EAST Conference 2004
SoftImage XSI
Tutorial
Copyright © 2004
By Archway Systems, Inc.
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Softimage XSI
Softimage is the highest end of animation software that is used by Hollywood to make feature films such as Jurassic Park, Men in Black, Casper, Bugs Life and the like. It has four environments: Model, Render, Animate, Simulate. Model is the module to create a 3D model of a lifelike object or scene. Render is highest end rendering to give life like appearance. Animate enables adding motion to the models. Simulate is used to create wind, rain, gravity and other natural phenomenon.
The basics of Softimage are found as follows:
Tools
Softimage has four different environments. Each is identified by a color. Change environments by clicking the Name under File Edit. For example if it says Model you are in the modeling environment and the color is purple. Click on it and change to Animate and the color is green on the other tools. Then, change to Rendering and Simulate and see the colors change. Start with Model. You will see tools on left and right. Tools are also available in the pulldown menus.
Tool Settings
Tool settings automatically appear in dialog boxes when a tool is selected. Many of the tool settings involve slide bars to smoothly change the settings.
Command and Prompt
There are no command and prompt messages.
View Control
The portion of the graphic design seen on the screen at any one time is set by pressing a letter on the keyboard and then using the mouse to move around. For example press the letter A and click in a window to fit the graphics to that window. Press P and then press the mouse button and drag to zoom. Press O and then press the mouse button and drag to orbit your eyepoint around the scene.
File Navigation
Files can be opened and saved in the conventional way from the File pulldown at the top of the screen. There are many file types within Softimage: scenes, models, pictures etc. Choose the file type when opening.
Export Import
Softimage can import IGES files as well as other Softimage files. Files can be exported in several formats. All from the File menu.
Printing
Softimage saves images and then those images can be printed by other software.
The following short exercises will get you well on your way.
Softimage Quickstart
You can do these few steps to learn the basic approach after launching the program.
1. To start, launch Softimage. Say no to sound card and tour.
2. Make sure you are in the Model environment (purple)
3. Click on Get>Primitive>Model>Face of Man
4. In upper right view, click on Wireframe and slide to Shaded
5. Press the O key on keyboard, press the mouse button and orbit
6. Press the P key on keyboard, press the mouse button and zoom
7. With the slidebars in the dialog, make the head bigger and smaller
8. Get>Primitive>Polygon Mesh>Sphere to bring second item in
9. To rotate the sphere, click R on the Transform tools on the right hand side of window. Rotate the sphere by holding down one of your mouse buttons and moving the mouse.
10. To transform the shape of the sphere, click on S and then x, y or z. Clicking on the x y or z will transform the object in the direction you select.
HELP
Softimage Help is very good. Help at the top of the screen. That Help is operated like any standard Windows product. You can search for a topic, open just the topic you are interested in and you can print it out if you like for future reference.
TUTORIALS
The Softimage Demo CD came with a CD of tutorials. You can try those later. In the meantime, here is a set of tutorials to work in the Jumpstart class.
Softimage Tips
Always have the task bar at the bottom of the screen hidden to see all the tool bars.
Open files with File, Project Manage instead of File, Open
When adding objects to the scene make sure to name them
Typically press left button for x, middle for y, right for z
Understand the sticky versus temporary key modes! (quick to stick)
Shortcut keys mean different things depending on the mode you are in.
Watch the tool bar to see what mode you are in (model, animate, render, simulate)
Ctrl + ` (key above the tab) to close a property dialog
Enter to open the default property dialog for the currently selected object
Enter values with a + at the end for relative mode. Can also use R(v1,v2) for random values and L(v1,v2) for linear values. This work especially well when multiple objects are selected.
Small Green rounded rectangle means that the parameter can be animated. The same graphic with a curve thru it means the parameter has been animated.
Duplicate versus Instance. Duplicate makes a completely new object that is the same. Instance is a copy of the object that is tied to the original. Note: If the original changes the instances change.
Learn the different viewport options especially: Explorer, Schematic, Animation Editor, Animation Mixer and Net View
When toggling options in a menu hold shift to keep the menu open
JEWEL Exercise
1. Model>Get>Primitive>Polygon Mesh>Dodecahedron (use defaults)
Change the name to ‘jewel’
2. Change View B from Wireframe to Shaded on the Display Type list
Save the current view by middle clicking on the first memo cam box
3. Left Click on View B to solo the view
Left Click again to turn solo off
4. Middle Click on View B to mute the view
Middle Click again to turn mute off
5. Left Click on resize icon (upper left hand corner)
Left Click again to return to original size
6. Eye icon allows turning off & on parts of the model (trying turning off/on 3D Geometry)
Camera icon allows changes to the camera (good list of shortcut keys for camera)
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.
Move to the shaded view (B) and press and hold O to orbit this view. Try the different buttons to see what affect they have. Let go of O and try pressing S and then Z the same way.
Change Material
1. If not already selected, select the jewel by clicking on it. You should see the outline highlight in white.
Model>Get>Material>Phong
2. Change the color settings of the jewel by moving the color indicators.
Switch to the Render toolbar and Preview>All Layers
Animate the Jewel
1. Change the tool bar from model to the animation options by using the right mouse button and clicking in the word Model.
In the animation playback make sure the current frame is set to 1. The setting is in the lower left hand corner of the Softimage window.
2. Quickly press and release C to select Rotation in sticky mode
3. Click on the key icon (near the lower right corner of the screen)
The key should turn red to show that an animation key has been added
4. Move the animation current frame to 100 (either drag the red bar or enter 100)
5. While still in Rotation mode hold down any of the three mouse buttons and rotate the jewel around multiple times.
6. Click on the key icon to save the key for this frame.
Click on the playback first frame key to go back to frame 1 and then press play.
ROLLER COASTER Exercise
Draw a path
Select Model>Create>Curve>Draw CV NURBS
In the Top view, click the left mouse to create six points in a circular shape. You do not have to close the curve, you will do that in the next step.
Close the path
Select Model>Modify>Curve>Open/Close to close the curve.
At this point you should have a somewhat circular shape.
Create slopes on the path
Select Model>Modify>Component>Move Point Tool
In the Front view, click on existing points and move them around.
At this point you are creating the path that your roller coaster is going to take so be creative.
You can orbit the camera view to see how you are doing.
At this point you are creating the path that your roller coaster is going to take. You can move the points in each of the views in a xy or z direction so be creative.
You can use the R command to orbit the camera view to see how you are doing.
Animate the camera on the path
Create a camera by selecting Model>Get>Camera>Perspective
Change the name to “My Camera”
2
Press A in each view to see both the camera and the path
We will now set up the camera to follow the path.
Go to Animate mode (Press 2 or select by clicking on Model and select Animate)
Select Animate>Create>Path>Set Path
The Set Path dialog should open. Change the End Frame to 101.
Click on the Linear check box. Click OK.
The dialog will close and the cursor should now say “Pick”.
Select the the object you created as the path. The camera should jump to the path and another dialog should open.
Click on the Play button. Notice the camera moves but always points to the origin.
Animate the camera interest on the path
The camera interest icon is three intersecting lines at the origin of a view.
Select the camera interest (just like you would select any object) It is the cross in front of the camera.
Following the same steps we did to animate the camera now animate the center of interest.
Select Animate>Create>Path>Set Path
The Set Path dialog opens. Change the Start Frame to 0. Leave End Frame at 100.
Click on the Linear check box. Click OK.
Select the path. The camera interest should jump to the path.
Close the Scene_Root:Camera_Interest:PathCns dialog box that is covering the Top view.
Click on the Play button. Notice that the camera now faces along the path as it moves.
View the camera function curves (optional step)
Select the Explorer view at the top of one of the views.
Navigate to Camera>Kinematics>Constraints>PathCns>Path Percentage
Right Click on Path Percentage and select Animation Editor.
This is the speed at which the camera will move along the path.
Create a tunnel around the path
To create the circle go to the menu Model>Get>Primitive>Curve>Circle
Enter 1 for the Radius to create the circle. Don’t worry about the placement of the circle.
Close the dialog
To extrude the circle along the path:
Circle should still be selected. If not highlight it by clicking on it.
Select feature Model>Create>Surface>Extrusion Along Curve to create the extrusion.
Click on path and watch the path become a cylinder. Close the Scene_Root;surfmsh dialog box.
Show and invert object normals
In the Camera view click on the eye icon and select Normals
Lines perpendicular to the tunnel’s surface are displayed. Surfaces only have one side that the camera sees. Since we want to see the inside of the tunnel and not the outside we need to invert the object normals.
Select Model>Modify>Surface>Invert Normals
View from Inside the Tunnel
On the Camera view Select Camera (Next to the letter B)> Cameras>My_Camera
Playback the animation. See that you are now inside the tunnel. On the Camera view change from Wireframe to Shaded
Deselect the tunnel by creating a fence with your mouse in open space. Playback the animation again.
Give the tunnel colored highlights
If the tunnel isn’t already selected, do so by clicking on it with your mouse.
Got to the model tool and select Model>Get>Material>Phong
Set the Specular RGB settings to 1,1,0 (yellow)
Close the dialog
Add a blue light and position it below the tunnel
Select Model>Get>Light>Point