I am absolutly LOVING XSI!!!

RWBRWB Icrontian
edited October 2005 in Internet & Media
Softimage XSI Foundation is a program I recently bought, and it was very quick to just pick up and start using. After about 6 hours of video tutorials based on an older version. Luckily most of the stuff still held true, and it forced me to look into the tools and see where things got moved around and changed which gave me an even better idea of the program.

I am currently working on a Colt 1911 Handgun. Notice the rendered area, that's a live update area which I can change size nd move around so I can see my changes to the model and what it'll look like when rendered. Plus there is a peice on it that will allow me to adjust the settings so it renders much faster.

Overall, I like it much more than 3Ds Max. So far. This is my firt model, I have yet to do any texturing or animations yet. But I hear this product is well rounded. For $500, it's at least as good as Max is.

Comments

  • sfleurietsfleuriet Texas New
    edited September 2005
    holy.. :eek: what can you NOT do?! ;D
  • RWBRWB Icrontian
    edited September 2005
    I can't dance. :shakehead
  • primesuspectprimesuspect Beepin n' Boopin Detroit, MI Icrontian
    edited September 2005
    And he's no hardware expert! ;D
  • tmh88tmh88 Pittsburgh / Athens, OH
    edited September 2005
    $500!!!!! are you insane, or do you do this for a living because then i can understand?
  • primesuspectprimesuspect Beepin n' Boopin Detroit, MI Icrontian
    edited September 2005
    Software's expensive, man. I use photoshop almost daily, and it costs around $650. MS Office, which a good portion of the free world uses, costs around $400. $500 for a good 3D authoring program seems pretty cheap, if you ask me.
  • RWBRWB Icrontian
    edited September 2005
    Considering the program I learn in College is about $3500 for the basic package, $500 for something equally good is a hell of a deal.

    Yes, I am at least trying to do this for a living. But in all the damned resumes I put out, no one replies. Though at the moment I am trying to do web design or something since that is more likely as I don't yet have a demo reel or a good portfolio yet.
  • RWBRWB Icrontian
    edited September 2005
    I am kinda pissed I didn't get at least all the modeling done today, but I had to watch "ROME" on HBO, and of course the new Advent Children movie. I guess if I didn't go browsing the CGNetwork alot I would have done alot more. Now I'll be moaning all day tomorrow during work(I dread it) wanting to work on this some more!

    Anyways, here it is. I know the rear sight is off, that's becuase I didn't merge it with the peice it attaches too becuase I'd like to make it more easily interchangable. I am sure there is an option somewhere that will allow me to parent it or something. I know there is and I think I even know where it is now. Anyways, I got alot more work to do still.

    Ohh, in the previous version from the beginning of the thread, the whole backend was blank. Damned backend was a pain in the ass, and still is. I have a lot of optimizing to do as well as tweaking. And modeling. And Texturing. Did I mention normal maps? :D
  • sfleurietsfleuriet Texas New
    edited September 2005
    w0w.. I've got a deal for you. We can trade skills. You can have my hardware "skills" and I'll take your Photoshop skills. :D
  • RWBRWB Icrontian
    edited September 2005
    I just have that in my sig becuase people keep IMing me for help :p I just can't be alot of help to them when I am a thousand miles away and can't fiddle with it myself ;D
  • EnverexEnverex Worcester, UK Icrontian
    edited September 2005
    Yeah, I've had more and more people randomly IMing me or sending me PMs asking me to read a thread or fix their problem... can be quite annoying sometimes.
  • GHoosdumGHoosdum Icrontian
    edited September 2005
    The 1911 is a great handgun. Good choice and your model looks very good!
  • NomadNomad A Small Piece of Hell Icrontian
    edited September 2005
    tmh88 wrote:
    $500!!!!! are you insane, or do you do this for a living because then i can understand?

    3DSMAX 7 with basic functions runs about $3,500, some versions of Maya and Lightwave are upwards of $5,000.
  • RWBRWB Icrontian
    edited September 2005
    I am about ready to finish off this model and move on. Taking too long becuase I am being picky and trying to learn too many things at once using some videos. I didn't do much today, I should have been able to finish the modeling by now, but I was BSing for a few too many hours after work with gnome and helping out a sickly mother.... I don't consider that BS btw :p

    Anyways, I WILL be done tomorrow... with modeling. My plans right now are to model the low poly version of this gun, then pump up the polycount for alot of detail. Either create a lot of detail manually, or use ZBrush(demo) to create a normal map. Either way this is gonna be normal mapped becuase I wouldn't want a handgun with 10,000+ polys when you don't need it. Right now it's at 1880 tri's, which ain't bad. After completed it'll probably have this many polygons(hopefully less), be normal mapped to look like it has a bunch more poly's, and have a very nice texture to it to make it real enough for the simple scene I want it in. Which includes a crate, a few bullets..... basically like it's just been put down for a moment out on some battlefield in a tent. You get it? Good. :o
  • JengoJengo Pasco, WA | USA
    edited October 2005
    So, what kind of video card are you using to that stuff with?

    Just a gaming card? or a Workstation card?
  • RWBRWB Icrontian
    edited October 2005
    Using a Geforce 6200 AGP Card.... nothing fancy, but for some reason NVidia cards run 3D Modeling software's WAY faster than ATi does. This is not to diss ATi...

    For example.... a Geforce FX5200 which ran on a workstation at my college performed just as well as my computer with a Radeon 9800Pro/XT. However, in retrospect, it didn't run games as well at all.

    That was for 3Ds Max though, not too sure with XSI to be honest. I just use the NVidia card anyways becuase I plan on selling the ATi card when I get un-lazy. ;D


    Ohh BTW, and this has been said in other threads, you don't NEED a workstation card. A normal GFX card does very well on it's own. On top of that, the actual RENDERING is 100% CPU(software rendered instead of Hardware for good reasons). So the card won't help you much in that realm anyways, unless you have a special card that is built to help the CPU with rendering which I have no idea who makes them, or how much they cost.
  • tmh88tmh88 Pittsburgh / Athens, OH
    edited October 2005
    RWB wrote:
    Considering the program I learn in College is about $3500 for the basic package, $500 for something equally good is a hell of a deal.

    Yes, I am at least trying to do this for a living. But in all the damned resumes I put out, no one replies. Though at the moment I am trying to do web design or something since that is more likely as I don't yet have a demo reel or a good portfolio yet.


    Hey at least your pretty damn good at it, and its not a waste of money. I'm completely lost on how you made that. I SUCK :bawling:
  • RWBRWB Icrontian
    edited October 2005
    I suppose I should try to finish it, but I got some freelance work at the moment taking up my time.... the client is getting this free becuase I need more experience as I CANNOT SEEM TO FIND A STINKING JOB YET!!!!!


    ARRRARGARAGARAGRGGGGGRRRRRRRRRRRRRTGGGGGGGGGGGGGGG!!! :(
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