Download (Requires XSI v5.1)

Description:
This addon creates new entries in your Get>Primitive menu under polymesh and curves for custom presets. For example under your polymesh menu you will find new entries for meshes like “pants” and “mushroom”. You can also create your own very simply. Each preset is stored as a JScript file, so these can be executed very easily outside of the menus (for automatic rigging).

Usage:
To use the polygon mesh primitives…

• Get>Primitive>Polygon Mesh>Mesh Presets…>%preset_name% - will load a preset
• Get>Primitive>Polygon Mesh>Mesh Presets…>Save New Preset… - will save the selected polygon mesh as a jscript. You will prompted for a name. Giving an exisiting name will overwrite the existing file.
• Get>Primitive>Polygon Mesh>Mesh Presets…>Manage Presets… - will open a explorer (windows) or xterm (linux) pointing at the preset location.

You have a mirrored structure for curve presets.

There are four commands available for use:

• LoadMeshPreset( object_name, jscript_preset_file )
• SaveMeshPreset( object, object_name, output_path )
• LoadCurvePreset( object_name, jscript_preset_file )
• SaveCurvePreset( object, object_name, output_path )

Notes:
This plug-in is not an exporter. It was designed with people who do a lot of rigging in mind, who want quick and simple access to primitive curves and meshes for use in scene and rig creation.
Keep meshes light (i.e less than 10K polygons) - this is a scripted solution (for now).
Curves presets also support subcurves.

Installation Instructions:
Drag’n'drop the addon file into a viewport or Use the File>Addon>Install tool
More information on installing XSI addons on XSI Wiki

There are some built-in meshes and curves to get you started…

To help you make curve presets, here is a little JScript that you can run on selected curves to create a single curve list object.

var crvlist = SICreateCurve( "crvlist", 3, 1) ;

for( i=0 ; i<Selection.count ; i++ )
{
    if( Selection(i).type != "crvlist" )
    {
        Logmessage( Selection(i).fullname + " is not a curve", siError ) ;
        DeleteObj( crvlist ) ;
        break ;
    }
    else
    {
        var curveobj = Selection(i) ;

        for( j=0 ; j<curveobj.ActivePrimitive.Geometry.Curves.count ; j++ )
        {
            var vbArgs = new VBArray(curveobj.ActivePrimitive.Geometry.Curves(j).Get2( 0 )) ;
            var args = vbArgs.toArray();

            crvlist.ActivePrimitive.Geometry.AddCurve( args[0], args[1], args[2], args[3]  ) ;
        }
    }
}

SelectObj( crvlist ) ;

Download (Requires XSI v5.1)

Description:
This is a simple addon to make it easier to setup display settings on 3D views for certain workflows.

This addon will create presets for different display types inside the addon’s install directory. The presets are stored as XSI presets, and a dynamic menu is used to save and load the presets onto the active viewport’s camera.

Usage:
Under the Display mode menu of a viewport you will find a new entry called “Display Presets”. Expanding this menu item will show all of the installed display presets (there are some by default) and two extra entries to save and manage the presets.

To save a new preset, setup the viewport’s display options to suit and then click on “Save New Preset…”. This will open a simple option box where you can give a name to your preset. If the name matches an existing preset, it will be overridden automatically.

Clicking on “Manage Presets…” will open a terminal on Linux or a Explorer on Windows, pointed at the preset directory. Here you can rename or delete the presets. Updates are shown immediately in the interface.

Installation Instructions:
Drag’n'drop the addon file into a viewport or Use the File>Addon>Install tool.
More information on installing XSI addons on XSI Wiki

Here are some of the built-in display presets:

Download (Requires XSI v5.1 WINDOWS ONLY)

Description:
This is a small addon that makes it easy to record/capture your interaction with any scene camera.

Usage:
To use this tool, under the camera icon on a viewports, you will find an entry called “Record Camera Movement”. Clicking on this in a viewport with a actual scene camera (i.e. not a built-in view camera) will open the tool. Top, Front, etc. views aren’t supported. The Camera is selected by the active viewport.

Choose the tool you wish to use to move the camera, and adjust the playback speed to your liking.
Hit record, and it will continue to record until the last frame of your timeline, or until you press stop. You can specify the type of FCurve in the Options. There are a number of post processing options that become available once a recording is done. You can “Remove” the animation, “Convert to Mixer Source” for multiple takes, “Edit” the FCurves and perform a “Clean Up” on the data.

This plugin also contains a command that can be mapped to a key. The command is called “CamRecord”. More information on key maps.

Installation Instructions:
Drag’n'drop the addon file into a viewport or Use the “File>Addon>Install” tool
More information on installing XSI addons on XSI Wiki

Before Siggraph this year my XBOX360 died in a very prolonged way. After the dashboard update in May (I think), the DVD drive started making strange noises. A month later and my 360 wouldn’t load any games, movies or CDs. Bummer!

With the rush before and after Siggraph I didn’t have any time to get it repaired, but at last I have sent it in for repair. Which is great, because I will get it back in time for some of the great looking games coming out this side of Christmas. I have to say that Microsoft’s support is top notch.

In the meantime I loaded World of Warcraft to tide me over. Dammit.

I have added a new photo album to my photos page from my trip with Softimage to India in 2004. I have been to India a few times with work, travelling to Mumbai, Delhi, Hyderabad, Chennai and Bangalore.
During the trip to Mumbai, we had a few hours to go and explore Elephanta Island. We were staying in the excellent Taj Mahal Hotel, next to the Gateway to India.