How come no support for Softimage|XSI?

[RMachucaA]

Im a 3D artist, work in game Dev. and personally prefeer and use Softimage|XSI as my 3d package.

It has been used more and more within the game dev industry, and has had a LOT of high profile games in its clientele, question is, why are the dev's not thinking about us XSI users?

Is it because of the lack of demand?

[Kaltagesta]

I would imagine so. The only people i know who use XSI are people who learnt it for the Source engine - everyone on my HL2 mod team still use 3dsmax.

[flashing larry]

Because a HUGE majority of games are done using Maya or Max as the DCC tools. I would love to see it expanded to all the major players..XSI, Lightwave,C4D. I just don't think it will happen if we have to wait for DICE/EA to do it.

[Turtle-ZED]

It's a shame...I used XSI 4.2 MOD tool and moved on to XSI Advanced 4.2. Now with a bit of jiggery-pokery, you can export .3ds meshes so that you can use the GMAX tools, it means having to learn to use Discreet's toolset rather than what the XSI users know best...

I'm sure that some helpful programmer will come up with a solution.... this game has, after all, a pretty large user base...

[RMachucaA]

Turtle Z, i've gone through the pains of converting meshes, may i suggest you use the .FBX export import tool set for max and xsi, it is by far the best way to convert.

And a little pic of XSI powa!

[flashing larry]

Yeah, .3ds is the worst possible format to use. It has so many limitiations since it was developed over ten years ago and was never expanded. .obj or .fbx are the best bets as go-betweens.

[Turtle-ZED]

K guys thanx- I was thinking about XSI-GMAX rather than XSI-MAX (and to be fair I tend to use .obj for all transfers) Does .FBX import/export chains/rigs and animations too?

BTW RMachucaA nice pic dude!

[RMachucaA]

I believe the .FBX format does allow for animations\rigs to be exported\imported, but i have never tried it.

Thanks for the compliment, thats Project Gotham Racing 3 for xbox 360 ingame pic, one of the cars i did is the orange Typhon :D.

[Yarin]

I think it should be possible to write bf2 plugins for XSI as the bf2 plugin for max exports into an intermediate format which is then compiled to the mesh used in-game but the big problem is: Nearly no (at least me ^^) programmer has access to such expensive software as Softimage's XSI (if he's not working for a game dev company)...

[nealb4me]

Ric you pimp whoring slut! :P

I definately think us XSI guys have been left out in the cold. Yarin, I am not sure what your definition of expensive is but XSI foundation is availible for $800. Thats the full software for commercial use :) Compared to 3dsmax which costs closer to $5000.

[Yarin]

For a student, everything above 100$ is way to expensive :D If you are that rich - buy me a copy of that software and I'll see what I can do about the plugin ^^

[Turtle-ZED]

How about a plugin for the XSI Mod tool (this is to XSI 4.2, what GMax is to 3DMax). It's a freebie and available here:
http://www.softimage.com/products/Mod/v4/default.asp?pg=http://www.softimage.com/products/Mod/v42/downloads/

[RMachucaA]

heck, xsi foundation was available for 500$, dunno if it still is, and for an investment of 500, you got a comercial license, meaning it pays itself off with doing one very small job.

how ya been neal? long time no see :P.

[Turtle-ZED]

XSI 5 is just out- still $495. Man that's a seriously great deal. (I got advanced academic licence for $295!!!)

[Turtle-ZED]

So...Yarin...with the incredible power and cheapness of the MOD Tool, are we likely to get any support from you in this matter...(I know you're frantically trying to get yr mesh tool working tho dude)