SESI has announced the launch of a new version of Apprentice called Apprentice HD: Starving Artist Edition. This startling and hopefully industry changing version does away with the small but not so innocuous watermark on each rendered image. For a mere $99 you can get a full version of Houdini to work on any non commercial project.

Here is a snippet from the press release regarding the launch, and if you've made it this far can only mean that you've already bought the software and are merely delighting in reading over this wonderful news again. If you haven't gone there already, then go now and come back. Don't worry, we'll still be here.

Here's the promised snippet :

Learning and trial versions of 3D Animation software have always come with lots of limits such as annoying watermarks that blemish the artists work, says Kim Davidson, President and co-founder Side Effects Software. With Houdini Apprentice HD we have taken away the watermark and put our focus on giving artists, enthusiasts and students the perfect tool for developing personal art and animation on a shoestring budget.

Houdini Apprentice HD will render still images at any resolution and animations at a maximum resolution of 1920x1080. The new Houdini Apprentice HD uses the same non-commercial file format as Houdini Apprentice and artists can share files between the two versions.

Schools and training facilities will also benefit from this program as students working with either the free Houdini Apprentice or Houdini Apprentice HD will be able to bring their work into the computer lab and render watermark-free at HD resolutions. Institutions interested in learning how Houdini Apprentice can provide low-cost solutions to their students, please contact Side Effects Softwares Training and School Accounts Manager Aliza Sorotzkin for more details.