Anthony Rossano, Shinsaku Arima
XSI Illuminated: Foundation 2
Book Description
A comprehensive and understandable examination of Avid|Softimage's elegant new computer animation system, XSI Illuminated: Foundation is a perfect companion for working animators, students, and teachers alike.
New for Version 4 of Softimage|XSI, 'XSI Foundation' is a complete learning tool for people picking up Softimage XSI for the first time. ‘XSI Foundation' now covers the new Texture Layer Editor, the Texture UV Editor, and the Compositor, in addition to a complete coverage of Polygon and NURBS modeling, animation tools and detailed information on Materials, Lighting and Rendering. This new, fourth version of the Mesmer Press book also contains numerous new tutorials, including ‘UV Mapping Dice’, ‘Rendering with Layered Shaders’, ‘Using the Compositor’ and more.
Complete coverage of:
The XSI Interface and Workflow
Organization: Hierarchy and Groups
Building Sets and Models
Working with the Operator Stack
Serious Polygon Modeling Techniques
Building with Subdivision Surfaces
NURBS Surface Modeling
Speeding Work with Layers
All About Curves and Snapping Tools
Keyframe Animation Technique
Path Animation
Deformations and Weightmaps
Using the Paint Tool with Weightmaps
Materials (Shaders) in the RenderTree
Lighting, and Rendering with mental ray
Refining with the Animation Editor
Viewing Your Renders with the Flipbook
New book sections include:
Images, Sources and Clips
Using XSI with PhotoShop
Texture Projections
The Texture Layer Editor
Polygon UV Editing
Compositing layers with XSI
From the Author
We at Mesmer Press had a unique conception for this book. We wanted to publish a coherent, easy to understand training manual that stays up to date and doesn’t cost a lot of money. We also wanted to create a helpful, understandable guide to what is undeniably very complex software. I designed the ‘XSI Illuminated’ series for people learning Avid Softimage XSI 2 on their own, at work or in a school setting. A complement to the book, ‘XSI101TeachersAide’ is available to educators and instructors free or charge, and provides lesson plans, chapter overviews, quizzes and more to help teachers make the most of XSI in the classroom.
This updated 2 version of XSI Illuminated: Foundation covers the XSI User Interface, polygonal modeling, subdivision surfaces, NURBS curve editing, the new snapping tools, NURBS modeling tools, deformation, keyframe animation, editing animation timing with the Animation Editor, applying materials and shaders, working with virtual cameras, 3D lighting design, rendering with the mental ray renderer, and much more. XSI Illuminated: Foundation also contains 16 easy to follow tutorials designed to teach core concepts and demonstrate proper workflow. Our plan is to follow this book up with other modules that cover more advanced topics in 3d animation, like Skeleton rigging, enveloping, scripting, shaders, etc.
I think this book proves that computer books just don’t have to be expensive, out of date and hard to read. I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it.
Anthony Rossano
About the Author
Anthony Rossano is the Chief Executive Officer of Mesmer, Inc. After receiving his Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from the University of Washington, Rossano went to work for the Microsoft Corporation. In 1988, Anthony Rossano deserted his post at Microsoft to found Mesmer, Inc.
Technically proficient in a wide range of authoring and animation programs, Rossano's expertise lies in Softimage 3D|Extreme, Softimage|XSI, and Alias|Wavefront Maya Composer. Anthony has taught all over the world, and counts among his training clients WildBrain, PDI, LucasArts, Electronic Arts, Microsoft, Monolith, ILM, DreamWorks, Boeing, Lockheed, and Lear.
Anthony is a certified Softimage Instructor, and has been working with XSI throughout its development and beta testing phases. Anthony is the author of XSI Illuminated: Character, XSI Illuminated: Foundation, the documtation set for Softimage|3D v4.0, and numerous magazine articles and web tutorials.
Product Details
* Paperback: 230 pages
* Publisher: Mesmer Press; 3rd edition (December 20, 2000)
* Language: English
* ISBN: 0970753004
* Product Dimensions: 0.5 x 8.5 x 11.0 inches
* Shipping Weight: 1.3 pounds.
