Setting the Default Paths for Cache Files
You can set up several default paths to use for cache files. These paths are used by the Cache on File node (see Writing and Reading Cache Files in the ICE Tree) and the plotted cache files (see Plotting Simulation or Animation Data into Cache Files).
To set up the default paths for simulation cache files
1. Choose File > Preferences from the main menu.
2. In the explorer that opens, select Simulation or click its icon to open the Simulation Preferences property editor.
3. Select the File Cache Path Template options:
- File Name - The name of the cache file you want to create. This is the syntax: [object]_[version]_[frame].cachetype.
- Cache Type - The file format used for the cache file: ICECache (.cache) or PointCache2 (.pc2)—see below for information.
- Default Path - The folder path that you want to set as the default for saving cached files. This can be the project path, temporary path, or any of the paths A/B/C that you have defined below.
- Project - The project path, such as the path to your current project or default project. A Simulation/[model]/[object] folder is added to the [project path] root.
- Temporary - A temporary path you want to use for quick caching, such as C:\temp. This is set to your Softimage user path with a Simulation/[project]/[scene]/[model]/[object] folder added.
- Path A/B/C - A separate path you can use for different purposes, such as a path to somewhere on your local computer, to a network drive, etc.
For a list of the tokens you can use in the cache path templates, see Output Path Templates [Properties Reference]. You can use any token described there except rendering-specific ones like [Pass], [Framebuffer], and so on.
There are three file formats from which you can choose to create cache files:
• The ICECache file format is used for caching point positions at each frame when the number of points changes, such as with a particle simulations. It also caches ICE attributes.
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There is file format documentation for the ICECACHE file format on the Softimage wiki. This allows you to write something that will get you the information you want. There is also an example in the Softimage SDK which is able to extract the information from an ICECACHE file sequence. |
• The PC2 file format is used for caching point positions (does not cache any other attributes) at each frame when the number of points never changes, such as for deformations. This format is supported by most other 3D packages, either natively or through plug-ins.
• The Custom file format is one that you have created your own custom plug-in for caching. You can currently only save out information (such as for bringing to another 3D package) because the Softimage SDK currently only supports Read methods.
Autodesk Softimage v.7.5