3delight for Softimage 3.0 beta

[Nizar]

As I wrote, after the AD hotfix for me work correctly.

[Zybrand]

I am having similar crashing issues on my machine using SI 2011.5, 3Delight works fine until SI is closed or PC is restarted once I try to open SI again it crashes on startup every time.

[owei]

...same crashing here...(2011 sp1, 2011.5 sap) doesn´t look as to be really tested on latest versions of SI..? Works on XSI 7.01 though..

cheers,
oliver

[Hirazi Blue]

Don't know if this will help, but "Plopp" posted the following on the XSIBase, which might help prevent part of the startup problem:

you can do this until they fix it

move 3delight_for_softimage.64.dll (32 if you use the 32bit version) from this folder:
3DelightForSoftimage/Application/Plugins, to this folder:
3DelightForSoftimage/Application
so 3delight isnt started automatically, then you can load it from file/plug-in manager

Quoted from Reply #19 in this thread

edit: "Plopp" just posted a probably important update:

have to edit this post.
if i move the .dll file to another folder i get shader errors when rendering,
but still, move it to that folder, start softimage, copy the dll to its original folder and load it from there.

that works 100% for me.

you have to remove the .dll from its original folder every time you start softimage though,
so only copy it back to its original folder so you can just delete it later,
saves a few clicks so you dont have to cut and paste it to another folder every time

Quoted from Reply #31 of aforementioned thread.

I haven't tested it myself, as I haven't experienced any startup problems, apart from a significant slowdown probably due to the license manager kicking in. Could it be the license manager for 3Delight doesn't play nice with the license manager of other plugins (I'm thinking the plugins from Mootzoid, the exocortex plugins, for instance)?
As I have no plugins installed at the moment that require an external license management, that might explain the fact why it seems to work here without all too many problems (which is weird as my experience generally is, stuff like this works for everybody else, not me... )
;)

[ActionArt]

Works fine here with no crashes. I'm on 2011 SAP 64bit on Vista. I don't have many other plugins and no other license managers so maybe that has something to do with it.

[Hirazi Blue]

3.01 beta has been released
(and by released I mean: you can actually download it, unlike yesterday evening, when it was announced on the download page, the new download links were in place, but the files hadn't been updated yet)

Can't find a changelog yet, but I assume/hope they adressed (some of) the startup crashes...

[Zybrand]

Just tested 3delight 3.0.1 and my startup crashing issues are gone.

[DoF]

Actually I starting studying rendering, how is compared to mental ray? is It more or less userfriendly?

Installed on my dual core laptop running 2011 SAP and was immediately blown away by the speed and quality of a couple of quick hair renders in the render region. Installation could not be easier: just drag the addon onto an open window, and select 3Delight from the dropdown menu in the region options. Seamless.

[Hirazi Blue]

Actually I starting studying rendering, how is compared to mental ray? is It more or less userfriendly?

Sorry for the late reply...
Every renderer has its strengths and weaknesses. Hair rendering is a good example where 3Delight truly stands out compared to Mental Ray. But if it's more or less user-friendly? Those who dislike Mental Ray (and there are many) will probably say, 3Delight is the better solution, while some others probably will use both renderers for what they're best at, while some have come to hate REYES renderers like this, for their own set of reasons).
What it all boils down to is a multi-tab PPG with a lot of parameters, just like with Mental Ray. If you don't know what to do with all these parameters, you probably won't get the results you want, regardless of the render engine used... (I should know, because I am still learning all this stuff, even after all these years)

Belated edit: version 3.02 seems to have been released. I still can't find a decent changelog, but I assume this one includes the Linux fix mentioned in the Mailing List...

We are aware that there is a problem with the Linux version (crashes) of our plug-in and we have a fix already so 3.0.2 will fix that

Quoted from here

[Mathaeus]

by the way,

before anything with 3delight, I think it's very good idea to.... take look at docs (what else ).
Beside coding examples, both (for 'big' 3delight and for SI plugin), have a very exact suggestions for render settings (exactly, 'when renderering hair, set this to 6, that to 8' ,so on). Also, a few nice explanations about main concepts, such as shading rate, 'dicing'...

[Nizar]

As usually, thanks Hirazi for your answer
I don't know, actually, if Mental Ray is the render for me or not. Unfortunately there is no update tutorial for Softimage mental ray (only an introduction by digital tutors) and 3delight has not tutorials at all... Actually I studied I3d mental ray tutorial vol.1, and I had big issue regardless Physical sky (the tutorial are focus on it).
I any case, I like, in most advanced users work, mental ray final out, the image are stunning and a nice realism or/and artistic effect.
So, I will continue with mental ray, doing testing and reading the books Metal ray for XSI maya and 3dsm and Digital Lighting and Rendering (I have not experience...

[Hirazi Blue]

I just more or less stumbled upon this webpage on the 3Delight site:

The following video tutorials were created by Chinny from Softimage. They give a nice overview of how the plug-in integrates in Softimage and show some of the main features of 3Delight for Softimage.

3Delight for Softimage Tutorials
(It's an older tutorial, Chinny uses XSI 6.5, but I assume most of it will basically still be useful)

[Nizar]

thanks Hirazi
yes I just know it, but as I said, I'm a totally newbie in render, and I need a course from start to finish. The tutorials you post as for intermediate use and show, in prevalence, difference between mental ray and 3delight.
Need something like "introduction to 3deligh" similar to Digital Tutors tutorials.

[Hirazi Blue]

I agree, some kind of current introduction into 3Delight would be nice.
Not just a tutorial about using the renderer, but also highlighting its strenghts (and weaknesses),
perhaps even compared to other types of (non-REYES) rendering.
One would hope, the people at DNA Research might look into that
after the current product is out of beta.
But as always: I wouldn't hold my breath...
("...which is generally a bad idea to begin with anyway...")
;)

[Nizar]

yes, unfortunately there is no tutorials and the Mental Ray side is better but not nice (need update tutorials).

[Mathaeus]

I agree, some kind of current introduction into 3Delight would be nice.
Not just a tutorial about using the renderer, but also highlighting its strenghts (and weaknesses),
perhaps even compared to other types of (non-REYES) rendering.

There is a quite a lot links from DNA site. First one ( Advanced RenderMan....) is some kind of 'CG bible' . I'd believe a lot of these books are downloadable for free, today.
From on-line stuff, fundza.com - tons of examples for everything cg related.
Tutorials, especially in Digital Tutors style, well I'm afraid that's a bit unknown in this field. Anyway, there is more of stuff than before, 3delights seems to be 'pusher' (3delght is integrated even in DAZ Studio ).
Btw, definitively is possible to compile shaders, using shaderdl from SI plugin. Shader compiler (that's shaderdl) is all what you need - plus some text editor.

About features, they already mentioned Renderman's strength points on download page.