SItoA-7.2.2.0

[Jenus]

Last week came what is in my opinion the first stable version of Arnold 7.2.
So I figured I should do a new SItoA as well, since it's much faster in a lot of cases.

Read about all the changes and download it here:
https://github.com/JenusL/sitoa/releases/tag/v7.2.2.0

And to learn all the new stuff, make sure to go through the release notes for all the Arnold core 7.2.x versions.
https://help-beta.autodesk.com/view/ARN ... _7220_html

[jonmoore]

What a great surprise. I thought we were fortunate to get a build based on the initial Arnold 7 core. But an update for Arnold 7.2 - this is a literal Christmas coming early moment. Many, many thanks for this.

[opoppopopp]

Yes, I am so fortunate to get this!

[I3D]

Thank you so much Jenus 👏

[X-said]

Great job!

[I3D]

I'm looking for the Sitoa Manual and I cannot access it anymore. Tried wayback machine, I can see the titles but none of the inside pages are not cached. I'm looking for any information about ICE and Arnold. Does anyone have a saved version of the user guide they can share?

Thank you

[Jenus]

Here's an offline copy in pdf format
https://areadownloads.autodesk.com/wdm/ ... ItoAUG.pdf

[I3D]

Here's an offline copy in pdf format
https://areadownloads.autodesk.com/wdm/ ... ItoAUG.pdf

How did I not see that!!! I must be loosing my search powers!

I'm honestly trying with Maya, I just cannot feel inspired to use it and create anything. that tool is not made by artists. And Houdini is worse, even though I have more experience with Houdini. But that is animation by numbers. I really miss XSI

Thanks Jenus

[I3D]

I do have another question about Arnold plugins. I've been using Rombo Tools and Lentil heavily with Maya and Gaffer. And with both these systems I am using the same DLL files to load the plugins, except for Maya there is the mel component for the UI presentation. With houdini it is a simple load as well. Actually for all I have to set a single environment variable ARNOLD_PLUGIN_PATH and point to the DLL.

Obviously that doesn't work for SI, I think. I've tried everything including copying the DLL into the respective folders, but XSI does not load any plugin. Is there a process to load those or this method of loading plugins simply doesn't work for XSI and something specific needs to be compiled for XSI?

[FXDude]

I do have another question about Arnold plugins. I've been using Rombo Tools and Lentil heavily with Maya and Gaffer.
. . .
Is there a process to load those or this method of loading plugins simply doesn't work for XSI and something specific needs to be compiled for XSI?

For Rombo tools, unless they did their own preparations in the RtoA DLL specifically for Maya, Houdini, 3dsMax & Katana
( or other non-killed DCCs )
it seems to be a plugin for Arnold, rather than a specific DCC, so it MIGHT work ...

and what comes in common with installs ...

https://www.rombo.tools/latestposts/

... is specifying the

Code: Select all

ARNOLD_PLUGIN_PATH = xxx\rtoa\bin

in environment variables.

and ::

<< If the library is not found, you need to install Intel2019 redistributables on Windows (Intel64.msi) :
Intel2019 Redistributables >>

which you perhaps tried ?

______________________________________________

And for Lentil ..

From :: https://www.lentil.xyz/docs/install.html

there's stuff in there about replacing Cryptomatte libraries with some others ( even if not used )
otherwise, it also seems a matter of adding the Lentil path in ARNOLD_PLUGIN_PATH list in environment variables ,
and at the end we can see that no "UI helper" was made for 3DSMax, so it SHOULD be possible for the same in XSI,
( which would give "raw" and ungrouped flat parameter lists in shader node PPGs )

otherwise perhaps Jenus could help make an SPDL UI ?
( shouldn't be such a big deal, also for others to make .. it use to be kinda the same for Mental Ray )

Requirements

Lentil is compiled against Arnold 7.1.1.0. Any earlier version will not work.

MtoA

Option 1: Set the following environment variables, replacing $PATH_TO_LENTIL with the actual path on your machine.

ARNOLD_PLUGIN_PATH = $PATH_TO_LENTIL/bin

MTOA_TEMPLATES_PATH = $PATH_TO_LENTIL/ae

Option 2: It’s also possible to copy the files into your MtoA install. Copy the files like this:

Files in /bin go to $MTOA_LOCATION/shaders

Files in /ae go to $MTOA_LOCATION/scripts/mtoa/ui/ae
Cryptomatte (required even when not using cryptomatte!)


You need to replace the cryptomatte library that comes with the arnold install. The patched library can be found in /bin/cryptomatte.(dll/so/dylib).

The default cryptomatte library can be found in, for example, C:/Program Files/Autodesk/Arnold/maya2020/plugins, but this might depend on your operating system and configuration. It is best to do a simple search for "cryptomatte" within your arnold install directory.


HtoA

Step 1 - Option 1: Set the following environment variables, replacing $PATH_TO_LENTIL with the actual path on your machine.

ARNOLD_PLUGIN_PATH = $PATH_TO_LENTIL/bin

Step 1 - Option 2: It’s also possible to copy the files into your HtoA install. Copy the files like this:

Files in /bin go to $HTOA_LOCATION/arnold/plugins
Cryptomatte (required even when not using cryptomatte!)

You need to replace the cryptomatte library that comes with the arnold install. The patched library can be found in /bin/cryptomatte.(dll/so/dylib).

The default cryptomatte library can be found in, for example, /htoa/htoa-6.1.1.0.rc1_r4a3d5ae_houdini-19.0.531.py3/htoa-6.1.1.0.rc1_r4a3d5ae_houdini-19.0.531.py3/scripts/plugins, but this might depend on your operating system and configuration. It is best to do a simple search for "cryptomatte" within your arnold install directory.


C4DToA

Files in /bin go to $C4D_INSTALL/plugins/C4DtoA/shaders

Files in /C4DtoA/res/strings_us go to $C4D_INSTALL/plugins/C4DtoA/res/strings_en-US/description

Files in /C4DtoA/description go to $C4D_INSTALL/plugins/C4DtoA/res/description
Cryptomatte (required even when not using cryptomatte!)

You need to replace the cryptomatte library that comes with the arnold install. The patched library can be found in /bin/cryptomatte.(dll/so/dylib).

The default cryptomatte library can be found in, for example, C:/Program Files/Maxon Cinema 4D R25/plugins/C4DtoA/arnold/plugins, but this might depend on your operating system and configuration. It is best to do a simple search for "cryptomatte" within your arnold install directory.

More information can be found here.


MaxToA

Files in /bin go to C:\ProgramData\Autodesk\ApplicationPlugins\MAXtoA_

No custom UI files have been made for 3dsmax yet. If there's a need for a better parameter layout than the automatic translation by maxtoa, please let us know. See this page for more information.

In any event, let us know if some of this works, & Good Luck !

[FXDude]

it also seems a matter of adding the Lentil path in ARNOLD_PLUGIN_PATH list in environment variables ,
and at the end we can see that no "UI helper" was made for 3DSMax, so it SHOULD be possible for the same in XSI,
( which would give "raw" and ungrouped flat parameter lists in shader node PPGs )

otherwise perhaps Jenus could help make an SPDL UI ?
( shouldn't be such a big deal, also for others to make .. it use to be kinda the same for Mental Ray )

This may be of help for installing Arnold plugins :

[SItoA] Installing the alShaders in Softimage
https://arnoldsupport.com/2014/11/20/si ... softimage/

With no mention of setting environment variables,
just to copy DLLs in the SItoA workgroup "nt-x86-64" folder.

Copy the alShader DLLs from
$AL_SHADERS\bin
to
$SITOA_WORKGROUP\Addons\SItoA\Application\Plugins\bin\nt-x86-64

Create a spdl folder in your Addons\SItoA\Application folder:
$SITOA_WORKGROUP\Addons\SItoA\Application\spdl

Copy the alShader spdl files from
$AL_SHADERS\spdl
to
$SITOA_WORKGROUP\Addons\SItoA\Application\spdl
Restart Softimage.

... also suggesting in regards to SPDLs

Tip Don’t create an alShader from the Arnold > DLL Shaders menu;
it won’t pick up the SPDL and you’ll get a raw PPG (and a raw render tree node too).

... so in case we WOULD want a "raw PPG",
perhaps doing what was suggested to NOT do ?
( Arnold > DLL Shaders menu )

Let us know & Cheers!

[Jenus]

All shaders that don't have a UI specified for XSI will be available under DLL shaders in the Arnold menu.

[Jenus]

Also, SPDLs are legacy and shaders should be defined with code now.
All shader PPGs for SItoA are built automatically in C++, but the definitions are in an .mtd text file.
Some shaders are also built manually with JavaScript if they have a custom UI.

I would recommend you do a Python plugin for those shaders.

[FXDude]

Also, SPDLs are legacy and shaders should be defined with code now.

Indeed ... I didn't "click" or remember on the fly about "Shader Definitions",
and weird because Stephen didn't even mention them in that post even though it was well after 2011.

Otherwise the whole application has (arguably forcibly) become "legacy" lol ( )
while still lightyears ahead for soo many things / aspects,
hence maybe partly why it's still used here and there (?)

So if anyone wants to have a go at it :

Shader Definitions
( link to 2014 SDK, because the 2015 has a security warning at least in my browser )

... and PPGs in XSI can VERY EASILY be "written" by using a "wizard" that outputs JScript or Python,
so you can visually populate the UI with sliders (also defining min max etc... ), color widgets,
dropdowns, toggles, etc.. and put them in groups and/or in tabs,

Shader Parser Wizard

In any event, thanks Jenus for your input,
and (also no doubt on behalf of others) for your time & efforts on SItoA !

[matevil]

Any chance to see it on Softimage 2014?

Mat

[Jenus]

Any chance to see it on Softimage 2014?

Mat

Do you want SItoA for Softimage 2014?