Animation and rig tool

[Talik]

Hello. I am a modeler and concept designer. I use XSI as a tool for modeling. Now I need a tool as good in animation as XSI is good in modeling. All the models I make will not be used inside XSI. I export them in standalone render engines like Keyshot or Maya when I need to prepare a model for a customer.

What I need is:
1. Set up a rig for my models and export in in Maya or another software.
2. Make animations for my models and export them to another software like Maya.
Would you suggest to try XSI or use another software like Maya for this?

Another thing. I am not very good in animation right now and I need to learn it. Would you recomend to try XSI or Maya for this?

[opoppopopp]

Let me say it like this:
The reason you still using XSI, should be its Animation part.

Compare to modelling, Animation tools (especially the flexibility by software design, not by "tools") is EVEN better.

After you knowing(understand) this picture, you will know, I am not exaggerate here

scrub.png (7 KiB) Viewed 4033 times

[Talik]

Glad to hear that. I have heared a lot about XSI and it's animation tools. I realy would like to include animation and rigging in XSI in my pipeline.

When in 2014 I had beed learning XSI even then a lot of tutorials were deleted from web or very old. Learning modeling was hard but I did that. What is the best way to learn these tools tutorials and more about animation?

What is missing or outdated in XSI about animation? Like blendshapes in Maya and Zbrush or missing retopology in modeling

I don't know what is scrubbing

[opoppopopp]

The document and included sample scenes is a good start point, post here if you face any specific problem.

After you get started, check the Resources page of this site, you will find a lot of additional script and tools, which will make you animation pipeline even more smooth and time saving.

BTW. I believe eventually you will agree, XSI even already got many of your edge case in animation covered.
e.g. select 100 Fcurve in the animation curve editor, you still can modify all of them without lag
(I recall maya and blender also got this kind of "feature", only in recent years, but SI cover it back in 2010.)

[SPJ]

I don't want to rain on the parade here, but I think it's not advisable to learn animation in XSI if you are not already heavily invested in the software.

In 2024, it will be a whole decade since the last release of this software. IMHO XSI was ahead of its time and it's a hugely comprehensive toolset, but if you are looking to work in other studios and have many years of career ahead of you, do yourself a favour and spend your time learning what the industry is using these days. It's not Softimage. You'll pick up some useful knowledge if you do learn how to animate in XSI, but ultimately you will wind up needing to learn another software if you want to work with anyone else further down the road.

Happy to be proven wrong and I'd be interested what others think, but if you are just starting out on this, there is no point in learning twice.

[Talik]

This is a key question. As long as I know modeling and topology I can learn any modeling software very quickly if I needed. The tools are similar in every 3d software. I tried that in 3ds Max and Maya.
According to animation are the tools similar in 3d software (like 3ds Max Blender or Maya)? Or learning animation in Maya is like learning Maya from the starting point when you have some experiance?

Right now I don't plan to work in studios. I enjoy outsourcing

[opoppopopp]

This is a key question. As long as I know modeling and topology I can learn any modeling software very quickly if I needed. The tools are similar in every 3d software. I tried that in 3ds Max and Maya.
According to animation are the tools similar in 3d software (like 3ds Max Blender or Maya)? Or learning animation in Maya is like learning Maya from the starting point when you have some experiance?

Right now I don't plan to work in studios. I enjoy outsourcing

I my opinion, XSI is one of the: "Correct way of learning 3D concept".

For modelling, blender has a lot more quick tools than XSI, BUT seems XSI still got your work done already.

So, just try it, it is NOT some "heavy investment".
even you switch to other software, you definitely earn a lot knowledge.

Just "envelop" some mesh, and "keying" them, make some vertex moving, and export it, not that much to learn.

Off topic: try compare this: https://code.blender.org/2022/02/overrides-workshop/ with XSI's delta reference concept

[Talik]

So, just try it, it is NOT some "heavy investment".
even you switch to other software, you definitely earn a lot knowledge.

As fun maybe. But I have my projects that need to be rigged.
Second I don't understand XSI interface logic. This makes hard to intuitively understand the tools.

I was thinking about learning animation in Maya first and then switch to XSI if needed. What I need is at least rigging in XSI

[SPJ]

I learned animation and rigging with XSI at university in 2007. I'm not sure where is a good place to find training other than the old Digital Tutors courses at Pluralsight, which isn't free. Perhaps someone can point you in the right direction if you want to learn animation in XSI?

[opoppopopp]

So, just try it, it is NOT some "heavy investment".
even you switch to other software, you definitely earn a lot knowledge.

As fun maybe. But I have my projects that need to be rigged.
Second I don't understand XSI interface logic. This makes hard to intuitively understand the tools.

I was thinking about learning animation in Maya first and then switch to XSI if needed. What I need is at least rigging in XSI

Check the document, using the "biped guide", you will find paint envelop weights in XSI is very intuitive.
And after that, keying animation, shape blend, it really can handle all you need.

again, for any specific problem, just post here

[Talik]

Ok. Since I'm new in animation any information about animation principles will be helpful. I mean general principles like topology in modeling. I'm gonna watch Maya tutorils too because there are many of them on youtube. More then XSI tutorials.

I think more about compatibility between these two programs.
1. First. Can the rig or animation be exported from XSI to Maya? Or there are specific tools that cannot be exported? (like animated lattice deformations, controllers). I hope that simple rig with bones can be exported via FBX. But what if I completely setup the rig and animation in XSI with controllers weights settings etc.? Can it be exported and used in Maya?
2. Second. Are the tools or animation principles similar in these two programs? Like topology is the same no matter what program you use.
I remember the time I switched from 3ds Max to XSI. It was not a big deal because I knew the modeling tools and the topology. I just found similar tools in XSI and many more. I hope it works in animation too

[opoppopopp]

Ok. Since I'm new in animation any information about animation principles will be helpful. I mean general principles like topology in modeling. I'm gonna watch Maya tutorils too because there are many of them on youtube. More then XSI tutorials.

I think more about compatibility between these two programs.
1. First. Can the rig or animation be exported from XSI to Maya? Or there are specific tools that cannot be exported? (like animated lattice deformations, controllers). I hope that simple rig with bones can be exported via FBX. But what if I completely setup the rig and animation in XSI with controllers weights settings etc.? Can it be exported and used in Maya?
2. Second. Are the tools or animation principles similar in these two programs? Like topology is the same no matter what program you use.
I remember the time I switched from 3ds Max to XSI. It was not a big deal because I knew the modeling tools and the topology. I just found similar tools in XSI and many more. I hope it works in animation too

1. For now, consider ONLY your polygon, bones(weight map), and animation can be exported
(NO lattice deformer itself, they an different implemented across app, BUT baked point animation can be exported, like using alembic etc.)
2. Yes, all the principles, like general topology rules, is generic.

[Talik]

After a big discussion with opoppopopp I have desided that rigging is handy in XSI because of ease of use and ability to test the topology (I model in XSI a lot). That's what I needed.
Animation in XSI is overcomplicated because I need final models in Maya all the way. + The lack of tutorials. That's why I'll be animating in Maya.

Probably I'll be using simple animations in XSI when I know how to animate. The tools are very similar in both programs.

[opoppopopp]

After a big discussion with opoppopopp I have desided that rigging is handy in XSI because of ease of use and ability to test the topology (I model in XSI a lot). That's what I needed.
Animation in XSI is overcomplicated because I need final models in Maya all the way. + The lack of tutorials. That's why I'll be animating in Maya.

Probably I'll be using simple animations in XSI when I know how to animate. The tools are very similar in both programs.

looking forward for you animation, even WIP, even in maya, post something here if you can

[Talik]

I've got a little problem. When painting the weights the erase tool doesn't work on the values that are 100% intensity
It works on the points that are less then 100% intensity or smoothed https://www.dropbox.com/s/qq3niv9bnflh9 ... 6.gif?dl=0
I tried to use smooth tool and erase the weights but smooth tool affects all bones even in isolated mode. This creates a mess when smoothing affects all the bones...

Last but not least. I need to move the bones a little bit after I've painted the weights. How to do that without affecting the points that they are enveloped to? Can I freese them?

[Talik]

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A magic happened one minute after I made the post. I turned the "Normalise" button off and the eraser works correctly now.
I feel like I have to ask about all of these buttons here since the official help is been removed from web.

1.What does the "Normalise" button do?
2. What is the differance between Abc and Add tool?
3. Why the add tool buttons are duplicated in the menu?