User Tools and Configuration Files
You can use the User Tools application to edit XSI configuration files and view the installation log from one common graphical interface. The User Tools application is installed by the XSI Setup program. You can access it as a standalone application after you have installed the XSI software.
To open the User Tools application on Windows:
- Choose Start > All Programs > SOFTIMAGE Products > [version of XSI] > UserTools
To open the User Tools application on Linux:
- Open a terminal window.
- Source the XSI environment by typing the following:
source ~/.xsi_5.11
- Start User Tools by typing the following:
$XSI_BINDIR/UserTools
Modifying Configuration Files
In the User Tools dialog box, select a configuration file and click Edit File, or double-click the file name.
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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 | Linux | Default location |
| setenv.bat | .xsi_5.11 | - %SI_HOME%\Application\bin (Windows) - $SI_HOME (Linux) |
| DatabaseSys.rsrc | DatabaseSys.rsrc | - %SI_HOME%\Application\rsrc (Windows) - $SI_HOME (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_5.11 directory (Windows) - User defined (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 XSI | XSI | - %SI_HOME%\Application\bin (Windows) - $SI_HOME (Linux) |
Editing the Environment Script (setenv.bat and .xsi_5.11)
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 Linux, it is called .xsi_5.11.
The environment script file is located in %SI_HOME%\Application\bin on Windows, and $SI_HOME or your home directory on 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.
Here are some basic instructions for the setenv.bat or .xsi_5.11 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 ray3.sh script in the mental ray rendering software bin directory (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.
Refer to Help > XSI Guides > Environment Variables 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_5.11 on Linux.
Editing the sishell.bat File (Windows Only)
The sishell.bat file is used to start up a command prompt window with XSI environment variables already loaded so that you can run your XSI standalones (mblur, imgconv, etc.). Sample sishell.bat file:
@echo off title "SI Command Prompt" cmd /K call C:\Softimage\XSI_5.11\Application\bin\setenv.bat echo on
Editing the xsi.bat File
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 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_5.11\Application\bin\Setenv.bat start "" c:\Softimage\XSI_5.11\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> |
| Linux | ~ (which represents the home directory for each account) |
When modifying the DatabaseDir.rsrc file, use the following syntax:
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 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_4.0\3d\databases\playtime |
| Linux | DATABASE playtime PATH /usr/Softimage/SOFT3D_4.0/3d/databases/playtime |
The first valid database listed is your default SOFTIMAGE|3D database.
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| 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_5.11\Application\phenolib\Shader_Lib TYPE SHADERLIB |
| Linux | DATABASE Shader_Lib PATH /usr/Softimage/XSI_5.11/Application/phenolib/Shader_Lib TYPE SHADERLIB |
