The File > Import > SI|3D Scene/Model command imports almost everything contained in your SOFTIMAGE|3D scene. However, depending on what you want to do, you may find it better to import only the elements you need or only the elements that will allow you to build your scene “the Softimage way.” For example, you cannot connect imported shaders to other shader nodes in Softimage’s render tree. If you want to build complex material and texture effects in Softimage, importing materials and textures may not be your best choice.
When you import a scene from SOFTIMAGE|3D, most of its contents are imported. When the importer encounters an object that is not supported in Softimage, it often converts it to one that is supported. For example, you cannot create patch objects in Softimage, so the importer converts these to NURBS objects, which are supported.
Importing NURBS or polygonal models is the simplest starting point and allows you to take full advantage of Softimage’s inverse kinematics (IK), surface shading, and rendering capabilities.
SOFTIMAGE|3D .dsc and .hrc files are imported as local models. For more information about models in general, see Models.
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The SOFTIMAGE|3D importer, also known as the SI3D Loader, is not supported on 64-bit versions of Softimage. The workaround is to first import your SOFTIMAGE|3D scene or model into a 32-bit version of Softimage and save it as a native Softimage scene file or export as dotXSI. You can then bring either of these formats into the 64-bit version of Softimage. |
Import Options for SOFTIMAGE|3D Scenes and Models
You can further manipulate how your SOFTIMAGE|3D scene or model is imported by changing the defaults in the Loader SI3D Options property editor.
1. In the explorer, set the scope to Application, expand the Data folder, and click the Loader SI3D Options node. The Loader SI3D Options property editor opens.
2. Set the appropriate import options. See Loader SI3D Options Property Editor for help on how each option affects your imported scene or model. Some of these options are discussed in the conversion table in the next section.
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When importing scenes from SOFTIMAGE|3D, Softimage can preserve the arrangement of the schematic view — simply make sure that Load SI3D scenes in a model and Put objects who's prefix differ from project in a model are both on in the Loader SI3D Options. For more information about importing scenes from SOFTIMAGE|3D, see Importing SOFTIMAGE|3D Scenes and Models [Data Management]. |
In SOFTIMAGE|3D a linktab.ini file is used to translate paths when a scene is read and when a scene is written. In Softimage this is not the case, the linktab.ini is used only when the scene is read.
With SOFTIMAGE|3D you only use a linktab.ini file on the Windows side. This means that all scenes were converted from Linux path names to Windows path names when they are read in on Windows machines and then converted back to Linux path names when the scenes are written out.
When a scene is imported from SOFTIMAGE|3D into Softimage, Softimage searches in SI_LOCATION for linktab.ini. Define SI_LOCATION in setenv.bat (Windows) or .xsi_7.5 (Linux) as the directory where Softimage is installed and place a copy of linktab.ini there.
If you want to reuse the linktab file used by SOFTIMAGE|3D, simply point SI_LOCATION to that file; otherwise, just make SI_LOCATION point to the same path and linktab name as defined by SI_LINKTAB_LOCATION for Softimage.
Autodesk Softimage v.7.5