houdini 9.5 and for more information on the product go to: http://www.sidefx.com/