"Simulating" Subsurface Scattering in SOFTIMAGE|XSI

In SOFTIMAGE|XSI V2.0, the rendertree volume has been improved. With Mr3.0 you can now use the shader State-Scalar properly to extract
the volume depth or thickness to modulate the effect.

Here is a an example using SOFTIMAGE|XSI V2




Too Lazy to build the tree? You can download it here: subsurface_scattering.Preset
Either drag the above link into your render tree or open it from with in XSI. Connect it to your objects Volume input and you're done! (To change the colors, use your surface shader and the Mix2colors node.)

This is not "true" subsurface scattering, but it does look similar. With a little tweaking most people would not be able to tell the difference. But there is no real light transmission. If you want to scatter/transmit light in a manner similar to subsurface scattering, it could probably be done using a photon shader. But it would take a lot longer to render. Once people start using it in production and it becomes more of a tool than a buzzword, I suspect that you'll see a render tree setup for "real" subsurface scattering showing up soon afterward.

Anyone care to build one? :)