XSI 2.0Books?

[daanbanaan]

Are there any?...good ones? Modeling with an emphasis on Lighting/texturing?

i would love to get those ed harris videos....but expensive.....

[atyss]

Bonjour Cherub

There are no books dedicated only to ligthing and texturing in XSI.

However, I have 2 books to recommend you:
- Digital Texturing and Painting, on New Riders Edition.
- Digital Lighting and Rendering, on New Riders Edition.
Both are excellent, but not software specific.

There is also the Cumbria Training CDs. Less expansive than Ed's tapes.

Also, you can find tutorials on lighting and texturing here:

http://www.edharriss.com/tutorial.html
http://www.xsifiles.com/
http://www.isner.com/tutorials/texture\_primer.htm

Hope this helps
Salutations - Cheers
Bernard Lebel

[-stendec]

Has anybody seen or work with the Cumbria Training CD's???
and
Is it worth the money??

[daanbanaan]

Thanks Atyss,

I am making the "transtion" to XSI from maya....this stuff should help out...

[qingning]

At the moment I don't think there are any official xsi 2.0 books out.

I do hope, however, in the near future that New Riders will publish a softimage xsi book. I'm sure it would be a great help to everyone considering how well known and reputable the New Riders series' are.

wlau

[atyss]

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At the moment I don't think there are any official xsi 2.0 books out.
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There is one!
XSI Illuminated:Foundation, on Mesmer Press. Interesting book, however extremely basic.

I seriously doubt that New Riders releases a book on XSI in the near future. But I agree this would probably make a nice book.

Salutations - Cheers
Bernard Lebel

[jtk77]

the Mesmer book isn't 1.5 ? thought it was....

[atyss]

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the Mesmer book isn't 1.5 ? thought it was....
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It was, but they released an update for XSI 2. If you order from Amazon you can only have the 1.5 version (maybe this has changed now), but it is back order (and will always be, since the version 2 is out). You have to order directly at Mesmer online shop to get the version 2 book.

Salutations - Cheers
Bernard Lebel

[jtk77]

thanks man!

[daanbanaan]

wow...cool.....

[soulhunter]

Not sure how this fits in here but over at 3D Buzz they (Buzz and Crew) are making Intro training CDs 1st Maya, then Max, and soon XSI. 3hrs of video training on the 1st cd alone and they plan on releasing one every month for each package, and get this they are FREE

[qingning]

Their free? That's great, but I wonder where their financial resource comes from.

Atyss,

Why don't you think New Riders will publish a book about XSI? Popularity for the program?

I remember a few years back when the only New Riders book were of 3D Studio Max. Now, they've released two lightwave books and a brand new Maya fundamentals book. It might be likely within the next year n bit that they do decide to work in an XSI book.

It would be to their benefit with the lack of XSI books and resources out currently. I believe there is a big enough user base. Just get Ed Harriss and a few others to write it =) j/k.

there's always hope.

wlau

[richard-sher]

Hehe, thanks for the compliment wlau. I've got a few things in the works.... just hope I can get them all done in a timely manner.

[daanbanaan]

here's an idea....why not write a book or a tutorial with the multi-software user in mind?

Kind of like what is done with learning a language.

Seems like alot of people are spending alot of time just trying to figure out how to do the same things in XSI that they already know in Maya or Max.

................just a thought.

[atyss]

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Why don't you think New Riders will publish a book about XSI? Popularity for the program?
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Exactly. I have 3 of the New Riders books. All are full colors, clean and nice design, very professional. This kind of book has a high hard cost (I worked as graphic designer, so I know!) It makes it interesting to publish a book that will have a large reader base. So for Maya and 3ds max it makes sense. Don't get me wrong: a XSI book on New Riders would certainly be great!

Maybe I'm wrong, but as far as I know there is more than 300 000 3ds max users and 100 000 Maya users.... and XSI 30 000. Numbers are VERY important for editors.

Salutations - Cheers
Bernard Lebel

[qingning]

That's true.

If the xsi book isn't recv'd well then New Riders would be incurring a huge, huge cost with such a large volume that must be published.

30,000 XSI users. Damn ... I guess that's what you have to expect with the greater costs in softimage products as compared to programs like max and lw.

Than again, the warez world of max and lw is a lot larger.

wlau

[daanbanaan]

warez people will buy a book before buying a program....

i wonder if publishers make money indirectly off of warez.......

[soulhunter]

@@@
Their free? That's great, but I wonder where their financial resource comes from.
@@@

Right now all the funds are out of his own pocket but he is looking for sponsers. Jason Busby is the name and beating students into submission is his game, his teaching style is unique and fun filled. I have two of his cd's so far "Intro to Maya" and "Intro to Max" and currently in cue is "Intro to XSI" he plans releasing new cd's monthly. Offers of purchasing the cd's and monetary donations have been refused the only thing he will take are spools of CD-Rs. He loves to teach and I'm just spreading the word

[qingning]

Wow, I'm impressed. That's really nice of him, and I wish all the best for him in the long run. This will provide a great opportunity for all the new users looking to get into 3D.

I just hope that sponsors will be as generous as he is being.

Thanks for the info.

wlau

[jtk77]

I would guess his time and energery might pay off by gettind a large number of people signed up for his site and going for advertisers that way , similar to how this site runs. But it can be difficult to build a user base on the net without being established for long periods of time unless you can offer somthing of this nature that would get people to go and sign up.
Its a win win situatioon for everyone , and if he enjoys doing it more power to him. I would guess once he has a high number of peope on his mailing list he would start spouncering those CDs through advertising companys . Sounds like a plan to me.