Using XSI (7.5) Applink with 3DC4

[ladlon]

Hi, I just got 3DCoat recently, and am trying to get myself familiar with all the features and workflow.

 

One of the things I've tried, but can't seem to get to work is the exporting of a made-in-3DC model (as an .obj with displacement and colour maps) to XSI 7.5.

 

I have installed the proper Applink, but am not sure what (if needed) to configure.  The Temp directory is greyed out, and can't be altered.  I'm not sure what the Exchange directory should be set as (I currently have it in My Documents/3DCoat/Exchange)... although even if that IS correct, I'm not sure if 3DC or me are putting things where they are supposed to be.  I've seen no setting for an Exchange folder in 3DC, and meanwhile I've been exporting the .obj file via the File>Export Model pulldown in 3DC, and saving it to my other drive's root (not the C drive).

 

That said, I also tried importing the .obj file manually via XSI's Import button (Import OBJ), which gives me some options.  Oddly enough, the displacement map settings don't automatically point to the same directory of the obj file, so I have to manually point to it in the Displacement tab of the Import OBJ window.  The obj file loads in fine, as do the textures (which map properly), and the render tree shows some nodes set up, attached to the Displacement port of the material node... yet I don't see any displacement effect.

 

Now, this is probably because something isn't set properly... and on import, it DID bring up two very busy/cryptic windows (seemingly regarding the displacement image), which I had no clue how to adjust.

 

So, I guess that's why we have the Applink... to do that all automatically.  But, I can't seem to get that to work fully.

 

I've watched a number of videos, but many show earlier versions, or don't match what I see.  For example, one vid showed an Export To... item in the File pulldown, yet I don't have that.  I just have the Export Model at the very bottom of the pulldown, as well as an Open In Original App (which doesn't work, since the object was made in 3DC, and it actually is trying to find Mudbox!).  It seems the menu items have changed a lot over the course of the different versions of 3DC.  I couldn't find anything specifically on XSI/Applink, aside from showing how to load FROM XSI, modify, then send BACK to XSI (where that Open In Original App pulldown item WOULD be applicable).

 

Can someone point me to a proper step by step for configuring and exporting using XSI7.5 and Applink... or explain it to me themselves?  The settings are a bit too cryptic for me to really tinker and sort it out myself.

 

Thanks!

(Running a Win7 Premium i7, if you need to know...)