New Features in Softimage 7.5

Autodesk® Softimage® 7.5 (formerly SOFTIMAGE|XSI) is a complete 3D software for visual effects and game production. Built on a new, highly extensible architecture, Softimage gives you the power and flexibility to bring your creative visions to life quickly and profitably. Softimage features Interactive Creative Environment (ICE), a new platform for building effects and tools visually using a node-based paradigm. Powering ICE is a high-performance parallel processing engine that takes advantage of multi-core workstations, giving you the utmost performance and scalability. The result is a giant leap forward in production efficiency and consistency that culminates in higher production standards.

SOFTIMAGE VERSIONS

1. Complete 3D software for games and visual effects (VFX) production
2. ICE - node-based visual, interactive development platform
3. 64-bit, multi-threaded, high performance architecture
4. New UV unfolding technology

• Everything in Softimage plus five Softimage Batch rendering licenses
• A quick and easy way to set up a render farm with Softimage
• Softimage® Behavior software crowd simulator

UV Unfolding

Softimage now features UV unfolding from Polygonal Design®. UV unfolding technology from Unfold3D® has been seamlessly integrated into the Softimage workflow. Save time by unwrapping polygon models with just a few clicks. UV unfolding works well on complex organic models, which would be difficult to unwrap manually. A wealth of UV editing tools enable you to create and edit UV maps quickly and easily with Softimage.

Benefits:

• Save time. Get to texturing as quickly as possible
• Avoid time-consuming manual unwrapping. Productivity gains are particularly noticeable on complex organic objects
• Produce high quality UV maps with just a few clicks

mental ray 3.7 + Integration

Softimage 7 integrates the award-winning mental ray® renderer, now at version 3.7+. This latest release delivers enhanced performance through improvements to BSP, as well as a number of new options that help you precisely control the look of your render. Specific features include:

1. Improvements to BSP for faster render times
2. Custom Workgroup shaders now support separate categories in the Rendertree
3. New Final Gathering option delivers support for multiple refinement passes
4. New mental ray "Motion-Based Displacement Quality" optimization option
5. SSS shader now supports light lists (include/exclude)
6. Gamma Correction is now supported in Alpha Channel
7. mental ray assemblies ("Stand-Ins") now support mi_point_to_object
8. Color Correction respects the alpha channel when applied on rendered output

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Benefits:

1. Render large scenes faster
2. Enjoy a more streamlined workflow

Backward Scene Compatibility with version 7.0

Softimage 7.5 scenes will load in version 7.0, which means that studios can use the new features in version 7.5 and be confident that 7.0 seats will be able to load these scenes.

Multi-Threaded Syflex Cloth

Syflex Cloth, integrated into Softimage, is now multi-threaded, resulting in faster cloth simulation with more CPU cores.

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ICE - Interactive Creative Environment

ICE (Interactive Creative Environment) is an open, scalable platform that enables you to extend the capabilities of Softimage more quickly and intuitively using a node-based dataflow diagram. This paradigm means that 3D artists can create complex 3D effects and tools extremely quickly without writing code.

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Softimage 7 features a new particle system, developed using ICE technology

Powering ICE is a high-performance parallel processing engine that takes advantage of multi-core workstations – a first for a general 3D architecture – giving you high performance and scalability. The result is a giant leap forward in production efficiency and consistency that culminates in higher production standards.

SOFTIMAGE® GIGACORE II ARCHITECTURE

With the development of ICE, the core architecture of Softimage went through a major revision. The new core, Softimage GigaCore II, has been engineered to provide fast, stable performance for ICE. It is multi-threaded and 64-bit, enabling users to scale the performance of Softimage efficiently by adding more cores to a system.

LIGHTING and RENDERING

Integrated mental ray 3.6 Renderer - Softimage 7 integrates the award-winning mental ray® renderer, now at version 3.6. This update adds new controls for final gather and displacement rendering, as well as options for optimizing and accelerating global illumination, and global ambient occlusion settings.

Rendering features added:

• Importons - Importons are photon particles emitted from a camera (instead of a light source). mental ray uses these photon particles to calculate how important a photon is for the illumination of an image. With this technique, you get a lighter photon map and faster rendering as photon lookup is optimized.
• Stand-ins - Object render archives (also known as mental ray assemblies or stand-ins) give you a method of offloading assets so that they can be loaded and unloaded, on-demand, at render time. The object render archive file is loaded into the render as an encapsulated "sub-scene" which can be unloaded automatically if mental ray starts to run low on physical memory. This reduces memory consumption and allows for faster rendering times. Stand-ins are particularly useful for assembling cumulatively large and detailed scenes such as cityscapes, dense forests of trees, and even crowds of animated characters.

• New Final Gathering Algorithm "Exact" mode - Exact mode bypasses the final gathering point cache entirely and always computes the full final gathering solution for every sample. This mode will yield more accurate and superior quality results because none of the final gathering points are derived by interpolating values from an initial cache of final gathering points.
• -Configuring Binary Space Partitioning (BSP) 2 Raytracing Acceleration - The BSP2 raytracing acceleration technique is the next generation BSP algorithm used by mental ray. It was developed, primarily, for the efficient rendering of scenes with large BSP trees and is required for rendering scenes with stand-ins (also known as mental ray assemblies). It is also auto-configuring so you no longer have to setup complicated BSP options.
• Irradiance Particles - The new mental ray irradiance particles algorithm provides a method of calculating global illumination using importons.

Render Manager Improvements - The render manager provides a convenient view of important rendering options that will help you fine-tune and output your scene. These options apply to the entire scene, each render pass you define, and the renderer itself. For Softimage 7 the user interface of the Render Manager and workflows have been simplified.

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An improved render manager makes many rendering options available from a single view.

NEW REAL-TIME SHADING APPLICATION PROCESSING INTERFACE (API) – RTS 3.0

Softimage 7 supports the Realtime Shader API version 3.0. There have been major changes and enhancements since version 2.0 that make real-time shader development simpler and more flexible:

• The new architecture focuses on programmable shaders (GLSL, HLSL) and file-based effects (CgFX and DxFX).
• Geometry is now passed to real-time shaders as multiple fixed-size, flat arrays of floating points. Prior to version 3.0, fixed vertex structures were sent to the renderer, but now each real-time shader requests a list of attributes it needs to render the geometry.
• For polygon meshes and NURBS, topology is defined as a list of indexed triangles.
• Particle clouds are supported, passed as arrays of points.
• A new ExecutionState object encapsulates all calls made to the graphic subsystem and scene accessors.

GLSL Shaders

Softimage provides two new OpenGL-based real-time programmable shaders that support the OpenGL Shading Language (GLSL): the GLSLProgram shader and the GLSLUniform shader.

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Softimage provides an easy way to implement and preview real-time programmable shaders.

OpenGL Particle Shader

The OGLParticle shader is a real-time shader that enables you to shade your particles in a viewport.

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The OpenGL particle shader

Text Editor Widget

Softimage now provides a new, customizable Scintilla-based editing component which supports text customization (font, color, and size), syntax styling, folding (hiding blocks such as functions and subroutines), auto-completion and highlighting for keywords. The text editor widget is implemented as a control on the property pages of all the programmable real-time shaders.

Vertex Shader Input Semantics

When an effects file (.cgfx and .fx) is compiled, any vertex shader variables bound to input semantics will dynamically generate a user interface. You can use the vertex attribute widgets that get generated to customize the per-vertex attributes that are passed to the effect.

User Interface and Workflow Enhancements

ICE user interface on Render Tree - The Render Tree uses the ICE interface meaning that you enjoy the benefits of ICE:

• Shader Compounds - A Compound is a collection of nodes grouped together into one node with inputs and outputs. You can open up a compound and edit nodes anytime. You can also create compounds of compounds (of more compounds yet). Using the Render Tree, shader trees can get quite large quickly. Creating compounds not only makes your shader tree easier to manage, but also enables you to re-use and share the compounds more easily.
• Navigate large render trees more easily with the ICE tree navigator.

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Render tree compounds make your shader tree easier to manage and enable you to re-use and share shading effects easily.

Zoom with the mouse wheel - By default, you can zoom using the mouse wheel. Scroll forward to zoom in and backward to zoom out. Press Ctrl to zoom quickly, Shift to zoom slowly, and Ctrl+Shift to zoom even more slowly. This works in viewports, ICE trees, Schematic View, Animation Editor and other areas of the software.

Automatic Scaling on Sliders - When you set a value outside a slider range, for example by typing it in, the displayed range automatically expands to twice the current value. For example, if the default range of a parameter is between 0 and 10 and you set the value to 15, the new range is 0 to 30. The change is not permanent: if you set the parameter to a value within the default range and then close and reopen the property editor, the displayed range is back to its default.

Referencing that works - delta II

One of the major breakthroughs in workgroup collaboration was Delta referencing (in version 6). In addition to the robust referencing system, Delta enables you to store the changes to a model in a lightweight manner. You can then export, import and apply deltas manually. You can also edit and delete deltas and items within deltas, and even change a delta’s target model. The result is an extremely efficient, robust and flexible way for artists to work collaboratively in production.
Delta II updates the already successful Delta referencing system with numerous new features that enable you to:

• Create New Clusters
• Create new cluster properties, including texture UV coordinates, vertex colors, weight maps, and envelope weight properties. You can create cluster properties on new clusters, or on clusters that pre-existed in the original model.
• Add deformation operators and ICE trees to the construction stack. This includes deformations on new and pre-existing clusters as well as deformations that are linked to other objects (lattices, waves, and cluster centers).
• Add operators to the stacks of cluster properties, including painting and smoothing weight maps and envelope weights, and modifying texture UV coordinates. Note that UV modifications are frozen when the model is offloaded (including before switching resolutions or saving the scene).
• Delete any operators, clusters, properties, and cluster properties that have been added to the referenced model. Deleted items are removed from the delta.
• Save animation mixer Cache data in the delta.

Texturing and Maps

Editing Multiple Texture UV Sets - You can now display and edit multiple UV coordinate sets simultaneously in the Texture Editor. These UV coordinate sets can belong to a single object, or, if more than one object is selected, to multiple objects.

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Work with multiple objects' UV coordinates in the Texture Editor

This is useful for a number of tasks:

• Positioning one object’s UV coordinates relative to those of another object on the same texture image
• Positioning multiple UV coordinate sets belonging to a single object on the same texture image
• Making sure that geometrically identical objects’ UV coordinates are unfolded the same way
• Creating a single set of rendermap images for multiple objects

Any UV coordinate set that is currently displayed in the texture editor is live and can be edited. You can select and modify sample points on multiple coordinate sets simultaneously. You can snap sample points from one set to another, and copy and paste coordinates between sets. The different coordinate sets are independent for the purposes of operations like healing, relaxing, and matching.

COLOR MANAGEMENT

Softimage 7 gives you global controls for working in linear color space and managing Gamma correction so what you see in Softimage is what you get outside Softimage. You can define gamma correction using RGB values or a lookup table, and specify which Softimage views display your gamma correction.

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New color management options enable you to apply Gamma corrections in several Softimage views, including the render region.

You can toggle Gamma correction display for textures, render regions, preview renders, shaderballs, the Softimage Illusion compositor, and most Softimage color controls. Now you can easily render in linear color space while outputting Gamma-corrected display settings for monitors. You can even use the render region’s compare tool to compare renders before and after Gamma correction.

The following Gamma correction features are new in Softimage 7:

Global Gamma Correction Display Preference

You can define a Gamma correction display preference that stores a global lookup table built from values specified in a look up table (LUT) file or from RGB Gamma values that you set on the Color Management tab of the Display Preferences property editor.

Viewing Global Gamma Correction

You can select which tools and controls will display the Gamma correction you specified for the global preference. On the Color Management tab of the Display Preferences Property Editor, set the Apply To... checkbox options to enable a display-only gamma correction in render regions, shaderballs, render previews, and in most of the color control widgets throughout Softimage.

In addition, the display of gamma correction can be directly toggled (on and off) for the following color controls: color sliders (including the gradient slider), color chips, and the various color views within the color editors.

Gamma Correcting a Render Pass

You can render out Gamma-corrected images for a pass by enabling the Apply Display Gamma Correction checkbox in the Render Pass Property Editor for that pass. The render pass is output using the gamma values set in the global Gamma correction display preference. The images? pixels are modified accordingly on output.

Gamma, Color Profiles, and Image Clips

Softimage converts all image clips into linear floating point data. To accurately convert and render out each image clip, you can select the color space in which your original image was created. This indicates to mental ray how to convert (if necessary) the image clip from its current color space to the linear floating point color space, including whether or not any Gamma correction data is stored.

• Softimage for Windows Vista®
  32-bit operating system
• Softimage for Windows Vista
  64-bit operating system
• Softimage for Windows® XP Professional
  32-bit operating system
• Softimage for Windows XP Professional
  64-bit operating system
• Softimage for Linux®
  32-bit operating system
• Softimage for Linux
  64-bit operating system

BASIC CONFIGURATION FOR ALL OPERATING SYSTEMS

Processor
Recommended: Dual Quad Core Processor Workstation (Intel® or AMD® processors)
Minimum: P4 class PC

Graphics Card
Recommended for support of the advanced features of DirectX® 9 and DirectX 10 application programming interface:
Support for OGL 2.0 and higher AND DX 9.0c and higher
Minimum: Support for OGL 1.5

Graphics Card Driver
Recommended: the most recent drivers from the vendor-specific websites

User Privileges
To run Softimage, you can be a Restricted user (Users), Standard user (Power Users), or an Administrator.
To install and license Softimage, you must be an Administrator.

Available hard-disk space
1 GB or more. Setup requires additional temporary disk space for your system’s temporary folder when
decompressing files during installation.

TCP/IP
TCP/IP service protocol installed on both client and server computers.

RAM
1 GB of RAM required minimum. 

Display resolution
1280 x 1024 screen resolution recommended.

Mouse
Three-button mouse.

Web browser
A web browser to view any HTML documentation.
Internet Explorer® internet browser version 5.5 or later to use the Net View tool.

Additional Recommendations
Network adaptor with internet connection for licensing (non-internet connected licensing is also supported)
A DVD drive if installing the software or browsing the media from the Softimage.

Software DVD
WinZip® compression utility tool to extract any downloaded setup files.

A backup device, such as a DAT, 1/4" tape drive, removable hard disk, or DVD/CD-R/CD-RW drive.

SOFTIMAGE FOR WINDOWS VISTA 32 BIT

Operating system
Microsoft® Windows Vista® Business operating system, SP1 or higher (Recommended OS for 32-bit Windows)

Memory
2 GB or greater of RAM

SOFTIMAGE FOR WINDOWS VISTA 64 BIT

Operating system
Microsoft® Windows Vista® Business, SP1 or higher (Recommended OS for 64-bit Windows)

Note: It is recommended that you install the 32-bit version of Softimage on a supported 32-bit operating systemand the 64-bit version of Softimage on a supported 64-bit operating system.
Autodesk does not officially support 32-bit applications running on 64-bit machines.
Although it is not a supported configuration, it is possible to run 32-bit versions of the Softimage trial, provided that you have the following components installed:

.Net Framework 2.0 for x64
vcredist_x64.exe

A Softimage license will unlock both the 32-bit version as well as the 64-bit version of Softimage. You can run the setups for both the 32-bit and 64-bit versions from the software DVD or download the appropriate setup.

Memory
4 GB or greater of RAM

Softimage for Windows XP Professional 32-bit

Operating system
Microsoft® Windows® XP Professional, SP2 or higher

Memory
2 GB or greater of RAM

SOFTIMAGE FOR WINDOWS XP PROFESSIONAL 64-BIT

Operating system
Microsoft® Windows® XP Professional, SP2 or higher

Memory
4 GB or greater of RAM 

SOFTIMAGE FOR LINUX 32-BIT

Operating system
Fedora® Core 5 operating system (Recommended Linux Distribution)

Please note that Softimage Version 7.5 may run on other distributions of Linux, however
these are neither tested nor supported by Autodesk.

Memory
2 GB or greater of RAM

SOFTIMAGE FOR LINUX 64-BIT

Operating system
Fedora Core 5 (Recommended Linux Distribution)

Please note that Softimage Version 7.5 may run on other distributions of Linux, however these are neither tested nor supported by Autodesk.

Memory
4 GB or greater of RAM