______________________ GUI/Workflow/Interface ---------------------- -network object/operator view with ability to interactively wire I/Os between (perhaps also with interOPs between to modify data before use, more accessible than linked paramters and expressions) -a much fuller expression language including many more functions and scene and object/element variables -better OP control, here is a comparison between XSIs OP stack and Houdinis network: [url]http://www.xsibase.com/cgi-bin/yabb/YaBB.cgi?board=gen;action=display;num=1035164782[/url] -groups that are more than selection sets more than a place to share materials, allow geometry groups of objects and/or components that can have operators applied. -3d widgets for operators in 3D viewer to control parameters of OPs as well as in FXtree, ie pull on normal for extrude -ability in edit layout to assign one view as always on bottom and one view as always on top in GUI -a quick way to keep some "display info" params in view for non-slected objects -in explorer and hopefully network view to come, allow us to create folders under models for everything or at least have folders for annotations to organize, with a toggle view normal or with folders -a way to show annotations only in explorer -differnt types of annotaions, perhaps a viewer type annotation that can be displayed in the 3D viewer and the object selectable by clicking on the text. -option to toggle/show hidden objects in object view -display component index numbers in 3D views -object view select any camera view too -layout memory for all floating views when you start up again -option for no title bar on custom toolbars -an xsi taskbar that doesn't bump your layout to the right -option for active splitter bars even when not in edit layout mode -viewer order ie one type defined as always on bottom and one type such as PPGs always on top in GUI -when you set BG to black wireframe should obviously not be black, better yet list user scene custom color sets in menu -option to include scene color sets in layout save -fix layout addons so like earlier versions, layouts show up or at least can be installed for different rez, otherwise one must package each rez layouts seperately -short annotation or displayinfo of text parameters on selected or all unselected objects surfaces or center instead of flush with view plane -ability to mouse-drag-select nothing in explorer view and have objects, node etc deselect -allow easier defualt setting creation eg for default camera creation, kinematics, lens etc. the default camera 2 units up is maybe for demonstrators not users -start/stop that works with exponential camera fog depth cue -where is the depthcue type property accessible? for eg to add to an overide -when a view containing sliders, such as for custom PPGs, rather than have the slider turn to value field if the view is too narrow or the name too long, put the slider on a row below instead -show the "constrainer" name in the constriant PPG and allow one to change the constrainer object in the PPG or via an OP network GUI connecion to another object with or without offset/compensation. -Show relations is cool, perhaps also Show the constainer in the constrain OP PPG and highlight it and the effected objects. -scroll bar in synoptic editor -dragndrop commands into auto synoptic hot spots -OP stack dragndrop onto other objects/components or reuse or multiple use of OP stacks in a network GUI so fx or tools don't have to be redone/rebuilt every time -forward<>backward through images in image clip viewer and ability to split view in there if for example suing it for ref pics to model form instead of having a gazillion image clip views open -filmstrip storyboard viewer, with abiltiy to order/edit clips in animation mixer, perhasp have it use the .mov format so that anootaions per clip or timecode can be added as well as triggers for other events. -ability to put image clips into a "reference" folder so they will not be deleted by "delete unused clips". these are images that will be used for rotoscoping, modeling refs etc. -allow ordering of models in explorer, actions etc based not just on creation order or alpha numeric but also on a flag or ID o rmaybe a mode that allows auto id while user custom reorders their stuff. -allow F to work in XIS explorer evenwhen object is not he one displayed in there, ie for use when ref or higher subD'd clone object is displayed in XSI explorer while selecion an dowrk is doen on original in another view. -allow raycast shaded to work in xray mode as it should -option to not have OP folders open when secting them for exmaple when selecting along movecompoent folder to freeze it, no one would wan it to open here -definable zoom amount pref setting per component type -make all display options animatable even boolean ones for quick and easy custom pset dragndrop paramter connection -imageclip scrollbars or "Z" and "S" navigation -a way to DL all of netview as a local copy to navigate on ones laptop for example. -middle bar collapse for XSI explorer should be able to go both ways, an option to collapse the explorer or the viewer, perhasp add another arrow pointign the other way just below existing one. -an estimate of file size while working at top of XSI -display OP memory usage -allow BG color different in different viewports -view mode for both sides of XSI explorer -"F" or frame all in aniamtion view, maybe I'm missing a setting but it doesn't work consitently added: -when XSI window is minimized, put scroll bars on sides -ability to set side for scroll per view -a view for "show all parameter values" in explorer, not just marked -rather than just saving out seperate scenes, an easy to use and organize scene viewer and organizer via layer/pass/mixer settings by shot. --perhaps tie it in with storyboard viewer --allow time shifting of the entire shot including all its param keys, mixer clip placement etc -add a netview that can subscribe to the xsi list and -improved transformaion handles --one handle that includes, scale transform and rotation controls with ctrl option list of align pivot to anoterh surface point origin etc --keyable handles that effect selected objects paramters accordingly -although method to adjust same OPs of different models works, also good would be ability to have "shared" OPs and per model variables to insert in OP param fields -as well as the ability open a multi PPG also have one that opens a that OP seprately in sanme view fro each model/object -a way to move top menus to right screen -like in Adobe Imageready a full screen menu view with menu bar -get rid of ANNOYING resolution pop up at XSI start up! -add a text editor view, even just the basic MS notepad in a view, jot for irix, etc -in 3D view, add a user view from last camera added2: -ability to view at any point in stack with XSI object viewer and also at different time. _________________________ Modeling ------------------------ -bezier handle control on SubDs, 4 handles -ability to quickly and easily duplicate/clone using animation, maybe using SCOPs if an example could be put up somewhere -3D widgets control for all tools and OPS in viewer, ie pull on normal to extrude in extrude mode -option in prefs to set what transform mode component default selection and "m" move points goes into instead of local and view which they repsectively do now. I would rather have both go into local personally and know others might have other prefs. -ability to move some OPs center effect position on surface and animate position in UV, with fall off or component selection area (via BBox or proximity etc) also moving with it instead of specific cluster component #s -have component/object-group selection bounding box and or proximity field work with weight maps too to modify their values and have their positions animatable. -extract poly keeps local center orientaion and position opition --also an option to have cluster center orient locally to original components on creation would be cool versus the default orientation globally. -ability to turn off points view in "T" point mode so that point tweaking transorming can take plac ein one view while seeing an unobstructed view of shaded model in another. or perhasp an option to only turn on point view when T or shift (while in point mode) is pressed -if possible have fog effect component selectability too, such while working on a poly hull cage points -subD bezier handles :) --some advantage would be the obvious ability to to move the handles and change the curvature bewteen it and the next point on the surface, --could also be useful if the handles length could be changed and handles broken to define creases/hardness and surface direction, would be cool if they were animatable too, using clusters of handles to animate would be OK. like the idea of direct point manipulaion on surface, it could only show points at the level you are subdividing though as manipulaion of points inbetween would require a physical subdivison to that level. --another method of SUbD interpolation, actually passing suface through points would also be cool, so that curves and surfaces passed through the points or at least appeared to for easier navigation and manipulation, or a definable amount using point weight, not like crease, keeping curvature --as suggested by many, a way to move components on the actual subD surface. would likely require a way to propegate the effect back up to be recorded on the actual hull --would also be nice to have Bounding box, array, proximity, expression or other type of flexible selection group (not hard numbered clusters currently used for OP input) that could be animated such as BBox position so that the area locally subdivided could be moved as needed -match symettry tool, ie select a component on one side of geo and component on other side of axis snaps to exact mirrored location. often when working in symmetry mode one will switch it off to give differnce to each side of the model and may want to fix one side to match the other, copy flipping xyz values is too slow for many points -fix symmettry its often breaking and not reflecting the same point selection on other side of object -proporional modeling points on another surface being modified incorrectly show in in XSI explorer view displaying another object -weight maps that include effect on other components than versitces and paint properties, such as edge so that ti can be used to paint hardedge/crease fro subDs and have edges crease, not just points, so that it is useful for most needs. -animatable profiles such as in buldge defomer -perhsaps exists already, a mirror cluster or mirror select points -point weight, for NURBS. And for SubDs perhaps allow the property to remain with the point even when topology # or order changes added: -procedural Lsystems -since Houdini has more advanced procedural modeling and interface, perhaps via channels or an I/O node to connect XSI params to Houdini Select params would be useful -ability to lock points in position with option for which axis. Useful for when mirror modelling. -allow weight paint mixing on cage deformers for overlapping cages etc -a limit on points to deform ony in their initial normal direction ( for muscle simulation etc) -put same primitive type under one OP ie both nurbs and poly sphere under same OP so that it can be swtiched from one to the other without havng to rebuild following OP stack. As it work sin another app parmaters that are exclusive ot one type are greyed out when swtiching from poly to mesh to nurbs to imlicit etc. _____________________________ Scripting/Expressions/SCOPS ---------------------------- -the intermediate technical user is left out, the OPs seem to getting more canned and the scripting language more robust while OP stack inflexibility and a limited expression language with very few variables makes it very diffucult, for the artist that just knows a little programming/scripting, to push the software. Combining OPs to make new tools shoul be made much easier with a more extenisve expression languange and abiltiy to reorder OPs and and pipe OP i/os together in a network GUI. -a much fuller expression language including many more functions and scene and object/element variables -abiltiy to use expression language in parameter input fields, more than the few math operations -network GUI for script and OP creation, ie actual script bits and pieces of code and math OPs to piece together in a network piping between the nodes I/Os and then being able to complile it into an new tool/OP --Visual Programming, a node network to pipe codebits into each other -line numbers in script editor -script color coding -drop down hints of methods and properties while script writing like in MS Studio -much more scripting examples --a new category on netview for "scriptbits", it small functions an short simple script examples such as list layers and categorize them --add the many examples in the reference manual to scriptbits in categories on netview -expose all userprefs for scripting -give us lots and lots of SCOP examples, from simple to complex --list commands that work in SCOPS, its a f'n mystery right now --make SCOPs easier to reuse with other objects, quick I/O connecions perhaps in an OPnetwork view where they can be wored to gether --better than SCOP and OP creaion network view with OP bits of code and operators that cna be piped togethewr to make an OP with inout nodes and an output node liek fxtree, this would eb a very very powerful tool and would perhaps aid in making shaders added: -rclick on toolabr button opiton ot edit externally -if not more than one script editor openable at least allow more than one script view open ____________________________ OPs ---------------------------- -expose all operators I/O for scripting and for visualy piping together in the GUI --and for swtiching inputs so the proceduralism is flexible so we don't have to rebuild a stack when we want to change the source geometry, and so its easy to animate the switch/input -a *real* procedural Copy OP, --with aniamtable paramters such as copy number --an input for template surface or particles to copy to --with stamping of input OPs parameters for variation in each copy so that paramters upstreema are modifed based on copyOp varibles or parameters. --include transform panel ppg in copyOp to duplicate or instance multiple input objects, to mirror over chosen plane, tansform compies, transform cumulatively etc or use local variables or variables referrencing stamped parmas of previous OPs an a per copy or per copy value/param basis --here is a basic tutorial for the copyOP in Houdini that will make it clearer: http://www.grahamdclark.com/Studentresources/tutorials/copyOP/index.html --a copyOP would aslo allow one easier mirror model instead of my stupid netview scripts: http://www.softimage.com/xsinet/displaydetails/Addon_display_detail.asp?family=XNET&software=XSI&parent=32&id=1967&child=Duplication%2FInstances or http://www.softimage.com/xsinet/displaydetails/Addon_display_detail.asp?family=XNET&software=XSI&parent=32&id=1968&child=Duplication%2FInstances -text value animatable, ie dragndrop param icon onto from another param and use of varaibles such as FC, and much faster update -improvement and more control of modeling tools such as boolean and bevel --improve normal control, perhaps an OP with two inputs, the object and another object to derive normals from as in Jeromes script but with more control over how the object derives its normals from the other one such as proximity or point-at, so for eg point 1 on object A points at point 1 on object B which is a clone of object A and could be scaled out from it etc and animated as a normal direction guide. ---transform OPs work on normal vectors, make normal vectors accessible geometry components --bevel, option to add more divisions --boolean option to mark hard edge at edge intersection --boolean option to toggle contributing objects with result hidden on/off -A point OP would be nice, with normals control on selection area, and with two inputs for current object normals and refernce object normals to copy or point at or average between etc. Does not require but would be better if bounding box and other ways to collect/group elements was implimented for OP input and application. -expose movecomponent OP to allow change of its values and change of input in anetwork gui or dragndrop resuse on other components/objects (requires change of input and/or selection sets/groups) -component # reorder OP, random, BBBOX, up, 2nd input proximity etc. -shape OP should be exposed allowing further tweaking of ref shapes and switching out of input ref shapes to other ones to be procedural, it is not currently procedural -make transform align an OP, not a on off canned function so that it can be animated. perhaps better if there was a local bounding box variable available in expressions to use within OPs -allow more than one cluster shape combiner so that some can be normalized while others not with an option to normailze overlaps with itself and if possible with another combiner OPs clusters. Perhaps organize by havign compound clips for each each combiner. added: -please expose OPs! ie allow user input and geo adjustment of inpout lattice into softbody OP, allow adjustment of weights on cage deformer etc. -when group applying OPs offer option for per object or all for default center pivot position of effect, add collecion methods to groups such as by exprerssion (requiring a far more roboust expression language), bbox etc. ____________________ Paint ------------------- -in addition to exsiting vertex paint add: -surface texture paint -3d paint(paintfx, peopl do use it,in motion graphics etc.) -fxtree paint, with vectotr paint and replaceable stroke types ___________________________ FXtree --------------------------- -fxtree paint, with vector paint and replaceable stroke types, time paint in FXview as well as offer onion skinning view in FXviewer -2d/3d tracking, including an easy way to track existing 3D elements into image plane of FXtree for transform of garbage mattes other comped image planes etc. -some 2d particles in FXtree as well -more Deep Raster types stuff in FXtree, RLA and RPF support -passes preview in FXtree, like clips do not have to be rendered to file before being reapplied, passes should be able to render as needed in the FXtree instead of having to be rendered to file. PS XSI was not the first to have a seamlessly integrated compositor as advertised. -add FXOP text to Shape Paste and have viewer widget manipulators -video out FXOP, support for video output, frame buffer. with options for output region. -edit in mixer with FXtree and offer I/O of generic EDl and OMF and perhaps premiere prj file. instead of my lame workaround scripts in netview: http://www.softimage.com/xsinet/displaydetails/Addon_display_detail.asp?family=XNET&software=XSI&parent=8&id=2083&child=Other and tut: http://www.grahamdclark.com/Studentresources/tutorials/FXEdit/index.html --or betttrer yet allow direct input of vidoe clisp into mixer and addition of transitions while in the background XSI auotmatically builds the FXtree for you just as in Houdini while modleing inthe 3D view it buidl the SOP network inthe background for you. -ability to add custompsets to fxtree and nodes -ability to see displayinfo in fxviewer -FXtree Concatenated Transformations like DF4 -inlcude elastic reality source grid to target grid warps with animatable bezier handles and a defininable # of auto inbetween grids to modify timing -add mixer/timeline view to xsi explorer so that FXOPs can be viewed on left with their respective clip in mixer on right. Add an option to view clips in user placed positions or with FXOP names in explorer lined up with respective track --perhaps each FXOP would have its own track in this view and then a folder drop down in explorer would coincide with a drop down of tracks in mixer that lined up with each animatable parameter of that FXOP -time warp FXOP with ghosting and the usual XSI time warp graph -ability to track FXtree shapes/masks to 3d view elements of a camera view -like clip out or fileoutput add a roto out or a way for rotoscope in views to access clip out or fileoutputas a source __________________________ Animation ------------------------ -fully supported subframe, not just in animation keys but fix it mixer and allow subframe in rendering options as well as allow step to be aniamtable and externaly accessible via script to vary time -more channel effects in mixer and/or the ability to apply modifying OPs to them such as the equalizer clip effect but as an OP with more OPs to pipe into each other in a network GUI. -animation mixer NESTING, not compounds, real clip nesting. Even if they have to be temporarily baked for fast interaction during playback but slow on opening the nested clips, it would still add to the idea of NLA and building up your animaion from gestures and parts. It seems like the natural direcion for animation mixing. It would allow more reuse of existing actions from a basic library and more flexibility to add and remove items/channels. Perhaps if speed is an issue a dummy compound clip is automatically baked for playback. -actual motion deform,the motion deform tool Michael made is quite cool but looking for complete motion deform of input object/character I think Behavior warps motion, a way to maybe to put a clip in a lattice, the intial size state of the lattice defined by the clip objects transform boundaries, then the lattice could be bent etc and deform the motion as it moved through it. I guess this would be easier to do on null and effector pos but this would be tough to do considering rotation values as they might have to be considered and added to based on length of that object across the deformed space. The motion deform tool is very cool, just looking for a way to warp an entire character or other event animation like one can with particles. -as an example character tool shows the concept of modificaion well like the one in version 2 did but anatomy has some issues and too much geometry IMHO to be useful for background secondary characters. --perhaps offer adapatable character tools to use on our own/any models, would require another collection method instead of manual cluster selection such as bounding box, proximity etc to be able to adapt. -using region tool 'q' in animation editor a button for scaling towards center of region after than having to scale from the top or side then the bottom or other side -model level time warp with full subframe support -allow marked params of mixer nodes to be stored as current value actions -allow us to change in prefs the animation key button to "k" instead of "shift + k" -make the next and previous key buttons bigger than mice toes -instead of not allowing parameters driven by more than one clip in mixer not to be action keyed, allow a way to mark which clip in mixer should be action keyed with option to consider or not consider other clips effect on parameter. And allow option to mix effect bewteen the two or more clips. Better yet perhaps a new clip would be auto created for the offset allowing a blend of weight where needed. Or perhaps this can also be answered with nesting, with an option for any clip containing multiple parameters to have selected and/or params effected by offset parameters put on their own tracks to weight -ability to change the input/source of a clip, like we can change the source curves for a loft in XSI. -the mixer export seems large, I guess the clips are being saved too maybe? can there be an option fro just mixer storage minus clips source? -abilty to lock/unlock clips position together in timeline -abiltiy to mix weight maps in weight and time in animation mixer -a way to select points on an envelope that are affected by a deformer by a cerain weight % range. --add an option for sync by wieght % or as a selecion filter in the weight editor so that those cells of certain weight range can then be synced -add a session to the link deform with so that it is easier to mange what OPs will be frozen into the new shape key, now for eg if you modify with a deformer then movecompoents just the compoents are frozen into the new shape requiring multiple component modificaions and replacing the shape key. -have add shapes use an existing empty shape track rahter than adding a new one each time a new deform by orintaion etc is set up. -fix the animtion mixer view, its totally f'd up and doesn't rezise properly and mouse locaion is messed up too so that tracks clicked over does nothing or selects another, its really flakey. -add markers to sliders for quick goto values (that are repeatedly needed) -allow one to mute link deform with, better yet allow wieght mixing of it as it does not work in the animation mixer -a nice easy dragndrop way to copy weights from one object to another with same skeleton -expose the deform by ori so that shapes can be easily switched and other characters adapted, the "magic" closed OP is too inflexible -still show name of clip on clip in Animation Mixer when clip length is longer than view in AE so we know without selecting it what it is. -track clip to clip location,start,end snapping like in adobe premiere -user pref to allow animation edior not to update on playabck to speed playback otherwise we have to collapse the window to speed it up. -fix the stop play button it doesn't repond with heavy geo or shaded views! this is very irritating when trying to tweak anim -T select nothing in AE should deselct all points of selected fcurve. -like replace shape function, a fast way to replace static pose added: -option to auto copy envelope weights to extracted polys -fix soft body presets not to overide start ends -ability to "lock deformer weight" values on points -make sliders in paint panel more adjustable for smaller numbers, or offer a stair step like in houdini fro 0.00 0.01 0.1 10 or 100 adjustments ir a switch to adjust in smaller increments -ability to paint two or more deformer weight with the result bieng an equal amount of their weight applied with each stroke on envelope, or a way to define how much % of each to apply when multiple defomers are licked to paint wieght to. -fix smooth or make a proper average for weigth paint, sorry but smooth is really not useful compared to Maya average. Simulation -although "copy from scene" exists for softbody, trying to manually put in a start and end requires putting in the end first or the start value is deleted and reset back to 1 and so the simulaion recording starts at 1 and if you have a multi ppg open for lots of objects then you have to cancel all their simulaion recordings and then insert the start time. Perhaps also helpful if the presets had no effect on time Again a local variable for objects sharing the multi PPG to adjust would help here too, or better, shared OPs. -expose input of sofbody OP to allow us to put our own lattice with adjusted edged and point location. perhaps also allow individual area spring adjustment, and incresing resolution of lattice in certian areas. -in softbody a way to define a volume retention areas, perhasp this can be achieved by lattice access and control -a time variable accessible for the softbody OP to shift the effect in time -a way to compare previous softbody etc setups without having to recalculate. liek the retuirn to prvious values button at top of ppg, a way to quickly return to toggle current and previous settings to compare wihtou having to wait each time fro XSi to recalculate. ______________________ Rendering ---------------------- -All Layer, not just one, support for PSD and if possible match XSIs mixing modes and image fx to Photoshops blend modes and filters applied in the Rendertree. -more subframe support for rendering, allow < 1 value in step parameter and make it animatable and accessible via fcurve, expressions and external script -rendertree category for Renderman and others supported -integrate cubic texturing and add shrinkwrap texturing -fxtree node in rendertree for processing rgba info at a later stage in rendertree rather than just on clips that are inserted -render tree sharing like fxtree with more than one tree and output in each plus allow node sharing, better yet in a new network view, OP sharing which either merges the info or acts like a place holder for shared properties of OP appplied to differnt objects etc. Perhaps done with seperate I/Os and an Input lister. Perhaps requires a scene level network view with interactive piping between I/Os -image clip node flag to note wether they are high, medium and low rez so they can be universally or per model or script driven to be switched out, and to not be considered unused if one of the high, mediums or low versions is being used currently instead. -render option for sequential geometry output, ie sequential object saved to per frame, an abiltiy to input/import model with steping and time or other variable, or object input # animatable by fcurve for model # to time graph -add renderable non-implicit bone primitives as well, and ability to select any model as bone primitive and it as default in bone draw mode -like for rendering, a chord length, for SubD that adds more as defined in a PPG, added: -Editing. When an fxtree node is selected then a mixer is recylced it opens a mixer of clips auto generated at in and out points of keys on each parameter of each FXOP, OR better if nesting were added, then an option to auto generate clips in mixer from fxtree and have the clips contain all keyed parmams of each node or all params of same type only created such as "autogenerate clips of input start offset and end only". An easy to use and setup editor is needed and if clips could be autogenerated with various options of which parmas and fxOPs to do it for, would really speed things up. -leave unconnected nodes in RT -profile curves for lights and shaders params -objet number or other arrangment input or collection method for input into OPs so that for example a shader or texture can be applied to muliple objects/components and then that variable can be used to adjust individual params ona per object bais such as location, selection order, or other collecion and reordering method etc. -something like ghost painter might be useful fo texturing : http://www.cebas.com/news/read.asp?UD=10-7888-33-788&NID=47 and allow Photoshop to display in an XSI viewport. -allow rotoscope to ref a source input/output of fxtree ___________________________ Sound ---------------------------- -more sound support, 3d sound with abiltiy to add to objects microphone and sound objects properties such as surface hardness/absorbtion, speaker emition etc -sound/channel OPS added: sound fx and mixing