Ok you are very right on the SDK/Plug-in front, I really didn't think about it like that. However, I think that dominated your response and your accidentally throwing out the baby with the bathwater in effect. (without question, no matter what, Softimage is depreciated but I'm trying to get the best effect out of a transition here)
Soft, as is, without plug-ins or new features, is STILL usable for games, movies, commercials and more. Removing it as a stand-alone product, and packing it SOLEY as a tie in bonus with Maya, Max or any Suite, ONLY further promotes the packages AD wants to keep alive while appeasing the small studios (Japan/Vancouver/etc.) and freelance users of Softimage quite a bit better than just a 2016 cutoff. By keeping alive Crosswalk/FBX functionality for some time longer, -modeling, animation, UV, rigging, etc. can all still be done as is in Soft and if needed, easily sent over to Maya, as that features work right now between those two packages quite well (a little trickier with max as you don't get all the automated 2-way crosswalk features last I checked but you still have FBX handy and a TD can easily work with that). Keeping up to date Mental Ray, allows existing pipe-lines that go in the other direction, or use Softimage entirely, able to keep up and extend the transition period beyond 2016. Now, remember, all the while anyone primarily using Softimage with these Crosswalk/Mental Ray add-ons, are also going to have full up to date copies of at least one of the 2 non-depreciated softwares that AD wants to continue and actively promote at this time, which is only going to increase AD's revenue by ensuring many Japanese/Vancouver studios and others stay in the Autodesk family, and that alone will likely provide more than enough revenue that would potentially be lost (even if only in small amounts) to the obvious hoard of disgruntled orphans. I don't want to make this too long, but I had hoped by now, AD would have already merged the 3 major userbases (I expect with a Maya base above all else because big studios have a lot invested in existing pipelines with it and that just makes financial sense) . I think the above will really help with that transition, and they can promote in the future a refined Maya with a well needed updated hypershade (Softimage's render tree kills the current, dated, hypershade without question usability wise) and with a much needed update to the interaction model/keyboard shortcut/user interface that Softimage has over every other package out there, out of the box as a default. When you tack on the upcoming ICE replacement, and the best is done not to alienate hurt Softimage users, I think many if not most will naturally migrate to a well refined Maya without much cajoling with the above mentioned treats and perhaps some love given to the animation/keying/rigging/weighting systems. Anyways, that's my peace, I put it out there with the best of intentions. Mudbox is one of my favorites, I started with Max, moved onto Maya and ended up with Softimage. And in the current forms I have to wait for the future to move on from Softimage, because nothing, inside or outside of the AD family is going to replace it today, and I want that extended for as long as possible as Maya is refined into the obvious front-runner than merges the 3 bases. On Sat, Mar 15, 2014 at 11:19 AM, Matt Lind <[email protected]>wrote: > Short version: > > > > 1) Softimage supports more than just film/video. There are people working > in many industries which won't be served by mental ray and FBX updates. My > studio is a prime example (games). > > > > 2) The SDK is not open enough for plugin developers to do what you > suggest. Many of the 3rd party efforts to date usually required some > amount of help from the Softimage developers to make possible. Softimage > tended to implement new features, then expand the SDK to support those new > features. For 3rd party development, you need the SDK expanded ahead of > the features. In other words, while the SDK is mature, it's also not > expanded too far outside of what you can already do out of the box. New > plugin efforts would largely amount to using existing levers and switches > instead of making new levers and switches like you and everybody else would > like. > > > > There's still plenty of tools that can be written, but probably not > anything earth shattering as the SDK is single threaded and some of the > components it leans on are getting long in the tooth too as Luc-Eric has > recently mentioned. Basically, Softimage is that car that still performs > really great, but has high mileage and about to enter that period where > major parts will need repairing/replacing making it a very expensive > upkeep. Since the driver hasn't seen that breakage firsthand yet, he's > under the impression there isn't a problem and the car can drive on > indefinitely into the sunset. > > > > Autodesk was at our site just as the press release was officially hitting > the wire. While no specifics were mentioned by Autodesk or our reseller in > our offices, my personal poking, prodding and reading between the lines > lead me to believe a lot of work (refactoring) has gone into Maya the past > few years to accommodate some of this burden in migration, but some (much) > work still has to come. I think we'll see parts of that work in Maya 2015 > and probably explains why the Softimage Montreal team has been busy for the > past 2 years on Maya instead of Softimage. I have no idea if there's any > truth to this, but it's what I've come to believe based on the sparse bits > and pieces I could put together, and witnessing how such migrations were > handled in the past. > > > > I'll share the rest of my thoughts from 21+ years of Softimage experience > in another thread at another time. Right now I'm neck deep in getting the > project out the door Ben Houston so kindly posted the other day. > > > > > > > > Matt > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > *From:* [email protected] [mailto: > [email protected]] *On Behalf Of *skuby > *Sent:* Friday, March 14, 2014 8:38 PM > *To:* [email protected] > *Subject:* Idea- Just keep Mental Ray and FBX support - Softimage free > w/Maya or Max or any Suite. > > > > Softimage is ready out of the box now with no new features added. Why > not, leave it as is, but continue to support new Mental Ray and FBX updates > so that it still continues to fit nicely into any pipeline and leave > continued development past 2016 at those simple two things. Leave the rest > up to plug-in developers and forever-more include Softimage as a free > throw-in with any Maya or Max or Suite purchase or rental, so there will be > many ways to own it or rent it while exclusively promoting your other > packages. The other great thing, since it can only now come with Max/Maya > or a Suite, is that Soft users are never a financial burden to their > employers since it will always be a free seat with any existing Max/Maya > licence. > > > > This could be a very easy, welcomed add-on to the existing Softimage > retirement announcement. Please please, consider this as an option > Autodesk and please, everyone, support and promote this idea to Autodesk, I > think it's our best bet and we might actually be able to get this. > > > > -regards >
