What are advantages of XSI ?

[Kic]

What are advantages of XSI and is possibility to find some export, import plugins ( also related to games )

Thanks

[ronjurman]

I can't claim to know XSI particularly well, as I haven't dug in far enough to even give more than a fraction of the 'advantages', but what I've seen is pretty darned impressive. Others in the forum have shown some serious accomplishment with XSI, and I'm sure could speak of much more. Even with my limited familiarity, where even to start? Perhaps just a few highlights, for now:

- A modeling system with a complete history, creating a graph where one can directly access operations (like point moves) several steps back. It's a bit like Hexagon's dynamic geometry on steroids (with a lot more than geometry accessible).

- A major movie studio class renderer, available even in the base Foundation package.

- An awesome set of major studio class character animation capabilities, most of which are available in the base Foundation package, with some bleeding-edge tools in the more expensive packages.

- Immediate access to macros/scripting by even casual users, with an immediately viewable log window that shows the underlying script operations (which one can copy, record, save) as one uses menus and tools.

- Basic cloth and soft/liquid physics in the base Foundation package. Enhanced cloth, hair, and hard-body physics in the higher end packages.

- An overall software organization that actively considers team efforts (as needed in large studios), without unduly getting in the way of individual artists.

- A complete compositing suite in the Essentials and Advanced packages.

- And much more, including NURBS, a fast interactive rendering capability, non-modal operations, and more that isn't on the tip of my thoughts (or that I may even be aware of) at this point.

Consider this just a 'starter' list. Others, I'm sure, could considerably expand upon this list (and correct any misimpressions I might have), but it probably would be best to play with one of the free EXP or ModTool versions just to get aquainted. Keep in mind those free versions are probably one or two (or more) major versions back, and SoftImage has been very actively adding major capabilities in its latest versions.

Go to SoftImage's website as well as XSI Base for more information, as well as for the latest on plugins and import/export modules.

hth

http://www.softimage.com

http://www.xsibase.com

rj

PS. Then there's the Giga-Polygon core (which started at 5.0, I haven't experienced XSI 6 yet, Wow!) which should allow for massive objects and scenes (but I am nowhere near that, so ...).