Unlimited batch rendering with xsibatch -processing

Posted on April 23, 2013 by xsisupport

Hat tip: Andy Jones on the Softimage mailing list

You can use xsibatch -processing to render scenes with third-party renderers like Arnold. With -processing, xsibatch uses a Processing token instead of a Batch license, so you’re not limited by the number of Batch licenses you happen to have. Back in the days before third-party renderers, -processing for was for non-rendering tasks. Now it’s for non-mental ray tasks!

I was sure I tested this long ago, but obviously I must have made a mistake on my command line.

xsibatch -processing -render //server/project/Scenes/example.scn

=======================================================
 Autodesk Softimage 11.1.57.0
=======================================================

License information: using [Processing]
# INFO : [sitoa] SItoA 2.7.1 win loaded.
# INFO : [sitoa] Arnold 4.0.12.1 detected.

Here’s actual proof in the form of a screenshot 🙂

Starting the license server service from a batch file

Posted on April 22, 2013 by xsisupport

It’s rare, but the occasional customer has a problem where the license server keeps stopping (for example, after the computer goes to sleep). Normally the license service should always be running, but if you were really stuck and needed a workaround, you could add something to XSI.bat to start the license server before starting xsi.exe.

For example, here’s something I got from stackoverflow. You probably could just call sc start; if the service is already running, sc will just report that and nothing bad will happen.

@echo off
for /F "tokens=3 delims=: " %%H in ('sc query "Softimage License Server" ^| findstr "STATE"') do (
  if /I "%%H" NEQ "RUNNING" (
   sc start "Softimage License Server"
   echo "Starting Softimage License Server"
  )
)

The service name (on lines 2 and 4) is the same name you specified in LMTOOLS:

Screenshots of the week

Posted on April 21, 2013 by xsisupport

Sector/Segment Area
by Sue Sauer

Mechanical Rigging – Bike Chain Setup
by TD Survival
https://vimeo.com/64144489

Neighbours of Neighbours
by iamVFX

New LK Lightning Tutorials

aking Character Animation using Softimage 2014 Camera Sequencer
by SUN @ SI_UsersNotes

Random walker
by Orlando Esponda

Friday Flashback #116

Posted on April 19, 2013 by xsisupport

Marketing collateral for SOFTIMAGE|DS (from the Avid days).

I was originally hired at Softimage to be the lead writer on the DS documentation. That never happened. I sat around for months reading specs, going to meetings, and endlessly preparing doc plans, until I was drafted into doing some actual writing work on DKit. Then I moved on to the SOFTIMAGE|SDK, and I never did work on the DS docs, except for the DS|SDK.

Compiled CHM version of the Softimage 2014 SDK guide

Posted on April 18, 2013 by xsisupport

Here’s a compiled CHM version of the XSI SDK guide.

There’s no index, but you can always use Search with Search titles only enabled. If I can find my old python scripts, maybe I’ll get around to adding one (but it will just be an index of objects, methods, and properties).

This year I tried the Maxscript 2013 Help CHM creator, but really all that got me was the TOC for the Programmer’s Guide. I still had to add the Ref Guide TOC, and fix up the scripting errors, and remove the unneeded navigation buttons. I do all that with a few global search and replaces.

Wednesday word cloud: setenv.bat

Posted on April 17, 2013 by xsisupport

Did you know? The 2014 version of setenv.bat has 1418 more characters, 140 more “words”, and 52 more lines.

Missing shaders in the preset manager

Posted on April 16, 2013 by xsisupport

If you find that you’re missing nodes in the render tree Preset Manager, then check the Softimage install folder. In particular, check

$XSI_HOME\Application\phenolib\spdl
$XSI_HOME\Application\phenolib\spdl\mibase

In a working Softimage installation, like mine , the content of the Preset Manager is determined by spdl/mi files in those folders (and perhaps others too).

For example, if I delete mia_lens_bokeh.spdl from $XSI_HOME\Application\phenolib\spdl\mibase, then Bokeh (mia) disappears from the render tree preset manager. If I put it back, and refresh the preset manager, the shader re-appears.

Try or Activate is not for network licenses

Posted on April 15, 2013 by xsisupport

This Try/Activate screen means that you are running in Standalone mode. Try gets you a Trial standalone license, which is good for 30 days and cannot be reset. Activate is for Standalone licenses only. If you try to activate a Network license, you’ll get an Error 123. I used to see these types of errors every release.

Here are some related links:

Getting and installing a new network license (video, 2012)
Installing a new license (text, 2011)
Getting a network license for a new version

Saturday Snippet: Checking if two objects have the same wirecolor

Posted on April 13, 2013 by xsisupport

si = Application
o = si.Selection(0)
o1 = si.Selection(1)
c = o.Properties("Display").Parameters("wirecolorrgb").Value
c1 = o1.Properties("Display").Parameters("wirecolorrgb").Value
print c == c1