Cycles for Softimage

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Sycles 2.4.1Author: Shekn @si-community
V 2.4.1 released August 2026 —

This is a full integration of the Blender Cycles renderer into XSI. Version 2.4 is compiled with Cycles 5.3 (state of July 2026). The second generation of the addon (since 2.0) is a complete rewrite and works with Softimage 2015 SP2.

New since version 2.1.3 (from the github release notes): 2.4.1: fixed incorrect transforms of instances when the master model has rotation or scale, repacked with missing DLLs 2.4: Cycles 5.3. New Alpha parameter for the ImageTexture node, Sky Texture with Single and Multiple Scattering models, Thin Film for Metallic and Glass BSDF, new Raycast and Scene Time nodes, OSL custom camera, Linear 3D curve shape (also as per-object override), Geometry Approximation mode for NURBS surfaces, Render Time pass (CPU), texture optimisation (resolution, limit, tx texture cache) and a detailed scene export timing log 2.4: renders MaterialX shader trees from the MaterialXSI addon (converted to OSL). Note: OSL shading works on CPU render devices only 2.3.x: Cycles 4.5, OSL support is back, new Metallic BSDF and Set Normal nodes, phase function for Scatter Volume, Diffuse Roughness for Principled BSDF, more Noise Texture types, subdivision with motion deform, per-frame texture images, rendering of NURBS surfaces and curves (via custom properties), tile rendering, fixed shadow catcher, vector input ports for OSL shaders 2.2.x: nodes of Blender 4.3 (Ray Portal BSDF, Sheen BSDF, Gabor Texture, redesigned Principled BSDF), current Blender OCIO color profiles, custom velocity grids for VDB primitives, Particle Info node fed by ICE attributes, denoising of the final passes with OIDN or OptiX

Supported Softimage features (quoted from the download page):

Polygon meshes and hair geometry Texture coordinates Vertex colors Shaderball preview. For materials, shader nodes and texture nodes Basic limited support of the following built-in Softimage shader nodes: Phong, Lambert, Hair Shading, Image, converters between vector, color and scalar Ambience global environment light Limited support of built-in Softimage light sources Model instances ICE strands geometry ICE pointcloud instances ICE geometry attributes (vector, color and scalar) with context per-point and per-object Volume rendering. In particular supports emFluid, Explosia FX and openVDB for Softimage volumes Special VDB Primitive for rendering vdbs without ICE Output multilayered exr file with all rendered passes Rendermaps

The following features from Cycles itself are supported: CPU and GPU rendering. In particular multidevices are supported. This allows you to use cpu and gpu simultaneously. The libraries for GPU rendering are included in the package. All Cycles shader nodes OSL shaders OpenColorIO profiles (Blender profile included) All Cycles output passes (Combined, Depth, Normal and so on) Color and value shader AOVs Lightgroups Cycles camera properties, in particular all panorama modes Cycles light sources Denoising by using Open Image Denoise and OptiX denoiser

For more information, full documentation and a list of the available Cycles nodes see the download page linked below. There is no local backup because the addon is still frequently updated - the plugin can be downloaded on Shekn's github releases. The source code is available on github there as well.
download page: https://ssoftadd.github.io/syclesSecondGenPage.html / wiki with tutorials / all of Shekn's plugins / author on vimeo / si-community thread

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Shekn
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Re: Cycles for Softimage

Post by Shekn » 18 Nov 2017, 15:43

Next update: version 1.5. Download here: https://ssoftadd.github.io/download/Sycles_1.5.xsiaddon
Manual: https://ssoftadd.github.io/manuals/Sycl ... %20Eng.pdf

What's new:
1. Some bugfixes. In particular, xsi-camera and render-camera are now coincide. Also in orthographic mode.
2. It's possible to use multiple devices for rendering. Select checkboxes for devices in the Preferences - Devices section of the render parameters. It's possible to use cpu and gpu simultaneously. Sometimes it decrease the render time.
3. Using multiple uv-coordinates on the object. Details are on the tutorial 24.
4. Exclude HDRMaster module to the separate addon (https://ssoftadd.github.io/hdrMasterPage.html). At present time this addon works only with Sycles, but it's possible to add support of other renders.
5. Add shader node Bevel. This node creates the bevel on sharp edges without modifying geometry. It's not recommended to use it, because in some situations it increase the render time. Example on the attached picture.
Image

If you have some technical problems with using the Sycles, please, say about it. I tested this version on different machines and systems, but may be there are some problems which I didn't catch.
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jonmoore
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Re: Cycles for Softimage

Post by jonmoore » 18 Nov 2017, 17:53

Very nice work good sir. Updated my rig to a pair of 1080 Ti's and can't wait to return to the studio to put 1.5 through it's paces. :)
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FXDude
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Re: Cycles for Softimage

Post by FXDude » 19 Nov 2017, 05:05

Absolutely Great news!! (especially in EOL riddled recent topics)

- multiple devices for rendering
  - xsi-camera and render-camera are now coincide.
  - multiple UVs
  - ...

:ymparty: !
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FXDude
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Re: Cycles for Softimage

Post by FXDude » 19 Nov 2017, 05:38

In MR, if you plug scalar sources into a boolean switch  (as opposed to into a mix),
you can define areas with -very- cheap evaluation time  (practically 0 overhead, only considering one input at every sample),
as much as if materials were on different objects or clusters.

The output of mid-level values is a black / white split at the 50% threshold,
and when using an ao as a scalar source, the boolean output is a dotted transition to white from corners.
(useful for using different sampling settings in corners on similar materials)

In this case, could an AO (isolating inner corners) together with an inversed AO (isolating outer corners) be used to only sample the beveled corners?
(as opposed to the entire surface where the normal changing beveler has no effect.)

Would Cycles (or Sycles implementation) be Flexible enough for something like that?  (in a compound?)
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Shekn
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Re: Cycles for Softimage

Post by Shekn » 19 Nov 2017, 05:48

I am sorry, but I don't understand what you're talking about. May be you post some picture with demonstration of the desired effect.
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FXDude
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Re: Cycles for Softimage

Post by FXDude » 19 Nov 2017, 05:57

No I am sorry because I somehow entirely omitted the premise of the post... being about the beveled corners shader.

Suggesting perhaps possibly only evaluating it at the corners, if it is evaluated everywhere (?)


But in any event, a big kudos on those very great and useful changes ! 3:-O
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FXDude
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Re: Cycles for Softimage

Post by FXDude » 19 Nov 2017, 06:07

Just putting this refresher here 9)


HDRMaster plugin demo
 
   
 
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wireframex
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Re: Cycles for Softimage

Post by wireframex » 19 Nov 2017, 21:30

Very fast development !!
Bravo :)
"without mastery, power is nothing" - Softimage Addict User
CPU 3990x 128 Threads / 2 x 3090 RTX - 24 Go / 96 Go memory
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Bennyhase
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Re: Cycles for Softimage

Post by Bennyhase » 20 Nov 2017, 16:48

Thanks for the update. But this version will also not work on my machine like the previous one. Anybody here with still the same problem? Both with CPU and GPU Single / Dual Mode...

Have 2 1070 GPU with newest driver.
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Draise
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Re: Cycles for Softimage

Post by Draise » 20 Nov 2017, 17:36

I think it has something to do with the lighting strength defaults. You have to push it a lot higher to see anything.
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Bennyhase
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Re: Cycles for Softimage

Post by Bennyhase » 20 Nov 2017, 18:48

@Draise: no, it is still the same problem with the "interleave" renderings like User "rray" had the same problem on page 2 of this thread (have a look). It is a CUDA-Driver or CUDA Binary Problem and i have no success to render any Sycles Scene... will try it with Sotimage 2015 SP2...
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wireframex
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Re: Cycles for Softimage

Post by wireframex » 20 Nov 2017, 19:58

Hey Bennyhase
Can you give a link to your scene to test it ?
Phil
"without mastery, power is nothing" - Softimage Addict User
CPU 3990x 128 Threads / 2 x 3090 RTX - 24 Go / 96 Go memory
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rray
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Re: Cycles for Softimage

Post by rray » 20 Nov 2017, 20:00

Works good, much faster than the last version, especially when combining CPU+GPU. Great job this can keep up with the commercial renderes/plugins.

Only small issue I could find is sometimes tiles are missing when rendering a region quickly

@Bennyhase after I uninstalled the cuda toolkit on my Windows 7 machines, the old version started showing this kind of errors again. The new version work without issues though, so it's the opposite way around now for me.
On my windows 10 machine I never had any issues after I installed the fall creator's update, but you already did this. Maybe it's the XSI version let's see.
softimage resources section updated Sep 26th 2026
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Bennyhase
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Re: Cycles for Softimage

Post by Bennyhase » 20 Nov 2017, 20:07

@Wireframex: It´s only a cube with a Sycles Diffuse Shader and HDRI... no saving of this scene. I have to switch to another machine for installing Softimage2015 SP2, because on this machine here i have to deinstall my "old2 SOftimage2015 and i´m in the middle of a production, so it takes one or 2 hours if i can check it again with SP2
Last edited by Bennyhase on 20 Nov 2017, 21:20, edited 1 time in total.
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Draise
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Re: Cycles for Softimage

Post by Draise » 20 Nov 2017, 21:14

Ah.. gotcha @bennyhase. I got confused with the screencapture, looked like it was rendering just in black.

I will try uninstall and reinstall too, I get Si crashes on a simple scene too (add cube, add grid, add area light, change viewport render preview to cycles = crash). Also after a project.
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wireframex
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Re: Cycles for Softimage

Post by wireframex » 20 Nov 2017, 21:17

Bennyhase wrote: 20 Nov 2017, 20:07 @Wireframex: It´s only a cube with a Syflex Diffuse Shader and HDRI... no saving of this scene. I have to switch to another machine for installing Softimage2015 SP2, because on this machine here i have to deinstall my "old2 SOftimage2015 and i´m in the middle of a production, so it takes one or 2 hours if i can check it again with SP2
Ok
"without mastery, power is nothing" - Softimage Addict User
CPU 3990x 128 Threads / 2 x 3090 RTX - 24 Go / 96 Go memory
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