SoftimageIXSI Version 2.0.: integrated compositor leads the lists of new features.(Evaluation)

SOFTIMAGEIXSI, released a little more than a year ago, represented a complete rewrite of Softimage|3D, the venerable 3D modeling, animation, and rendering suite. The initial version of XSI had promise, and the subsequent release of Version 1.5 extended the new architecture to include polygonal modeling tools. Version 2.0 adds a large number of features, including an integrated compositor, which brings Softimage to the front of the pack in terms of features, usability, and performance.

On the surface, Version 2.0's interface looks the same as that of previous versions, with toolbars along the right and left side of the viewports, as well as a menu bar running along the top. But the menu bar has been expanded, and now includes most of the tools from the toolbars. One interface enhancement has been cryptically dubbed Synoptic View. A Synoptic view is a way to create custom interfaces using HTML. Animators might attach a Synoptic View to a character's hand, for example. Bringing up the view might show the animator a menu of hand poses, from which he or she could quickly select.

Since Computer Graphics World's review of Version 1.0, the software has gained a complete subdivision surface system, in addition to the polygonal modeling tools. The fact that Softimage has not updated its NURBS modeler since the initial release demonstrates the company's emphasis on subdivision surfaces.

Other enhancements include new animation features. Enveloping has been improved to include deformers that allow you to sculpt a mesh's deformation based on the angle of a joint. XSI now has a spline-based IK system, which is terrific for long chains of joints, such as backbones or tails.

One nice addition is a series of customizable rigs for two-legged characters. You simply load the base skeleton and fit it to your character's mesh, click a button, and the skeleton automatically configures itself. I haven't seen this feature in other packages, outside of Discreet's character studio. It saves lots of time compared to building the skeleton from scratch.

One of the more interesting new features is an integrated compositor, which allows most compositing chores to be done within XSI. The compositor operates in a viewport, where the interface resembles that of other object-oriented compositing programs. The compositor features more than 100 film-quality effects and transitions. Images, clips, and renders are ...