XSI controls

#1

I am new to Wings. I think it is a great tool and, since I am a CG hobbyist only, I am not bound to any software and love the idea of having a lite app just for modeling.

I learned on Maya, then went to XSI 1 1/2 years ago. I loved the shortkut layout on XSI. I was seeng good things coming from the LWave community and wanted to give it a try. The problem with moving from one package to another is that the shortcuts are al moved,a nd many of the main things cannot be changed. When first using LWave, the camera controls and strange mouse button combinations turned me of. You can’t change such things.

I like the fact that Wings has the option to change the camera controls to certain packages. But I would like to see it go one step further and make every aspect of everything able to shortcut, including mouse buttons.

For example. In XSI, the translate button is “V”. When the “V” button is pressed, the LMB is the X axis, MMB is the Y axis, and RMB is the Z axis. In order to move in the X and Y direction, press the LMB and the MMB, easy. There is probably no way to set this up in Wings, but I like this configuration. One button, no manipulators and total control. So you only need 3 buttons for translate, scale and rotate. And to scale uniformly, just hold Shift (like Photoshop) All of the axes are on the mouse!

Well what I am saying is not that Wings should adopt a new shortcut layout, but rather give the user full control, and aloow multiple keyboard layouts on one system. And to make the shortcut layout saveable for new versions and ditribution.

Tell me what you guys think?

#2

Ahh yes I forgot to mention. I would also like to be able to configure how the keys and buttons interact also. For example, right now to perform Free Move, you hit your shortcut for Free Move and then move the mouse around and hit the LMB when you are done. The way I am used to (in any package) is t o hit your shortcut for move, then press the LMB and hold while moving. And when you are done moving, release the LMB.

Another thing would be modes. So you hit the Free Move button, now when you are done moving, you leave Free Move mode. I would like to be able to configure this so it would stay in free move(or whatever)mode you are working in unti you command for a new mode(rotate scale etc…)

Also…Sticky keys. Sat you are in free move mode, now you want to scale. So hold ( do not hit and release) the scale key. While you are holding the key, you will scale. When you release, you will return to Free Move. Many less keyboard commands necessary.

One more thing. WOrking with different facets (faces, edges verts). It should be possible to have the same shortcuts for all facets. The Move(scale rotate etc…_ key should be universal for all facets. This of course should be configurable to preference.

Wings is a great program, I think this would make it WAAAAAYYYY better. It would let the individual decide how to work.

#3

Seems like you just want XSI :slight_smile:
About the hit key,move around,click to finish thing…
Sweet. No other word for it.
Because that allows you to go into cam mode while translating Z or whatever,
so you can rotate the camera around before committing to the move.
Also really helpfull when doing free translates/tweaks,
as,at least in blender mode,it’s real easy to rotate the camera without having to leave whatever mode you’re in,
or indeed,your hand ever leaving the mouse.
With the setup you’re proposing,I don’t see how that could still be.

Also,you can have the same shortcut keys for all modes.
You just need to set them all.
I use the same keys for move,rotate scale,bevel and extrude in all modes…
Just have to enter the mode you want to set the key for,
so like,select a vert,find the command you want (rotate X),
and set it to some key.
Then just enter edge mode,find the same command,and set it to the same key.
Then repeat for face mode,and then repeat for all commands you want :slight_smile:

It’s quite a bit of work,but it’s worth it once you’re done.

For the mode thing,there already is one mode there…Tools->Tweak.
If you haven’t tried it yet,do so NOW! :slight_smile:
And don’t forget to hit the 1 key in tweak mode and look at the help bar area for some tips.
There are also some other mode plugins out there,
like clacos’ draw loop and slide…not available for the latest version tho.

Not sure if I like the idea of having all of wings put into modes like that tho…
I’m just so used to the wings way of doing stuff now,
much like you with XSI I guess :),
and it seems like quite a large change to me.

Oh,and you can change the shortcut keys to a file…
I have mine backed up on my ipod,
along with the latest installer
That way I never have to be without wings for long.
Anyways,you just need to find your prefs file.
(documents and settings%user%\application data\wings3d.)
for windows,at least NT based systems…
9x I’m not sure of.
For linux/OSX it’s still in the wings dir,in a file named .preferences?
Can’t really remember.
Anyways,either take the whole file and back it up,
OR,and this is the trick,go find the section where it says bindkey.
Mark those lines,save to new doc,done
I’d love to see those separated from the prefs,
so I could export/import hotkeys via the menus,
or maybe have multiple hotkey profiles installed and choose from the menus.
Anyways,I’m rambling…Enjoy wings!

#4

I adore both apps… but i would rather have XSI work like wings… there are some things (as you mentioned) that wings should do, but I can work so much quicker in Wings than any other app.

#5

Seems like you just want XSI

This is very true. I love XSI. I mostly model, and I get very little use of the millions of other parts of XSI, it is resource hungry. I just want to try some good modeller. I have seen awesome work done in LWave and Mirai, just awesome stuff that I wouldn’t ever think of. Such as the Box modelling head videos on Newtek’s website, the modeller never cut extruded or anything. Smoothshift and spinquad only, crazy workflow and all quads!
When I first moved from Maya to XSI I found the standard tools to be confusing and awkward with no manipulators, now I find manipulators useless and counterproductive(for me).

XSI has enabled manipulators( to steal Maya users I believe), and can be turned on by preference, or left off conveniently. I love having choices.

I have nothing against Wings workflow, I would like to be able to tune it to my liking. I think that is what all of the competing apps lack(Wings is hardly a competitor cause it is free) If Max users could set LWave to work like Max, yet get all of the features that LWave hads, maybe they would spring for LWave, the price is right. Anyways, I would love to see Wings enable all of the things that I mentioned.

#6

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