Hi Leoung, If we could do it easily we would because there would be no downside. Our back end and licensing systems cannot really deal with this effectively. Although it seems trivial it is not. We just don't have systems that enable us to manage this. So we manually manage exceptions and that takes time and is not scalable. Ultimately we have been trying to find solutions for customers to facilitate the transition but there are some things that we can and cannot implement in a systematic way.
Our licensing policy is actually pretty flexible. I am not aware of any licensing managers that let you pick and choose whatever version you want to whenever you want to. So I don't think this is just an Autodesk implementation. Pretty much every vendor in the industry has similar EULAs and few allow you to access prior versions systematically. But then I could be wrong... maurice Maurice Patel Autodesk : Tél: 514 954-7134 -----Original Message----- From: softimage-boun...@listproc.autodesk.com [mailto:softimage-boun...@listproc.autodesk.com] On Behalf Of Leoung O'Young Sent: Thursday, May 15, 2014 3:03 PM To: softimage@listproc.autodesk.com Subject: Re: MayaSoft - previous versions Hi Maurice, I know you have been very understood and accommodating in the past, but this doesn't make sense in a production environment. We have clients asking us to update projects from 4 years ago, it is pretty dangerous to bring old projects into the new version of the software. This can really put us in a bind. I not asking Autodesk to support the old software but just give us the ability to use it. We are not using on multiple computers but on the same computer, what harm is there to Autodesk? Best Regards, Leoung On 15/05/2014 2:43 PM, Matt Lind wrote: > So let me get this straight. > > We have been developing a project for 9+ years starting in April 2005 using > XSI v3.5. As you can imagine, that's a ton of content. Unlike most > film/video projects which finish in 36 months or less and can sweep problems > under the rug thereafter, our product will ship next month and will need to > be maintained for many years while still needing access to data we created as > much as 9 years ago. > > We have tried to upgrade annually, but were stuck on Softimage 7.5 for nearly > 5 years because Autodesk could not produce a functional release of Softimage > void of major showstoppers we could upgrade to until 2013 SP1 was released - > even then we had to work around some issues to make the jump. But because of > changes to the real time shader API and other behavioral changes/regressions, > we cannot open many of our scenes from 7.5 in 2013 SP1 or else they will > break. But instead of allowing us access to a version of the software to > keep our production going, you're telling us we have to purchase more > licenses to work around a problem you guys created and forced upon us? > > I don't think that's fair or reasonable. > > Matt > > > > > -----Original Message----- > From: softimage-boun...@listproc.autodesk.com > [mailto:softimage-boun...@listproc.autodesk.com] On Behalf Of Maurice > Patel > Sent: Thursday, May 15, 2014 7:42 AM > To: softimage@listproc.autodesk.com > Subject: RE: MayaSoft - previous versions > > Hi Leoung, > No you can only have one version per license. Subscription entitles you to > choose whether that is the latest version (2015) or any one of three versions > prior (2012, 2013, 2014) as long as you have usage rights to that version. > You cannot have multiple versions installed concurrently you must choose only > one version. Usage rights require that you have actually purchased and used > those prior versions. So for example if a new customer purchases software > from Autodesk for the first time (with Subscription) they will have not have > any prior versions to access. A year later a new release comes out and they > upgrade. They will now have 1 prior version they can access. A year later two > and so on. > > Prior versions were created so that companies/users could try out new > versions without having to upgrade their pipeline (which might be disruptive > to an ongoing production). They could upgrade licenses for testing and then > switch them back to their production version when needed. > > Please note that we are creating a special exception for Softimage customers > who migrate to Maya or 3ds Max whereby they will inherit prior version access > for those products if they had them for Softimage. > > More than three years back are not supported. Exceptions can be negotiated > with Sales in very special cases and typically only for large installations. > It is not really feasible for Autodesk to keep supporting every version of > every software they ever delivered, and the costs if we did so would be huge > - and would make the software unnecessarily expensive to the end user. > > If you absolutely must have access to 7.5 and still want access to our > latest software the best solution is not to upgrade your license but > to keep it and buy a new license of the Maya with Softimage bundle. > That way you can continue forward with new releases and whenever you > want to still fire up 7.5. Technically though your 7.5 license is > permanent the agreement is contractual > > maurice > > Maurice Patel > Autodesk : Tél: 514 954-7134 > > > -----Original Message----- > From: softimage-boun...@listproc.autodesk.com > [mailto:softimage-boun...@listproc.autodesk.com] On Behalf Of Leoung > O'Young > Sent: Wednesday, May 14, 2014 6:24 PM > To: softimage@listproc.autodesk.com > Subject: Re: MayaSoft - previous versions > > Hi Maurice, > > Just want to be sure I gt this right, I can have versions of Softimage > 2015 all the way back to 7.5 running on the same computer if need be? > > Thanks, > Leoung > > On 14/05/2014 3:32 PM, Maurice Patel wrote: >> Hi Matt, >> Any 7.5 license you have should continue to work indefinitely and if you >> need to migrate it to a new computer we so support that capability (through >> our customer support group). If you need to guarantee access to 7.5 your >> best bet is to keep some licenses. Your Subscription contract only provides >> access to the last three versions prior to the current release (i.e. 2014, >> 2013 and 2012). However, technically we can issue any license we have ever >> issued (but not licenses for versions that were issued by Avid). We only do >> that in exceptional cases and this is almost certainly something you would >> need to work out with Sales first. It is rather rare that we have to do this >> because, for software that old, you pretty much have to purchase a new >> license anyway (from a price perspective).- So why not keep your old one? >> You could instead purchase Maya with Softimage 2015 and keep Softimage 7.5. >> This would avoid a lot of hassle because, as per the usage agreement for >> prior versions, you cannot have concurrent versions of the same software >> running which would mean un-installing, re-installing software each time you >> switch versions. This is all managed on a trust basis. Since all licenses >> are permanent ones, there is nothing stopping you from doing this other than >> that the subscription contract stipulates that you do not. Prior versions >> were really created as a means for Subscription customers to maintain >> pipelines on 'recent' older versions and manage pipeline upgrades over a >> three year window and not as a means of accessing any software release we >> have ever developed. >> Maurice >> >> Maurice Patel >> Autodesk : Tél: 514 954-7134 >> >> From: softimage-boun...@listproc.autodesk.com >> [mailto:softimage-boun...@listproc.autodesk.com] On Behalf Of Matt >> Lind >> Sent: Wednesday, May 14, 2014 1:41 PM >> To: softimage@listproc.autodesk.com >> Subject: RE: MayaSoft - previous versions >> >> Hello Maurice, >> >> Is there a limit how far back the license server will go in terms of >> supporting older versions of Softimage? We currently use 2013 SP1, but >> prior to that we were using Softimage 7.5 and still need to occasionally >> jump into 7.5 to exhume old data which have dependencies specific to 7.5 (we >> have a ton of 7.5 data). >> >> >> Matt >> >> >> >> >> From: softimage-boun...@listproc.autodesk.com >> [mailto:softimage-boun...@listproc.autodesk.com] On Behalf Of Maurice >> Patel >> Sent: Wednesday, May 14, 2014 9:49 AM >> To: softimage@listproc.autodesk.com >> Subject: RE: MayaSoft - previous versions >> >> Hi everyone, >> There appears to be some database glitches in our back end systems >> that are causing the problems like the case of Leendert. The ops team >> is trying to resolve this. This is a bit like bug fixing - we need >> to find and identify the problem fix it so the problem does not reoccur. >> We are sorry if this is taking a bit longer than expected. If you >> migrate you ARE entitled to prior versions of Softimage as part of >> your Subscription. We just need to iron out some kinks so please bear >> with us maurice >> >> Maurice Patel >> Autodesk : Tél: 514 954-7134 >> >> From: >> softimage-boun...@listproc.autodesk.com<mailto:softimage-bounces@list >> p roc.autodesk.com> [mailto:softimage-boun...@listproc.autodesk.com] >> On Behalf Of Leoung O'Young >> Sent: Wednesday, May 14, 2014 12:38 PM >> To: >> softimage@listproc.autodesk.com<mailto:softim...@listproc.autodesk.co >> m >> Subject: Re: MayaSoft - previous versions >> >> I e-mailed Maurice Patel directly a few days ago regarding Softimage >> Maya license transfer, he suggest we should be able to use Softimage 2015 >> license and previous version access through the Subs center. >> Although I haven't gone through this process myself, too busy with other >> things. >> >> Leoung >> >> On 14/05/2014 12:04 PM, Ciaran Moloney wrote: >> Any chance you're trying to start 2014 while you already have 2015 open? >> >> On Wed, May 14, 2014 at 4:17 PM, Leendert A. Hartog >> <hirazib...@live.nl<mailto:hirazib...@live.nl>> wrote: >> After a long struggle with the subscription center my new "Maya with >> Softimage" license finally arrived today. So "happy, happy, joy, joy" (Ren >> and Stimpy style). But there seems to be one downside to this, which those >> of you still planning this "transition" might want to know about. The new >> license apparently strips you of your previous versions usage rights, i.e. I >> wasn't able to run Softimage 2014 on this new license, whereas this was >> still possible with my recent Softimage 2015 license. It's possible that >> this has been mentioned before and/or this purely a mistake I am making, if >> so, I'm truly sorry for the additional noise, but I thought it was a fact >> worth noting. Personally I can probably live without the previous versions >> usage rights, but I doubt everybody on this list can quite as easily. If >> this, however, is simply me doing something stupidly wrong, please tell me, >> so I can hunt for the mistake at my end. >> >> Greetz >> Leendert >> >> -- >> >> Leendert A. Hartog AKA Hirazi Blue >> Administrator NOT the owner of >> si-community.com<http://si-community.com> >> >> > > > > >
<<attachment: winmail.dat>>
