XSI_UserNormalEditing 2.0 - interactive editing of user normals for XSI 4.2 ( w/

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XSI_UserNormalEditing 2.0 - interactive editing of user normals for XSI 4.2 ( w/

XSI_UserNormalEditing 2.0 - interactive editing of user normals for XSI 4.2 ( w/

2005-03-24 - By Alain Laferrière

Back

Greetings,

A quick note to mention that I published a new and improved version of my User
Normal Editing tool, which was originally written for XSI 3.51. This new
version is compatible with XSI 4.2 and features a number of improvements with
my original implementation.

Go to http://www.softimage.com/xsinet and look under "add-ons" ( "XSI User
Normal Editing" at the bottom of the list ).

The download file is named "050324_XSI_UserNormalEditing_42_All.zip" and
contains :

* 050324_XSI_UserNormalEditing_42_Addon.zip ( the addon file included in this
archive )

* 050324_XSI_UserNormalEditing_42_Sources.zip, contains :

Plugins.zip : contains the "XSI_UserNormalEditing_RegisterPlugin.vbs" file
installed in the user's "Addons\Application\Plugins" folder ; this file is used
to manually register the plugin DLL file when starting XSI

VBScript.zip : contains the files stored under "Addons\XSI_UserNormalEditing"
; these are the VBScript files which have not yet been ported to C++ ( i.e. the
OnSelectionChange handler and a few misc things ) as well as the tool's User
Manual in both English and Japanese

XSI_UserNormalEditing.zip : all the C++ files and Microsoft Visual Studio
project file

The plugin full source code is included.

Note : This plugin contains many tips and tricks, which are documented in the
code. An introduction to the tool architecture and execution workflow can be
found at the beginning of file "Plugin.cpp".

I plan to implement further improvements in the future, but I prefered to
release this first version immediately as it may be of help to anyone wanting
to write custom tools for XSI.

Please feel free to contact me directly to submit bug reports and suggestions
for future improvements. I am currently in Montreal, returning to Tokyo next
week and back to work on Monday, April 4th.

Best regards,
Alain

PS: big thanks to my colleague Yoshiyuki Watanabe for localizing the User
Manual in Japanese !

-- -- snip snip snip -- --

Installation :

* download the file from XSINet, extract the .xsiaddon file in a temporary
location
* launch XSI 4.2 and install the addon
* done ! ( no need to restart XSI )

Usage :

* press both ALT key and the RMB ( Right Mouse Button ) together, and select
the "XSI_UserNormalEditing" entry from the pulldown menu ( tip : if you do this
from the lower half of the screen the option will appear near above the mouse
cursor )
* the XSI User Normal Editing custom property page opens
* press the 'b' key and use the mouse buttons to interactively transform user
normals

Changes from original 3.51 implementation ( from User Manual ) :

* complete refresh of the tool architecture :
* all the tool parameters are now automatically saved in a user preference
custom preset
* moved user-interface from HTML-based to a standard custom property ( user
preference )
* removed "Scaling", "Rotation", "Translation" as well as "X", "Y" and "Z"
buttons from the UI; the tool instead uses the current SRT transformation
buttons in the MCP ( translate by default if no transformation mode active )
* adapted realtime shader code to the v2.0 of XSI's realtime shader protocol
* ported original VBScript-based management of Effects and Transformations to
the CPP API
* this tool's DLL contains both a XSI plugin as well as a realtime shader (
loaded by using a preset )
* a VBScript plugin explicitely loads the tool's DLL as a plugin when starting
XSI ( i.e. no need to modify setenv.bat's XSI_PLUGINS path )
* applying effects is done using commands ; operations involving multiple
objects are archived
* using a single event in the XSI UNDO/REDO history
* press ALT + RMB click in a view, then select "XSI_UserNormalEditing" from the
contextual menu
* big performance improvements during interactive transformations on high
-denisty geometries
* big performance improvements to store normal transformations on high-density
geometries ( e.g. storing the changes on a 100x100 grid could take up to 40
seconds on my machine, now it's very fast )
* properly supports local materials, as well as polygon cluster materials

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<TITLE>XSI_UserNormalEditing 2.0 - interactive editing of user normals for XSI
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Greetings,


A quick note to mention that I published a new and
improved version of my User Normal Editing tool, which was originally written
for XSI 3.51. This new version is compatible with XSI 4.2 and features a number
of improvements with my original implementation.

Go to <A HREF="http://www.softimage.com
/xsinet">http://www.softimage.com
/xsinet</A> and look under "add-ons
" ( "XSI User Normal Editing" at the bottom of the list ).


The download file is named "050324_XSI
_UserNormalEditing_42_All.zip" and contains :


<UL>
<LI>050324_XSI_UserNormalEditing_42_Addon.zip ( the
addon file included in this archive )</LI>
 

<LI>050324_XSI_UserNormalEditing_42_Sources.zip,
contains :</LI>
 

Plugins.zip : contains the "XSI
_UserNormalEditing_RegisterPlugin.vbs" file installed in the user's &quot
;Addons\Application\Plugins" folder ; this file is used to manually
register the plugin DLL file when starting XSI

VBScript.zip : contains the files stored under
"Addons\XSI_UserNormalEditing" ; these are the VBScript files which
have not yet been ported to C++ ( i.e. the OnSelectionChange handler and a few
misc things ) as well as the tool's User Manual in both English and Japanese

XSI_UserNormalEditing.zip : all the C++ files and
Microsoft Visual Studio project file

</UL>
The plugin full source code is included.


Note : This plugin contains many tips and tricks,
which are documented in the code. An introduction to the tool architecture and
execution workflow can be found at the beginning of file "Plugin.cpp"
.

I plan to implement further improvements in the
future, but I prefered to release this first version immediately as it may be
of help to anyone wanting to write custom tools for XSI.

Please feel free to contact me directly to submit
bug reports and suggestions for future improvements. I am currently in Montreal
, returning to Tokyo next week and back to work on Monday, April 4th. 

Best regards,

 Alain


PS: big thanks to my colleague Yoshiyuki Watanabe
for localizing the User Manual in Japanese !


-- -- snip snip snip -- --


Installation :


<UL>
<LI>download the file from XSINet, extract the
.xsiaddon file in a temporary location</LI>

<LI>launch XSI 4.2 and install the addon</LI>

<LI>done ! ( no need to restart XSI )</LI>
 
</UL>
Usage :


<UL>
<LI>press both ALT key and the RMB ( Right Mouse
Button ) together, and select the "XSI_UserNormalEditing" entry from
the pulldown menu ( tip : if you do this from the lower half of the screen the
option will appear near above the mouse cursor )</LI>

<LI>the XSI User Normal Editing custom property page
opens</LI>

<LI>press the 'b' key and use the mouse buttons to
interactively transform user normals</LI>
 
</UL>
Changes from original 3.51 implementation (
from User Manual ) :


<UL>
<LI>complete refresh of the tool architecture :</LI>

<LI>all the tool parameters are now automatically
saved in a user preference custom preset</LI>

<LI>moved user-interface from HTML-based to a
standard custom property ( user preference )</LI>

<LI>removed "Scaling", "Rotation"
, "Translation" as well as "X", "Y" and "Z
" buttons from the UI; the tool instead uses the current SRT transformation
buttons in the MCP ( translate by default if no transformation mode active )</LI>

<LI>adapted realtime shader code to the v2.0 of XSI's
realtime shader protocol</LI>

<LI>ported original VBScript-based management of
Effects and Transformations to the CPP API</LI>

<LI>this tool's DLL contains both a XSI plugin as
well as a realtime shader ( loaded by using a preset )</LI>

<LI>a VBScript plugin explicitely loads the tool's
DLL as a plugin when starting XSI ( i.e. no need to modify setenv.bat's XSI
_PLUGINS path )</LI>

<LI>applying effects is done using commands ;
operations involving multiple objects are archived</LI>

<LI>using a single event in the XSI UNDO/REDO history
</LI>

<LI>press ALT + RMB click in a view, then select
"XSI_UserNormalEditing" from the contextual menu</LI>

<LI>big performance improvements during interactive
transformations on high-denisty geometries</LI>

<LI>big performance improvements to store normal
transformations on high-density geometries ( e.g. storing the changes on a
100x100 grid could take up to 40 seconds on my machine, now it's very fast )</LI>

<LI>properly supports local materials, as well as
polygon cluster materials</LI>
 
</UL>
</BODY>
</HTML>