InTransition

[lemonnado]

Here's my latest WIP! Lot's of ZB and a bit XSI for rails, spheres and all the 'straight' stuff. Rendered in XSI 4.2 with Mental Ray.
intransit.jpg (http://javascript%3Cb%3E%3C/b%3E:zb_insimg%28%2714634%27,%27intransit.jpg%27,1 ,0%29)
Lemmo

[saltapiedras]

Excelente dibujo y original idea. Bonito y limpio.:tu: :tu: :tu:

[Buckie]

Hey Lemonado, looks cool, I like the concept, I'm thinking of using XSI for rendering etc, whats the ZB > XSI worflow like & is XSI relatively easy on the brain???

[ilusiondigital]

A little of work and masterpiece ;) , one suggestion you need smooth the union between the body and the terrain, for make a solid figure.

Great, keep working on it :tu:

[andreseloy]

Andreseloy

[odhinn]

looks great,nice texture...

[lemonnado]

Thanks for all your encouraging posts! The idea behind this is to have another structure more in the upper left hand background where you can see the pelvis/leg's diving in complementing the emerging upper body in the front. Maybe, only maybe, a bit glow around the rails and more skin detail for the character and a real texture not a material. But currently I actually like it as it is :D.

Thanks again!
LemonNado

PS: XSI<->ZB Workflow is a no brainer. XSI doesn't like Mega Million poly models (does not need it either). So working with Displacement Maps. Which is no problem as there are plenty of examples and tuts in the Forum about it.
Exchange is via .OBJ files. As long as you do not tool-deform-scale the object you can pretty much import/export it back and forth like nothing. I am even to lazy to change the ZB prefs regarding the import orientation so easy it is...

XSI itself is equally taxing as ZB but a great companion. For about 500$ you get the so called foundation version. XSI is fully integrated and has the best implementation of Mental Ray. So, rendering modeling, animating are all available at the fingertip. Once you get the concept (as it is in ZB) you're flying. SoftImage stinks regarding support. There is no SoftImage sponored XSICentral. But there are three major sites wich are frequented by XSI masters. There are also great tutorials. It's a massive package enabling you to do everything imaginable. The price is a laugh. The modeling part is at least as powerful as Silo. Materials and shaders are controlled by something called 'render tree'. AMAZING. It's a graphical way to describe the material. You plop 'nodes' together in a GUI window and see how that changes your surfaces. It has a great UV editor (no paint tool for textures however but we got ZB don;t we 8-)).

I was having a hard time getting into it for about a week as evrything is integrated and animatable and when you pull on one string you are amazed how many things can change 8-). But after a ZB like learning curve I am happily bouncing ZB made organic balls around in a rather silly animated way lol.

If you like to try it out, go to www.softimage.com and download the 'mod tool'. It's a free release tailored to the gaming community as major titles like HalfLife are made using it. Only downside is that it supports game content formats. No saving in .obj.... But you can try it out without limitations. But again.... 500$ and you get one of the best renderers, great modeler with deformer etc... etc... Animation package (in 5 minutes you can plop a few bones into a model and envelope it in a very simmilar way as shown in the RHino example in the ZB main site), Matrial editor (render tree), Simulation (Yep, soft body sim is in there as well...), UV editor....

I am as happy with it as can be. I just upgraded to the next higher version to get access to the FX-Tree which is a full fledged video compositing software module which also allows you seamless blending of your 3d contents with video scenes including a 2d tracker and motion stabilizer. Also in the add on are rigid body sim and poly reduction, relaxation, and scripted op's. All but Hiar and cloth which is not worth the mega bucks for my application.

Stbility wise, it's like ZB, as long as you don't scare it and you follow the generally accepted workflow it's solid. On the first day I blew it up a few times and was frustrated.... But I was not able to reproduce that again. Must have been the weird dxf geometry I fired at it and other crimes I commited. And you know the weird math stuff I unleash once in a whlie.

Hope it helps, go check it out. Best deal on the block IMHO.

Lemmo

PS:Yes, to your original question... It's easy on the brain once you know about 5 hot keys and you have a general plan about the menues and the fact that they are available three times on the screen and are NOT three different 'render options etc.' (while working you see it actually makes sense...)

[Buckie]

Holy crap, now that's a reply dude...

I've been looking around for a good all rounder & XSI seems like a good deal, so knowing someone that uses it with ZB is a godsend. I really only want it for rendering & animating as ZBrush & Silo do all the rest at the moment & I'm comfortable with them.

Cheers for the concise reply, I think you covered everything...:D

[lemonnado]

check out:
www.xsibase.com (http://www.xsibase.com)
http://www.cgtalk.com/forumdisplay.php?f=24
http://www.edharriss.com/

check out free tutorials at:

www.3dquakers.com
www.3dtutorial.com (http://www.3dtutorial.com)

The internal modeler is not difficult to use and I bet you'll use both, Silo and XSI, in a short time. In the end, you use it to move your 'Stuff' around anyways. And the selection tools are mega powerfull. And, due to the fact that it's integrated, all the editing can become part of animations...

If you have more Q's just fire away. I am mostly clueless but I know where to find it. And I am more than glad to return the favors I already recevied here.

Cheers
Lemmo

[CatManDude]

Hi Lemonnado,

Thank you for the info on XSI............you dont work for them do you?......Just kidding! Look forward to seeing more on the finished piece

CMD

[lemonnado]

No... I don't work for them. I don't know why, but their marketing/sales doesn't do that product justice. My interest in all of this is to encourage others to share the same tool so we all have a broader base to share experience. Like here with ZB.

Cheers
Lemmo

[Buckie]

Cheers Lemonado, you've just made up my mind for me, now to convince the missus I really do need another bit of software...:lol:

[lemonnado]

Make her a nice picture :cool:. Worked for me :D...
Lemmo

[Suzana]

Hi again.
Thanks for leaving the link.
Good work.
I like the expression on the face.
Good luck.

[aminuts]

hey Lemonnado,

I get the feeling that you absolutely hate xsi....what's up with that?:D

I missed this before I am glad you posted a link in Suzana's cool thread.

Good to see you are still having fun!!:rolleyes: