www.si-community.com

Falam did a poll like this in his "What if?" thread, but the situation seems to have drastically changed since then and some of your choices presumably have changed also. This poll assumes everybody will continue using Softimage for as long as possible, while exploring new software as a possible replacement. It's this new software this poll is about. As the poll is anonymous people even can admit to their intention to switch to Autodesk software...

I'm going to Max land. Lets hope it doesn't get killed also.

Hirazi, create a subforum for Max later.

C4D and Maya for me.

For work I really don't have a choice, I'll have to use Maya as my clients are using it.

Personally I'd like to try Modo.

Still have to make up my mind...
3ds Max would be the obvious choice, because I already know it, and I can see quite a lot nonsense has been fixed in the past years, but there's much left to be desired, and always will.
You can get the job done, too (more so than with Maya), and there are countless plugin solutions, but I feel pushed back down the ladder a good couple of rungs, and it's a retired app, too. One that will be kept on life support for the time being, though.

Modo... nice, but no operator stack, and not even modelling relations! Will keep watching it closely, though, because it's very much alive and kicking.

Cinema... maybe. Don't particularly fancy it, though, despite the respectable things I see. Not sure yet. (Damn, why does the Wacom mouse mode not work with it???)
I'm afraid also that the development cycles are slow, though, and that it somewhat reached maturity already, remaining in it's state more or less.

Blender... nah, not until there's a shift in it's UI paradigms.

Houdini... fascinating, but darn complex... am I willing to invest that learning effort? Too much FX oriented, also, for my current needs.


Anyway, voted for 3ds max now, but that can and hopefully will change during the transitional period ahead of us.

I vote for Houdini but i will never stop using my beloved XSI. I will use Houdini as a side tool for my working, the main is XSI.
It's so sad to see people going out of XSI community so fast
We make cartoons and movies to teach children stay in-front of dark forces (in any shape, like AD did to us) but ourselves accept them so easy!

I think/hope you misinterpret this whole Migration business. People are exploring their options and will no doubt switch to other software at some point. For now I would think for most users the situation will be: use Softimage plus another software. And again: this poll tries to find out what other software people are currently favoring (as their "plus one", so to speak)...
;)

Correct. I for my part won't be leaving that fast.
Softimage works well, I've got jobs to do with it, but I will use the coming time to test all the options, also Houdini.

All options still have their pros/cons/compromises, and it will be interesting to see who will make the really smart moves now.

It's time to revive this poll. After the initial shock, the first vengeful vote, and the first experiences with your new app, you can now edit your vote to reflect what would be your real future choice ...
I'm surprised Maya is favored over Houdini but this must be related to the amounts of job offers.

Hi Hirazi, sorry but I think you have made your own views (about migration)
quite apparent in the very framing of your query.

You say..

Hirazi Blue wrote:This poll assumes everybody will continue using Softimage for as long as possible,
while exploring new software as a possible replacement.

yet if *that very option* was there, and not called "Only Softimage",
I'm pretty sure the results would have been considerably different.

Hirazi Blue wrote:Falam did a poll like this in his "What if?" thread,
but the situation seems to have drastically changed since then and some of your choices presumably have changed also.

Actually, If there was one overshadowing reason why people stick with SI
it would be because of exactly the opposite..

Being not only that *nothing* has changed, (except from labels and perception)
but *how long things would likely remain the same*
in respects to other solutions compared to SI's "frendlyness" without compromising on "power"
(having to do with the ability of getting things done quick and relatively easily, without compromising "quality")

In other words, while the more technically inclined may dabble in Houdini,
the more artist friendly may dabble in Modo or c4d,
and the ones that don't have a choice may learn Maya,

.. SI would very most-likely remain having most of the advantages of
the previously mentioned options (and then some) *all rolled into one* (in a single environement),
for a very (very!) long time, until something would indeed *actually* (rather drastically) change.
(mostly concerning freelancers and studios not exactly fond of doubling their production time, or restricting their possibilities)

So I guess my beef is, the way you put it, notably ; "What's next (apart from still using Softimage)?"
who would choose the "Softimage (only) option" ?

Resulting in results that I feel may only further exacerbate the "perception" problem.

Thanks

For those US and Canadian students, there's a discount for 3ds Max. I guess it's better than nothing.

http://www.autodesk.com/education/3ds-max-student-offer

@FXDude
While its undoubtedly true the poll could have been worded better, I reject the notion that I "have made my "own views (about migration) quite apparent in the very framing" of my "query" and its obvious implications. At the time I felt that it might be helpful to hold such a poll (with no ulterior motive) and truth be told, I wasn't aware of my own so blatantly apparent extreme bias in this...

Fair enough I think it was the excluding of SI as an option that threw me off.

In my little studio Softimage and Houdini are preparing for a very long AD-free companionship.

After having finally uninstalled Maya
Softimage will quite probably remain my (only) “weapon of choice".

Hirazi Blue wrote:After having finally uninstalled Maya
Softimage will quite probably remain my (only) “weapon of choice".

I must say I've uninstalled Maya and Max also. Houdini is the chosen one ... but it needs a sidekick. Now it's time to decide between C4D or Modo.