5

You can configure many aspects of the XSI software and its environment. Most of the configuration is done automatically during the Setup process, but you can further fine-tune many of the important configuration files with the User Tools program:

You can modify the configuration files that let you control distributed rendering, scene import from SOFTIMAGE|3D, batch scripting, and the general XSI environment settings.

You can also update user accounts (IRIX only) and view information about events that occurred during setup.

If you want to coordinate file sharing between different OS-based systems, you will have to manually configure a linktab.ini file. This procedure is also described in this chapter.

Modifying Configuration Files with User Tools

You can use the User Tools application to edit XSI configuration files from one common graphical interface. The User Tools application is installed as part of the XSI Setup program.

You can access it as a standalone application after you have installed the XSI software. You can also update user accounts (IRIX only) and view the installation log from the User Tools dialog box.

To open the User Tools application

On Windows systems, choose Start > Programs > SOFTIMAGE Products > [version of XSI] > UserTools or type the following in a command prompt window:

%SI_HOME%\XSI\setup\usrtools.exe

On IRIX (for root only), from the Toolchest choose SOFTIMAGE Products > [version of XSI] > UserTools or type the following in a shell:

$SI_HOME/XSI/setup/usrtools

In the following dialog box, select a file and click Edit File, or double-click the file name.

User Tools always looks in the default location for a file. If the file is not located in the default location, a warning is displayed showing the default location and a browser opens to allow you to search for the file.

Make the modifications to the file, then click Save and Quit.

The following table lists the files you can modify with the User Tools application:


Windows	IRIX and Linux	Default location
setenv.bat	.xsi_3.0	- %SI_HOME%\Application\bin (Windows) - $SI_HOME (IRIX and Linux)
DatabaseSys.rsrc	DatabaseSys.rsrc	- %SI_HOME%\Application\rsrc (Windows) - $SI_HOME (IRIX and Linux)
DatabaseDir.rsrc	DatabaseDir.rsrc	Defined by SI_DBDIR
.ray3host User Tools will create .ray3host if it does not exist	.ray3host	- %XSI_USERROOT%\Softimage\XSI_3.0 directory (Windows) - User defined (IRIX and Linux)
scriptxsi.bat Setup creates a shortcut on your desktop to this batch file. Drag-and-drop scene files to launch a batch render with xsibatch -r	Not applicable	%SI_HOME%\Application\bin
sishell.bat	Not applicable	%SI_HOME%\Application\bin
xsi.bat This is the source file used when starting SOFTIMAGE\|XSI	XSI	- %SI_HOME%\Application\bin (Windows) - $SI_HOME (IRIX and Linux)

Editing the Environment Script (setenv.bat and .xsi_3.0)

The environment script file contains environment variables required to run XSI. Environment variables tell XSI where important files are located and also let you customize your environment. On Windows systems, this file is called setenv.bat; on IRIX and Linux, it is called .xsi_3.0.

The environment script file is located in %SI_HOME%\Application\bin (on Windows), $SI_HOME, or your home directory (on IRIX and Linux). You can set environment variables by editing this file in the User Tools dialog box.

To edit your environment script, you can either cut and paste examples of the environment variables or you can type the contents directly in the file.

echo off disables echoing during the environment script execution.

It is important to declare SI_HOME at the beginning of the environment script because it is referenced in the environment variables that follow throughout the script.

XSI_USERROOT is used by XSI to define (source) the user’s home directory path.

This must be a unique location for each specific user. XSI creates a /Softimage/[Version of XSI] folder in this directory for storing custom scripts, toolbars, preferences, presets, and other personal XSI files in various subfolders.

The SPM_HOST variable specifies the computer name or IP address of the computer that is running the SPM daemon.

SPM_HOST is also needed to start distributed rendering. This environment variable is set locally in the rayirix5.sh script in the mental ray rendering software bin directory (IRIX and Linux) on each slave machine and in setenv.bat file (Windows).

SI_DBDIR defines the location of the DatabaseDir.rsrc file. This file lists the name and location of each SOFTIMAGE|3D database to which you have access and can import into XSI. It is configured the same way as XSI_USERROOT.

See Appendix A: Environment Variables on page 97 for information on the different types of environment variables used by XSI and detailed descriptions of each variable set in setenv.bat on Windows and .xsi_3.0 on Linux and IRIX.

Editing the sishell.bat File (Windows Only)

The sishell.bat file is used to start up an MS-DOS command prompt window with XSI environment variables already loaded so that you can run your XSI standalones (mblur, imgconv, etc.).

Sample sishell.bat file

Editing the xsi.bat File

@echo off title "SI Command Prompt" cmd /K call C:\Softimage\XSI_3.0\Application\bin\setenv.bat echo on

The xsi.bat file is used to start XSI. The environment variables are sourced before the XSI executable command is processed. This command is similar to creating an alias for XSI on IRIX and Linux.

To view all the options that you can add to the xsi.bat file, open an XSI command prompt and type xsi -h.

Sample xsi.bat file

@echo off call c:\Softimage\XSI_3.0\Application\bin\Setenv.bat start "" c:\Softimage\XSI_3.0\Application\bin\XSI.exe %1 %2 %3 %4 %5 %6 %7 %8 %9


	You can modify the f.checkexec value in the .shortcuts file on IRIX to use command line options to start your Softimage Product. This is similar to editing the xsi.bat file on Windows systems.

Editing the DatabaseDir.rsrc File

The DatabaseDir.rsrc file lists the name and location of each SOFTIMAGE|3D database to which you have access and can import into XSI. You can easily modify your SOFTIMAGE|3D database paths by editing this file using the User Tools application or a text editor.

	You can have several users on one machine, each with their own DatabaseDir.rsrc file.

The SI_DBDIR environment variable points to the directory in which the DatabaseDir.rsrc file resides. This table shows their locations:

Platform	Location
Windows	c:\users\<username>
IRIX/Linux	~ (which represents the home directory for each account)

	DATABASE <name_of_database> 
	PATH <full_path_name_of_database> 

	Shader Library

	DATABASE <name_of_database> 
	PATH <full_path_name_of_database> 
	TYPE shaderlib

Multiple Users and the DatabaseDir.rsrc File

SOFTIMAGE|XSI can import SOFTIMAGE|3D information from the list of databases located in the DatabaseDir.rsrc file. You can have several users on one machine, each with their own DatabaseDir.rsrc file.

The SI_DBDIR environment variable points to C:\users\%username% (Windows) or to your home account (~ on IRIX and Linux). To point to a different DatabaseDir.rsrc file, modify the path referenced in the SI_DBDIR environment variable.

Example DatabaseDir.rsrc File


Platform	File Contents
Windows	DATABASE playtime PATH c:\Softimage\SOFT3D_3.9\3d\databases\playtime
IRIX and Linux	DATABASE playtime PATH /usr/Softimage/SOFT3D_3.9/3d/databases/playtime


	A shader library must not be defined in both the DatabaseSys.rsrc and DatabaseDir.rsrc files. If it is, this will cause problems accessing the shaders.

Editing the DatabaseSys.rsrc File

The DatabaseSys.rsrc file contains the system database list. System databases are available to all XSI users. If you install the XSI Samples database, the XSI Setup program places the DatabaseSys.rsrc file in the resource directory (rsrc) by default. If you do not install any databases, DatabaseSys.rsrc is created, but is empty.

By editing this file, you can create a new database that is accessible system-wide by specifying the absolute path for the database.

For example, the XSI Setup program adds the following statements to the DatabaseSys.rsrc file, indicating where the sample shader library is located. The following example assumes that XSI is installed in the default installation path.


Platform	File Contents
Windows	DATABASE Shader_Lib PATH C:\Softimage\XSI_3.0\Application\phenolib\Shader_Lib TYPE SHADERLIB
IRIX and Linux	DATABASE Shader_Lib PATH /usr/Softimage/XSI_3.0/Application/phenolib/Shader_Lib TYPE SHADERLIB

Updating User Account Information (IRIX)

You can use the User Tools application to update user accounts on IRIX by clicking the Update User Accounts button in the SOFTIMAGE|XSI User Tools program window.

You cannot use User Tools to create user accounts. Refer to your operating system’s documentation for information on creating user accounts.

User Accounts on IRIX

Updating a user account from the User Tools dialog box automatically does the following:

Adds sinclude paths to .auxchestrc (creates .auxchestrc if it does not already exist) so that shortcuts are added to the IRIX toolchest of that user account.

In the home directory of each user there may a hidden file called .auxchestrc. This is read by the Toolchest on startup and contains the different optional menu items. If you have updated the user using User Tools, this line is added:

sinclude /usr/Softimage/.title

This tells the Toolchest to look in the mentioned file for additional menu items. Each time you install a new Softimage application in the same base location (/usr/Softimage), it adds an entry in the .title file for its own sub-menu items. If you have removed any Softimage applications, some entries may not be needed anymore. You can use jot or any text editor to remove these lines.

Copies the .xsi_3.0 environment file to your home directory or creates a new file if one does not already exist. You need to specify the server name for the SPM_HOST variable for this option.

Viewing the Installation Log

The installation setup log lets you view information about options set and events that occurred during the installation of XSI. The installation setup log file is called install.log and can be viewed by clicking the View Log button in the SOFTIMAGE|XSI User Tools program window.

You can also open this file in a text editor. The install.log file is saved in the Softimage/XSI_3.0/Setup directory.

Which installation options were chosen.

Events that occurred during installation.

Confirmation of system requirement checks and disk space verification.

Any warning dialog boxes that appeared during installation.

Example Installation Log File

Starting Installation on 9-16-2001 at 16h38
...
Searching free TCP/IP port for service : mi ray3xsi2.0
Setting service mi-ray3xsi2.0 at TCP/IP port 7006
Backuping C:\WINNT\System32\drivers\etc\SERVICES to 
SERVICES_XSI_2.02_9-16-2001_19-12-54.backup
Updating C:\WINNT\System32\drivers\etc\SERVICES
Installing Mental Ray service :
ray3xsi2.0server installed successfully
Installation ended on 9-16-2001 at 16h55

Configuring the Linktab.ini File

The linktab.ini file automatically translates paths between Unix and Windows environments. When XSI finds a linktab.ini file, it uses it to ensure that scenes will remain compatible across platforms.

Each line in a linktab file contains a Windows-style path and a UNIX-style path, indicating where XSI or resources such as textures are located on both operating systems. This allows access to required files regardless of operating system.

You need a linktab.ini file defined on each machine involved in the following scenarios:

When the render network uses a mix of Windows and Unix operating systems, a linktab file must be present on the master and each slave computer involved in a distributed render.

When a workgroup uses a mix of Window and Unix operating systems, a linktab file must be present on each machine that needs to share scene files.

When the paths are all relative and saved only within the project structure, there are no problems. However, if scenes reference texture files, particle simulation (*.ptp) files, photon maps, output paths, etc. on shared drives using absolute paths, then a linktab file is required.

Understanding the structure of the linktab.ini file

Most linktab file contain only one line, indicating where XSI is located on both platforms. Here’s a sample linktab file:

c:\Softimage /usr/Softimage


	The Windows path must come before the Unix path and they must be separated by a tab, not spaces. All path names, even for Windows paths, are case-sensitive. Do not use slashes (\ or /) at the end of the linktab paths.

If you are using textures or memory-mapped images, you must have entries that point to the directories containing them.

You can use an exclamation mark to distinguish a mounted volume from the rest of the path. For example, if \\foobar\users\fred (Windows) is equivalent to /home/fred (IRIX) and f:\foobar\users is a mounted volume, the line in the linktab file would look like this:

Setting the location of the linktab.ini file

The linktab file must be present on each computer, in the directory specified by the SI_LINKTAB_LOCATION environment variable.

SI_LINKTAB_LOCATION can define both the path and file name or just the path; if no file name is explicitly set, XSI assumes the name will be linktab.ini.

When a scene is imported from SOFTIMAGE|3D into XSI, XSI searches in SI_LOCATION for linktab.ini. Define SI_LOCATION in setenv.bat (Windows) or .xsi_3.0 (IRIX and Linux) as the directory where XSI is installed and place a copy of linktab.ini there.

If you want to reuse the linktab file used by SOFTIMAGE|3D;otherwise, just make SI_LOCATION point to the same path and linktab name as defined by SI_LINKTAB_LOCATION for XSI.

How XSI uses the linktab.ini file

You must define a linktab.ini file on both the Windows side and the Unix side. The linktab file is used to translate paths only when the scene is read. So even if you have a linktab.ini on the Windows side, you'll also need one on the UNIX side to be able to read scenes written by Windows.


	In SOFTIMAGE\|3D a linktab.ini file is used to translate paths when a scene is read and when a scene is written. In XSI this is not the case, the linktab.ini is used only when the scene is read. With SOFTIMAGE\|3D you only use a linktab.ini file on the Windows side. This means that all scenes were converted from UNIX path names to Windows path names when they are read in on Windows machines and then converted back to UNIX path names when the scenes are written out.

When XSI finds a linktab.ini file, it uses it to ensure that scenes will remain compatible across platforms in this way:

When XSI is launched it looks for the linktab.ini file in the directory specified by the SI_LINKTAB_LOCATION environment variable

If it finds the file, it builds an internal table of path translation (Windows to UNIX and UNIX to Windows).

Internally, XSI builds the list of all network drives currently connected to the Windows machine as well as the associated mount point. This list in conjunction with the linktab.ini file provides the necessary information to translate paths from and to UNIX.


When...	XSI translates path references in this way...
Loading a scene	UNIX paths are translated (if possible) to the equivalent mount point and then to the corresponding network drive letter. UNC references are translated to the corresponding network drive letter
Saving a scene	Network drive letters are translated to the given UNC mount point and then to the corresponding UNIX path (if an entry is found in the linktab.ini table)

Example: using the linktab.ini file to translate path references

For example, user1 and user2's accounts on SGI are /home/user1 and /home/user2 which are in fact a logical link to /mnt1/allusers/user1 and /mnt1/allusers/user2.

On the NT machine, a network drive is connected (using NFS) to sgi1:/mnt1/allusers and drive h:.

	The first path argument of each line is the Windows path while the second path argument on each line is the UNIX equivalent.

When XSI encounters the path /home/user1/... when loading a scene, it translates it to h:/user1/... which is the equivalent Windows path. In this example, the true mount point is sgi1:/mnt1/allusers and the exclamation mark indicates that only that portion of the path should be looked up in the current list of NFS network drive.

When saving the scene, the path will be re-translated to the proper UNIX path /home/user1/... which allows scenes to remain accessible from both platforms.

Configuring XSI