Re: How do you guys make sure XSI files and Softimage 7.5+ files will open in 2016?
Weird. AFAIK there's no difference 'rights wise' between both accounts. But correct me if I'm wrong ;-) Biggest difference is the linking to the online stuff and the Modern apps Store with the Win8 login. It could be that the Win8 login is even more strict in security measures? Rob \/-\/\/ On 5-1-2015 14:34, Robert Kjettrup wrote: Hi A bit late to this discussion. But i had the exact same problem with an even older Softimage version (v7.1), when i had the brilliant idea to switch my Local Windows account to a Microsoft account login. When i started with win8 i created a local account and everything worked in softimage as in win7 (except some extra security dialog i have to OK each time starting SI up), when i switched to the Microsoft Account method to log into Windows, SI would start as usual, but any file browser just didn't work. Knowing that the only thing i had changed since it worked, was the account login method, i reverted back to a local account and SI works as it should again. So my only fear for the future compatibility of SI and win10 is that a Microsoft account is needed instead of a local account, but i dont believe that will be the case :-) happy new year. Robert 2014-12-23 18:15 GMT+01:00 Luc-Eric Rousseau luceri...@gmail.com mailto:luceri...@gmail.com: 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. No virus found in this message. Checked by AVG - www.avg.com http://www.avg.com Version: 2015.0.5577 / Virus Database: 4257/8871 - Release Date: 01/05/15
Re: How do you guys make sure XSI files and Softimage 7.5+ files will open in 2016?
Hi A bit late to this discussion. But i had the exact same problem with an even older Softimage version (v7.1), when i had the brilliant idea to switch my Local Windows account to a Microsoft account login. When i started with win8 i created a local account and everything worked in softimage as in win7 (except some extra security dialog i have to OK each time starting SI up), when i switched to the Microsoft Account method to log into Windows, SI would start as usual, but any file browser just didn't work. Knowing that the only thing i had changed since it worked, was the account login method, i reverted back to a local account and SI works as it should again. So my only fear for the future compatibility of SI and win10 is that a Microsoft account is needed instead of a local account, but i dont believe that will be the case :-) happy new year. Robert 2014-12-23 18:15 GMT+01:00 Luc-Eric Rousseau luceri...@gmail.com: 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.
Re: How do you guys make sure XSI files and Softimage 7.5+ files will open in 2016?
Update: Softimage 7.5 32bit on win7 x64 works. Thanks for making me give it another try, Luc-Eric. I re-installed Softimage 7.5 32 bit using the web installer on xin7 x64: Autodesk_Softimage_7.5_English_Japanese_WIN_32bit.exe I updated my License File with the new file provided by Autodesk and restarted the license server pointing to the new license. Restarted win7. Running the Softimage link in the Startmenu as Administrator makes win7 x64 swap it´s menu style to Windows 7-Basis and XSI.exe will properly start. I guess that step required by win7 was UAC blocked in my previous attempts. --- I also deleted the extra adsk_port infos from the Autodesk.lic in Softimage´s installpath\Softimage\Softimage_7.5\adlm\licenses making Softimage´s Autodesk.lic identical to a compareable Maya LICPATH.lic file Those are not the license files, those files tell a network licensed install where to look for a license. but that may not be neccessary, I just did it to make sure my 64bit LMTOOLS will be found by Softimage (instead of making it listening to port 2080) looking for a license on the hostname specified in that file. -- Cheers, tim Am 31.12.2014 um 08:39 schrieb Tim Leydecker: Hi Luc-Eric, I couldn´t get Softimage 7.5 32bit to run on win 7 64bit. The install went through but Softimage wouldn´t start on my machine, regardless of which compatibility options I tried to run it with. Could be I missed something. Also, the installer didn´t register with Add/Remove Programs. I´ll give it another try to see if I missed something. Cheers, tim Am 31.12.2014 um 04:36 schrieb Luc-Eric Rousseau: Why xp mode? XSI 7 32 bit runs on 64 bit win7 On Dec 30, 2014 4:59 PM, Tim Leydecker bauero...@gmx.de mailto:bauero...@gmx.de wrote: For opening SI|3D files using Softimage 7.5 32bit: One way would be to use Windows 7´s XP mode and use that 32bit XP to install Softimage 7.5 32bit (which has the SI|3D scene import option). Setting that VM´s RAM to ~4GB. I just did this using the 30 days trial (Standalone mode) of Softimage and successfully opened scenes from the year 2000. Also installed LMTOOLS on the Virtual PC to get an idea what ethernet ID that VM has and if it is possible to run a network license inside that VM. Autodesk is so kind to recreate/resend me my legacy network license for Autodesk Softimage 7.5. I´ve opted to get the license recreated for my current server, appending the license file info and serving from that. Due to valid security concerns regarding Microsoft no longer providing security updates to Windows XP32, some people may want to restrict the xp mode from getting any internet/network access. That would mean the license server would have to be set up and run off the ethernet ID of the VM instead, requring a license transfer/recreation AND an extra Host network adapter in the host not connected to the internet. Even then, the VM will assign random ethernet IDs (for each install of a VM) so it´s best to check the internet for ways to backup the VM´s hexcode of the adapter in case a VM breaks or needs a reinstall without having to recreate a new license file because the virtual PC´s ethernet ID changed. To avoid all this, I opted to use the VM Host as the license server and simply disconnect from the internet while doing SI|3D file salvages. A simpler alternative might be to use a different Virtual Machine Option instead of using the XP Mode in Windows Virtual PC. Or simply create a new XP mode + Softimage 7.5 32bit trial install every now and then when one just tries to get access to some files but that could be regarded shady, to say the least. Cheers, tim Am 29.12.2014 um 10:49 schrieb Tim Leydecker: Hi guys, after checking through a random selection of *.scn files, I am somewhat positive I´ll be able to open most if not all of my files with Softimage 2012/2014/2015. When I was refering to *.obj/*.fbx files, I didn´t mean to suggest that should be the prefered archive format, even thought in my case, there is a high percentage of *.obj/*.fbx files containing assets and easily enough (re)connected to their textures. Personally, I have decided to go through my projects, check for assets I like and then make sure I have at least an *.obj/*.fbx, ZBrush or Mudbox file, Photoshop texture base and finalized maps. Building a salvageable library of parts. That´s not archiving, that´s salvaging. Now my real problem is opening older 32bit files, from Softimage 3.9 *.dsc and *.hrc files. Any way to get access to that? Those scenes/files I missed to convert to *.xsi or *.scn around Y2k... Cheers, tim Am 26.12.2014 um 23:52 schrieb Luc-Eric Rousseau:
Re: How do you guys make sure XSI files and Softimage 7.5+ files will open in 2016?
For opening SI|3D files using Softimage 7.5 32bit: One way would be to use Windows 7´s XP mode and use that 32bit XP to install Softimage 7.5 32bit (which has the SI|3D scene import option). Setting that VM´s RAM to ~4GB. I just did this using the 30 days trial (Standalone mode) of Softimage and successfully opened scenes from the year 2000. Also installed LMTOOLS on the Virtual PC to get an idea what ethernet ID that VM has and if it is possible to run a network license inside that VM. Autodesk is so kind to recreate/resend me my legacy network license for Autodesk Softimage 7.5. I´ve opted to get the license recreated for my current server, appending the license file info and serving from that. Due to valid security concerns regarding Microsoft no longer providing security updates to Windows XP32, some people may want to restrict the xp mode from getting any internet/network access. That would mean the license server would have to be set up and run off the ethernet ID of the VM instead, requring a license transfer/recreation AND an extra Host network adapter in the host not connected to the internet. Even then, the VM will assign random ethernet IDs (for each install of a VM) so it´s best to check the internet for ways to backup the VM´s hexcode of the adapter in case a VM breaks or needs a reinstall without having to recreate a new license file because the virtual PC´s ethernet ID changed. To avoid all this, I opted to use the VM Host as the license server and simply disconnect from the internet while doing SI|3D file salvages. A simpler alternative might be to use a different Virtual Machine Option instead of using the XP Mode in Windows Virtual PC. Or simply create a new XP mode + Softimage 7.5 32bit trial install every now and then when one just tries to get access to some files but that could be regarded shady, to say the least. Cheers, tim Am 29.12.2014 um 10:49 schrieb Tim Leydecker: Hi guys, after checking through a random selection of *.scn files, I am somewhat positive I´ll be able to open most if not all of my files with Softimage 2012/2014/2015. When I was refering to *.obj/*.fbx files, I didn´t mean to suggest that should be the prefered archive format, even thought in my case, there is a high percentage of *.obj/*.fbx files containing assets and easily enough (re)connected to their textures. Personally, I have decided to go through my projects, check for assets I like and then make sure I have at least an *.obj/*.fbx, ZBrush or Mudbox file, Photoshop texture base and finalized maps. Building a salvageable library of parts. That´s not archiving, that´s salvaging. Now my real problem is opening older 32bit files, from Softimage 3.9 *.dsc and *.hrc files. Any way to get access to that? Those scenes/files I missed to convert to *.xsi or *.scn around Y2k... Cheers, tim Am 26.12.2014 um 23:52 schrieb Luc-Eric Rousseau: jason, about vista check the fourth post down here from Stephen and please stop trolling. http://forums.cgsociety.org/archive/index.php/t-965169.html On Fri, Dec 26, 2014 at 3:22 PM, Jason S jasonsta...@gmail.com mailto:jasonsta...@gmail.com wrote: I don't know.. just installed XSI ModTool 4.2 (2004 ~11 years ago) on Windows 8, Maybe I missed something, (that I should've done for it to not work) but Install went fine, no button click or other interface issues, loaded-up sample scenes, posed-up RedJaiqua without running it in any sort of compatibility mode, and also loaded bunch of addons from that time. But I'm sure Soft will break by tomorrow at most ;-| Quick! Move to Maya before it's too late! (the friendly future of 'high-end' 3D?) If soft wouldn't be run, it would more likely be because our spirits would have been broken as opposed to the actual software.
Re: How do you guys make sure XSI files and Softimage 7.5+ files will open in 2016?
Hi Luc-Eric, I couldn´t get Softimage 7.5 32bit to run on win 7 64bit. The install went through but Softimage wouldn´t start on my machine, regardless of which compatibility options I tried to run it with. Could be I missed something. Also, the installer didn´t register with Add/Remove Programs. I´ll give it another try to see if I missed something. Cheers, tim Am 31.12.2014 um 04:36 schrieb Luc-Eric Rousseau: Why xp mode? XSI 7 32 bit runs on 64 bit win7 On Dec 30, 2014 4:59 PM, Tim Leydecker bauero...@gmx.de mailto:bauero...@gmx.de wrote: For opening SI|3D files using Softimage 7.5 32bit: One way would be to use Windows 7´s XP mode and use that 32bit XP to install Softimage 7.5 32bit (which has the SI|3D scene import option). Setting that VM´s RAM to ~4GB. I just did this using the 30 days trial (Standalone mode) of Softimage and successfully opened scenes from the year 2000. Also installed LMTOOLS on the Virtual PC to get an idea what ethernet ID that VM has and if it is possible to run a network license inside that VM. Autodesk is so kind to recreate/resend me my legacy network license for Autodesk Softimage 7.5. I´ve opted to get the license recreated for my current server, appending the license file info and serving from that. Due to valid security concerns regarding Microsoft no longer providing security updates to Windows XP32, some people may want to restrict the xp mode from getting any internet/network access. That would mean the license server would have to be set up and run off the ethernet ID of the VM instead, requring a license transfer/recreation AND an extra Host network adapter in the host not connected to the internet. Even then, the VM will assign random ethernet IDs (for each install of a VM) so it´s best to check the internet for ways to backup the VM´s hexcode of the adapter in case a VM breaks or needs a reinstall without having to recreate a new license file because the virtual PC´s ethernet ID changed. To avoid all this, I opted to use the VM Host as the license server and simply disconnect from the internet while doing SI|3D file salvages. A simpler alternative might be to use a different Virtual Machine Option instead of using the XP Mode in Windows Virtual PC. Or simply create a new XP mode + Softimage 7.5 32bit trial install every now and then when one just tries to get access to some files but that could be regarded shady, to say the least. Cheers, tim Am 29.12.2014 um 10:49 schrieb Tim Leydecker: Hi guys, after checking through a random selection of *.scn files, I am somewhat positive I´ll be able to open most if not all of my files with Softimage 2012/2014/2015. When I was refering to *.obj/*.fbx files, I didn´t mean to suggest that should be the prefered archive format, even thought in my case, there is a high percentage of *.obj/*.fbx files containing assets and easily enough (re)connected to their textures. Personally, I have decided to go through my projects, check for assets I like and then make sure I have at least an *.obj/*.fbx, ZBrush or Mudbox file, Photoshop texture base and finalized maps. Building a salvageable library of parts. That´s not archiving, that´s salvaging. Now my real problem is opening older 32bit files, from Softimage 3.9 *.dsc and *.hrc files. Any way to get access to that? Those scenes/files I missed to convert to *.xsi or *.scn around Y2k... Cheers, tim Am 26.12.2014 um 23:52 schrieb Luc-Eric Rousseau: jason, about vista check the fourth post down here from Stephen and please stop trolling. http://forums.cgsociety.org/archive/index.php/t-965169.html On Fri, Dec 26, 2014 at 3:22 PM, Jason S jasonsta...@gmail.com mailto:jasonsta...@gmail.com wrote: I don't know.. just installed XSI ModTool 4.2 (2004 ~11 years ago) on Windows 8, Maybe I missed something, (that I should've done for it to not work) but Install went fine, no button click or other interface issues, loaded-up sample scenes, posed-up RedJaiqua without running it in any sort of compatibility mode, and also loaded bunch of addons from that time. But I'm sure Soft will break by tomorrow at most ;-| Quick! Move to Maya before it's too late! (the friendly future of 'high-end' 3D?) If soft wouldn't be run, it would more likely be because our spirits would have been broken as opposed to the actual software.
Re: How do you guys make sure XSI files and Softimage 7.5+ files will open in 2016?
Hi guys, after checking through a random selection of *.scn files, I am somewhat positive I´ll be able to open most if not all of my files with Softimage 2012/2014/2015. When I was refering to *.obj/*.fbx files, I didn´t mean to suggest that should be the prefered archive format, even thought in my case, there is a high percentage of *.obj/*.fbx files containing assets and easily enough (re)connected to their textures. Personally, I have decided to go through my projects, check for assets I like and then make sure I have at least an *.obj/*.fbx, ZBrush or Mudbox file, Photoshop texture base and finalized maps. Building a salvageable library of parts. That´s not archiving, that´s salvaging. Now my real problem is opening older 32bit files, from Softimage 3.9 *.dsc and *.hrc files. Any way to get access to that? Those scenes/files I missed to convert to *.xsi or *.scn around Y2k... Cheers, tim Am 26.12.2014 um 23:52 schrieb Luc-Eric Rousseau: jason, about vista check the fourth post down here from Stephen and please stop trolling. http://forums.cgsociety.org/archive/index.php/t-965169.html On Fri, Dec 26, 2014 at 3:22 PM, Jason S jasonsta...@gmail.com mailto:jasonsta...@gmail.com wrote: I don't know.. just installed XSI ModTool 4.2 (2004 ~11 years ago) on Windows 8, Maybe I missed something, (that I should've done for it to not work) but Install went fine, no button click or other interface issues, loaded-up sample scenes, posed-up RedJaiqua without running it in any sort of compatibility mode, and also loaded bunch of addons from that time. But I'm sure Soft will break by tomorrow at most ;-| Quick! Move to Maya before it's too late! (the friendly future of 'high-end' 3D?) If soft wouldn't be run, it would more likely be because our spirits would have been broken as opposed to the actual software.
Re: How do you guys make sure XSI files and Softimage 7.5+ files will open in 2016?
l was just supporting what others have already said. xsi was certified for Windows Xp, but a few months later when vista came up, you could not click buttons on the message boxes (ex: would you like to save the scene?), rectangle select broke, several features failed to work due to folder permissions, netview broke, help files in hlp format were no longer supported, etc. I should know, i had to fix some of that stuff. Later Microsoft made a security patch to a visual c++ that broke plugin binary compatibility and later a change to how DLLs are found which broke some add-ons. Microsoft is always threatening to block active scripting, the engine at the core of XSI. Since windows 8 they have given up on backwards compatibility at all cost, you need to preserve your old runtime environment if you want to safely be able to run XSI in ten year and not just an archive of the old installers. It's common sense and the subject of this thread. On Dec 25, 2014 8:00 PM, Jason S jasonsta...@gmail.com wrote: On 12/23/14 12:15, Luc-Eric Rousseau wrote: * 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... Whew! By the sound of that, Softimage won't be running next year! And why does Soft so often needs to be picked-up and dusted-off from the floor (?) ;-] But sure at some point in the future, Soft would inevitably start having issues on newer setups, when Virtual Machines would come into play. *Yet*.. when do you think would that be? Soft was certified compatibility on win8 at a very early stage of the os release, and would surely still run fine on the next OS which is itself for some time down the line. if not also the OS after that. (os ver. coming out every couple of years, quite consitantly with 3 versions back compatibility modes) So we're looking at at least 8, if not 12+ years.
RE: How do you guys make sure XSI files and Softimage 7.5+ files will open in 2016?
Some of us don't have the luxury of changing anytime soon -Original Message- From: Cristobal Infante cgc...@gmail.com Sent: 12/26/2014 2:14 PM To: softimage@listproc.autodesk.com softimage@listproc.autodesk.com Subject: Re: How do you guys make sure XSI files and Softimage 7.5+ files will open in 2016? who in their right mind will keep developing for softimage? wake up guys, 1-2 years from now it will all be finished... On Friday, 26 December 2014, Leoung O'Young digim...@digimata.com wrote: Hopefully those guys at Redshift will continue to develop for Soft. It is still a fair bit of an investment to make the shift. But definitely we can render out images that is not possible in MR within the time On 26/12/2014 3:29 AM, Mirko Jankovic wrote: If there was something faster I would go to that right now :) So far SI is fastest. If there is better tool ofc will take it :) Just it doesn't seems that way and if you loo at situation over the past 5 years.. not really changing in the market actually. For me personally BIGGEST change was introduction of Redshift and GPU rendering finally fully usable in SI :) On Fri, Dec 26, 2014 at 9:24 AM, Angus Davidson angus.david...@wits.ac.za javascript:_e(%7B%7D,'cvml','angus.david...@wits.ac.za'); wrote: Currently no one can argue that SI is anything but the best from a workflow point of view. What I am saying is that there will come a time where that will not be enough. It will then be faster to simply get things done on current software wether that be Maya , Modo or Houdini or something totally new altogether. -- *From:* Mirko Jankovic [mirkoj.anima...@gmail.com javascript:_e(%7B%7D,'cvml','mirkoj.anima...@gmail.com');] *Sent:* 26 December 2014 10:06 AM *To:* softimage@listproc.autodesk.com javascript:_e(%7B%7D,'cvml','softimage@listproc.autodesk.com'); *Subject:* Re: How do you guys make sure XSI files and Softimage 7.5+ files will open in 2016? keep in mind that all the tech improvement and power that comes along is nothing if you don;t have streamlined and smooth way of controlling it. even tho someone would say that right Maya is more powerful, all the fancy things they keep adding and such,a nd true they do have couple nice things I would love too have in SI, but it still falls behind in every day work where while you truly to go around maya issues and workflow problems with SI it is just pure straight work. no one can argue with that really On Fri, Dec 26, 2014 at 6:55 AM, Angus Davidson angus.david...@wits.ac.za javascript:_e(%7B%7D,'cvml','angus.david...@wits.ac.za'); wrote: The main problem is purely technology doesnt sleep. As new leap forwards in both operating systems and hardware there will come a tipping point that no matter how good Softimage is, It will just not be able to run on , or the more likely will be so outperformed by the newer software that it no longer makes financial sense to keep using it. This is especially true now that GPU processing seems to be coming into its own. Wether that be cloud based or a rack of Titans. So the question will become not wether you can run it , but whether its worthwhile to run it. -- *From:* Jason S [jasonsta...@gmail.com javascript:_e(%7B%7D,'cvml','jasonsta...@gmail.com');] *Sent:* 26 December 2014 03:00 AM *To:* softimage@listproc.autodesk.com javascript:_e(%7B%7D,'cvml','softimage@listproc.autodesk.com'); *Subject:* Re: How do you guys make sure XSI files and Softimage 7.5+ files will open in 2016? On 12/23/14 12:15, Luc-Eric Rousseau wrote: * I don't have a library of softimage assets worth keeping,... * 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... Whew! By the sound of that, Softimage won't be running next year! And why does Soft so often needs to be picked-up and dusted-off from the floor (?) ;-] But sure at some point in the future, Soft would inevitably start having issues on newer setups, when Virtual Machines would come into play. *Yet*.. when do you think would that be? Soft was certified compatibility on win8 at a very early stage of the os release, and would surely still
Re: How do you guys make sure XSI files and Softimage 7.5+ files will open in 2016?
Luxury? It's a lot of work to transition to another package, and particularly painful if you choose Maya. Obviously we all very particular job situations, but still you must agree third party development for xsi will eventually stop.. On Friday, 26 December 2014, Phil Harbath phil.harb...@jamination.com wrote: Some of us don't have the luxury of changing anytime soon -- From: Cristobal Infante javascript:_e(%7B%7D,'cvml','cgc...@gmail.com'); Sent: 12/26/2014 2:14 PM To: softimage@listproc.autodesk.com javascript:_e(%7B%7D,'cvml','softimage@listproc.autodesk.com'); Subject: Re: How do you guys make sure XSI files and Softimage 7.5+ files will open in 2016? who in their right mind will keep developing for softimage? wake up guys, 1-2 years from now it will all be finished... On Friday, 26 December 2014, Leoung O'Young digim...@digimata.com javascript:_e(%7B%7D,'cvml','digim...@digimata.com'); wrote: Hopefully those guys at Redshift will continue to develop for Soft. It is still a fair bit of an investment to make the shift. But definitely we can render out images that is not possible in MR within the time On 26/12/2014 3:29 AM, Mirko Jankovic wrote: If there was something faster I would go to that right now :) So far SI is fastest. If there is better tool ofc will take it :) Just it doesn't seems that way and if you loo at situation over the past 5 years.. not really changing in the market actually. For me personally BIGGEST change was introduction of Redshift and GPU rendering finally fully usable in SI :) On Fri, Dec 26, 2014 at 9:24 AM, Angus Davidson angus.david...@wits.ac.za javascript:_e(%7B%7D,'cvml','angus.david...@wits.ac.za'); javascript:_e(%7B%7D,'cvml','angus.david...@wits.ac.za javascript:_e(%7B%7D,'cvml','angus.david...@wits.ac.za');'); wrote: Currently no one can argue that SI is anything but the best from a workflow point of view. What I am saying is that there will come a time where that will not be enough. It will then be faster to simply get things done on current software wether that be Maya , Modo or Houdini or something totally new altogether. -- *From:* Mirko Jankovic [mirkoj.anima...@gmail.com javascript:_e(%7B%7D,'cvml','mirkoj.anima...@gmail.com'); javascript:_e(%7B%7D,'cvml','mirkoj.anima...@gmail.com javascript:_e(%7B%7D,'cvml','mirkoj.anima...@gmail.com');');] *Sent:* 26 December 2014 10:06 AM *To:* softimage@listproc.autodesk.com javascript:_e(%7B%7D,'cvml','softimage@listproc.autodesk.com'); javascript:_e(%7B%7D,'cvml','softimage@listproc.autodesk.com javascript:_e(%7B%7D,'cvml','softimage@listproc.autodesk.com');'); *Subject:* Re: How do you guys make sure XSI files and Softimage 7.5+ files will open in 2016? keep in mind that all the tech improvement and power that comes along is nothing if you don;t have streamlined and smooth way of controlling it. even tho someone would say that right Maya is more powerful, all the fancy things they keep adding and such,a nd true they do have couple nice things I would love too have in SI, but it still falls behind in every day work where while you truly to go around maya issues and workflow problems with SI it is just pure straight work. no one can argue with that really On Fri, Dec 26, 2014 at 6:55 AM, Angus Davidson angus.david...@wits.ac.za javascript:_e(%7B%7D,'cvml','angus.david...@wits.ac.za'); javascript:_e(%7B%7D,'cvml','angus.david...@wits.ac.za javascript:_e(%7B%7D,'cvml','angus.david...@wits.ac.za');'); wrote: The main problem is purely technology doesnt sleep. As new leap forwards in both operating systems and hardware there will come a tipping point that no matter how good Softimage is, It will just not be able to run on , or the more likely will be so outperformed by the newer software that it no longer makes financial sense to keep using it. This is especially true now that GPU processing seems to be coming into its own. Wether that be cloud based or a rack of Titans. So the question will become not wether you can run it , but whether its worthwhile to run it. -- *From:* Jason S [jasonsta...@gmail.com javascript:_e(%7B%7D,'cvml','jasonsta...@gmail.com'); javascript:_e(%7B%7D,'cvml','jasonsta...@gmail.com javascript:_e(%7B%7D,'cvml','jasonsta...@gmail.com');');] *Sent:* 26 December 2014 03:00 AM *To:* softimage@listproc.autodesk.com javascript:_e(%7B%7D,'cvml','softimage@listproc.autodesk.com'); javascript:_e(%7B%7D,'cvml','softimage@listproc.autodesk.com javascript:_e(%7B%7D,'cvml','softimage@listproc.autodesk.com');'); *Subject:* Re: How do you guys make sure XSI files and Softimage 7.5+ files will open in 2016? On 12/23/14 12:15, Luc-Eric Rousseau wrote: * I don't have a library of softimage assets worth keeping,... * I
RE: How do you guys make sure XSI files and Softimage 7.5+ files will open in 2016?
With the exception of red shift I expect zero development -Original Message- From: Cristobal Infante cgc...@gmail.com Sent: 12/26/2014 2:59 PM To: softimage@listproc.autodesk.com softimage@listproc.autodesk.com Subject: Re: How do you guys make sure XSI files and Softimage 7.5+ files will open in 2016? Luxury? It's a lot of work to transition to another package, and particularly painful if you choose Maya. Obviously we all very particular job situations, but still you must agree third party development for xsi will eventually stop.. On Friday, 26 December 2014, Phil Harbath phil.harb...@jamination.com wrote: Some of us don't have the luxury of changing anytime soon -- From: Cristobal Infante javascript:_e(%7B%7D,'cvml','cgc...@gmail.com'); Sent: 12/26/2014 2:14 PM To: softimage@listproc.autodesk.com javascript:_e(%7B%7D,'cvml','softimage@listproc.autodesk.com'); Subject: Re: How do you guys make sure XSI files and Softimage 7.5+ files will open in 2016? who in their right mind will keep developing for softimage? wake up guys, 1-2 years from now it will all be finished... On Friday, 26 December 2014, Leoung O'Young digim...@digimata.com javascript:_e(%7B%7D,'cvml','digim...@digimata.com'); wrote: Hopefully those guys at Redshift will continue to develop for Soft. It is still a fair bit of an investment to make the shift. But definitely we can render out images that is not possible in MR within the time On 26/12/2014 3:29 AM, Mirko Jankovic wrote: If there was something faster I would go to that right now :) So far SI is fastest. If there is better tool ofc will take it :) Just it doesn't seems that way and if you loo at situation over the past 5 years.. not really changing in the market actually. For me personally BIGGEST change was introduction of Redshift and GPU rendering finally fully usable in SI :) On Fri, Dec 26, 2014 at 9:24 AM, Angus Davidson angus.david...@wits.ac.za javascript:_e(%7B%7D,'cvml','angus.david...@wits.ac.za'); javascript:_e(%7B%7D,'cvml','angus.david...@wits.ac.za javascript:_e(%7B%7D,'cvml','angus.david...@wits.ac.za');'); wrote: Currently no one can argue that SI is anything but the best from a workflow point of view. What I am saying is that there will come a time where that will not be enough. It will then be faster to simply get things done on current software wether that be Maya , Modo or Houdini or something totally new altogether. -- *From:* Mirko Jankovic [mirkoj.anima...@gmail.com javascript:_e(%7B%7D,'cvml','mirkoj.anima...@gmail.com'); javascript:_e(%7B%7D,'cvml','mirkoj.anima...@gmail.com javascript:_e(%7B%7D,'cvml','mirkoj.anima...@gmail.com');');] *Sent:* 26 December 2014 10:06 AM *To:* softimage@listproc.autodesk.com javascript:_e(%7B%7D,'cvml','softimage@listproc.autodesk.com'); javascript:_e(%7B%7D,'cvml','softimage@listproc.autodesk.com javascript:_e(%7B%7D,'cvml','softimage@listproc.autodesk.com');'); *Subject:* Re: How do you guys make sure XSI files and Softimage 7.5+ files will open in 2016? keep in mind that all the tech improvement and power that comes along is nothing if you don;t have streamlined and smooth way of controlling it. even tho someone would say that right Maya is more powerful, all the fancy things they keep adding and such,a nd true they do have couple nice things I would love too have in SI, but it still falls behind in every day work where while you truly to go around maya issues and workflow problems with SI it is just pure straight work. no one can argue with that really On Fri, Dec 26, 2014 at 6:55 AM, Angus Davidson angus.david...@wits.ac.za javascript:_e(%7B%7D,'cvml','angus.david...@wits.ac.za'); javascript:_e(%7B%7D,'cvml','angus.david...@wits.ac.za javascript:_e(%7B%7D,'cvml','angus.david...@wits.ac.za');'); wrote: The main problem is purely technology doesnt sleep. As new leap forwards in both operating systems and hardware there will come a tipping point that no matter how good Softimage is, It will just not be able to run on , or the more likely will be so outperformed by the newer software that it no longer makes financial sense to keep using it. This is especially true now that GPU processing seems to be coming into its own. Wether that be cloud based or a rack of Titans. So the question will become not wether you can run it , but whether its worthwhile to run it. -- *From:* Jason S [jasonsta...@gmail.com javascript:_e(%7B%7D,'cvml','jasonsta...@gmail.com'); javascript:_e(%7B%7D,'cvml','jasonsta...@gmail.com javascript:_e(%7B%7D,'cvml','jasonsta...@gmail.com');');] *Sent:* 26 December 2014 03:00 AM *To:* softimage@listproc.autodesk.com javascript:_e(%7B%7D,'cvml','softimage@listproc.autodesk.com');
Re: How do you guys make sure XSI files and Softimage 7.5+ files will open in 2016?
I don't know.. just installed XSI ModTool 4.2 (2004 ~11 years ago) on Windows 8, Maybe I missed something, (that I should've done for it to not work) but Install went fine, no button click or other interface issues, loaded-up sample scenes, posed-up RedJaiqua without running it in any sort of compatibility mode, and also loaded bunch of addons from that time. But I'm sure Soft will break by tomorrow at most ;-| Quick! Move to Maya before it's too late! (the friendly future of 'high-end' 3D?) If soft wouldn't be run, it would more likely be because our spirits would have been broken as opposed to the actual software. On 12/26/14 12:14, Luc-Eric Rousseau wrote: l was just supporting what others have already said. xsi was "certified" for Windows Xp, but a few months later when vista came up, you could not click buttons on the message boxes (ex: "would you like to save the scene?"), rectangle select broke, several features failed to work due to folder permissions, netview broke, help files in hlp format were no longer supported, etc. I should know, i had to fix some of that stuff. Later Microsoft made a security patch to a visual c++ that broke plugin binary compatibility and later a change to how DLLs are found which broke some add-ons. Microsoft is always threatening to block active scripting, the engine at the core of XSI. Since windows 8 they have given up on backwards compatibility at all cost, you need to preserve your old runtime environment if you want to safely be able to run XSI in ten year and not just an archive of the old installers. It's common sense and the subject of this thread. On Dec 25, 2014 8:00 PM, "Jason S" jasonsta...@gmail.com wrote: On 12/23/14 12:15, Luc-Eric Rousseau wrote: * 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... Whew! By the sound of that, Softimage won't be running next year! And why does Soft so often needs to be picked-up and dusted-off from the floor (?) ;-] But sure "at some point in the future", Soft would inevitably start having issues on newer setups, when Virtual Machines would come into play. *Yet*.. when do you think would that be? Soft was certified compatibility on win8 at a very early stage of the os release, and would surely still run fine on the next OS which is itself for some time down the line. if not also the OS after that. (os ver. coming out every couple of years, quite consitantly with 3 versions back compatibility modes) So we're looking at at least 8, if not 12+ years.
Re: How do you guys make sure XSI files and Softimage 7.5+ files will open in 2016?
jason, about vista check the fourth post down here from Stephen and please stop trolling. http://forums.cgsociety.org/archive/index.php/t-965169.html On Fri, Dec 26, 2014 at 3:22 PM, Jason S jasonsta...@gmail.com wrote: I don't know.. just installed XSI ModTool 4.2 (2004 ~11 years ago) on Windows 8, Maybe I missed something, (that I should've done for it to not work) but Install went fine, no button click or other interface issues, loaded-up sample scenes, posed-up RedJaiqua without running it in any sort of compatibility mode, and also loaded bunch of addons from that time. But I'm sure Soft will break by tomorrow at most ;-| Quick! Move to Maya before it's too late! (the friendly future of 'high-end' 3D?) If soft wouldn't be run, it would more likely be because our spirits would have been broken as opposed to the actual software.
Re: How do you guys make sure XSI files and Softimage 7.5+ files will open in 2016?
Hum, then perhaps it was a Vista thing? Because I had no problem clicking any type of dialog/button And to be fair, (in XSI4.2 on Win8) selecting nothing specifically when nothing was selected, made the selection rectangle remain drawn, which I didn't notice even after doing a bunch of stuff and going everywhere possible, cause I rarely select nothing when nothing is selected. But any of this is really just silly stuff. Especially considering that we're talking about the very earliest ver. possible on the latest OS possible. (4 OSes gap) And I remain pretty sure that Softimage Running fine on Win8 would more than just likely also run fine on Win9 (allowing for 8 years) if not Win10 (12years) ... Otherwise, seemingly having to defend Soft (from further exaggerated uncertainty or reductions) isn't something I particularly enjoy, and is something I would rather not have to do, while honestly wondering why I have to do it in the first place. (Assuming it may have to do with it being not unlike a former love later then being specifically disliked (but.. sigh) ) On 12/26/14 17:52, Luc-Eric Rousseau wrote: jason, about vista check the fourth post down here from Stephen and please stop trolling. http://forums.cgsociety.org/archive/index.php/t-965169.html On Fri, Dec 26, 2014 at 3:22 PM, Jason S jasonsta...@gmail.com wrote: I don't know.. just installed XSI ModTool 4.2 (2004 ~11 years ago) on Windows 8, Maybe I missed something, (that I should've done for it to not work) but Install went fine, no button click or other interface issues, loaded-up sample scenes, posed-up RedJaiqua without running it in any sort of compatibility mode, and also loaded bunch of addons from that time. But I'm sure Soft will break by tomorrow at most ;-| Quick! Move to Maya before it's too late! (the friendly future of 'high-end' 3D?) If soft wouldn't be run, it would more likely be because our spirits would have been broken as opposed to the actual software.
RE: How do you guys make sure XSI files and Softimage 7.5+ files will open in 2016?
Unfortunately there is still not a good enough universal interchange format to remove the requirements to keep old versions going. And I didn't get one in my Christmas stocking. I know it was on the list. From: Rob Wuijster [r...@casema.nl] Sent: 24 December 2014 03:30 PM To: softimage@listproc.autodesk.com Subject: Re: How do you guys make sure XSI files and Softimage 7.5+ files will open in 2016? Well Virtual PC, the one MS bought from Connectix at some point, is already dead. You can run it on Win7 with some tricks, but it is EOL since mid 2008 or so. It was replaced with the HyperV tech (Server or Win8 desktop only btw...). My best bet would be, future wise, is the 'open source' Oracle Virtualbox, unlike e.g. VMWare. But it's still a gamble, as you already said, who know's what happens with the OS and software in the future. There may be trouble ahead. ;-) Rob \/-\/\/ On 23-12-2014 18:15, Luc-Eric Rousseau wrote: 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. On Tue, Dec 23, 2014 at 4:36 AM, Rob Wuijster r...@casema.nlmailto:r...@casema.nl wrote: Just to add some thoughts on this... I started building virtual pc's for this 'occasion' some years ago, just to be on the safe side. I still have a Win95/98/NT/2000/XP virtual disk lying around with some 'critial' software installed, just to be able to open up that one program from years ago. Or to run some other stuff that's impossible in the newer version of Windows now. At some point I had to convert my virtual pc 'disks' to a new virtual pc program, but that was less hassle than doing all Matt described. ;-) I think we're all in the same situation at the moment. I also have a boat load of assets, created over the years going back to Softimage 3.0. All neatly packaged in a separate project as scenes or models. All shaded and textured, ready to go. The more 'beefy' assets are now models linked to a Arnold .ass file for quick handling and rendering. At some point we sadly have to leave Softimage behind, so what to do with all these assets? Depending on what's next, there's probably a slow conversion to this new 3D application. Or conversion to .obj or .fbx for longer, more app agnostic storage. For me, having the virtuals pc's/software lying around is the easiest solution at the moment. How this all will play out in the next years is another story ;-) cheers, and happy holidays to all! Rob - No virus found in this message. Checked by AVG - www.avg.comhttp://www.avg.com Version: 2015.0.5577 / Virus Database: 4257/8799 - Release Date: 12/24/14 table width=100% border=0 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=0 style=width:100%; tr td align=left style=text-align:justify;font face=arial,sans-serif size=1 color=#99span style=font-size:11px;This communication is intended for the addressee only. It is confidential. If you have received this communication in error, please notify us immediately and destroy the original message. You may not copy or disseminate this communication without the permission of the University. Only authorised signatories are competent to enter into agreements on behalf of the University and recipients are thus advised that the content of this message may not be legally binding on the University and may contain the personal views and opinions of the author, which are not necessarily the views and opinions of The University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg. All agreements between the University and outsiders are subject to South African Law unless the University agrees in
Re: How do you guys make sure XSI files and Softimage 7.5+ files will open in 2016?
Well Virtual PC, the one MS bought from Connectix at some point, is already dead. You can run it on Win7 with some tricks, but it is EOL since mid 2008 or so. It was replaced with the HyperV tech (Server or Win8 desktop only btw...). My best bet would be, future wise, is the 'open source' Oracle Virtualbox, unlike e.g. VMWare. But it's still a gamble, as you already said, who know's what happens with the OS and software in the future. There may be trouble ahead. ;-) Rob \/-\/\/ On 23-12-2014 18:15, Luc-Eric Rousseau wrote: 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. On Tue, Dec 23, 2014 at 4:36 AM, Rob Wuijster r...@casema.nl wrote: Just to add some thoughts on this... I started building virtual pc's for this 'occasion' some years ago, just to be on the safe side. I still have a Win95/98/NT/2000/XP virtual disk lying around with some 'critial' software installed, just to be able to open up that one program from years ago. Or to run some other stuff that's impossible in the newer version of Windows now. At some point I had to convert my virtual pc 'disks' to a new virtual pc program, but that was less hassle than doing all Matt described. ;-) I think we're all in the same situation at the moment. I also have a boat load of assets, created over the years going back to Softimage 3.0. All neatly packaged in a separate project as scenes or models. All shaded and textured, ready to go. The more 'beefy' assets are now models linked to a Arnold .ass file for quick handling and rendering. At some point we sadly have to leave Softimage behind, so what to do with all these assets? Depending on what's next, there's probably a slow conversion to this new 3D application. Or conversion to .obj or .fbx for longer, more app agnostic storage. For me, having the virtuals pc's/software lying around is the easiest solution at the moment. How this all will play out in the next years is another story ;-) cheers, and happy holidays to all! Rob - No virus found in this message. Checked by AVG - www.avg.com Version: 2015.0.5577 / Virus Database: 4257/8799 - Release Date: 12/24/14
Re: How do you guys make sure XSI files and Softimage 7.5+ files will open in 2016?
Just to be clear, I don´t want to portray Adsk as evil, I am bitching about the extra hurdles involved in finding the service packs to a specific release´s version and making sure all files neccessary are downloaded and named properly. In my personal case, I can pretty savely assume Softimage 2010, 2012, 2014 version jumps, so that´s not so bad actually. It´s a bit more difficult for 3rd party renderer versions and the 32bit64bit jump for plugins like the sRGB nodes from Harry Bardak in some legacy projects. Anything 64bit I am also positive will most likely be fine, like Sven suggests (one also learns a bit about project structuring, my old stuff has more final_v003.var2 files than now...) In terms of general backup strategy, I also got bitten once, losing a drive when swapping machines and then having to rebuild that data from iterative backups on other drives. Not nice, tedious actually. I can recommend Beyond Compare, that worked great for me in putting together a working version of a project and even completely restructuring my files into project specific folder structures, weeding out duplicates and reducing the chance of missing files by collecting things into one master folder branched into apps, files, etc. I do have to check if my dongle is still working, thought. A virtual machine is a very good tip. There´s a change I have a full backup of a working system drive available. I used Drive Snapshot in the past but haven´t touched those backup files in years. To be honest, there´s not too much stuff I would be proud in showing off, maybe some snippets from my thesis would be worth being polished and put on display, after more than 10 years... but I doubt it... For the last couple of years, I will mostly have *.obj and *.fbx files plus *.psd map files as well as *.ztl and *.mud files, that stuff is pretty save to open with newer versions atm. Thanks for your thoughts, it´s a bit spooky to realize 10 years ago now also looks like 10 years ago... Cheers, tim Am 23.12.2014 um 10:36 schrieb Rob Wuijster: Just to add some thoughts on this... I started building virtual pc's for this 'occasion' some years ago, just to be on the safe side. I still have a Win95/98/NT/2000/XP virtual disk lying around with some 'critial' software installed, just to be able to open up that one program from years ago. Or to run some other stuff that's impossible in the newer version of Windows now. At some point I had to convert my virtual pc 'disks' to a new virtual pc program, but that was less hassle than doing all Matt described. ;-) I think we're all in the same situation at the moment. I also have a boat load of assets, created over the years going back to Softimage 3.0. All neatly packaged in a separate project as scenes or models. All shaded and textured, ready to go. The more 'beefy' assets are now models linked to a Arnold .ass file for quick handling and rendering. At some point we sadly have to leave Softimage behind, so what to do with all these assets? Depending on what's next, there's probably a slow conversion to this new 3D application. Or conversion to .obj or .fbx for longer, more app agnostic storage. For me, having the virtuals pc's/software lying around is the easiest solution at the moment. How this all will play out in the next years is another story ;-) cheers, and happy holidays to all! Rob \/-\/\/ On 23-12-2014 4:05, Matt Lind wrote: For the record, it wasn't a case of forgetting to update files. I had already done the Softimage|3D -- XSI conversion many years ago, but I lost all that data when I experienced a hard drive failure last year. Now I have to do it all over again. The main problems I experienced was finding all the pieces to put humpty dumpty together again, as well as making them functional. Many of the installers, licenses, and so on that I had archived were also lost in the failure. The pieces I salvaged would not always function on modern operating systems - such as FlexLM. Fortunately I found just enough pieces make it all work again, but not after a lot of cutting wrists and trial and error. The advice I can give to anybody wanting to preserve their data is make an archive of the entire ecosystem, document everything, and make a redundant copy. That includes operating system, hardware, drivers for your graphics card, plugins, and so on. If you have any special knowledge of some quirk or secret handshake that is needed to install or work around a known issue - write it down and include it in the archive. Getting Softimage|3D up and running required such knowledge to know certain plugins needed a patch or required a specific version of Windows. Took me a couple days to recall that from my memory and go find those pieces to smooth out some problems I experienced. Matt Date: Mon, 22 Dec 2014 17:36:47 +0100 From: Sven Constable sixsi_l...@imagefront.de
Re: How do you guys make sure XSI files and Softimage 7.5+ files will open in 2016?
Virtual PCs work for now, and so does keeping archives of files around for the interim. One problem you may run into is expiration date of your licenses. I ran into this problem with my older XSI licenses. While Softimage called them 'permanent' licenses, they're actually 10-13 year time bombs. They're called permanent because Softimage assumed nobody would need to exhume data that far into the future as a newer release of the software would be available for that purpose. That's great until there are no more new releases. In due time everybody will hit the same problem - what to do when you can no longer maintain the ecosystem? That's where I'm at now and why I'm writing an exporter. In my particular case commercial formats such as .fbx. .obj, .xsi won't suffice because they don't support the necessary features. I have scenes which are facades with a shader applied to make the illusion of 3d on a 2d surface. .fbx doesn't support shaders, so converting those scenes will get the polygons to convert, but not the shaders - what good is that? Even if the shaders were rewritten for the target application, .fbx does not contain the necessary information to make the connection. Many formats are designed for editing, not archiving. They're also proprietary in nature making it a risky medium to store data long term. Anybody have the specs to the .fbx file format? thought so. File formats have shelf lives too. I think it's best to keep data in it's original format until you have a specific destination. Each time you migrate data it loses some of it's integrity. I'm not going to support my content indefinitely, but I am going to design a format which can properly archive it with enough information to reconstruct it in another application if a feature isn't directly supported/available. I can do that with Softimage|3D content because it's doesn't support complex data such a render passes, ICE trees, render trees, and so on. XSI is another beast and will be much more difficult to support in that regard. Matt - Date: Tue, 23 Dec 2014 11:57:20 +0100 From: Tim Leydecker bauero...@gmx.de Subject: Re: How do you guys make sure XSI files and Softimage 7.5+ files will open in 2016? To: softimage@listproc.autodesk.com Just to be clear, I don?t want to portray Adsk as evil, I am bitching about the extra hurdles involved in finding the service packs to a specific release?s version and making sure all files neccessary are downloaded and named properly. In my personal case, I can pretty savely assume Softimage 2010, 2012, 2014 version jumps, so that?s not so bad actually. It?s a bit more difficult for 3rd party renderer versions and the 32bit64bit jump for plugins like the sRGB nodes from Harry Bardak in some legacy projects. Anything 64bit I am also positive will most likely be fine, like Sven suggests (one also learns a bit about project structuring, my old stuff has more final_v003.var2 files than now...) In terms of general backup strategy, I also got bitten once, losing a drive when swapping machines and then having to rebuild that data from iterative backups on other drives. Not nice, tedious actually. I can recommend Beyond Compare, that worked great for me in putting together a working version of a project and even completely restructuring my files into project specific folder structures, weeding out duplicates and reducing the chance of missing files by collecting things into one master folder branched into apps, files, etc. I do have to check if my dongle is still working, thought. A virtual machine is a very good tip. There?s a change I have a full backup of a working system drive available. I used Drive Snapshot in the past but haven?t touched those backup files in years. To be honest, there?s not too much stuff I would be proud in showing off, maybe some snippets from my thesis would be worth being polished and put on display, after more than 10 years... but I doubt it... For the last couple of years, I will mostly have *.obj and *.fbx files plus *.psd map files as well as *.ztl and *.mud files, that stuff is pretty save to open with newer versions atm. Thanks for your thoughts, it?s a bit spooky to realize 10 years ago now also looks like 10 years ago... Cheers, tim Am 23.12.2014 um 10:36 schrieb Rob Wuijster: Just to add some thoughts on this... I started building virtual pc's for this 'occasion' some years ago, just to be on the safe side. I still have a Win95/98/NT/2000/XP virtual disk lying around with some 'critial' software installed, just to be able to open up that one program from years ago. Or to run some other stuff that's impossible in the newer version of Windows now. At some point I had to convert my virtual pc 'disks' to a new virtual pc program, but that was less hassle than doing all Matt described. ;-) I think we're all in the same situation at the moment. I also have a boat load of assets, created over the
Re: How do you guys make sure XSI files and Softimage 7.5+ files will open in 2016?
Matt, I have to ask. What could you possibly have from the Softimage 3D days that you'd want to recover? No cynicism, just genuinely curious. :) Even things that I created and thought were amazing back then, I could (and would) re-make in days and to a far higher standard with modern tools. It's like playing old computer games that you loved from the past. They're invariably shit. :) ...OK, except maybe Command and Conquer: Red Alert... I'll always have time for that (anyone who feels the same should head over to http://www.openra.net btw... ;) DAN On Tue, Dec 23, 2014 at 1:43 PM, Matt Lind speye...@hotmail.com wrote: Virtual PCs work for now, and so does keeping archives of files around for the interim. One problem you may run into is expiration date of your licenses. I ran into this problem with my older XSI licenses. While Softimage called them 'permanent' licenses, they're actually 10-13 year time bombs. They're called permanent because Softimage assumed nobody would need to exhume data that far into the future as a newer release of the software would be available for that purpose. That's great until there are no more new releases. In due time everybody will hit the same problem - what to do when you can no longer maintain the ecosystem? That's where I'm at now and why I'm writing an exporter. In my particular case commercial formats such as .fbx. .obj, .xsi won't suffice because they don't support the necessary features. I have scenes which are facades with a shader applied to make the illusion of 3d on a 2d surface. .fbx doesn't support shaders, so converting those scenes will get the polygons to convert, but not the shaders - what good is that? Even if the shaders were rewritten for the target application, .fbx does not contain the necessary information to make the connection. Many formats are designed for editing, not archiving. They're also proprietary in nature making it a risky medium to store data long term. Anybody have the specs to the .fbx file format? thought so. File formats have shelf lives too. I think it's best to keep data in it's original format until you have a specific destination. Each time you migrate data it loses some of it's integrity. I'm not going to support my content indefinitely, but I am going to design a format which can properly archive it with enough information to reconstruct it in another application if a feature isn't directly supported/available. I can do that with Softimage|3D content because it's doesn't support complex data such a render passes, ICE trees, render trees, and so on. XSI is another beast and will be much more difficult to support in that regard. Matt - Date: Tue, 23 Dec 2014 11:57:20 +0100 From: Tim Leydecker bauero...@gmx.de Subject: Re: How do you guys make sure XSI files and Softimage 7.5+ files will open in 2016? To: softimage@listproc.autodesk.com Just to be clear, I don?t want to portray Adsk as evil, I am bitching about the extra hurdles involved in finding the service packs to a specific release?s version and making sure all files neccessary are downloaded and named properly. In my personal case, I can pretty savely assume Softimage 2010, 2012, 2014 version jumps, so that?s not so bad actually. It?s a bit more difficult for 3rd party renderer versions and the 32bit64bit jump for plugins like the sRGB nodes from Harry Bardak in some legacy projects. Anything 64bit I am also positive will most likely be fine, like Sven suggests (one also learns a bit about project structuring, my old stuff has more final_v003.var2 files than now...) In terms of general backup strategy, I also got bitten once, losing a drive when swapping machines and then having to rebuild that data from iterative backups on other drives. Not nice, tedious actually. I can recommend Beyond Compare, that worked great for me in putting together a working version of a project and even completely restructuring my files into project specific folder structures, weeding out duplicates and reducing the chance of missing files by collecting things into one master folder branched into apps, files, etc. I do have to check if my dongle is still working, thought. A virtual machine is a very good tip. There?s a change I have a full backup of a working system drive available. I used Drive Snapshot in the past but haven?t touched those backup files in years. To be honest, there?s not too much stuff I would be proud in showing off, maybe some snippets from my thesis would be worth being polished and put on display, after more than 10 years... but I doubt it... For the last couple of years, I will mostly have *.obj and *.fbx files plus *.psd map files as well as *.ztl and *.mud files, that stuff is pretty save to open with newer versions atm. Thanks for your thoughts, it?s a bit spooky to realize 10 years ago now also looks like 10 years ago...
Re: How do you guys make sure XSI files and Softimage 7.5+ files will open in 2016?
Basically my entire art portfolio is in Softimage|3D. When the torch was passed from Softimage|3D to Softimage|XSI, I made the transition from animator to TD/programmer. I only did artwork in XSI until v3.0. Majority of the work I've done since has been scripting/programming and teaching. Once in a while I'll do some modeling or animating to prototype a tool/workflow or troubleshoot a problem brought to my attention by an artist, but that's about as far as that goes. Despite working in strictly technical positions for the past 12 years, employers still insist I provide a demo reel in job interviews. I need to keep that data around to show I have artistic talent with solid grasp of color, composition, timing, etc... and am not purely a technical nerd. The data may be old, but it has held up quite well over the years. Most of it is 3D made to look like 2D cel animation w toon ink/paint. As a result, it doesn't suffer the problem of looking dated based on the technologies available at the time. The other side of the issue is many employers don't take me seriously as a programmer candidate because I don't have my CS degree yet while ignoring my many years of field experience. By writing an exporter/importer to do such comprehensive work, it demonstrates I have a versatile skill set that separates me from other technical artists/TDs who are the more cut n' paste style hacky scripters, and also from some engineers who know bits n' bytes, but lack an understanding of production. It's not strictly about salvaging old data. Matt Date: Tue, 23 Dec 2014 11:56:59 +0200 From: Dan Yargici danyarg...@gmail.com Subject: Re: How do you guys make sure XSI files and Softimage 7.5+ files will open in 2016? To: softimage@listproc.autodesk.com Matt, I have to ask. What could you possibly have from the Softimage 3D days that you'd want to recover? No cynicism, just genuinely curious. :) Even things that I created and thought were amazing back then, I could (and would) re-make in days and to a far higher standard with modern tools. It's like playing old computer games that you loved from the past. They're invariably shit. :) ...OK, except maybe Command and Conquer: Red Alert... I'll always have time for that (anyone who feels the same should head over to http://www.openra.net btw... ;) DAN
Re: How do you guys make sure XSI files and Softimage 7.5+ files will open in 2016?
Interesting, thanks. DAN. On Tue, Dec 23, 2014 at 4:08 PM, Matt Lind speye...@hotmail.com wrote: Basically my entire art portfolio is in Softimage|3D. When the torch was passed from Softimage|3D to Softimage|XSI, I made the transition from animator to TD/programmer. I only did artwork in XSI until v3.0. Majority of the work I've done since has been scripting/programming and teaching. Once in a while I'll do some modeling or animating to prototype a tool/workflow or troubleshoot a problem brought to my attention by an artist, but that's about as far as that goes. Despite working in strictly technical positions for the past 12 years, employers still insist I provide a demo reel in job interviews. I need to keep that data around to show I have artistic talent with solid grasp of color, composition, timing, etc... and am not purely a technical nerd. The data may be old, but it has held up quite well over the years. Most of it is 3D made to look like 2D cel animation w toon ink/paint. As a result, it doesn't suffer the problem of looking dated based on the technologies available at the time. The other side of the issue is many employers don't take me seriously as a programmer candidate because I don't have my CS degree yet while ignoring my many years of field experience. By writing an exporter/importer to do such comprehensive work, it demonstrates I have a versatile skill set that separates me from other technical artists/TDs who are the more cut n' paste style hacky scripters, and also from some engineers who know bits n' bytes, but lack an understanding of production. It's not strictly about salvaging old data. Matt Date: Tue, 23 Dec 2014 11:56:59 +0200 From: Dan Yargici danyarg...@gmail.com Subject: Re: How do you guys make sure XSI files and Softimage 7.5+ files will open in 2016? To: softimage@listproc.autodesk.com Matt, I have to ask. What could you possibly have from the Softimage 3D days that you'd want to recover? No cynicism, just genuinely curious. :) Even things that I created and thought were amazing back then, I could (and would) re-make in days and to a far higher standard with modern tools. It's like playing old computer games that you loved from the past. They're invariably shit. :) ...OK, except maybe Command and Conquer: Red Alert... I'll always have time for that (anyone who feels the same should head over to http://www.openra.net btw... ;) DAN
Re: How do you guys make sure XSI files and Softimage 7.5+ files will open in 2016?
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. On Tue, Dec 23, 2014 at 4:36 AM, Rob Wuijster r...@casema.nl wrote: Just to add some thoughts on this... I started building virtual pc's for this 'occasion' some years ago, just to be on the safe side. I still have a Win95/98/NT/2000/XP virtual disk lying around with some 'critial' software installed, just to be able to open up that one program from years ago. Or to run some other stuff that's impossible in the newer version of Windows now. At some point I had to convert my virtual pc 'disks' to a new virtual pc program, but that was less hassle than doing all Matt described. ;-) I think we're all in the same situation at the moment. I also have a boat load of assets, created over the years going back to Softimage 3.0. All neatly packaged in a separate project as scenes or models. All shaded and textured, ready to go. The more 'beefy' assets are now models linked to a Arnold .ass file for quick handling and rendering. At some point we sadly have to leave Softimage behind, so what to do with all these assets? Depending on what's next, there's probably a slow conversion to this new 3D application. Or conversion to .obj or .fbx for longer, more app agnostic storage. For me, having the virtuals pc's/software lying around is the easiest solution at the moment. How this all will play out in the next years is another story ;-) cheers, and happy holidays to all! Rob
Re: How do you guys make sure XSI files and Softimage 7.5+ files will open in 2016?
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: softimage@listproc.autodesk.com 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.
RE: How do you guys make sure XSI files and Softimage 7.5+ files will open in 2016?
I keep all installer files and of course the licenses itself on backup. The licenses are yours and they will not stop working. I once renewed a network license with ADSK to move it to a new server without problems. However, when I moved to SOFT2015, I tried to request a new license for an old 2011 version just out of curiosity and it didn't work via the website (serial was not recognized). But I think that’s one of the flaws with the ADSK websites. I wasn't able to get a lic file for the 2015 either even the serial was recognised. COntacted support and they sent me the lic file. Even the perception of ADSK is evil, eating your children alive, they're not criminals :) I would not expect problems in renewing licenses in the future. In the rare case, ADSK will go bankrupt in a couple of years, and you would have to move the license to a new server, you can still use the old license file. You would have to keep the name of the server of course. The MAC ID for the network card is changeable so an old lic-file will keep working. I don't know how this apply to standalone licenses however since they're more tightened to specific hardware of the workstation. Generally it might be a good idea to move old projects to newer versions every couple of years. But most of the times we forget about it and face problems like Matt Lind did with his old Soft3D databases :) I would also try to keep everything local stored on backups and not relying an vendors to give you access to old versions. That applies not to ADSK alone but to the general trend software vendors trying to establish with clouds, subscription and other methods. Usually I don't mind open old projects with newer versions. So I don't bind projects to versions. Last year I opened an old scene from around XSI v4 with Soft2011 and started working on it. If you are unsure about available service packs from the past, just ask the hive. Sven -Original Message- From: softimage-boun...@listproc.autodesk.com [mailto:softimage-boun...@listproc.autodesk.com] On Behalf Of Tim Leydecker Sent: Sunday, December 21, 2014 1:45 PM To: softimage@listproc.autodesk.com Subject: How do you guys make sure XSI files and Softimage 7.5+ files will open in 2016? Hi guys, how do you guys prepare for the time after Softimage 2015 and how do you guys cope with files dating back to legacy versions of Softimage XSI, like from old XSI Foundation files, Softimage XSI version pre 7.5 and so on? Aside from the fact that I am still not sure if I have to take any specific action with Autodesk to make sure I´ll have a Softimage 2015 license to run after the Autodesk 2016 Suite will be released or the licensing model changes somewhere in February 2015, I do feel additional pressure to make sure my last 10 years worth of Softimage/XSI files will not end up as a cryptic data dump equal 42. Do you guys also try to keep at least the old licensesinstallers on backup? How do you cope with the servicepacks and updates usually not directly available via the subscription center´s account datadownload link but only the intial releases listed there? Personally, I get lost keeping track of wether or not I actually have all neccessary servicepack, etc. for each release cycle or if this or that pack is a full install or a patch. I´d wish for Autodesk at least centralizing all downloads instead of scattering things all over downloads, subscription center home, account info and maybe even the area... Maya Bonus Tools probably means you get a Bonus Dolphin Sticker on your user account when you successfully managed to also nfind and download it in the correct version ... Cheers, tim
RE: How do you guys make sure XSI files and Softimage 7.5+ files will open in 2016?
For the record, it wasn't a case of forgetting to update files. I had already done the Softimage|3D -- XSI conversion many years ago, but I lost all that data when I experienced a hard drive failure last year. Now I have to do it all over again. The main problems I experienced was finding all the pieces to put humpty dumpty together again, as well as making them functional. Many of the installers, licenses, and so on that I had archived were also lost in the failure. The pieces I salvaged would not always function on modern operating systems - such as FlexLM. Fortunately I found just enough pieces make it all work again, but not after a lot of cutting wrists and trial and error. The advice I can give to anybody wanting to preserve their data is make an archive of the entire ecosystem, document everything, and make a redundant copy. That includes operating system, hardware, drivers for your graphics card, plugins, and so on. If you have any special knowledge of some quirk or secret handshake that is needed to install or work around a known issue - write it down and include it in the archive. Getting Softimage|3D up and running required such knowledge to know certain plugins needed a patch or required a specific version of Windows. Took me a couple days to recall that from my memory and go find those pieces to smooth out some problems I experienced. Matt Date: Mon, 22 Dec 2014 17:36:47 +0100 From: Sven Constable sixsi_l...@imagefront.de Subject: RE: How do you guys make sure XSI files and Softimage 7.5+ files will open in 2016? I keep all installer files and of course the licenses itself on backup. The licenses are yours and they will not stop working. I once renewed a network license with ADSK to move it to a new server without problems. However, when I moved to SOFT2015, I tried to request a new license for an old 2011 version just out of curiosity and it didn't work via the website (serial was not recognized). But I think that?s one of the flaws with the ADSK websites. I wasn't able to get a lic file for the 2015 either even the serial was recognised. COntacted support and they sent me the lic file. Even the perception of ADSK is evil, eating your children alive, they're not criminals :) I would not expect problems in renewing licenses in the future. In the rare case, ADSK will go bankrupt in a couple of years, and you would have to move the license to a new server, you can still use the old license file. You would have to keep the name of the server of course. The MAC ID for the network card is changeable so an old lic-file will keep working. I don't know how this apply to standalone licenses however since they're more tightened to specific hardware of the workstation. Generally it might be a good idea to move old projects to newer versions every couple of years. But most of the times we forget about it and face problems like Matt Lind did with his old Soft3D databases :) I would also try to keep everything local stored on backups and not relying an vendors to give you access to old versions. That applies not to ADSK alone but to the general trend software vendors trying to establish with clouds, subscription and other methods. Usually I don't mind open old projects with newer versions. So I don't bind projects to versions. Last year I opened an old scene from around XSI v4 with Soft2011 and started working on it. If you are unsure about available service packs from the past, just ask the hive. Sven -Original Message- From: softimage-boun...@listproc.autodesk.com [mailto:softimage-boun...@listproc.autodesk.com] On Behalf Of Tim Leydecker Sent: Sunday, December 21, 2014 1:45 PM To: softimage@listproc.autodesk.com Subject: How do you guys make sure XSI files and Softimage 7.5+ files will open in 2016? Hi guys, how do you guys prepare for the time after Softimage 2015 and how do you guys cope with files dating back to legacy versions of Softimage XSI, like from old XSI Foundation files, Softimage XSI version pre 7.5 and so on? Aside from the fact that I am still not sure if I have to take any specific action with Autodesk to make sure I?ll have a Softimage 2015 license to run after the Autodesk 2016 Suite will be released or the licensing model changes somewhere in February 2015, I do feel additional pressure to make sure my last 10 years worth of Softimage/XSI files will not end up as a cryptic data dump equal 42. Do you guys also try to keep at least the old licensesinstallers on backup? How do you cope with the servicepacks and updates usually not directly available via the subscription center?s account datadownload link but only the intial releases listed there? Personally, I get lost keeping track of wether or not I actually have all neccessary servicepack, etc. for each release cycle or if this or that pack is a full install or a patch. I?d wish for Autodesk at least centralizing all
Re: How do you guys make sure XSI files and Softimage 7.5+ files will open in 2016?
The problem I ran into is the usb dongle for XSI 7.01 pre-Autodesk, it is a little flicky, I have to put scotch tape on it. Stephen Blair has been a godsend, he is a guru in XSI installation Leoung On 22/12/2014 10:05 PM, Matt Lind wrote: For the record, it wasn't a case of forgetting to update files. I had already done the Softimage|3D -- XSI conversion many years ago, but I lost all that data when I experienced a hard drive failure last year. Now I have to do it all over again. The main problems I experienced was finding all the pieces to put humpty dumpty together again, as well as making them functional. Many of the installers, licenses, and so on that I had archived were also lost in the failure. The pieces I salvaged would not always function on modern operating systems - such as FlexLM. Fortunately I found just enough pieces make it all work again, but not after a lot of cutting wrists and trial and error. The advice I can give to anybody wanting to preserve their data is make an archive of the entire ecosystem, document everything, and make a redundant copy. That includes operating system, hardware, drivers for your graphics card, plugins, and so on. If you have any special knowledge of some quirk or secret handshake that is needed to install or work around a known issue - write it down and include it in the archive. Getting Softimage|3D up and running required such knowledge to know certain plugins needed a patch or required a specific version of Windows. Took me a couple days to recall that from my memory and go find those pieces to smooth out some problems I experienced. Matt Date: Mon, 22 Dec 2014 17:36:47 +0100 From: Sven Constable sixsi_l...@imagefront.de Subject: RE: How do you guys make sure XSI files and Softimage 7.5+ files will open in 2016? I keep all installer files and of course the licenses itself on backup. The licenses are yours and they will not stop working. I once renewed a network license with ADSK to move it to a new server without problems. However, when I moved to SOFT2015, I tried to request a new license for an old 2011 version just out of curiosity and it didn't work via the website (serial was not recognized). But I think that?s one of the flaws with the ADSK websites. I wasn't able to get a lic file for the 2015 either even the serial was recognised. COntacted support and they sent me the lic file. Even the perception of ADSK is evil, eating your children alive, they're not criminals :) I would not expect problems in renewing licenses in the future. In the rare case, ADSK will go bankrupt in a couple of years, and you would have to move the license to a new server, you can still use the old license file. You would have to keep the name of the server of course. The MAC ID for the network card is changeable so an old lic-file will keep working. I don't know how this apply to standalone licenses however since they're more tightened to specific hardware of the workstation. Generally it might be a good idea to move old projects to newer versions every couple of years. But most of the times we forget about it and face problems like Matt Lind did with his old Soft3D databases :) I would also try to keep everything local stored on backups and not relying an vendors to give you access to old versions. That applies not to ADSK alone but to the general trend software vendors trying to establish with clouds, subscription and other methods. Usually I don't mind open old projects with newer versions. So I don't bind projects to versions. Last year I opened an old scene from around XSI v4 with Soft2011 and started working on it. If you are unsure about available service packs from the past, just ask the hive. Sven -Original Message- From: softimage-boun...@listproc.autodesk.com [mailto:softimage-boun...@listproc.autodesk.com] On Behalf Of Tim Leydecker Sent: Sunday, December 21, 2014 1:45 PM To: softimage@listproc.autodesk.com Subject: How do you guys make sure XSI files and Softimage 7.5+ files will open in 2016? Hi guys, how do you guys prepare for the time after Softimage 2015 and how do you guys cope with files dating back to legacy versions of Softimage XSI, like from old XSI Foundation files, Softimage XSI version pre 7.5 and so on? Aside from the fact that I am still not sure if I have to take any specific action with Autodesk to make sure I?ll have a Softimage 2015 license to run after the Autodesk 2016 Suite will be released or the licensing model changes somewhere in February 2015, I do feel additional pressure to make sure my last 10 years worth of Softimage/XSI files will not end up as a cryptic data dump equal 42. Do you guys also try to keep at least the old licensesinstallers on backup? How do you cope with the servicepacks and updates usually not directly available via the subscription center?s account datadownload link but only the intial releases listed
How do you guys make sure XSI files and Softimage 7.5+ files will open in 2016?
Hi guys, how do you guys prepare for the time after Softimage 2015 and how do you guys cope with files dating back to legacy versions of Softimage XSI, like from old XSI Foundation files, Softimage XSI version pre 7.5 and so on? Aside from the fact that I am still not sure if I have to take any specific action with Autodesk to make sure I´ll have a Softimage 2015 license to run after the Autodesk 2016 Suite will be released or the licensing model changes somewhere in February 2015, I do feel additional pressure to make sure my last 10 years worth of Softimage/XSI files will not end up as a cryptic data dump equal 42. Do you guys also try to keep at least the old licensesinstallers on backup? How do you cope with the servicepacks and updates usually not directly available via the subscription center´s account datadownload link but only the intial releases listed there? Personally, I get lost keeping track of wether or not I actually have all neccessary servicepack, etc. for each release cycle or if this or that pack is a full install or a patch. I´d wish for Autodesk at least centralizing all downloads instead of scattering things all over downloads, subscription center home, account info and maybe even the area... Maya Bonus Tools probably means you get a Bonus Dolphin Sticker on your user account when you successfully managed to also nfind and download it in the correct version ... Cheers, tim
