*""""Martin [email protected] <[email protected]>*
*With SI retired you can't buy licenses for SI anymore, it doesn't come with Max or Maya, you can only use the licenses you have right now. You should add "keep selling SI licenses" to your idea.MartinSent from my iPhone""""""""""""""* Thing is, Softimage IS now depreciated, like it or not, no petition will likely change that, that should be clear, -it's not going to move forward like it used to and it will eventually fully die. With that, I don't think Autodesk will want to encourage new users to Softimage, so not selling new licenses directly makes sense for them to continue selling Softimage directly, when they want to be selling/promoting Maya and presumably Max licenses, -(yes it makes sense to us but not for them and we aren't going to win that one). But, to keep it updated with FBX/Crosswalk and Mental Ray is a great transition boon for those interested in migrating to either Maya or Max. This will allow people in the middle of a transition to easily return to familiar territory and get work done fast and clean and go back and forth with ease, at their own pace as they re-learn all of their skills as well as totally new features in their new package of choice. Two years, now until 2016, may very well not be enough time for some studios/freelancers if they are buried in much needed work and it may not be so easy to get all of the functionality out of the interfaces they are accustomed to integrated into Max/Maya in such a short time at a level that would be acceptable to all users. This keeps Soft development in a depreciated state, but gives a little bit more growing room than the 2016 deadline which is rightfully ambitious. And none of this encourages new Softimage users, which is I suspect a quality they are wisely after given their total gameplan. On Sat, Mar 15, 2014 at 1:17 PM, skuby <[email protected]> wrote: > 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 >> > >
