Softimage stuff

SunSetter

hello, i instaled recently softimage 2010(for the first time, i'm a max user). everything worked perfectly until the moment i tried to model something. i realized that while in translate mode, having vert or face or edge selected(v on keyboard) i cannot select anything else(i cannot grow/srink, add/substract from what's curently selected ). it's like spacebar in 3d max, the selection freezes and i'm like wtf :-o...please help
rtfm doesnt worked for me:(. i read, i look for tuts on the net...it seems to be working(selecting while u have translate activate)...but i do not know what settings should i modify.

j_bradford

Are you working in supra mode?

Sticky versus Supra (temporary) keys

Softimage always has an active tool.

There are two ways to activate a tool in Softimage, sticky or supra. You can use tools in supra (temporary) mode by pressing keys down as you work. To activate sticky mode you quickly press and release the key.
When a tool is selected in supra mode and then released the last sticky command is reactivated.
Press the space bar quickly to activate the Selection tool in sticky mode. Notice that the prompt and button descriptions describe the selection options even though the space bar is no longer pressed.

Press and hold V in order to activate the Translation tool in Supra mode. While continuing to hold V, move into view C (front), press the middle button and translate the polygon up until it rests on top of the plane. Let go of V and notice that we are back in Selection mode. Press F while in each view to Frame the jewel in the view.

SunSetter

i think i understand the supra and sticky modes, but still i'm confused...is there any way i can make selection while in translate(move) like in 3d max...cause i don't see the point in takin' 2 action for select and then press the translate tool(whatever the mode) and if u want another vert selected then u must get out the translate tool, then select, then translate...i'm missing something here, i don't belive this is the way (

SunSetter

yeah, i've solve it ...it's under the transform preferences-->click outside manipulator-->select tool and i was on simple transform...

but my biggest problem seems that i don;t know how to express(explain) the problem.

Bobby J Rice 3rd

I use the Move tool this way as well. If i wanna move, hold V down then move. Then let go of V and you stop moving. Same with rotate and Scale keys. To select multiple things, use your drag marque or hold Shift and tap select each object.

"Help" menu is your best friend. I kid you not, XSI actually helps people through that menu. I learned to render nice quality still through looking up things in the help menu.

Explain your problem the way you would explain it if it were about maya or Max. Chances are alot of guys here who know XSI were probably brought up on Maya and Max first rather than the other way around.

Sage

getting used to xsi coming from Max is going to be hard.

I suggest you look at the video tutorials at 3d palace on xsi.

http://www.3d-palace.com/

SunSetter

you are right about the help, i look for my problem in it, but i didnt know how to call it exactly...many things are different in this 2 programs(max and xsi) including name of the tools, options...but then again, if i pay a litle more attention then i will stop opening threads like this :P...
thanks for you time...

SunSetter

Sage wrote: »

getting used to xsi coming from Max is going to be hard.

I suggest you look at the video tutorials at 3d palace on xsi.

http://www.3d-palace.com/

i forget about 3d palace...nice stuff they had in there for 3d max...old times when i was learning max ....srry, offtopic.
i will look thru those tuts, thanks

Sage

Also if you haven't already download the video tutorials for XSI

Artist Guide To Softimage

http://download.autodesk.com/esd/softimage/2009/Autodesk_Softimage_7.5_English_Digital_Tutor.exe

SunSetter

Sage wrote: »

Also if you haven't already download the video tutorials for XSI

Artist Guide To Softimage

http://download.autodesk.com/esd/softimage/2009/Autodesk_Softimage_7.5_English_Digital_Tutor.exe

a big thank you for that link.
btw, i've spend all day trying to accomodate with this new way of doing things but i don;t. i try not to change all my shortcuts with the ones i used in 3ds max...i didnt do it because i do not understand if it will change dramatically workflow...
probably at the moment when i finaly see which metot is good(and this is subjective :P ) i will post it.

Sage

I think before you change anything learn how the program is supposed to work, then change things around. Also just make a new set of keyboard shortcuts so you keep the default intact in case you want to revert to them.

XSI is very context sensitive, and most tools do more than one thing depending on the mouse button you press.

split edge tool lets you insert loops like Maya, by pressing the middle mouse button for example.

add edge tool is like the cut tool in max. If you hold ctrl you can snap to the mid point of an edge.

If you press d why in a component mode it duplicates (extrude) thing in place. It's like shift drag except you drag things afterward. You can change that to do something else but I have it set to extrude, I think that;s the default setting.

to mirror (flip) things like in max you can do a negative scale of 1. type -1 in the axis you want the object flipped

use raycast selection tools to ignore back faces

SunSetter

10x dude, you are really helping me out... i've been doing some curves, loft, extrudes on poly meshes and xsi at regular time is crashing...sometimes says that i dont have enough memory ...but i'm not angry, cause i think i'm the one who makes mistakes...
10x again for your interest in this thread