Softimage Announces Xbox 360 Support
by Hokuto · in General Discussion · 06/30/2005 (1:48 am) · 14 replies
Http://www.gamasutra.com/php-bin/news_index.php?story=5812
From gamasutra:
Softimage has announced its software will support the upcoming Xbox 360 console.
The latest release of the free .FX plug-in for Softimage XSI will enable the 3D tool to
build Xbox 360 characters, props and elements.
Available for download on parent company Avid Technology's site, the .FX plug-in for XSI,
which includes support for DirectX real-time shaders, allows developers to use third party
shader-development tools, to apply those effects to XSI models, and to take full advantage
of XSI's normal mapping and animation tools. Imported effects can be refined and animated
with real-time visual feedback.
According to Softimage's senior product manager Gareth Morgan, users of XSI with
the .FX plug-in "can immediately begin creating art that's ideally suited to the Xbox 360."
With Softimage technology already in use for current Xbox and PlayStation 2 development,
it comes as no surprise that the company would continue to support next-generation hardware.
Earlier this year, Softimage announced support for Microsoft's XNA software architecture,
a collaboration tool for game developers which Microsoft is indicating should be an integral
part of Xbox 360 software development.
Plug in here
http://www.softimage.com/Products/pipeline/FXaddon/default.asp
P.S.
XSI Mot tool for HL2, then for Unreal...XSI support for Ogre engine(or Ogre support for XSI),
now direct support for Xbox360...
If only Softimage would for some strange reason fall in love with TGE/TSE and
create a tool for Torque!
:)
From gamasutra:
Softimage has announced its software will support the upcoming Xbox 360 console.
The latest release of the free .FX plug-in for Softimage XSI will enable the 3D tool to
build Xbox 360 characters, props and elements.
Available for download on parent company Avid Technology's site, the .FX plug-in for XSI,
which includes support for DirectX real-time shaders, allows developers to use third party
shader-development tools, to apply those effects to XSI models, and to take full advantage
of XSI's normal mapping and animation tools. Imported effects can be refined and animated
with real-time visual feedback.
According to Softimage's senior product manager Gareth Morgan, users of XSI with
the .FX plug-in "can immediately begin creating art that's ideally suited to the Xbox 360."
With Softimage technology already in use for current Xbox and PlayStation 2 development,
it comes as no surprise that the company would continue to support next-generation hardware.
Earlier this year, Softimage announced support for Microsoft's XNA software architecture,
a collaboration tool for game developers which Microsoft is indicating should be an integral
part of Xbox 360 software development.
Plug in here
http://www.softimage.com/Products/pipeline/FXaddon/default.asp
P.S.
XSI Mot tool for HL2, then for Unreal...XSI support for Ogre engine(or Ogre support for XSI),
now direct support for Xbox360...
If only Softimage would for some strange reason fall in love with TGE/TSE and
create a tool for Torque!
:)
#2
06/30/2005 (10:50 am)
Unfortunately the dts exporter has been in development for almost a year with no release date... This is the thing that is holding me back from buying XSI.
#3
I can't see any info on their site about this exporter..(didn't check their forums) but that sounds hopeful
06/30/2005 (12:30 pm)
That's good news Craig... I can't see any info on their site about this exporter..(didn't check their forums) but that sounds hopeful
#4
06/30/2005 (12:31 pm)
XSi is a great product at a good price, but has a long way to go as far as 3rd party support for games, particularly with low budget indie development solutions. Barely anything supports it directly. A shame, as it seems to be a great product.
#5
You will find XSI used in the major game studios including the top Japanese ones.
XSI has been replacing Max and Maya in some studios and been added to MAx and Maya in other studios...
Now, in the Indie scene is another story...
You can see forums of the most known indie tools... like Ogre, 3DGS, Torque, Irrchlith(spelling?), etc.. ect.. These places are FULL of users who simply use Max and Maya because these two 3D Packages have been available on Warez sites since ever... Piracy greatly helped Max to become so popular quite a few years ago, when even most studios used cracked copies of it! As an option to Softimage 3D and Alias wavefront.
Of course the majority of the hobbists or wannabe are no going to spend $3,000 on a 3D package, so they go the cracked way.
So yes.. because Max and Maya are so popular they do benefit from more 3rd party tools. Sadly indie engines do have to support/work with users of pirated software as that is the mass market
Thing is, Softimage did something quite nice.
They do not offer cut down PLE watermarked versions of their software... they give you the full software, no restriction, I think you can also use it commercially for FREE for 30 days... And guess what... once the 3d days are over you can download a new trial.
Hopefully this move from Softimage will allow them to not take part in helping warez/torrent sites into gaining web traffic abusing their softaware.
Why download a cracked copy of XSI, when you can have a fully working 30 days trial from the official site? Then if you want to try it for longer download it again.. then if you are serious buy foundation for $495.
The other good thing is also their DIRECT support for Half Life 2 and Unreal engines with the totally free XSI Mod Tool.
This should help to make XSI much more popular with mods and aspiring indie developers
BTW. A few indie engines/tools out there, including Dark Basic Pro SDK and 3D Game Studio do support DirectX which enable users to create content with whatever tool they want, XSI, Maya, Max, Silo, Wings, Lightwave, C4D....
If Torque supported DirectX or some other universal format like fbx, dotXSi... life would alos be much easier
anyway...
It can only get better :)
06/30/2005 (3:06 pm)
"A long way to go as far as 3rd party support for games"?You will find XSI used in the major game studios including the top Japanese ones.
XSI has been replacing Max and Maya in some studios and been added to MAx and Maya in other studios...
Now, in the Indie scene is another story...
You can see forums of the most known indie tools... like Ogre, 3DGS, Torque, Irrchlith(spelling?), etc.. ect.. These places are FULL of users who simply use Max and Maya because these two 3D Packages have been available on Warez sites since ever... Piracy greatly helped Max to become so popular quite a few years ago, when even most studios used cracked copies of it! As an option to Softimage 3D and Alias wavefront.
Of course the majority of the hobbists or wannabe are no going to spend $3,000 on a 3D package, so they go the cracked way.
So yes.. because Max and Maya are so popular they do benefit from more 3rd party tools. Sadly indie engines do have to support/work with users of pirated software as that is the mass market
Thing is, Softimage did something quite nice.
They do not offer cut down PLE watermarked versions of their software... they give you the full software, no restriction, I think you can also use it commercially for FREE for 30 days... And guess what... once the 3d days are over you can download a new trial.
Hopefully this move from Softimage will allow them to not take part in helping warez/torrent sites into gaining web traffic abusing their softaware.
Why download a cracked copy of XSI, when you can have a fully working 30 days trial from the official site? Then if you want to try it for longer download it again.. then if you are serious buy foundation for $495.
The other good thing is also their DIRECT support for Half Life 2 and Unreal engines with the totally free XSI Mod Tool.
This should help to make XSI much more popular with mods and aspiring indie developers
BTW. A few indie engines/tools out there, including Dark Basic Pro SDK and 3D Game Studio do support DirectX which enable users to create content with whatever tool they want, XSI, Maya, Max, Silo, Wings, Lightwave, C4D....
If Torque supported DirectX or some other universal format like fbx, dotXSi... life would alos be much easier
anyway...
It can only get better :)
#6
07/09/2005 (9:17 pm)
Monitor Matt Summer's .plan on this site for (hopefully) news about the XSI dts exporter. In the meantime use obj2dts resource on this site for getting non-animated artwork from XSI into Torque. I am no industry insider but I agree with Hokutu - If you look at the demo reels on XSI's website you will see some high profile game studios jumping over to XSI. Too bad it hasn't come up on Garagegame's radar to throw some resources at getting some XSI tools built. 
#7
07/10/2005 (10:38 am)
Who do you think asked Dark Industries to do an XSI importer? Out of curiosity...
#8
07/10/2005 (10:45 am)
@Pat- ahhh.... I was assuming that Matt and Dark Industries took it upon themselves, because of Matt's comments of total frustration with Caligari Gamespace/Truespace - that he wanted to switch to XSI. If the XSI exporter is officially sanctioned/supported by GG... well then that's really great to hear!
#9
07/10/2005 (12:27 pm)
The Dark Industires guys are for sure the weapon of choice since we don't have the internal manpower to put on DTS exporters right now. The tool focus is entirely on Constructor and MAP2DIF.
#10
07/10/2005 (12:35 pm)
They did a super job with the Gamespace/Truespace DTS tool so weapon of choice seems an apt description!
#11
That's good to hear.
From Matt previouse posts it sounded like he was not working on the XSI Importer as if it was a main project, he did say they were busy with other projects with higher priority...
Is this still the case... or is that changed now because GG asked (or commissioned them) to do it and now the XSI DTS tool is a project with a good level of prioirty?
Thanks Pat
07/11/2005 (5:43 am)
Great move GG. That's good to hear.
From Matt previouse posts it sounded like he was not working on the XSI Importer as if it was a main project, he did say they were busy with other projects with higher priority...
Is this still the case... or is that changed now because GG asked (or commissioned them) to do it and now the XSI DTS tool is a project with a good level of prioirty?
Thanks Pat
#12
07/11/2005 (9:48 am)
Josh would have a better idea about this than I would. I will ask him. 
#13
07/11/2005 (12:08 pm)
There is a SoftImage exporter in the works, yes. :) The project has good priority, but I've been super-super-super busy lately and I need to hook up with DI again and see how things are going. You'll hear more about forthcoming exporter updates soon! :) 
Associate Craig Fortune
www.DarkIndustries.com are working on an XSI exporter for torque.