Synopses & Reviews
SOFTIMAGE XSI Revealed provides a thorough introduction to XSI for the serious 3D animation student. Softimage|XSI offers an awesome rendering system. This book shows readers how they can take advantage of it. It teaches beginning students everything they need to know to render out exceptional frames. It also provides comprehensive information about textures--how they are projected onto models, and how to use them to modulate bump, transparency, reflectivity and other surface properties. Readers will explore lighting and will use caustics, global illumination, and final gathering to add realism and subtle beauty to scenes. They will also learn how the pros use motion blur and field rendering to put the finished touches on animation for TV and film. From using the RenderTree to create a believable metal material, to complex effects using output shaders, this book is a must for all students serious about understanding the formidable rendering power of SOFTIMAGE XSI.
Synopsis
Welcome to the world of 3D animation with SOFTIMAGE XSI 5! Covering everything from modeling to animating, rendering, compositing, and even grooming hair, this official guide is designed to make the complexities of the XSI features accessible to beginning animators. After initial discussion of the fundamental concepts of 3D applications, you?ll quickly move on to more advanced topics that allow you to take advantage of each amazing feature of XSI 5. Full of tutorials designed to allow you to test each new skill, this book is your hands-on guide to the amazing possibilities of 3D animation with XSI 5.
About the Author
Anthony Rossano is an author, teacher, lecturer, and producer who has been developing the art of multimedia and animation for more than fifteen years. Rossano was the founder of Mesmer fx and is the author or contributing author on several technical books. He has contributed to Star Wars: Episode III Revenge of the Sith, Sharkslayer, and the upcoming film The Barnyard and has trained teams from Microsoft Games, Entertainment Arts, Valve, the FBI, and the CIA. Rossano is currently the Lead Technical Director at Omation studios in Southern California, working on the CG animated feature The Barnyard. He is a member of the Acacia Advisory Board, and sits on the board of directors of IOActive Inc., an Internet security firm.
Table of Contents
1. The XSI Interface and Basic Foundation Concepts 2. Basic Terminology and Modeling 3. Organization, Hierarchy, and Groups 4. Simple Polygon Modeling 5. Basic Animation and Keyframing 6. Materials, Lighting, and Rendering 7. Path Animation 8. Building Sets and Models 9. Working with Layers 10. Deformations, and the Generic Attribute Painter 11. The Animation Editor 12. Working With Images 13. Simulations and Dynamics