Point noted, but I wouldn't use Softimage 2010 as a benchmark because it was
a poor release full of temperamental glitches and regressions. I recently
installed Softimage 7.5 on windows 7 64-bit so I could review the SI3D
importer, and have not experienced any of the problems you mention. My file
browsers work as expected. The legacy dotXSI importer crashes on import of
data, not during file browsing - but that's an entirely different issue.
You might want to reconsider the idea of re-installing your OS as it sounds
like something is amiss.
If I had to pick a version(s) for maintaining old data it would be:
Softimage 2014 SP2
Softimage 2015 SP1
Softimage 7.5 - 32 bit (as last resort - for SI3D compatibility)
and for legacy data pre-ICE:
Softimage|XSI 5.11
avoid at all costs:
Softimage|XSI 6.x
Softimage 2010x
Any other version and you're asking for problems somewhere along the line -
many of which you cannot see as an end user until you try to get your data
out. Many versions have problems with geometry and cluster integrity.
Matt
Date: Tue, 23 Dec 2014 03:43:32 -0800
Subject: Re: How do you guys make sure XSI files and Softimage 7.5+ files
will open in 2016?
To: <[email protected]>
I don't have a library of softimage assets worth keeping, but if I did
I would certainly make sure I have a copy of Softimage in a Windows 7
VM like you mention, which I would archive and keep a backup copy
off-site . Never update that copy of Windows, never work with it
except to get assets out. I worry that Softimage may not function at
all in a few years, as some components it relies on might be broken in
a Windows update where Microsoft favours security over compatibility.
I have Softimage 2010 at home and it is already broken; every
workflow that prompts for a file browser just hangs, and I can't fix
it user-side, I've tried everything already short of re-installing the
OS, which I won't do.
The file format is binary and practically encrypted, so only the app
can load those files. Worse, there is a design flaw whereby the app
can crash if a required plugin is not installed or has a problem while
loading a scene, then there is no way to load the scene.
Safe keeping the installers is no security, they may not run at all in
the future, being tangled in microsoft "MSI" installer tech and other
things. Older 32-bit Softmage installers already don't run because
they have a 16-bit component which won't run on 64-bit Windows. Now
the trick is finding a VM product that you can trust will continue to
work for 10 years. I'm not sure if I trust Virtual PC to still be
around in the future.
