ICE node which outputs the convex hull topology from a set of input points. Short demo video available here

local backup: ConvexHull.rar

Following a request by Matt Lowery on the Softimage Mailing List, I'm hoping of you fine people has a script that will tag all the points on one poly mesh that are inside another poly mesh. I'm also hoping that you'll share said script...

Fabricio Chamon posted this script. usage: define an attribute called »select« in your object's icetree (boolean per point, edge or polygon) > select object and run. (sometimes you have to run it twice, in the second time it will work. not sure why, maybe it has to do with some attribute initialization thing). In your case the (very simple) logic would be a point in volume defining the attribute. (image follows)

local backup: ICE_Attr_To_Component_Selection.zip

This compound is in response to a thread on XSIBase. You can add a particle attached to each object in models/instances. Create a group containing the objects inside of the model. (ie. ObjectGroup) Create a group containing the model and instances. (ie. InstanceGroup). I tested animating the position and rotation of the objects, model, and instances.

local backup: DW_ColorBlendModes.xsicompound

A set of four ICE deformers by renowned Polynoid studio. Included are: Deform by Curve (Copy and) Deform by Strand Deform Strand by Wave Deform Curve by Wave

The curve deforms improve upon the factory deforms with features such as twist and push. See the download link for more details. Video presentation available (archive).

Make sure to visit Polynoid's blog monophyl.com for interesting ICE insights and videos.

local backup: PLND_Deform_Stuff.zip

This custom compound lets you access evenly parameterized curve data from ICE as shown in this screenshot.

Make sure to have a look at the author's blog and his video collection for a lot of interesting ICE/VFX/technical information (korean - english translation by google here)


local backup: CnD_NormalizedCurve.xsiaddon

Version 2.0. This compound uses Nulls to control and create the wavy deforms. The nulls can be scaled to stretch the wave out or bulge them into more toon-like waves. I put a scene together, and left the compound open for people to explore. Take note that the ICE tree should be under post-simulation. Works nicely in conjunction with Amaan Akram's aaOcean Suite.

local backup: Wave_Curl_2.xsicompound

A compound from the creator of the Softimage Blog. Gerstner waves come from František Josef Gerstner who in 1804 first published his »Theory of waves«. The Gerstner wave compound for XSI implements Gerstner's algorithms to produce ocean wave surfaces that are animateable and user controllable.

You can see the Gerstner waves in action on Softimage Blog at the following posts: Gerstner Waves 102, Gerstner Waves 101, Gertsner waves in ICE

The purchase price of this set of 4 compounds is 40$ US and includes 3 private compounds which implement the internal mathematics of the system as well as one public compound which adds usability features above and beyond the single simple wave. For more information go to the purchase link.

Originally developed for testing his Implosia FX toolset, Mr. Core recently released these compounds that let you import and export image (.BMP/.TIFF/.PNG/.JPG) and mesh files (.OBJ, UV not yet supported) within ICE.

For image handling, this package includes the Build PCloud from Image compound that converts the output array from the IFX Read Image node into a pointcloud, which can be further modified by ICE and then written back to an image file through the factory build array from set node plugged into IFX Write Image. This allows a PixelParticles-like workflow (see the PixelParticles description further below), for example for image manipulations inside ICE.

The local backup archive contains all files collected from the si-community thread (see below) including some additional compounds by Fabricio Chamon which handle file name/format string conversions. To install, copy the .xsicompound files into the Data/Compounds folder of the USER or a workgroup/addon directory. The .dll file goes into the Plugins subfolder — a demo scene file is included.

Related plugins: Pixel Particles, Image ICE Node

local backup: ImageIO_packed_1.0.zip

The ICE compound forces an object to always face the input camera. I suppose it's most useful in conjunction with textured grids.

Video demonstration available here (archive).

local backup: CG Orient to Screen.xsicompound

Following a request on the Softimage mailing list, Alan Fregtman posted this compound which lets you resize (scale) all strands after emission/deformation.

local backup: Resize_Strands.1.0.xsicompound

AKA FC Rock. A procedural rock generator and an accompanying render tree compound for high res bump details. Based on Sascha Henrichs' workflow as demonstrated here.

Noise types: level 1: cellular (overall rock shape) level 2: fractal (erosions) level 3: turbulence (high frequency displacement).

Demo video. More details available in the si-community thread.

local backup: FC Rock.zip

This compound works similarly to the factory »Relax« deform, but operates on particles instead of mesh points. Helps maintain an evenly-spaced particle distribution over an object surface. A number of options are available such as max number of points, cutoff, iteration count, repulsion, attraction, and an »evenness« color gradient.

Video demonstration available here, use case video.

local backup: Relax Particles.xsicompound

Little helper compound for hair grooming. Makes easy to retain hair inside a volume or trim to a specified silhouette. Stored under Particles > Strands.

Usage screenshot

Related plugins: Kristinka Hair (Cut by Geo Volume)

local backup: Trim Strands by Volume.xsicompound

Applied to a polygon mesh, filters edges by the angle between adjacent polygons. Also see the si-community discussion.

local backup: Filter Edges by Angle.xsicompound

Does a »circular« shift for any array by any number of steps.

local backup: Shift Array.xsicompound

Very helpful little node that I use for literally every complex work with points and topology. For example you can use array of points to filter positions by them and move stuff around. Instead of »Get Point ID« you can use any topology attribute sets to work in topo contexts. If you know a better way to create set from array - let me know.

local backup: Build Set from Array.xsicompound

AutoZoom is a Softimage ICE compound that automatically controls the given camera's field-of-view (FOV). It zooms to the given target(s) until the target(s) fill the frame, in a user-defined way. [..]

Remember, this compound does not direct the camera to the target, it only zooms to it . You will most probably want to use it in conjunction with a camera direction constraint, pointing at the same object(s) that the compound will zoom to [..] (Hint: emTools 1.1 CenterOfGeometry)

Continue reading here (online documentation, for download link see below).

local backup: AutoZoom_v1_3.zip

CM_ICEPortExplorer is a set of customisable context menus to speed up ICE workflow. It allows quick placement of your favourite ICE attributes onto Set Data or Get Data ports.

Features include: Favourite ICE attributes - customisable list of your most often used attributes. Browse for any ICE and kinematics attributes available on a port. Can be split into alphabetic groups. Set port data type. Quickly clear the port or set it to »This.« Records a history of the most recently chosen attributes from the context menus. In Softimage 2012 even typed-in attributes can be recorded into the history menu. All menus can be disabled or switched between top level or sub-menus. Auto management of name conversion - choosing »pointvelocity« from the menu on an empty node will automatically resolve to »This.pointvelocity«. If the set data already has a connection or entry in the name field, the menus will try to resolve that as a scene object and display its ICE attributes.

Video here. Testimonials from the mailing list thread:
absolutely must have! downloading... —Fabricio Chamon
Echo previous comments... I'm already hooked on using it, and rapidly put it into my »kit bag« of stuff I take with me everywhere. —Andy Moorer

local backup: CM_ICEPortExplorer-1.03.xsiaddon

CM_ICECacheDragDrop is a plugin that adds support for dragging and dropping of ICE caches into a Softimage scene. Hopefully it removes a little bit of the monotony of importing ICE cache files back into your scenes. After installing the plugin, you may simply drag and drop .icecache or .PC2 files or sequences from a Softimage browser or OS file explorer into a Softimage session. [..]

Visit author download page to continue reading.

Related plugins: ICE Cache Explorer

local backup: CM_ICECacheDragDrop_1.02.xsiaddon

Simple compound to setup gradient weightmaps with help of geo-curves.

See this video for usage details.

local backup: Curve U to Weights.xsicompound

Version 2.0. Two simple compounds to transfer color and weight data from instanced geometry to mesh. At this moment compound able to transfer weights from any amount of instanced geometry to polymesh (generated with help of standard »Create Polygon Meshes from Instance Shapes« compound). The only thing is very important: the order of connected instances must be the same as connections in «Create Polygon Meshes from Instance Shapes«

See this (V1.0) and this video (V2.0) for usage details.

local backup: Copy Weights from Instance.2.0.xsicompound Copy Color from Instance.xsicompound

Compound that binds a mesh to a point cloud, suitable, for example, for jelly-like deformations. Binds each mesh point to four point cloud points for a reference frame. Useful in conjunction with Lagoa, but also with other types of point clouds like those generated by voxelization compounds.

The difference to the built-in advect compounds is that it doesn't emit a point cloud point at each mesh point and bind it - but looks for closest points in an existing point cloud and binds to those. See this (V1.0) and this video (V2.0) for usage details.

local backup: GlueToPointCloudLocalCoord.xsicompound

Short description of how to use the compound: It will shape-deform a mesh based on the distance of Nulls or Surface to the geometry of the mesh. Connect a Shape, a Group of Nulls and/or a Polygon mesh, a Curve, a Group of Meshes, Curves or a combination of both and add a default weightmap to see the influence range. Toggle between Null or Mesh input with the »Toggle Nulls or Mesh« switch, and adjust the influence range with the slider and fcurve.

[..] I created this SmartMorph compound based on a tutorial by Paul Smith aka Pooby.

local backup: SmartMorph.xsicompound

Instantiates a user-definable chain link object multiple times along the length of a curve, rotating every other instance by 90 degrees. Includes chain animation controls. See this video for usage instructions.

local backup: Chain Generator.1.1.xsicompound

A collection of deformers, in part inspired by other 3D applications, translated into ICE. Includes: ooSpherify, ooBend (in collaboration with Antton Tapani), ooBulge, ooPreserve, ooShrinkWrap, ooSimpleSmooth, ooWave, ooSwitchAxes

local backup: ooIceDeforms.zip

Branch-generating compound. Test version.

local backup: Herbalizer.xsicompound

Creates a stylized recursive tree. ICE Conversion of the Processing Recursive Tree example by Daniel Shiffman.

local backup: tree.xsicompound

A set of compounds that creates a fractal landscape. Example of how to use it you can watch here. Based on the new PPG Logic feature so SI 2012.5 SAP required

local backup: Fractal_Landscape.rar

Create an empty point cloud and add »Life« compound to it. You can use toolbar for interactive adding selected points indexes. »Live« button has a slowdown value inside that you can change to 0 to see actual speed. SI 2012 required. Have fun!

local backup: Life.xsiaddon

Fakes SSS by distance-to-light color computations. Needs a light connected and the object's »Vertex Color Display« property in the OpenGL display panel set to the »color« attribute. See mailing list post here. A video demo is available.

local backup: fake+vertex+SSS.xsicompound