SoftImage questions from a max user
polycounter lvl 11
I've been playing around with SoftImage 7.5 for a few days and googling alot about the tools and watching tutorials etc but still have some questions about alternative methods of doing things;
1) Firstly, is there a more recent script/plugin site for softimage like scriptspot and highend3d? Highend3d has a small collection of scripts but most of them are over 7 years old, I'm sure a lot of them aren't even relevant to Softimage 7.5 anymore.
Same applies to this page and all the links on this page; http://www.edharriss.com/XSIscripts/scripts_misc.htm and this one too; http://www.xsibase.com/
2) Is there a similar tool to 3d max's connect tool where you can set the pinch and slide amount? I use this alot in high poly modelling and SoftImage seems to only let you connect one edge and slide it with the "split edges with slide control" tool. The workaround is of course to use that tool twice for each "end" but then it wont be 100% accurate, plus its a hassle.
3) I miss shift-drag edge extrusion...
4) Is there a way to make the "UV Healing" tools work like Max? Like I want to select an edge, hit a button and then the shell that connects to my selected edge automatically snaps on.
Instead of selecting the first UV shell, hit a button and then select 2nd UV shell. Again its a lot of hassle, especially if theres loads of UV shells scattered everywhere and you have to find out where the edge connects to yourself
5) To "cut" UVs you have to enable Tearing Mode and move stuff, is there a way to just select an edge and cut without using the new Unfold tool? (I'm assuming the company is using an older version of SoftImage that doesnt have this tool yet)
6) Another UV one and assuming were using a pre-7.5 version, is there a tool that scales the highlighted UV shells to fit the maximum 0-1 space? And if yes, would it be possible to define a padding value so that it doesnt touch the border of the 0-1 space? I miss renderhjs UV tools
7) I want to hotkey the Deform>Relax tool, but its not in the hotkey editor
8) I occasionally get an error that says "ActiveX component can't create object: "XSI.Collection' - [line 179 in "install path"\DSScripts\operators.vbs]. Once I get this error I cant use any of the modelling tools like extrude, connect etc until I REINSTALL the program. I'm using vista 64 bit btw, and its Softimage 64 bit too.
EDIT: This problem is caused by using CCleaner's registry cleanup tool.
9) How come hardly anyone in Polycount uses SoftImage
10) How to permanently move the pivot? After moving the pivot with the insert key and deselecting the object, the pivot goes back to wherever it was before.
1) Firstly, is there a more recent script/plugin site for softimage like scriptspot and highend3d? Highend3d has a small collection of scripts but most of them are over 7 years old, I'm sure a lot of them aren't even relevant to Softimage 7.5 anymore.
Same applies to this page and all the links on this page; http://www.edharriss.com/XSIscripts/scripts_misc.htm and this one too; http://www.xsibase.com/
2) Is there a similar tool to 3d max's connect tool where you can set the pinch and slide amount? I use this alot in high poly modelling and SoftImage seems to only let you connect one edge and slide it with the "split edges with slide control" tool. The workaround is of course to use that tool twice for each "end" but then it wont be 100% accurate, plus its a hassle.
3) I miss shift-drag edge extrusion...
4) Is there a way to make the "UV Healing" tools work like Max? Like I want to select an edge, hit a button and then the shell that connects to my selected edge automatically snaps on.
Instead of selecting the first UV shell, hit a button and then select 2nd UV shell. Again its a lot of hassle, especially if theres loads of UV shells scattered everywhere and you have to find out where the edge connects to yourself
5) To "cut" UVs you have to enable Tearing Mode and move stuff, is there a way to just select an edge and cut without using the new Unfold tool? (I'm assuming the company is using an older version of SoftImage that doesnt have this tool yet)
6) Another UV one and assuming were using a pre-7.5 version, is there a tool that scales the highlighted UV shells to fit the maximum 0-1 space? And if yes, would it be possible to define a padding value so that it doesnt touch the border of the 0-1 space? I miss renderhjs UV tools
7) I want to hotkey the Deform>Relax tool, but its not in the hotkey editor
8) I occasionally get an error that says "ActiveX component can't create object: "XSI.Collection' - [line 179 in "install path"\DSScripts\operators.vbs]. Once I get this error I cant use any of the modelling tools like extrude, connect etc until I REINSTALL the program. I'm using vista 64 bit btw, and its Softimage 64 bit too.
EDIT: This problem is caused by using CCleaner's registry cleanup tool.
9) How come hardly anyone in Polycount uses SoftImage
10) How to permanently move the pivot? After moving the pivot with the insert key and deselecting the object, the pivot goes back to wherever it was before.
Replies
2. one way to get a result like max's, that should work alot of the time is to select all the poly's that need the loops, select the Inset Polys tool, leave length at 0 and then use the inset amount.
You can use the subdivisions options to multiple even loops.
3. select edge etc, Ctrl-D then use appropiate transform tool.
4, 5 & 6: unsure, never used softimage for this sorry. If have chance might have a play though.
7. Never tried to hot key it so don't know offhand. will have a look tomorrow if get chance as don't have softimage on this laptop. Worst comes to wost may be able to custom command it (see other thread of yours) and then you would be able to.
Time saver if you may/may-not know, middle mouse click on a menu repeats the last chosen option.
8. Had very few errors. never this, dunno.
9. I'm new here, dunno
imo it does have some nice features, but tools in other appz quickly become very handy and helpful perhaps. Some i think, like my answer to number 2 are maybe not so obvious (if my answer was good enough that is
10. you need activate the 'Centre' component in the top right of the select menu. then move pivot to where you want it with snap or w/e and then leave centre mode.
Yup I know about the subdivisions one for connecting edges. But your inset technique wont work on more complex shapes. It would work for objects that have straight ends like a cylinder and cube, but it wont work on a slanted cube/cylinder and all other non-primitive objects.
The edge dragging thing still aint ideal, but better than nothing I guess
Middle clicking for last action in a category is nice, but I hate clicking on the UI and try to hotkey everything useful and have the lesser-used tools in the right click menu (relax isnt there for poly modelling). Oh well I guess it aint that big of a deal, relax is one of the "lesser" used tools anyway.
Ahh cant believe I didnt see that "center" thing there... I googled the pivot thing before asking it here and saw someone talking about center but I had no idea where to find it... doh.
Thanks again.
ctrl + middle mouse on add edge loop to bisect the edge rings 50%, then bevel components on this new loop to pinch/slide them as needed.
though with non uniform width edge ring this will give poor results because the pinch is % based.
What little knowledge i posess i would be glad to share my msn is originalkendo@hotmail.com.
Btw if you dont mind paying a bit more i really have to recommend Headus UVLayout as opposed to bothering with the uv tools in xsi.
Maybe they'll just fake working on it like they did with Maya and let it slowly die.
I may be biased since I started on XSI, but I've used them all in production and while Im liking max at the moment, it's pretty ass backwards. XSI will at least give them credit for having a few years of momentum with tools and workflows.
We need more new programs that want to incorporate practical work flows without being bogged down by legacy code; I hear Modo is kind of doing this, kind of curious to check it out some day.