Hello Shekn, here is a youtube video that i´ve made a few minutes ago. Please note: no matter what i´m doing inside softimage (edit Material values or edit light values or doing some translation of objects or setting texture coordinates or set rendersettings), after one or 2 minutes i can´t render anymore on GPU. CPU will work, but i want to have GPU. I have to restart XSI. This effect will happen randomly.
Cycles for Softimage
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Sycles 2.4.1 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.
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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Bennyhase
- Posts: 31
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- Location: Munich
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Shekn
- Posts: 254
- Joined: 30 Dec 2016, 19:18
Re: Cycles for Softimage
It seems, like the problem not on my side, but on the Cycles side. You can try to reproduce this bug on the Blender. I can't do this myself, because with my gpu-s all works fine. Make the similar scene and render image several times. There are no guarantee, that this bug will be reproduced. It depends on the version of the Blender. And may be the reasons of it already fixed.
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sirdavid32
- Posts: 309
- Joined: 10 Feb 2010, 03:36
- Location: Ecuador
Re: Cycles for Softimage
This is called "bucket fight". All GPU's are trying to get their neighbor's buckets. I don't know about progressive. Try each GPU pair name. Not all of them at once. And try 32x32 tile size bucket.
This term was explained by one of the top GPU guru's render farms in the world when we went "technical" a few months' back for a render project I had.
This term was explained by one of the top GPU guru's render farms in the world when we went "technical" a few months' back for a render project I had.
Portfolio: https://www.behance.net/3dcinetv
Vimeo: http://vimeo.com/3dcinetv
Web: http://www.3dcinetv.com
Vimeo: http://vimeo.com/3dcinetv
Web: http://www.3dcinetv.com
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Bennyhase
- Posts: 31
- Joined: 05 Jul 2013, 15:41
- Location: Munich
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Bennyhase
- Posts: 31
- Joined: 05 Jul 2013, 15:41
- Location: Munich
Re: Cycles for Softimage
Question A: no light excluding possible (light linking) to exclude lights from specific objects ?
Question B: i want to try exact setup for Fog like in this video at Min 17:50: , but can´t conncect Shaders with Volume nodes and a mix node to the Volume-Shader-Port of XSI. Bug ? (try to reproduce same setup in the Video for Blender)
Question B: i want to try exact setup for Fog like in this video at Min 17:50: , but can´t conncect Shaders with Volume nodes and a mix node to the Volume-Shader-Port of XSI. Bug ? (try to reproduce same setup in the Video for Blender)
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Surface_VR
- Posts: 39
- Joined: 11 May 2020, 12:22
Re: Cycles for Softimage
First of all, thank you for this wonderful plugin
I have the same symptom, and I can't insert "Emission" or "Transparent" into the volume port like Blender.
However, you can avoid it by putting it in the compound. If you load the scene after saving it, it may get out of the port.
I have the same symptom, and I can't insert "Emission" or "Transparent" into the volume port like Blender.
However, you can avoid it by putting it in the compound. If you load the scene after saving it, it may get out of the port.
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Shekn
- Posts: 254
- Joined: 30 Dec 2016, 19:18
Re: Cycles for Softimage
Answer to the question A: it is impossible. But of course, it is possible by using composition.
Answer to the question B: it is not a bug, it is feature. There are some conceptual difference between Softimage and Blender. In Blender you can connect every node's port to every other node's port (for example, scalar output of the one node to color input of the other node). But in Softimage you can connect only port with the same type. The same true for nodes and ports in the main material shader node. cycVolumeScatter node is a node for volumes, cycTransparent node is a node for surfaces. That's why you can not connect volume output to the surface input and vice verse. Softimage watching you and can not allow you to connect nodes with different context.
In any case, there are possibility to define shader node as node with several contexts, and then Softimage will allow to connect it to surface and to volumes. I will add this.
Also remember, that on the video, the author split position vector and use z-coordinate in the shader. In Softimage up axis is Y, so you should use the y-coordinate of the position value.
Answer to the question B: it is not a bug, it is feature. There are some conceptual difference between Softimage and Blender. In Blender you can connect every node's port to every other node's port (for example, scalar output of the one node to color input of the other node). But in Softimage you can connect only port with the same type. The same true for nodes and ports in the main material shader node. cycVolumeScatter node is a node for volumes, cycTransparent node is a node for surfaces. That's why you can not connect volume output to the surface input and vice verse. Softimage watching you and can not allow you to connect nodes with different context.
In any case, there are possibility to define shader node as node with several contexts, and then Softimage will allow to connect it to surface and to volumes. I will add this.
Also remember, that on the video, the author split position vector and use z-coordinate in the shader. In Softimage up axis is Y, so you should use the y-coordinate of the position value.
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opoppopopp
- Posts: 213
- Joined: 16 Jun 2009, 04:23
Re: Cycles for Softimage
As you can see in the previous post in this thread, seem no light exclude here, and It seems blender can't do light exclude either?Bennyhase wrote: 11 May 2020, 16:09 Question A: no light excluding possible (light linking) to exclude lights from specific objects ?
Last edited by opoppopopp on 12 May 2020, 12:53, edited 1 time in total.
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opoppopopp
- Posts: 213
- Joined: 16 Jun 2009, 04:23
Re: Cycles for Softimage
I vote for keep this strict typedShekn wrote: 12 May 2020, 08:38 Answer to the question B: it is not a bug, it is feature. There are some conceptual difference between Softimage and Blender. In Blender you can connect every node's port to every other node's port (for example, scalar output of the one node to color input of the other node). But in Softimage you can connect only port with the same type. The same true for nodes and ports in the main material shader node. cycVolumeScatter node is a node for volumes, cycTransparent node is a node for surfaces. That's why you can not connect volume output to the surface input and vice verse. Softimage watching you and can not allow you to connect nodes with different context.
In any case, there are possibility to define shader node as node with several contexts, and then Softimage will allow to connect it to surface and to volumes. I will add this.
Also remember, that on the video, the author split position vector and use z-coordinate in the shader. In Softimage up axis is Y, so you should use the y-coordinate of the position value.
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Shekn
- Posts: 254
- Joined: 30 Dec 2016, 19:18
Re: Cycles for Softimage
Type of the data and context of the data are different concepts. Link in ICE, you can not connect scalar port with context per-point to scalar port with context per-object. In Render Tree by default you can not connect color port with context Surface to color port with context Volume. In ICE this separation have the sense, because data with different contexts processes in the different way. But in Render Tree this difference is more ephemeral. For shader calculations there are no difference between different contexts.
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Bennyhase
- Posts: 31
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- Location: Munich
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opoppopopp
- Posts: 213
- Joined: 16 Jun 2009, 04:23
Re: Cycles for Softimage
Make sense, and I understand nowShekn wrote: 13 May 2020, 05:01 Type of the data and context of the data are different concepts. Link in ICE, you can not connect scalar port with context per-point to scalar port with context per-object. In Render Tree by default you can not connect color port with context Surface to color port with context Volume. In ICE this separation have the sense, because data with different contexts processes in the different way. But in Render Tree this difference is more ephemeral. For shader calculations there are no difference between different contexts.
"In ICE this separation have the sense..., But in Render Tree..."
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Shekn
- Posts: 254
- Joined: 30 Dec 2016, 19:18
Re: Cycles for Softimage
Small update 1.9.1. Download here: https://ssoftadd.github.io/syclesPage.html
Nothing new, only some bugfixes and improvements. In particular, fix the bug with osl-shaders. Now SToon should works. For reliability it's better also to delete all *.oso files in the folder with the addon. When Cycles use the osl-shader at the first time, it compiles it to the corresponding oso-file. Some times ago Blender developers upgrade the version of the osl-compiler, and that's why all compiled shaders should be recompile. However, in principle, all should works without any such updates.
Nothing new, only some bugfixes and improvements. In particular, fix the bug with osl-shaders. Now SToon should works. For reliability it's better also to delete all *.oso files in the folder with the addon. When Cycles use the osl-shader at the first time, it compiles it to the corresponding oso-file. Some times ago Blender developers upgrade the version of the osl-compiler, and that's why all compiled shaders should be recompile. However, in principle, all should works without any such updates.
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Surface_VR
- Posts: 39
- Joined: 11 May 2020, 12:22
Re: Cycles for Softimage
Nice update!
I will ask you a question
I want to do photoreal HDRI mapping
Even if you use HDRMaster etc., the rendered image is basically blue and dark
Also, I think that the method of connecting cycMath to the Background strength of light as often as in the Blender tutorial is different in Cycles.
Is it possible to turn on World's Multiple Importance which is a function of Blender in Sycles like the video below?
I will ask you a question
I want to do photoreal HDRI mapping
Even if you use HDRMaster etc., the rendered image is basically blue and dark
Also, I think that the method of connecting cycMath to the Background strength of light as often as in the Blender tutorial is different in Cycles.
Is it possible to turn on World's Multiple Importance which is a function of Blender in Sycles like the video below?
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Bennyhase
- Posts: 31
- Joined: 05 Jul 2013, 15:41
- Location: Munich
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Shekn
- Posts: 254
- Joined: 30 Dec 2016, 19:18
Re: Cycles for Softimage
Surface_VR where is this parameter in the Blender 2.8x? I can't find it. There is something similar in World Properties - Settings - Surface, but Sampling method does not change anything in the rendertime or noise quality.