Hello,


where did the names “SideFX” and “Houdini” came from to name this wonderfull software… Why did they call it Houdini ?


Just curious, many thanks,




bern

Personally I think they should have named Houdini after a particular Norse God…but that's just my humble opinion.

SideFX goes way back to when the company principals(Kim Davidson and Greg Hermanovic) worked for an FX house called Side Effects Productions, where they developed Prisms, the precursor to Houdini. I still have a Side Effects bag with the coiled logo sitting here in my office.

Prisms was awesome, way ahead of it's time…it was fully procedural, just like Houdini, but instead of a network of nodes they had to be in “lists”. Similar to programs, you had little “jump” nodes that referenced back to other SOPs in the list, much like a program function call. Lots of fun managing those. Anyway, compared to Houdini you'd slit your wrists, but at the time…

When they left Side Effects Productions, they kept the first part of the name, but lost the “Productions”.

As far as Houdini, I'm unaware of any inside jokes or meaning, but the notion was definitely about being a master illusionist that could escape from any production “traps”.

Cheers,

J.C.

As another piece of useless trivia, we've just moved into the space they previously occupied, where Houdini was developed. We keep looking for stashes and hookas but so far… :cry:

JColdrick
As another piece of useless trivia, we've just moved into the space they previously occupied, where Houdini was developed. We keep looking for stashes and hookas but so far… :cry:

Although I would like to add that I've spent the last 3 days cleaning up tons of empty Pepsi bottles.

That's very very funny - if you understand it!

JColdrick
SideFX goes way back to when the company principals(Kim Davidson and Greg Hermanovic) worked for an FX house called Side Effects Productions, where they developed Prisms, the precursor to Houdini. I still have a Side Effects bag with the coiled logo sitting here in my office.

Prisms was awesome, way ahead of it's time…it was fully procedural, just like Houdini, but instead of a network of nodes they had to be in “lists”. Similar to programs, you had little “jump” nodes that referenced back to other SOPs in the list, much like a program function call. Lots of fun managing those. Anyway, compared to Houdini you'd slit your wrists, but at the time…

When they left Side Effects Productions, they kept the first part of the name, but lost the “Productions”.

As far as Houdini, I'm unaware of any inside jokes or meaning, but the notion was definitely about being a master illusionist that could escape from any production “traps”.

Cheers,

J.C.

As another piece of useless trivia, we've just moved into the space they previously occupied, where Houdini was developed. We keep looking for stashes and hookas but so far… :cry:

Was this while they were at Omnibus? I didn't know there was Side Effects Productions (I might have associate it with Side Effects Software in my brain instead)


Cool! AXYZ is now at the old SESI office? On the 10th floor? It's got a really awesome view the last time I visited that space.

Omnibus was before Side Effects Productions. To throw another useless log on the fire, the guy who owned it was one of the original starting partners of Alias! When I worked there they were using Alias, but I managed to talk them into going back to Prisms and we dumped Power Animator. ha!

Yah, we've ripped out the showers, ceilings, in fact everything, but we really love the space. Still redecorating. Coolest feature - the floor is 3/4 surrounded by a continuous narrow balcony 10 floors up - so convenient when deadlines are missed and you want the honourable way out!

Cheers,

J.C.

(Wolfwood, you missed a bottle…)

Hello,




Is it possible to post some screenshots of this PRISMS package? I'd love to see it…

many thanks,



bern

You can find some screenshots of it on the Odforce Gallery page. (which seems to be broken at the moment.)

I installed Prisms on an O2 we have laying around here, but Toronto still can't be bothered to give me a license. It's so frustrating being out here in the sticks, unloved… :roll:

hi!

i managed to lay my hands on some screenshots that used to dwell in odforce gallery.


kumpa

man. i'm glad I'm just a second generation baby.

i think the name houdini come from here:

http://info.detnews.com/history/story/index.cfm?id=138&category=people [info.detnews.com]