Re: SP2???

[Tenshi .]

If this is true.. Applause for the XSI team, will be the last.. :(

On Thu, Sep 17, 2015 at 11:50 AM, Andres Stephens 
wrote:

> Wonderful news.
>
>
>
>  Original message 
> From: Hsiao Ming Chia 
> Date: 17/09/2015 01:20 (GMT-05:00)
> To: softimage@listproc.autodesk.com
> Subject: RE: SP2???
>
> Yes, there is another one coming soon.
>
> Thanks,
> Hsiao Ming
>
> From: softimage-boun...@listproc.autodesk.com [
> mailto:softimage-boun...@listproc.autodesk.com
> ] On Behalf Of Tenshi .
> Sent: Thursday, September 17, 2015 2:19 AM
> To: softimage@listproc.autodesk.com
> Subject: Re: SP2???
>
> I'm waiting for that too. Please AD, do it. 2015 SP1 has a few things to
> fix. :)
>
> On Wed, Sep 16, 2015 at 5:46 AM, Leendert A. Hartog  > wrote:
> I might have missed the announcement, if so, sorry, but can we still
> expect a Softimage 2015 Service Pack 2 and if so, when will it be released?
>
> Greetz
> Leendert
> AKA Hirazi Blue
> Softimage hobbyist, admin at si-community.com &
> xsiforum.de
>
>

Re: Soft licenses still available for purchase?

[Patrick Neese]

They still own all the IP/Patents from Softimage and most likely would at
least claim they plan to implement whatever those IP/patents are into Maya,
Max or some new thing they buyor create.  As such, they still have  a
legal right to defend the their "work" and protect their investment.
Which is why it will not be open sourced or sold off as well.  So, yeah
they could definitely come after you, most likely a cease and desist
first.  I would be curious how the courts would rule on damages though.  I
would think the Mental ray license would be a much larger liability in the
end as it is still a purchasable/'viable' product and, somehow, very
expensive per seat as standalone.  When you lose, because you will lose,
the lawyer fees will kill you at $250 minimum an hour for IP/Patent lawyers
and AD would have several the ruling will make you cover...and you will
have at least one.  So in the end...you lose.

That being said...the plus side of buying Maya is 2016 has some great new
features...that my 2014 version doesn't :P  But...I believe 3ds Max has
unlimited Mental Ray licensing for slave nodes using backburner...which
makes no sense.   And was my only reason for even considering learning max.

I still can't believe it sold to Autodesk for only $35 million...I wonder
how much the patents alone were evaluated for.  All though...some are no
longer valid/expired because someone at AD did not pay the fees - is this
in blender yet? Because...it should be.  But there are new rules about
renewing expired patents...so who knows...someone may see this post and
renew it tomorrow.
http://www.google.com/patents/US6091422?dq=avid+technology+render#v=onepage&q&f=false


On Thu, Sep 17, 2015 at 10:46 AM, Tenshi .  wrote:

> I was wondering, "What if" i tried to do some personal work with an
> illegal softimage license for a product that is dead? Does AD police come
> to my house? Or let's say..AD would not worry about it because they don't
> believe in the "power" of Softimage, or i'm only in trouble if i use it for
> commercial purposes?  Can at least AD let us use it for personal purposes
> or reels for example? (yes i know there's a student version). But.. "what
> if".  just saying..
>
> Besides this whole situation THEY created is a disproportional mess from
> every angle, at least they can try to open their bank account for a..
> $1500+ new perpetual license? I can't die without getting one.. is just
> that paying $3500+ for something i will not use, damn... are companies this
> days are playing "take it or leave it" ?
>
> On Thu, Sep 17, 2015 at 4:52 AM, Patrick Neese 
> wrote:
>
>> Only if you bought a network license...i being a hobbyist, read not
>> making profit and working solo, didnt know about the differences, i recall
>> being told by a reseller on the phone just before purchase it came with
>> batch licenses...it does...just for processing. Also paying 3k+ to begin
>> with was tough and the network license wasn't even mentioned by my reseller
>> when i said i wanted to buy xsi. My reseller also told me i could use
>> softimage on a work computer and mobile/home computer...'so you really get
>> two licenses' or whatever his exact wording was *buzzer sound* wrong. if
>> you read the eula...you can install on two...but cant render/use them at
>> the same time.  My buying experience wasn't fun.  I felt like i never had
>> to jump through so many hoops to find someone to hand thousands of dollars
>> to for anything, need less get a digital license key some kid in his
>> basement could generate.  Prior to knowing this info about the network
>> license I decided to get the entertainment bundle upgrade because with the
>> softimage discount and entertainment upgrade discount i was getting
>> everything for the price of softimage and mudbox...talked myself into
>> paying a little cc interest for stretching paying it off.  Which mudbox
>> turned out to be...not worth the money, imho.  This is the most expensive
>> purchase for a hobby and fourth highest purchase I had ever made at that
>> point.
>>
>> Turns out that "great" cross grade/upgrade meant I couldn't upgrade just
>> softimage later, when i was informed of the difference in licenses (its not
>> just for studios with x number of users).  i now needed to now buy a
>> network upgrade for the entire entertainment bundle, no longer on sale. not
>> just a softimage upgrade.  Oh, the fun licensing stuff you arent aware of
>> until you need/want something. Just like when I was informed by a reseller
>> years earlier that if i bought the educational version  (prior to ad making
>> everthing free to students) i could upgrade to retail for much lessthis
>> was also incorrect. Resellers really know their stuff huh... There was no
>> upgrade path for softimage at that time.  Maya and max sure...not softimage.
>>
>> So anyway...now here i was...months after i bought softimage, after my
>> original edu purchase of a perpetual edu license had already stopped
>> worki

Re: Soft licenses still available for purchase?

[Eric Turman]

I hear you Tenshi. I'll answer your question with another question:
"Question: Where does and 800 pound gorilla sit?  Answer: anywhere it damn
well pleases."

With Autodesk owning such a grossly disproportionate percentage of the
market that one could contend borders on monopolistic and having used what
could be argued as smacking of predacious practices to achieve their
caustic cartel, they are more like an 800 ton gorilla. They have the money
and power to do pretty much anything they want. From a business standpoint,
i'm confident that it doesn't make sense for them to repay the loyalty of
the Softimage community; especially since that loyalty lay with the an EOL
IP and not with Autodesk themselves. Such an out-of-character, altruistic
gesture as bestowing the benefit of a $1500 "farewell" Soft license
would--apart from the prohibitive cost of disentangling their license from
Maya/Max--be counter to their their goals, damage immediate bottom line.
and surely would upset their board of directors.

Several months back I was listening to an audiobook while commuting to work
and the author was explaining that Progressive Corporation (insurance)
turns potential customers away to their competitors sites in order to
eliminate higher risk customers that are less-than-desirable from their
portfolio. It would not surprise me at all if Autodesk was employing a
similar tactic with the Soft user base. While this is a logical prospect it
is, however, pure conjecture.

On the bright side, there seem to be promising developments in packages
such as Houdini and frameworks like Fabric.


Cheers
-=Eric

“If you wait by the river long enough, the bodies of your enemies will
float by.”― Sun Tzu


On Thu, Sep 17, 2015 at 10:46 AM, Tenshi .  wrote:

> I was wondering, "What if" i tried to do some personal work with an
> illegal softimage license for a product that is dead? Does AD police come
> to my house? Or let's say..AD would not worry about it because they don't
> believe in the "power" of Softimage, or i'm only in trouble if i use it for
> commercial purposes?  Can at least AD let us use it for personal purposes
> or reels for example? (yes i know there's a student version). But.. "what
> if".  just saying..
>
> Besides this whole situation THEY created is a disproportional mess from
> every angle, at least they can try to open their bank account for a..
> $1500+ new perpetual license? I can't die without getting one.. is just
> that paying $3500+ for something i will not use, damn... are companies this
> days are playing "take it or leave it" ?
>
>
>
-- 




-=T=-

Re: SP2???

[Andres Stephens]

Wonderful news.


 Original message 
From: Hsiao Ming Chia 
Date: 17/09/2015  01:20  (GMT-05:00)
To: softimage@listproc.autodesk.com
Subject: RE: SP2???

Yes, there is another one coming soon.

Thanks,
Hsiao Ming

From: softimage-boun...@listproc.autodesk.com 
[mailto:softimage-boun...@listproc.autodesk.com] On Behalf Of Tenshi .
Sent: Thursday, September 17, 2015 2:19 AM
To: softimage@listproc.autodesk.com
Subject: Re: SP2???

I'm waiting for that too. Please AD, do it. 2015 SP1 has a few things to fix. :)

On Wed, Sep 16, 2015 at 5:46 AM, Leendert A. Hartog 
mailto:hirazib...@live.nl>> wrote:
I might have missed the announcement, if so, sorry, but can we still expect a 
Softimage 2015 Service Pack 2 and if so, when will it be released?

Greetz
Leendert
AKA Hirazi Blue
Softimage hobbyist, admin at si-community.com & 
xsiforum.de

Re: SP2???

[Alen]

That is nice.

A

On 9/17/2015 8:19 AM, Hsiao Ming Chia wrote:

Yes, there is another one coming soon.

Thanks,
Hsiao Ming

From: softimage-boun...@listproc.autodesk.com 
[mailto:softimage-boun...@listproc.autodesk.com] On Behalf Of Tenshi .
Sent: Thursday, September 17, 2015 2:19 AM
To: softimage@listproc.autodesk.com
Subject: Re: SP2???

I'm waiting for that too. Please AD, do it. 2015 SP1 has a few things to fix. :)

On Wed, Sep 16, 2015 at 5:46 AM, Leendert A. Hartog 
mailto:hirazib...@live.nl>> wrote:
I might have missed the announcement, if so, sorry, but can we still expect a 
Softimage 2015 Service Pack 2 and if so, when will it be released?

Greetz
Leendert
AKA Hirazi Blue
Softimage hobbyist, admin at si-community.com & 
xsiforum.de

Re: Soft licenses still available for purchase?

[Tenshi .]

I was wondering, "What if" i tried to do some personal work with an illegal
softimage license for a product that is dead? Does AD police come to my
house? Or let's say..AD would not worry about it because they don't believe
in the "power" of Softimage, or i'm only in trouble if i use it for
commercial purposes?  Can at least AD let us use it for personal purposes
or reels for example? (yes i know there's a student version). But.. "what
if".  just saying..

Besides this whole situation THEY created is a disproportional mess from
every angle, at least they can try to open their bank account for a..
$1500+ new perpetual license? I can't die without getting one.. is just
that paying $3500+ for something i will not use, damn... are companies this
days are playing "take it or leave it" ?

On Thu, Sep 17, 2015 at 4:52 AM, Patrick Neese 
wrote:

> Only if you bought a network license...i being a hobbyist, read not making
> profit and working solo, didnt know about the differences, i recall being
> told by a reseller on the phone just before purchase it came with batch
> licenses...it does...just for processing. Also paying 3k+ to begin with was
> tough and the network license wasn't even mentioned by my reseller when i
> said i wanted to buy xsi. My reseller also told me i could use softimage on
> a work computer and mobile/home computer...'so you really get two licenses'
> or whatever his exact wording was *buzzer sound* wrong. if you read the
> eula...you can install on two...but cant render/use them at the same time.
> My buying experience wasn't fun.  I felt like i never had to jump through
> so many hoops to find someone to hand thousands of dollars to for anything,
> need less get a digital license key some kid in his basement could
> generate.  Prior to knowing this info about the network license I decided
> to get the entertainment bundle upgrade because with the softimage discount
> and entertainment upgrade discount i was getting everything for the price
> of softimage and mudbox...talked myself into paying a little cc interest
> for stretching paying it off.  Which mudbox turned out to be...not worth
> the money, imho.  This is the most expensive purchase for a hobby and
> fourth highest purchase I had ever made at that point.
>
> Turns out that "great" cross grade/upgrade meant I couldn't upgrade just
> softimage later, when i was informed of the difference in licenses (its not
> just for studios with x number of users).  i now needed to now buy a
> network upgrade for the entire entertainment bundle, no longer on sale. not
> just a softimage upgrade.  Oh, the fun licensing stuff you arent aware of
> until you need/want something. Just like when I was informed by a reseller
> years earlier that if i bought the educational version  (prior to ad making
> everthing free to students) i could upgrade to retail for much lessthis
> was also incorrect. Resellers really know their stuff huh... There was no
> upgrade path for softimage at that time.  Maya and max sure...not softimage.
>
> So anyway...now here i was...months after i bought softimage, after my
> original edu purchase of a perpetual edu license had already stopped
> working (the dongle died a third time and now ad owned softimage and didnt
> support the dongle), having the seperate edu upgrade issue,  the eol notice
> and the information that i would need to pay 3k or something to get 5
> render licenses for an eol product.  It felt insane...because i knew at
> that very moment somewhere in the world...someone was illegally
> downloading/using softimage and having a better experience.
>
> Which alway makes me think...i should learn blender...then i try using
> blender and remember how bad the ui sucks. Then i remember that AD didnt
> come up with softimage...and now its dead because of them and their years
> of uninteresting features. Then i want a drink.
>
> If only i had 35 million to offer to buy softimage from ad.  Can we not
> kickstart that?
>
> In the end even if i could upgrade just softimage to networm...i dont
> think i can justify giving more money to a company that i feel has left me
> and many others high and dry through their actions or the reseller process
> or the cs processes they choose to use.  Which is why i would love to be
> able to transfer licenses and pay just the original owner...but us laws
> around IP are at times insane.
> On Sep 16, 2015 2:37 AM,  wrote:
>
>> doesn’t a Softimage license come with 5 or so batch licenses - or was
>> this changed at some point?
>>
>>
>> *From:* Patrick Neese 
>> *Sent:* Tuesday, September 15, 2015 10:23 PM
>> *To:* softimage@listproc.autodesk.com
>> *Subject:* Re: Soft licenses still available for purchase?
>>
>> As a hobbyist with a single license...I fear the day I create something
>> worth while that I have to figure out how to render with more than one
>> machine...since I only have one Mental Ray license for softimage.  I'm
>> trying to learn Maya...  It is unfortunate I can't ha

OT: WebGLStudio.js

[Paul Griswold]

This has been on my never-ending list of things to check out, but I haven't had 
the time.  I'm just curious if any of you had an opinion on it:

http://webglstudio.org/

Here's the demo site:  http://webglstudio.org/demo/

It certainly seems very interesting.

- Paul

 Sent via [Cloze](https://www.cloze.com?kme=m-referral)

Re: Soft licenses still available for purchase?

[Patrick Neese]

Only if you bought a network license...i being a hobbyist, read not making
profit and working solo, didnt know about the differences, i recall being
told by a reseller on the phone just before purchase it came with batch
licenses...it does...just for processing. Also paying 3k+ to begin with was
tough and the network license wasn't even mentioned by my reseller when i
said i wanted to buy xsi. My reseller also told me i could use softimage on
a work computer and mobile/home computer...'so you really get two licenses'
or whatever his exact wording was *buzzer sound* wrong. if you read the
eula...you can install on two...but cant render/use them at the same time.
My buying experience wasn't fun.  I felt like i never had to jump through
so many hoops to find someone to hand thousands of dollars to for anything,
need less get a digital license key some kid in his basement could
generate.  Prior to knowing this info about the network license I decided
to get the entertainment bundle upgrade because with the softimage discount
and entertainment upgrade discount i was getting everything for the price
of softimage and mudbox...talked myself into paying a little cc interest
for stretching paying it off.  Which mudbox turned out to be...not worth
the money, imho.  This is the most expensive purchase for a hobby and
fourth highest purchase I had ever made at that point.

Turns out that "great" cross grade/upgrade meant I couldn't upgrade just
softimage later, when i was informed of the difference in licenses (its not
just for studios with x number of users).  i now needed to now buy a
network upgrade for the entire entertainment bundle, no longer on sale. not
just a softimage upgrade.  Oh, the fun licensing stuff you arent aware of
until you need/want something. Just like when I was informed by a reseller
years earlier that if i bought the educational version  (prior to ad making
everthing free to students) i could upgrade to retail for much lessthis
was also incorrect. Resellers really know their stuff huh... There was no
upgrade path for softimage at that time.  Maya and max sure...not softimage.

So anyway...now here i was...months after i bought softimage, after my
original edu purchase of a perpetual edu license had already stopped
working (the dongle died a third time and now ad owned softimage and didnt
support the dongle), having the seperate edu upgrade issue,  the eol notice
and the information that i would need to pay 3k or something to get 5
render licenses for an eol product.  It felt insane...because i knew at
that very moment somewhere in the world...someone was illegally
downloading/using softimage and having a better experience.

Which alway makes me think...i should learn blender...then i try using
blender and remember how bad the ui sucks. Then i remember that AD didnt
come up with softimage...and now its dead because of them and their years
of uninteresting features. Then i want a drink.

If only i had 35 million to offer to buy softimage from ad.  Can we not
kickstart that?

In the end even if i could upgrade just softimage to networm...i dont think
i can justify giving more money to a company that i feel has left me and
many others high and dry through their actions or the reseller process or
the cs processes they choose to use.  Which is why i would love to be able
to transfer licenses and pay just the original owner...but us laws around
IP are at times insane.
On Sep 16, 2015 2:37 AM,  wrote:

> doesn’t a Softimage license come with 5 or so batch licenses - or was this
> changed at some point?
>
>
> *From:* Patrick Neese 
> *Sent:* Tuesday, September 15, 2015 10:23 PM
> *To:* softimage@listproc.autodesk.com
> *Subject:* Re: Soft licenses still available for purchase?
>
> As a hobbyist with a single license...I fear the day I create something
> worth while that I have to figure out how to render with more than one
> machine...since I only have one Mental Ray license for softimage.  I'm
> trying to learn Maya...  It is unfortunate I can't have a softimage/mental
> ray license (or 20)  transferred to me from someone who just isn't using
> the software anymore...or...is that possible? It appears the LSA could
> allow for a transfer via written approval by Autodesk (2.1.1 of the 2014
> LSA) :) It's worth a shot :)
>