Importing the Surface into Softimage

After starting Softimage, the surface can be imported by switching into Tools mode and selecting Import:Objects:Wavefront... from the right-hand menu bar. Select the file to be imported using the file selection box, and uncheck the Order Polygons box. Unchecking the Order Polygons box may produce some warning messages at the bottom of the Softimage main interface. This is normal.

Forgetting to uncheck the Order Polygons box can be dangerous! Softimage will begin to reorder the polygons, combining polygons with equivalent edges. For small surfaces, this presents no problem, but for large surfaces the reordering can take hours.

After a successful import, Softimage should be responsive to mouse movements and keyboard commands. To see the model, switch back to the Model mode and press the "a" key in each of the individual projection panes. The surface will be centered in the view, though not necessarily centered on the origin of the coordinate system. If the object appears distorted, switch from perspective to orthographic projection in each of the windows.

The model can now be saved into the Softimage scene database and used like any other model. Softimage can be used to reduce the number of polygons contained in the model, patch holes or other defects in the model, assign textures and colors to the surface, and a seemingly infinite number of other creative possibilities.

Do it yourself...
1.	Start up Softimage by typing soft at the UNIX command prompt.
2.	Click the left mouse button once on the Softimage splash screen in order to get to the interface.
3.	Select Tools from the upper right menu.
4.	Select Import:Objects:Wavefront... from the popup menu along the right hand side of the screen.
5.	Click on the Select button to locate the file, or type in the complete path name of the file, leaving off the .obj extension.
6.	Uncheck the Order Polygons box, if selected.
7.	Press OK.
8.	Wait until the file loads. Warning messages may be observed in cyan-colored text at the bottom of the Softimage interface.
9.	Press the "a" key on the keyboard to see the entire model in all of the different projection panes: Top, Perspective, Right, and Front (clockwise from upper left).

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