ExportMI2File

Description

Exports the current scene to MI2 file(s).

A render pass creates a picture layer of a scene that can be composited with any other passes to create a complete image. You can export a scene to the MI2 file format so it can be rendered in an alternate way.

When exporting a Softimage scene, you can specify several options, from the number of frames to how the scene's polygons will be approximated. The MI (mental images) file format (*.mi) is the basic render file format to which scenes are exported and rendered by the mental ray rendering software.

You can use MI files to test a distributed rendering setup. Softimage always creates one MI file per frame, so for 10 frames of animation, 10 MI files are created. Only one frame should be needed to test distributed rendering.

Tip: You can also render all frames to a single incremental MI file by setting the Incremental Export Option to True (in the Render Options property page, under the Export MI2 tab > Export Options > Incremental). You can also set this through scripting using the following command:

SetValue "Passes.Default_Pass.RenderOptions.ExportMI2Incremental", True

MI2 format files are rendered using the ray3 executable.

Scripting Syntax

    ExportMI2File( [InputObjs], [PresetObj], [StartFrame], [EndFrame], [StepFrame], [FileName], [ApproximatePolygons], [ApproximateFaces], [AsciiOutput], [VerbatimTextures], [MultipleFiles], [Incremental] )

Parameters

Parameter | Type | Description
InputObjs | String | List of passes to export Default Value: Current Pass
PresetObj | String | Do not pass anything in this argument: the command always uses the render options of the current pass. Default Value: Render Options of the current pass
StartFrame | Double | First frame to render Default Value: Use value from Render options
EndFrame | Double | Last frame to export Default Value: Use value from Render options
StepFrame | Double | Interval between rendered frames Default Value: Use value from Render options
FileName | String | File to export to Default Value: ""
ApproximatePolygons | Boolean | True to export tesselated polygons instead of the original geometry. Default Value: Use value from Render options
ApproximateFaces | Boolean | True to export tesselated faces instead of the original surfaces. Default Value: Use value from Render options
AsciiOutput | Boolean | True for vectors to appear as text in the MI2 file. When False, they appear as binary data. Default Value: Use value from Render options
VerbatimTextures | Boolean | True for echoing as binary texture data, textures defined by a path. When False, they are echoed as paths. Default Value: Use value from Render options
MultipleFiles | Boolean | True to export to multiple files Default Value: Use value from Render options
Incremental | Boolean | True to completely echo only the first frame of the sequence. For subsequent frames, only the difference between the current frame and the last is echoed. When you echo MI2 files incrementally, they are output as a single large file. Default Value: Use value from Render options

Examples

VBScript Example

    '
    ' This example shows how to export MI2 files to the installation directory
    '

    ' Open the following scene
    OpenScene InstallationPath( siFactoryPath ) _
       & "\Data\XSI_SAMPLES\Scenes\Simulation_Particles_DrinkingFountain.scn", false

    ' Export frames 1 to 10 with a step of 5 frames, thus generating 3 mi2 files
    ' in  "<installation_directory>\Data\XSI_SAMPLES\Render Pictures"
    ExportMI2File , , , 10, 5, "Render_Pictures\waterfountainExample.#"

    ' If you look in the Browser, you will see the following files were created:
    '  waterfountainExample.1.mi2
    '  waterfountainExample.6.mi2

See Also

ExportRenderArchiveAllPasses

Autodesk Softimage v7.5