It’s documented in the SDK guide, but not in the User’s guide, so you may not know that the script editor supports bookmarks.

You can use Ctrl+F2 to set bookmarks in the script editor, and F2 and Shift+F2 to go to the next/previous bookmark. Ctrl+Shift+F2 clears all bookmarks.

By default, bookmarked lines are highlighted in the editing pane:

If the Selection Margin preference is set, then bookmarked lines are indicated by an icon in the margin:

HT: Chinny

I was asked the other day “how to change the labels on a character key set PPG”.

A Character Key Set PPG is a custom property and some proxy parameters. So you can edit the proxy parameter definition:

1. Open the character key set PPG.
2. Mark a parameter.
3. In the Animation panel, click Animation > Parameters > Edit Parameter Definition.
4. Change the name of the parameter and click Ok.

Tip: Character key sets are implemented in %XSI_HOME%\Application\DSScripts\CharacterKeySets.vbs.

SUMATRAPATH is an environment variable that is defined only in Softimage. SUMATRAPATH points to the Application\bin folder in the Softimage folder, and the registry is full of Softimage entries that use SUMATRAPATH to specify the location of DLLs.

In XSI 7.01, you could check whether or not you were in Softimage with this Python code:

import os
app = Application
if os.getenv( ‘SUMATRAPATH’ ) != None :
        app.LogMessage( “you’re in XSI” )
else:
        app.LogMessage( “you’re not in XSI” )

However, in both Softimage 7.5 and 2010, os.getenv(“SUMATRAPATH”) returns None. At least for me it does.

XSIUtils.Environment.Item(“SUMATRAPATH”) does still return the Application\bin path, as does this Jscript:

var oShell = new ActiveXObject ("WScript.Shell");
var oProcessEnv = oShell.Environment("Process");
LogMessage( oProcessEnv( "SUMATRAPATH" ) );

Sumatra was the original code name for the product that eventually became known as Softimage XSI (the Softimage XSI name was unveiled back in March 2000).