first of all I just had a test drive on XSI, I must its really neat. The software design seems pretty soild, the thing runs pretty smooth too. Maybe the delay was well worth it. oh yeah what language/developement platform was xsi done in?
ha it still maintain that SI | 3D feel to it, so getting back isn't too difficult, but since I have been with maya for a few years now, there few features I think are worth adding in.
- there don't seem to be any hot keys commands available to assign view port switching, eg. press F for front, B for back etc. i like to use a single view..and don't want to use a drag down menu at the left corner every time.
2.you can't assign hot keys to view port shading modes. ie, wire frame, shaded, textured view etc.
the layout customization is good, but there is no way to hide the menus, for example I wish to hide some tool bars on the side by using hot keys, or even better one key stroke that turns off all the ui's with only the veiwport left.
is there a way to customize xsi so i start off with a single view or two view side by side. as far as i know xsi must keep the four view together as one element of the "layout"
i don't use a very large display(17') and my eye sight is not very good(damn computers) I wish to keep xsi runnning at least around 1024*768, but as you know xsi gives errors on start up. however there no problem if i customize the layout for my self. so why can't xsi just allow this res.?
this is very subtle..but can i get rid off the main menu bars on top(inculding window bar)...its preventing me from doing a full screen setup!
ok, thats all, maybe I just don't know xsi well enough, but if there no way of doing those, please implement it in xsi2.0 if there still time. why? I think those are very common tasks and sure a lot of mayians use them, it would save them time too when they come over the xsi 
- is there a way to customize xsi so i start off with a single view or two view side by side. as far as i know xsi must keep the four view together as one element of the "layout"
I think you should be able to save the default layout setup somewhere... I've never really bothered, it doesn' t take more than a second to switch views around.
- i don't use a very large display(17') and my eye sight is not very good(damn computers) I wish to keep xsi runnning at least around 1024*768, but as you know xsi gives errors on start up. however there no problem if i customize the layout for my self. so why can't xsi just allow this res.?
You can run in 1024x768, but some of the toolbars are too big to fit in this res (like the Render toolbar) no matter what you do. But if you remove this toolbar and use the menus instead you should be OK in 1024x768.
- this is very subtle..but can i get rid off the main menu bars on top(inculding window bar)...its preventing me from doing a full screen setup!
I'm not sure if you can do that at all. Really, are the 20 pixels of vertical resolution so important? 
ok, thats all, maybe I just don't know xsi well enough, but if there no way of doing those, please implement it in xsi2.0 if there still time. why? I think those are very common tasks and sure a lot of mayians use them, it would save them time too when they come over the xsi
There will be improvements to GUI customization in XSI 2. I don't know any specifics, but I guess a lot of what you were asking about could get implemented. Have a look at the Softimage website, maybe they have info there.
I notice something else, when I use 'proportional modeling' from the main windows menu(not main tool bar) it gets swtiched on without a tick(unilke as if you did in the model tool bar) and if you try switch it off in main menu, it doesn't work. is this a bug? and the main menu doesn't have propotional setups option like the main tool bar. I thoungh the main menu will most likely to have a complete set of commands.
anyone get what i'm saying? sounds confusing?....