OctaneRender for Autodesk Softimage(SI|XSI) Initial Overview

[pluMmet]

http://render.otoy.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=7&t=23853

OctaneRender for Autodesk Softimage(SI|XSI) Initial Overview
Hi everyone,

Here we are again! The creativity flows endlessly between Otoy and our affiliates bringing new
innovations to the fore. We are excited to let everyone in on the latest news about the plugins
development project, this time with OctaneRender for Autodesk Softimage (Softimage|XSI).
The collaborative project resulted in the successful integration of the OctaneRender engine
into Softimage using respective SDKs from OctaneRender and Softimage.

Experience an even a faster progress in modelling and animating within the
Autodesk Softimage environment while watching your scenes rendered by OctaneRender,
allowing a more interactive workflow thus helping you achieve a final
animation rendering quality output in less time. Autodesk Softimage (Softimage|XSI) enthusiasts
will be able to fine-tune and animate all parameters and see instantaneous rendering
results by OctaneRender, all this from inside Autodesk Softimage (Softimage|XSI).

This is the fifth plugin product of a series of fully integrated plugin solutions embedding
the OctaneRender™ GPU-based rendering engine directly into major 3d modelling applications.

Compatibility and licensing:

The Integrated Autodesk Softimage Plugin is compatible to the current Softimage version
and immediate two previous versions of Softimage. Like the other integrated plugin editions,
this plugin will require a valid license key and also an authenticated version of
OctaneRender Standalone Edition present in the same machine.







Progress

[wireframex]

Hope to see it soon in my computer ;)

[ActionArt]

Very good news! Can't wait to try it.

[Nizar]

Any release date? I thought, after acquisition, Ocatane was practical death, but this is a nice new: an affordable render with great quality.

[TwinSnakes007]

If the price holds, then this is a no brainer for me. GPU rendering for 1/10th of the price of VRay? With an ICE-like node designer to customize my exported files?

Yeah...me-likey.

[Nizar]

From video seems using Mental Ray node (and render tree)

After the first enthusiasm, I was a bit dubious about... I like doing all inside Softimage, but also I have (we all have) cycles render, the difference between are, IMHO all in favour of blender cycles:
- Cycles is a hybrid CPU/GPU rendering, so you can use the fast GPU preview window for testing your shader and then using your CPU if your VGA ram is not enough for your project. From 2.65 release the development will focus on CPU
- Cycles can use two or more graphic card, not only one, with more fast result. The two card cannot "merge" their ram (so two cards with 1 gb each don't become like 2 gb)
- Cycles is developed for OpenCL and Cuda, actually it work on ATI card, but ATI/AMD driver are not mature, so developers wait new driver release (in December? I'm not sure about). Is great, not only because ATI is sometime more cheap compared to Nvidia, but last ATI cards can arrive at 6 gb ram and has more power
- Cycles is totally free and open (so, like said by Letterbox, someone can try to integrate it or better interpolate with softimage)

The cons are:
- Cycles caustic suck... and the development in this sense is clear: cycles aim to animation, so we will never see a precise caustic in cycles
- Cycles is not so well (like seems by this video) like is Octane, is a different software with a different interface and different node/workflow

[Kerro Perro]

You can use multiple gpu's with Octane as well, i don't know if that means more ram...

As it stands i think this might be a very good option regardless of how good Cycles is because you will get an integrated unbiased gpu renderer for only €99,-
Now until someone does indeed come along and integrate Cycles that's a pretty sweet deal!

Btw in one of the video's (not all are on this thread) face uses Octane nodes in the render tree - wich would seem the preferred method to me...

[SamHowell]

Sooooooooo

No idea of release date yet? I've been holding out for the Thea Render integrated plugin but I'm severley tempted to give this a go also. Especially for 99 Euros.

[Nizar]

You can use multiple gpu's with Octane as well, i don't know if that means more ram...

As it stands i think this might be a very good option regardless of how good Cycles is because you will get an integrated unbiased gpu renderer for only €99,-
Now until someone does indeed come along and integrate Cycles that's a pretty sweet deal!

Btw in one of the video's (not all are on this thread) face uses Octane nodes in the render tree - wich would seem the preferred method to me...

I was wrong about. Yes, octane can use multiple GPU. But ATI compatibility remains an issue. I'm very tired by Nvidia who want push his professional (expensive) video card

[TwinSnakes007]

From the Octane forums:

thank you all for the feedback. actually, face is doing great with the plugin development and our in-house devs are also doing their part with updates in the SDK. The release date is still TBA, and we want share our enthusiasm even while the busy-bees are busy with this. It's shaping up beautifully and it certainly is a plugin to look forward to! When it's out, we'll make sure to post again to let you all know.