xsi book

[scrog]

Can anyone recommend a good book on xsi. Maybe written in a class room style.

[Hirazi Blue]

AFAIK the last couple of years there haven't been any books dedicated to (X)SI published at all, making all that were "slightly" outdated. So the short answer would be: Sadly, I can't recommend any as they are all more or less outdated... Might however be, that there's a book I'm overlooking here....

[scrog]

Yes, so it seems.
I have found books on version 4 and 5 only.

[craft]

the help file was the only xsi 'book' i ever read. turns out it's preety well written. And that's the one that's most likely to be up to date.
Video-tutorials have totally taken over, it seems.

[Nizar]

I like to see (and buy) an update XSI book, but, as other wrote, there is no any XSI book or plane about a future release. In particular way, I like to see a book cover XSI workflow for a complete project (to start (modelling) to finish (rendering/compositing).
In my country was released a complete Maya book, first book (modelling, tool overview and texturing) is a monumental manual: about 850 pages, and it is the first of four book (the other three books, will be concentrated on rendering, animation, compositing, VFX... ). I love learning books, and this one is rally good (DVD attached, full color and good pics and a lustful hard cover ) I don't like so much Maya, but hey, this book/course make me wants to learn maya
In any case, many company and many site, release video tutorials. Frankly, I prefer book, but if you want learn XSI have not choice.

[Hirazi Blue]

To slightly contradict myself, recommending an "outdated" book:
The one book that really helped me a lot, even though it was already "outdated" before I bought it, was Boaz Livny's "mental ray for Maya, 3ds Max, and XSI". It's from 2007, so it covers an older version of mental ray obviously, but most of the stuff in this book still is surprisingly valuable IMHO. Might be hard to get a hold of a copy, though, as neither Sybex (the publisher) nor amazon.com/amazon.co.uk seem to have it on offer anymore.


This would be the kind of book, though, that would deserve a thorough update and consequently a new edition (and I for one would buy that also)

[Rez007]

The book Hirazi mentioned is very well written and has tons of useful information in it. The other book that I have is "The Art of XSI." Granted, it is older but it covers some things very nicely. I too like to learn from books rather than videos, but I dont think it is cost-effective anymore for publishers. Also, you are probably using XSI interchangably with the word Softimage, but if you keep searching using the terminology XSI, you are not going to find anything current anyway...it is now called Softimage.

http://www.cgtoolkit.com/artofxsi.htm

[Nizar]

About the mental ray XSI book I find used copy from amazon.com:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/offer-listing/ ... ition=used
190 $ don't find any art of xsi copy...

(Moderator edit - please use the URL tags - HB)

Edit: oops... sorry...

[Hirazi Blue]

As "we" more or less established in that other book thread, aptly called Book Thread, the company that originally sold the "The Art of XSI" doesn't answer their incoming mails anymore and should probably be considered dead...

[Nizar]

The worse thing, imo, is other: no new book plan in a near future...

[Rez007]

As "we" more or less established in that other book thread, aptly called Book Thread, the company that originally sold the "The Art of XSI" doesn't answer their incoming mails anymore and should probably be considered dead...

Well, I didn't check that "book thread" before replying to this thread - I just posted where I purchased my copy from.

[Hirazi Blue]

The interesting question would be: when did you purchase it from them?

[Rez007]

Yes, that would be interesting, but it was a while ago, maybe a couple of years ago (2). I just did a search when responding to the posting, and that is what came up. The site did not seem any different from the time I purchased it. My thinking, one can always try to purcahse the book from that site, if they are shut down, then I would assume the transaction would not go through. Just because they might not answer "inquiry" emails, might not mean that they are necessarily closed...

[jonatas]

I really like the XSI help documentation.
I still use it.

[Hirazi Blue]

My thinking, one can always try to purcahse the book from that site, if they are shut down, then I would assume the transaction would not go through. Just because they might not answer "inquiry" emails, might not mean that they are necessarily closed...

You're probably right, maybe I am overly cautious, but looking at the date of the last entry in the News section of their website (not their webshop), November 20th 2007, and after hearing reports of others to the effect that this company doesn't answer its mails anymore, this doesn't instill enough confidence in me to safely send them my personal data and my money.
I already own the book however...
(and actually didn't find it all that great, but that's besides the point as this is highly subjective).
;)

[Nizar]

As I mentioned in the Book thread, I tried to contact CGtoolkit, but they don't answer... so, I assume, they are death on the water.

Hirazi, why this book (art of XSI) is not so great? Can you make a short review?