Most Softimage customers have network licenses, but by default Softimage installs in Standalone licensing mode.
Here’s how to switch from Standalone to Network licensing.
Also available on my videos page, where I hope to build up a library of videos to answer the basic questions about installing, licensing, and configuring Softimage.
When you render with xsibatch, you get this error even though the frame does render successfully.
ERROR : 2004 – Invalid pointer – [line 2]
For example:
COMMAND: -render "C:\Users\blairs\Documents\Support\Project\Scenes\Sphere.scn" - frames 2-4 >Loading: C:\Users\blairs\Documents\Support\Project\Scenes\Sphere.scn... ' ERROR : 2004 - Invalid pointer - [line 2] ' INFO : 4034 - Loaded scene was created with build number: 9.5.184.0 - compatibility version: 900 ' ERROR : 2004 - Invalid pointer - [line 2] OpenScene "C:\Users\blairs\Documents\Support\Project\Scenes\Sphere.scn", False,True ' INFO : Rendering all passes: Passes.Default_Pass ' INFO : Rendering frames '2-4' ' INFO : Rendering pass 'Default_Pass'... ' INFO : Rendering frame 2 (0.0% done) ' INFO : Rendering frame 3 (33.3% done) RenderPasses "Passes.Default_Pass", , , , siRenderVerbosityDefault
If you running xsibatch from a render manager, this error may cause the render manager to quit the render job.
You can workaround this by renaming the ICEFlow plugin (Application\Plugins\ICEFlow.dll). This plugin manages the transfer of data between Softimage and Maya (the one-click ICE workflow).
Error 1622 usually indicates a problem writing to the log file.
The Softimage writes the following log files to your Temporary Files folder (%TEMP%):
To fix this problem, use the Disk Cleanup utility to clear out your %TEMP% folder.
It looks like some the new SDK features didn’t make it into the documentation:
New in Softimage 2011 Subscription Advantage Pack
IsolateAddSelected( [View] )
Add selected objects to the isolated objects in the specified view.
IsolateRemoveSelected( [View] )
Remove thet selected objects from the isolated objects in the specified view.
IsolateToggleSelection( [View] )
Toggle the isolation state of the selected objects.
The Softimage 2011 Subscription Advantage Pack includes new methods for finding objects.
These FindObjects methods are more efficient than X3DObject.FindChildren, because the FindObjects methods don’t go through the scene hierarchy (they go directly to an internal database of objects).
Model.FindObjects( siClassID )
Finds all objects under the model that match a specified class ID (for example, all shaders or all ICE Trees). For example:
# Enumerate all shaders under the scene root. from win32com.client import constants as c shaders = Application.ActiveSceneRoot.FindObjects( c.siShaderID ) for s in shaders: LogMessage( s.ProgID ) # INFO : Softimage.soft_light.1.0
Supported siClassIDs:
siCameraID | siClusterID | siClusterPropertyID | siConstraintID | siCustomOperatorID | siCustomPropertyID | siEnvelopeID | siEnvelopeWeightID | siExpressionID | siGeometryID | siGroupID | siICETreeID | siLightID | siMaterialID | siModelID | siNullID | siNurbsSurfaceMeshID | siNurbsCurveListID | siOperatorID | siPolygonMeshID | siPropertyID | siShaderID | siShapeKeyID | siX3DObjectID
Application.FindObjects( siClassID )
Finds all objects that match a specified class ID. For example:
from win32com.client import constants as c oICETrees = Application.ActiveSceneRoot.FindObjects( c.siICETreeID ) for x in oICETrees: LogMessage( x.Nodes.Count )
Supported siClassIDs:
siCameraID | siClusterID | siClusterPropertyID | siConstraintID | siCustomOperatorID | siCustomPropertyID | siEnvelopeID | siEnvelopeWeightID | siExpressionID | siGeometryID | siGroupID | siICETreeID | siImageClipID | siLayerID | siLightID | siMaterialID | siModelID | siNullID | siNurbsSurfaceMeshID | siNurbsCurveListID | siOperatorID | siPassID | siPolygonMeshID | siPropertyID | siShaderID | siShapeKeyID | siX3DObjectID
Model.FindObjectsFomCLSID( sCLSID )
Finds all objects that match a specified CLSID. You can determine the CLSID of an object using XSIUtils.DataRepository () or by inspecting Softimage objects with the SDK Explorer.
# Enumerate all visibility properties under the scene root.
props = Application.ActiveSceneRoot.FindObjectsFromCLSID( "{11EBE301-A20C-11D0-8478-00A024C7919C}" )
for vis in props:
LogMessage( vis.FullName )
# INFO : Camera_Root.visibility
# INFO : Views.ViewC.SpotCamera.visibility
# INFO : Camera.visibility
# INFO : Views.ViewB.SpotCamera.visibility
# INFO : Camera_Interest.visibility
# INFO : Views.ViewD.SpotCamera.visibility
# INFO : Views.ViewA.SpotCamera.visibility
# INFO : light.visibility
C++ versions:
New in the Softimage 2011 Subscription Advantage Pack
The siutils Python module makes it easier to import modules into your self-installing plugins. Just put your modules in the same location as your plugin file , and you can use the __sipath__ variable to specify the module location.
__sipath__ is always defined in the plugin namespace, so no matter where you put a plugin, you can simply use __sipath__ to specify the location.
Here’s a simple example that shows how to import a module into your plugin.
import win32com.client
from win32com.client import constants
import siutils
null = None
false = 0
true = 1
def XSILoadPlugin( in_reg ):
in_reg.Author = "blairs"
in_reg.Name = "TestPlugin"
in_reg.Major = 1
in_reg.Minor = 0
in_reg.RegisterCommand("Test","Test")
#RegistrationInsertionPoint - do not remove this line
return true
def XSIUnloadPlugin( in_reg ):
strPluginName = in_reg.Name
Application.LogMessage(str(strPluginName) + str(" has been unloaded."),constants.siVerbose)
return true
def Test_Init( in_ctxt ):
oCmd = in_ctxt.Source
oCmd.Description = ""
oCmd.ReturnValue = true
return true
def Test_Execute( ):
Application.LogMessage("Test_Execute called",constants.siVerbose)
# print __sipath__
siutils.add_to_syspath( __sipath__ )
import TestModule
TestModule.test( "hello world" )
return true
New in the Softimage 2011 Subscription Advantage Pack
You can now use a workgroup_path.data file to specify your workgroups.
At startup, Softimage scans the Factory (installation) and User folders for a workgroup_path.data file, and connects to all the workgroups listed in that file.
The workgroup_path.data file is a plain text file that can contain multiple directory paths. Each path must be added on a separate line and each line must end with a newline character. For example:
C:\Users\blairs\Documents\Support\Workgroups\studioNEST \\server\Softimage\workgroups\Shaders
If you get an error that looks like this when you create a network deployment:
Error 1304.Error writing to file \\MTL-server01\PSSMedia\Softimage\Users\BLAIRS\Deployments\SAP
\AdminImage\Softimage\x64\program files\Autodesk\Softimage 2011 Subscription Advantage Pack\Addons\ICEFlowBuilder\Data\Compounds\Particles\Presets\Lagoa Setup Basic Emission from Null.1.0.xsicompound. Verify that you have access to that directory.
followed by this error:
Error 2350.FDI server error
it’s because the path name is too long. The maximum length for a Windows path name is 260 characters.
If the path name of your deployment location is up around 60 characters, you’re going to exceed the 260 character limit. Too bad the deployment tool doesn’t check when you enter the Administrative Image location and deployment name:
eX-SI 