Open source Softimage!

New plugins, tools etc.
woodengun
Posts: 11
Joined: 16 Nov 2011, 05:31

Re: Open source Softimage!

Post by woodengun » 11 Mar 2015, 15:12

I say bravo for the effort BitPuffin. I had dreams of making my own SI when Autodesk made that crappy announcement but my programming skills are far from that level.

I have been using Maya, 3dsMax, and Modo for some time now, trying to replace my love for XSI, here's some of the things that have been really hard to replace:

Softimage muscle memory: Something about the keyboard shortcuts, component selection, and flow of modeling in SI has a magical combination that, any experienced user will tell you, is really hard to replace with any other 3d package. Any other program I use takes me a second to go to component mode, select, and transform; but in SI I don't even really have to think about it. (also being able to temporarily hold down V,C,X for transform gizmo interaction is a must for me!).

Simplicity vs Complexity: The original developers really made sure the simple tools worked in an elegant way. Instead of introducing gimicks like fancy viewports and sub-par FX shaders (has anyone ever used these for anything at all... ever!? come on AD....) they seemed to value some really solid foundations for modeling, shading, and rendering (partitions, and really cool compositing tools). If they did introduce a new development (like ICE) it was brilliantly simple, open, and powerful.

Why not start out simple? Just try making a really solid "SI-esque" modeling/UV package and go from there. I don't think a goal like that is out of reach and it would make a lot of us really happy!

good luck!

Bullit
Moderator
Posts: 2621
Joined: 24 May 2012, 09:44

Re: Open source Softimage!

Post by Bullit » 12 Mar 2015, 00:00

Why not fork Blender? SoftBlender?

BitPuffin
Posts: 9
Joined: 06 Mar 2015, 19:22

Re: Open source Softimage!

Post by BitPuffin » 12 Mar 2015, 03:27

woodengun: Thank you so much for your input! Starting simple is definitely what I have to do. In fact I personally believe that the best workflow is to have multiple small dedicated programs for each given task. That way you get a less cluttered environment. And then, to eliminate the drudgework of saving and opening files between them you could have some server program that shares the data between them in real time. Maybe even in a remote location using something like Verse. However since that's not how SI works maybe people wouldn't be so happy if that's what I made. Plus it's kind of ambitious so it's probably better to save as a future project or something. But yeah! I think starting with SI esque modeling + UV is probably exactly what will happen.

Bullit: A few reasons, kind of answered already, but the short scoop is: I want to learn how to build things like this myself, if I'm starting with something already built then what's the fun in that? :). Second I have a feeling it would be messy to try to bend blender into being like softimage. The results would probably be lackluster. Though over time with enough boring refactoring work you could probably get it pretty nice. For myself I can't really bring myself to work on GPL licensed code if I can help it. I don't agree with it at all, I think it's wrong for people to try to control what is done with their work when it's out in the open. Few people agree with me on that and but that's fine :P.

As for progress update I haven't really been able to work on it at all haha. At the moment I'm working more than full time so I'm a bit exhausted at the end of the days. That said now that my sleep schedule is becoming more regular I should be able to arrive at work early enough so that I can dedicate some bus development (where I'm somehow the most productive!) to this project and still have worked enough hours when it's about time to go home! :D. I'm also taking a little time to research a few things to try to make up my mind on some certain coding style related things. Not so much CamelCase vs this_style but more technical stuff. Basically, I'm figuring out how to program in the simplest way in a programming language that is way too complex for its own good, so that I can document some guidelines for anyone who want to contribute code when there is something to contribute to. Because it's still important that I use a language that people actually know for a collaborative project like this. That's mostly what I've had energy left over for at the end of the days. But I feel like that stuff is starting to materialise pretty nicely. At some point you also just gotta start to see what works in practice.

Cheers guys! :D

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wireframex
Posts: 399
Joined: 08 Jun 2009, 23:02
Location: France

Re: Open source Softimage!

Post by wireframex » 18 Mar 2015, 08:56

Hi SI community !!!
After some month to find a replacement of my precious I decided to come back from hell and to continue with SI...
Tried C4D STUDIO but there are too much things missing from there... I can't go to Maya or Max because of Autode$$$k
Im sure I don't need all new things actually. A lot of to do to know all possibility it still offers with all plugins like MOOTZ (THANKS ERIC !!!!), Redshifts .... And VRay (but dev is stopped actually ...).
All the best
Phil
"without mastery, power is nothing" - Softimage Addict User
CPU 3990x 128 Threads / 2 x 3090 RTX - 24 Go / 96 Go memory

woodengun
Posts: 11
Joined: 16 Nov 2011, 05:31

Re: Open source Softimage!

Post by woodengun » 04 Sep 2015, 16:19

Hows this going BitPuffin? Any luck / milestones?

BitPuffin
Posts: 9
Joined: 06 Mar 2015, 19:22

Re: Open source Softimage!

Post by BitPuffin » 04 Sep 2015, 21:54

Hey!

No there hasn't really been any milestones or luck. To be honest I've been mostly very busy and stressed with work / rent stuff lately. And most of the time after working all day I'm kind of fatigued with coding so I generally do non-coding related things. So there hasn't been much time + energy for me to spend on this. It is still something I want to see happen though, whether or not I am the person who ends up making it a reality!

Cheers!

AbedSHP
Posts: 2
Joined: 01 Mar 2014, 18:10
Location: Talesh-Iran

Re: Open source Softimage!

Post by AbedSHP » 19 Sep 2015, 14:01

please, don't hurt me anymore. the feeling will come back, l promise :((

yashugan
Posts: 115
Joined: 30 May 2012, 20:58

Re: Open source Softimage!

Post by yashugan » 10 Nov 2015, 18:13

Hi, apologize me, i visit the REPO site of the project, but there is something to see? How is going this project? There is a screen shot?
Something? Thank ;)

threedslider
Posts: 26
Joined: 13 May 2018, 19:55

Re: Open source Softimage!

Post by threedslider » 14 May 2018, 15:43

Hi,

BitPuffin has nice idea for open source with softimage, pity that is stops...

Well me too i have a project for open source as look like softimage B-) , back to 1996 Stephane Rehel has created Moonlight Creator and it is pretty basic from now, not animation, no physic, no clothing simulation... etc But it is functional and render cool picture. In 1998 he stopped this open source. So I put in github and is named Blackdot, the problem the source code is outdated and full of error or no finished. From my free time i learn very hard from this source code and i need to clean up and some fix before to go improvement then adding. I learn programming for C++, i know it but i need more practice to make real functionnal. The good new i have source code ready but need to finish... :)

Link : https://github.com/threedslider/Blackdo ... evelopment

screenshoot from moonlight 0.9.x (closed source) :

Image

If you have suggest, help or comment, it would be greatly appreciate !

3DMagic
Posts: 23
Joined: 09 Oct 2009, 12:09
Skype: emiliano.grimaldi

Re: Open source Softimage!

Post by 3DMagic » 14 May 2018, 19:11

Personaly I think the best option for Softimage is to blend it into blender. :p

The founder thinks Softimage, was one of the best 3D software out there. Why don't replicate the user interface and then slowly add all the major tools that Softimage has into Blender?

3D Software's are gigantic, but at least with Softimage you have part of the job done, you have something you can copy and I think Blender could gain a lot copying after Softimage.

What do you think?

threedslider
Posts: 26
Joined: 13 May 2018, 19:55

Re: Open source Softimage!

Post by threedslider » 14 May 2018, 20:20

I think it is good idea, Blender has a lot more feature than Blackdot and i can make it but there will be more alot of work to restructure and quite deep for modification so i will be more careful to not break the functional :)

But i wait for more people if they agree or would like this your proposal.

Feasible and a lot of hard work :)

kiwimation
Posts: 61
Joined: 11 Jun 2009, 05:21

Re: Open source Softimage!

Post by kiwimation » 15 May 2018, 07:50

I had high hopes for the BSuite

https://bufsoftware.com/products/bsuite/

Looks like they have stopped development. Any one have any inside info on this?

yashugan
Posts: 115
Joined: 30 May 2012, 20:58

Re: Open source Softimage!

Post by yashugan » 15 May 2018, 08:30

basically is a fantastic idea. If , in the end, is possible REDO the interface and some important logics that re-create the superfast workflow of XSI inside blender, you automatically get also all the other good stuf of blender (that is a costantly updated software...)

luceric
Posts: 1251
Joined: 22 Jun 2009, 00:08

Re: Open source Softimage!

Post by luceric » 15 May 2018, 20:02

it's nice to get more information about Moonlight Creator. I have been wondering what happened about that one for 20 years.
From the source code, the project was lot more extensive than I imagined it would be. I also made these types of formative projects as well back in the 1990s.
The code structure and design is very similar to how the big commercial apps are written.

threedslider
Posts: 26
Joined: 13 May 2018, 19:55

Re: Open source Softimage!

Post by threedslider » 15 May 2018, 23:19

kiwimation wrote: 15 May 2018, 07:50 I had high hopes for the BSuite

https://bufsoftware.com/products/bsuite/

Looks like they have stopped development. Any one have any inside info on this?
Nice i don't know this software but i cannot help you why if they stopped...

yashugan wrote: 15 May 2018, 08:30 basically is a fantastic idea. If , in the end, is possible REDO the interface and some important logics that re-create the superfast workflow of XSI inside blender, you automatically get also all the other good stuf of blender (that is a costantly updated software...)
I note this :)

luceric wrote: 15 May 2018, 20:02 it's nice to get more information about Moonlight Creator. I have been wondering what happened about that one for 20 years.
From the source code, the project was lot more extensive than I imagined it would be. I also made these types of formative projects as well back in the 1990s.
The code structure and design is very similar to how the big commercial apps are written.
Simply this author wanted to make closed source but it was bitter failure so he abandoned and later he created start up and create for web or something like.
Yeah, from source code is very professional and clever as coding, i think he was a genius :)

threedslider
Posts: 26
Joined: 13 May 2018, 19:55

Re: Open source Softimage!

Post by threedslider » 23 May 2018, 01:13


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