Softimage XSI

[CGRookie]

Originally Posted by Thomas

I saw some crazy stuff at the Softimage user group meeting in germany this monday.. something that will be announce soon I think and this is another reason for me to look more indepth in Softimage and not Maya as I wanted to do first
to do it faster about.. ICE : http://www.tobiasdeml.com/blog/?p=49 (I can't post photos, sorry

They're clearly not aiming for the hobbyist market. At least that's what I understood explained in that site. I'd be interested in a streamlined version of XSI with improved and simplified workflow. I've been looking at Modo and I'm impressed. I had hoped that Softimage would go that route not just for highend use such as for 2d illustrators trying to add 3d apps in their workflow.

[WillBellJr]

I have a whole thread over at CGTalk in the Vue forum comparing Vue and Carrara - if you really want an ALL AROUND (by that I mean landscapes & environments) then IMO, I don't think you'll get better than Carrara right at the moment.

XSI while powerful and "sexy" as I like to say, has no landscaping capabilities at all, neither does most of the "power apps". Vue to me has always been to slow and "dis-promising"; the things that they promise you can do either you can't because of bugs or it takes a lifetime for it to render...

Maxon is currently having a sale for Cinema 4D:
http://maxon.net/pages/dyn_files/dyn...315_02315.html

I'm assuming that sharbor will honor that sale with even better pricing...

Again, C4D is about the closest you'll get to Carrara "feel" wise, including landscapes and environments (it has skies if you get the advanced renderer module and terrains/water are a breeze to do in C4D.)

-Will

[Wingnut]

What about the apprentice version of Houdini for $99.00?

[bwtr]

Thanks. Some surprising answers about XSI though.
Brian

[Grendel]

What was surprising about XSI to you? As Will noted none of the big five(XSI,Maya, Max, Lightwave, C4D) have much if any landscaping/environment tools. They let Vue due that.

[rickei]

Originally Posted by Thomas

I saw some crazy stuff at the Softimage user group meeting in germany this monday.. something that will be announce soon I think and this is another reason for me to look more indepth in Softimage and not Maya as I wanted to do first
to do it faster about.. ICE : http://www.tobiasdeml.com/blog/?p=49 (I can't post photos, sorry

ICE? this seems pretty close to what C4d can do.

if I understand correctly, it is some sort of attribute transfer? I'm assume it will be much more advanced that C4D does?

Brian, good luck with XSI, it seems like a BIG application to learn.

[Grendel]

XSI already had atttribute transfer gator and motor for some time. The ICE will be a nodal way of programming custom scripts and tools without having to know anything about scripting languages.

Like if you had a juggler and you wanted the balls to glow as they approached contact with his hands. You could keyframe the shader but it would be a PITA. So you grab a proximity node and a object tag node and you plug them into each other to drive and output to the shaders glow channel. Example.....if (proximity tag) is equal to or less than 10cm to the hand(object tag)then glow value equals 100% minus proximity distance in mm.

[Wася]

I think, it's a little bit strange to compare ICE with C4D Xpresso, because nodal way of "scripting" exists in Houdini for ages, and is not some kind of add-on, but a core feature.
However, the decision trees approach itself was invented neither in Omnibus, nor in Maxon.
Futhermore, the nodal approach already implemented in Softimage Crosswalk. So ICE is just a logical step. Smart one.

[updated] Silly. Thought about Behavior, wrote "crosswalk". Behavior, of course.

[bwtr]

XSI only needs Carrara6Pro as a plugin and it's "Perfect"???!!!!

Ahhhh.---- the old bloke has some wierd learning experiences!

[Wася]

Originally Posted by bwtr

XSI only needs Carrara6Pro as a plugin and it's "Perfect"???!!!!

Sure

Seriously, the answer is no, of course. Because the question is what suites you better. If you will feel yourself absolutely uncomfortable, no matter how many features the tool offers to you, because it would be hard to use them features. I think you know it without advices.

[bwtr]

It comes as a bit of a shock/surpise to me that, in it's major basic form, XSI is so restricted. Having to so much rely on plugins and outside apps---?

Ah well.
Brian

[Wася]

It depends on what do you call restriction. Plants/sky generation? Yes, it is. Or you can say so. But not only XSI is. That's why Vue, TerraGen et al still exist.
Than's why you can still use your favourite Carrara

[bwtr]

Terragen?---have I still got that on the computer?(Now,---- using the DCG stuff on the terrains------)

I think this thread has served it's purpose probably.
Interesting education.

Thanks all.
Brian

[WillBellJr]

The environments was the absolute only reason why I purchased Carrara, already owning Lightwave, XSI, ZBrush and others (and Vue 5 Inf).

I found that in Carrara you could really model as opposed to Vue, (metaball, vertex and spline!) Carrara also has real 3D views (I can't stand Vue's viewports and how they work.) The complete Poser model import (hair and animations) was the cake icing...

Once again, the only app I consider similar to Carrara is C4D - that and plus MOI objects went in looking exactly the same as in MOI was the reason why I added C4D to my toolbox.

-Will

PS - Yes, I'm allergic to money, that's why I seem to always spend all that I have...

[joe t]

Brain,

I see you have troubles finding any tutorials for XSI so I thought I would share several great links:
http://community.softimage.com/index.php
http://www.vast.ws/resources/xsi/tut...tutorials.html
http://www.xsibase.com/tutorials/beginner.php
http://www.softimage.com/education/onlineresources.aspx
http://softimage.wiki.avid.com/index.php/Main_Page

I think that these free resources should help you out and also several of sites have free plug ins and content too. There are also a XSI video training

I also agree with Will Bell that each tools has its strengths and best to use tool that is best for the job. I have not heard of a one program does it all except where the need was specific such as animation and even then there are debates about the Best #1.

There is also Geo Control (http://www.cajomi.de/GeoControl/geoc...2_features.htm ) The programmer has had a small set back but expect that the new release will be out this summer. Buying GC 1 wil get you able to use GC2. Just a user not anything more.

Have fun learning Brian. Do not let first experiences with any software program push you away from learning it.

JT
Footnote: A training @ http://www.3dmastermind.com/
that cost $59=s&h has been getting very good feedback also at couple forums.

[WillBellJr]

Thanks for the GeoControl link - looks interesting. I was mostly waiting for Terragen 2 to mature, good to have options...

-Will

[bwtr]

Thanks. I will look at those XSI tutes later.
I have been watching Cajomies GeoControl from the start. Hard to justify above that in Carrara unless doing a lot of landscape work I feel.
Vue feels like a "blender" app to me. Never can get a mental rightness to work with it.

Any comments on the XSI/LW subD modelling abilities compared with Hexagon/and or?

[CGRookie]

Originally Posted by WillBellJr

Once again, the only app I consider similar to Carrara is C4D - that and plus MOI objects went in looking exactly the same as in MOI was the reason why I added C4D to my toolbox.

C4D is completely and totally out of my financial radar screen. The core doesn't even include the Advanced Render. I don't know how Maxon could even sell a core without the main renderer included. Without XSI and Modo in the competition I might be tempted to shell out $1500 (C4D + Advanced Render). For now Modo or XSI are more attractive. For me at least.

[Wася]

CGRookie, even in Advanced Render the DOF is unavailable if you use PyroCluster (fire, smoke, dust).

Brian, both XSI and LW do not support Second Life.
I can not say too much about LW, but I watched some good LW modeling videos and I can say at least something about modo wich is developed by ex Newtek people. It seems to me LW is more suitable for box modeling. However, you can still use Hexagon for modeling. Even with LW. XSI can handle more dense meshes than both Hex and LW can.

XSI... Let me say that. For me the organic modeling started from Hex. And despite all the differences XSI looks more natural for me. I can't explain why, but that's a fact. Furthermore, if they only would add local subdivision and snapping options like XSI has to Hexagon 3.0 (and would fix the bugs), I will be completely happy (or, maybe I will not, and I immediately will ask for deformers, weightmaps et al ). I'm sorry, currently I have no time to be more specific, but many things are much easier in Hex as compared to XSI, but Hex misses many ones also.

So the question is what's more important to you? Modeling like in Hex or the rest of workflow like in Carrara? If it's modeling, then neither LW, nor C4D. I was always amazed by the art made in C4D, but C4D way of modeling was the first and biggest con for me. I'm not talking about good or bad, they are just too far from Hex. If it's the whole workflow, than it will be neither LW, nor XSI, but C4D.

[bwtr]

Thanks.
Very comprehensive and well explained.
Brian