Updated September 2012 to support light primitives, new preference options. Following the popular QuickInset modeling tool (listed below), Piotrek releases this new custom tool, allowing the user to draw primitives interactively.

This can be done using a number of preset objects (pickable from a radial array), and using a variety of placement/creation options such as on surface/on scene grid, along curve, align along X/Y/Z axis, create UV projections, snapping, merge etc.

A video introduction is available here. See the si-community thread linked below for more details.

local backup: quickprimitive_093.xsiaddon

It allows the user to select an object which may have one or multiple weightmaps. Users can specify the weightmap and then do a wide variety of things to their weights: Specify Value for selected points Mirror Weights – a symmetry map is needed Smooth Weight (does a linear smooth) – you can specify the amount of points you want it to take into consideration and a percentage you want to apply Copy Weights from a specific point onto Selected point.

It came to be due to the fact that I was doing alot of shape work and needing to use weights to modulate them.

local backup: xsi-plugins-2-sa-weighttool.xsiaddon

Adds two menu items to the help menu linking to the bug report and feature suggestion forms on autodesk.com.

local backup: GreatestPluginEver.xsiaddon

Chris Marshall asked this question on the mailing list: I have a camera very close to a surface which has some displacement detail in the very foreground. I'm using the BA raylength shader to try and blend this so the displacement reduces the further away from the camera the object is. But it doesn't appear to be working. I've tried to clamp the scalar range, but even though the BA Raylength is showing a grad from black to white on the object, the displacement never reduces. Any thoughts on how this might be achieved?

Guillaume posted this scene file as a response, demonstrating a way to combine displacement and raylength, with raylength taking the undisplaced surface into consideration instead of the displaced surface. In the August 12th »Screenshots of the week« series, Stephen Blair shows some more screenshots from the thread looking at some other methods of doing the same thing.

local backup: BlendingDisplacementUsingRayLength_Advantage_Beer_Pack_SP1.scn

Lets you quickly switch the file extensions of all Image Clips matching a given prefix. In the same process, it converts PSD files using the Photoshop CS5 Automation API, offering various options for output file formats/rescaling/compression. For PIC, use Photoshop Optional Plugins (archive). Using presets is also possible with this addon.

local backup: mImageChanger.xsiaddon

A script from 2001, recently posted by Claudio Pavan on the mailing list in reply to Gerbrand Nel asking for an extended version of the factory script, that he remembers having used. From the script code:

This tool will create a single Null for each point of the selected object(s) (you can also select a point cluster, or tag points). Then based on the dialog choice, it will either Constrain the Null to the Point using Object to Cluster constraint, or Deform the point to the Null with a Cluster Center operator.

Possibly still working in current versions. Installation instructions can be found inside the script.

local backup: OO_AddNullToPoints.zip

Updated July 2012. MX_Loft 2 creates a polymesh extrusion of 2 »blendable« profile curves along a guide curve. Parameter controls include subdivision, adaptive subdivision, automatic UV generation, path twist fcurve, capping, growing. This new release adds a lot of control over the resulting extrusion. See the author download page for more details.

Note that for linear guide curves, MX Loft automatically makes the corner profile longer, resulting in all cross sections of the extrusion matching the original profile shape.

related plugins: Power Extrude, TinyCurveExtrude, Custom_Loft, KP CurveTools, keyvis Curve Tools, ICE Rope Rig

local backup: MX_Loft_2_v1.0.xsiaddon

Creates XSI Projects, minus unwanted subfolders, plus arbitrary subfolders....stuff like that. Written & tested only on 2012.

Show related plugins: Default Project Directory Structure

Instruction page here (archive) (in Japanese, click here for an English translation by google translate). Look at the rray.de jhBatchie entry for links to Junki's massive page and a translation of it.

local backup: NyuProject.xsiaddon

It basically is »Match Layer/Groups/Partitions/Parent« tool. You select something, start the tool, (select one or more of »Layer«, »Groups«, »Partitions« and »Parent«), hit OK, pick an existing object and done. The objects you selected rush into the same layer, same groups, same partitions under all passes, same parent as the picked object.

Instruction page here (archive) (in Japanese, click here for an English translation by google translate). Look at the rray.de jhBatchie entry for links to Junki's massive page and a translation of it.

local backup: AnatatoIsshoniIsasete.zip

MM ShaderTools is a plugin which helps you to batch replace, create or modify shaders in all your materials at once. This can save huge amounts of time, especially in later stages of a project. You can select multiple materials or lights and run the plugin to modify your render trees with three different operations:

Replace shaders: will replace all instances of the same shader by a new one. You have options which will help you to keep all connections in and out of the shaders intact. Additionally you can set parameters in the newly created shader, either directly or based on parameter values of the old shader

Insert shader: insert a new shader between a specified connection. Similar to replace shaders you have options to keep all connections intact and additionally set parameters in the new shader. You can also use this to simply import and connect a shader without inserting it into an existing connection.

Set Shader Parameters: allows you to set parameters of all kinds in a target shader.

Includes numerous presets. Visit Felix's blog for a much more detailed explanation and a small use case scenario.

local backup: mossman/MM_Shadertools.rar

AKA its full name Screen Space Proportional Object Transform. This tool works similarly to the built-in Proportional Transform Tool, but operates on objects instead of on points. Features as listed in the si-community thread:

TAB switches modes translate/rotate/scale (like in tweak tool) l/m/r mouse button for t/r/s (like in view space transform tool) .Rot. and scale is temporary, after releasing m/r button, tool switches to translate mode fcurve falloff from Move Proportional tool R hotkey for size change (like tweak tool) auto key handling for animation distance is measured to object's pivot point lock transformation to selected objects fancy buttons basic collisions (raw triangle mesh vs swept bounding sphere)

video demo / video demo (updated version) . Source available here. More details inside the si-community thread.

local backup: SoftTransform_x64_v11.xsiaddon

GoZ for Softimage is a One Click Solution for 3d mesh exchange between ZBrush and Softimage using GoZ file format.

This is the official Pixologic-approved GoZ addon for Softimage. It is developed using the GoZ SDK and the Softimage C++ API and provides the functionality to automatically set up a proper render tree in Softimage ready for rendering with Mental Ray. It supports both 32 bit and 64 bit versions of Softimage on Windows.

Related plugins: GoSoftimageLite, XGoZ

local backup: GoZ For Softimage.zip

Creates a shaky camera or adds shake to an existing one. Independent control of movement frequency/amplitude for the camera and interest position and camera roll. Leaves the camera and interest free to animate, shake applied on parent nulls. (XSI v6.5, 7.0, 7.01)

Usage: 1. Get > Primitive > Camera > ShakyCam (creates a new camera)
Or: 1. select an existing camera / 2. Get > Primitive > Camera > ApplyShakeOnCamera

Related plugins: Paparazzo

local backup: cameraShake.xsiaddon

Inspired by Cesar Saez's Bone Sketching tool. Select desired mesh and click on Animate -> Skeleton -> Draw Bones Inside Mesh menu. You can quickly choose prefix name and color for the chain which will be drawn.

Youtube demo.

local backup: DrawBonesInsideMesh.rar

Conversion of the SkinSSS and SimpleSSS compounds using the new Mental Ray 3.10 fastSSS2 shader. This shader renders more realistic looking imagery by allowing a different radius to be set for each of the red, green and blue components, simulating wavelength dependency.

Usage: Drag and drop the SkinSSS2 or the SimpleSSS2 node into the render tree, connect its »Surface« and »Lightmap« outputs to the main material, pick »User Tools->Create SSS Lightmap«, connect the new lightmap to SSS2's Lightmap input. More information can be found in the si-community thread, including some great looking test renders by Kzin.

local backup: SkinSSS2.xsirtcompound SimpleSSS2.xsirtcompound

This addon asks for a wav file which it then converts to an fcurve animation on 1 null (mono) or 2 nulls (stereo). The fcurve value represents the RMS power of the input sound which works well for audio synchronization tasks.

See the download page for more information. This addon is from 2003 but still works with current versions of Softimage.

local backup: Sound2Curve.v0.2.xsiaddon

This addon lets you alter the default directory structure (Actions, Audio, Backup, Composites, ...) for new projects including the creation of subdirectories.

See the download page for more information. Softimage has to be started from an admin account. This addon is from 2003 but still works with current versions of Softimage.

Related plugins: Nyu Project

local backup: ProjectDirectoryStructure.v1.1.xsiaddon

Current versions of Softimage support Camera autokeying and keying from the camera property page, but this addon might offer a bit more control/a different workflow.

See the download page for more information. This addon is from 2002 but should still work with current versions of Softimage.

local backup: KeyCam.v1.5.xsiaddon