What if Softimage died?

General discussion about 3D DCC and other topics
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Softimage is unofficially dead what would you do ?

Poll ended at 05 Oct 2013, 13:10

Switch to Maya (including LT) / Max
13
14%
Continue using Softimage for a few years to come
59
61%
Blender
6
6%
Houdini
12
13%
Modo
2
2%
Other
4
4%
 
Total votes: 96
azurecgi
Posts: 171
Joined: 12 Jul 2011, 12:11

Re: What if Softimage died?

Post by azurecgi » 02 Mar 2014, 20:50

MauricioPC wrote:Even worst was some guy from Autodesk popping up in the list, in the middle of the same subject and giving his contacts for people that to transition to get in touch.

Talking about bad timing.
Personally, at this point in time, especially if the rumour turns out to be true. I am very reluctant to spend another penny with Autodesk!

Unfortunately it was only 3 months ago that I renewed my subscription, which raises another question. If they really are stopping development (although you could argue that happened a couple of years ago), do I get a refund?

The only way they will get me to even think about trying Maya is if they give those of us on subscription a free transition to it (whilst keeping our current Softimage licenses) X(
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SreckoM
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Re: What if Softimage died?

Post by SreckoM » 02 Mar 2014, 20:51

Manticor wrote:
Pooby wrote:
I realise I am putting my trust in Fabric, but my experience is that they are honest passionate people with whom I have met face to face, and who are transparent regarding roadmaps of where they are going. that's very refreshing and how it should be and we've been starved of that for a long while.
I believe that metaphorically speaking, for me FE will be ICE without limits and I'm excited about that.
Thanks for the advice. I fully understand it, but I feel I know what I'm doing.
Hey Paul ,is there any chance you could do a tutorial on getting started in fabric stuff ?.your scripting tutorials really inspired me to have another stab at it ...and I bought rafs tutorials and 7 weeks later I've written a few tools and a basic exporter for a game ngne .... So thanks for the inspiration fella.

Maybe you could inspire others to dip their toes into Fabric
+1
- H -
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owei
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Re: What if Softimage died?

Post by owei » 02 Mar 2014, 21:14

azurecgi wrote: The only way they will get me to even think about trying Maya is if they give those of us on subscription a free transition to it (whilst keeping our current Softimage licenses) X(
My guess is, that exactly that will happen. ADs way to push even more people into that Maya crap. Maybe they will offer you a 3DS Max license...LOL ;) Good times...everybody happy now...?
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woodengun
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Joined: 16 Nov 2011, 05:31

Re: What if Softimage died?

Post by woodengun » 02 Mar 2014, 21:25

I'm not trying to derail the topic (and forgive me if this was mentioned in the previous 60 pages) but is there any chance of another company taking over SI?

I'm not very familiar with licensing / software copyrights but does AD intend to just let SI slowly wither and die with no support? This software has been developed by over three companies for the past twenty years. It seems like the responsible thing to do would be to hand it off to a new developer and let someone else take the reigns (can you imagine how cool it would be if SolidAngle or Exocortex took over the software and development... ). That way nobody would be losing one of the best 3d packages ever because the sales are low compared to Maya...
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Paulrus
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Re: What if Softimage died?

Post by Paulrus » 02 Mar 2014, 21:31

Autodesk would never sell Softimage. The best you could ever hope for is they'd license the technology.

When ADSK bought Softimage, they didn't buy it for the software - they bought it for patents & intellectual property. That's the name of the game in business these days. Own as many patents as you can - sue anyone who uses "your tech" without paying licensing.

-Paul
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woodengun
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Joined: 16 Nov 2011, 05:31

Re: What if Softimage died?

Post by woodengun » 02 Mar 2014, 22:08

yeah i suppose you're right... too bad. Its sucks when business gets in the way of progress.
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azurecgi
Posts: 171
Joined: 12 Jul 2011, 12:11

Re: What if Softimage died?

Post by azurecgi » 02 Mar 2014, 22:15

owei wrote:My guess is, that exactly that will happen. ADs way to push even more people into that Maya crap. Maybe they will offer you a 3DS Max license...LOL ;) Good times...everybody happy now...?
Not really! What I hope happens is that SideFX take advantage of the situation and offer us a Houdini license for a good 'crossgrade' price :)
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ThomasHelzle
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Re: What if Softimage died?

Post by ThomasHelzle » 02 Mar 2014, 22:24

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:ymparty:
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azurecgi
Posts: 171
Joined: 12 Jul 2011, 12:11

Re: What if Softimage died?

Post by azurecgi » 02 Mar 2014, 22:31

ThomasHelzle wrote:=)) =)) =)) =)) =)) =)) =)) =)) =)) =)) =)) =)) =)) =)) =)) =)) =)) =)) =)) =)) =)) =)) =)) =)) =)) =)) =)) =)) =)) =)) =)) =)) =)) =)) =)) =)) =)) =)) =)) =)) =)) =)) =)) =)) =)) =)) =)) =)) =)) =)) =)) =)) =))

:ymparty:
Eh?!
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ThomasHelzle
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Re: What if Softimage died?

Post by ThomasHelzle » 02 Mar 2014, 22:54

We basically knew this at day one after the acquisition deep down in our guts.
I was physically sick back then for weeks.
It took me years to let go.
Thankfully I did.

Now I can only laugh at the mountains of BS the corporate mouths told us all those years - which nobody really believed, but man did we try.
How did Monty Python put it: "What's brown and sounds like a bell? Dung......"

Another part of me could cry.
How many thousands and thousands of work hours of fantastic devs are getting dumped just for the whims of some imbeciles.

My condolences to everybody involved.

Cheers,

Tom

Moderator edit: edited out a cheap shot (IMHO) at an individual - HB
Last edited by ThomasHelzle on 02 Mar 2014, 23:19, edited 1 time in total.
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MauricioPC
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Re: What if Softimage died?

Post by MauricioPC » 02 Mar 2014, 22:56

azurecgi wrote:
owei wrote:My guess is, that exactly that will happen. ADs way to push even more people into that Maya crap. Maybe they will offer you a 3DS Max license...LOL ;) Good times...everybody happy now...?
Not really! What I hope happens is that SideFX take advantage of the situation and offer us a Houdini license for a good 'crossgrade' price :)
That would be a smart move in my book. As for Max, as much as you guys hate it, I may go to for FX work since I like to play with FumeFX and Krakatoa.

And in the middle, will continue using Softimage for when I need to animate something. Lets see what happens. I dont want to go to Maya. When the time comes, its Houdini time.
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Cacoman
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Re: What if Softimage died?

Post by Cacoman » 02 Mar 2014, 23:19

List of options here:

1 Stick to Softimage for what you need to. (Almost everything).
2 Go to what ADKS thinks is better for you (AKA Maya so they can still charge you for crappy stuff compared to Softimage).
3 Switch immediatly to other 3D software (As you may believe Softimage will stop working, if ADSK announces SI 2015 is the latest release).
4 Start changing your smooth workflow and pipeline (because also if ADKS announces is the latest release, in future years to come, you think that Softimage will be unusable, and its gears will start to rust and fall appart).

Most devs have stated their positions. To continue to support Softimage as long as there are Softimage users. So I will stick to devs that have made much more than ADSK for Softimage since Softimage's acquisition by Autodesk.

Maybe that is the bet of ADSK discontinuing Softimage. That devs stop and focuse in Maya, and that we go to Maya or 3dMAX to continue laughing at us with our money.

No more money to ADSK if they stop Softimage. My money fully aimed to devs. Maybe after all, I will thank ADSK for killing Softimage as Softimage is the only strand that attaches me to ADSK.

Hail to devs!

So, choose you poison.

I have already chose mine, since the very first rumors of ADSK killing Softimage. And I have not died yet since SI 2013.
To create something that does not exist, to exist.
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BenR
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Joined: 11 Jun 2009, 20:52

Re: What if Softimage died?

Post by BenR » 03 Mar 2014, 00:09

azurecgi wrote:
Not really! What I hope happens is that SideFX take advantage of the situation and offer us a Houdini license for a good 'crossgrade' price :)

Well, the real expense in Houdini isn't so much the initial license cost, but the relatively high annual maintenance cost.
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McNistor
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Re: What if Softimage died?

Post by McNistor » 03 Mar 2014, 00:16

For now and for the next few years Softimage will still be a great tool and most current users will still use it, I'm sure of that.
I'm therefore not advocating dropping XSI like it's hot, after all, licenses money and time invested in training and tool development can't be simply thrown away, but whatever position people will choose for the time being, it will come a time when everybody will need to move on should they want to remain competitive in this industry.
Last edited by McNistor on 03 Mar 2014, 01:16, edited 1 time in total.
The society that separates its scholars from its warriors will have its thinking done by cowards and its fighting done by fools.
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Rez007
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Re: What if Softimage died?

Post by Rez007 » 03 Mar 2014, 00:48

BenR wrote:
azurecgi wrote:
Not really! What I hope happens is that SideFX take advantage of the situation and offer us a Houdini license for a good 'crossgrade' price :)

Well, the real expense in Houdini isn't so much the initial license cost, but the relatively high annual maintenance cost.
You are right about that. The annual maintenance/upgrade price is steep especially if you want the FX edition, which is most likely the one that most people really want. SideFX is in a good place to grab a larger user base right about now, but it would be nice if they lowered the annual maintenance cost.
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adrencg
Posts: 196
Joined: 05 May 2012, 00:50

Re: What if Softimage died?

Post by adrencg » 03 Mar 2014, 14:59

McNistor wrote:For now and for the next few years Softimage will still be a great tool and most current users will still use it, I'm sure of that.
I'm therefore not advocating dropping XSI like it's hot, after all, licenses money and time invested in training and tool development can't be simply thrown away, but whatever position people will choose for the time being, it will come a time when everybody will need to move on should they want to remain competitive in this industry.
I'm not going to delude myself. I need to move on eventually, and I've been using Modo quite a bit for the last 3 years, and I even want to go back to my roots -- Lightwave.

But I can easily go another 4 years with Softimage.
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