Re: Autodesk webinar

[Arvid Björn]

I'm left-handed, and I've always been really happy with the keyboard layout
in Softimage. O and P is extremely engrained in my reflex, I've never used
the S key they introduced in XSI. Also as a Swede with a Swedish keyboard,
my right Alt-button is fudged, it's assigned to something called Alt GR
which does different things than Alt does. I find myself switching between
the English and Swedish keyboard layout all the time, especially in
programs that uses the [, ], >, <, \ {, } etc keys a lot. On the Swedish
keyboard, those keys are used for ÅÄÖ and that sort of thing. I guess
that's why they added the Alt GR - to be able to write the brackets using a
another modifyer key instead. In most programs, Alt GR registers as
Alt+Ctrl for some reason, so all the Adobe programs is a pain in the ass to
use.

I digress. I really like the keyboard layout in XSI is all.




On Thu, Mar 20, 2014 at 12:23 AM, Raffaele Fragapane <
raffsxsil...@googlemail.com> wrote:

> Moving the keyboard to the right sorts the same effect, though you don't
> get to choose the spacing and rearrange the arc. Neither goes any length to
> addressing the fact that if you frequently both write and interact
> (something Matt does, I'm sure) it's not a viable solution.
> You need your keyboard mostly centered and your wrists more or less spaced
> a certain way. If you're a lefty it's not possible, currently.
>
> Does XSI fare any better for lefties? I wouldn't know, I'm properly handed
> :p
>
>
> On Thu, Mar 20, 2014 at 10:19 AM, Eric Turman wrote:
>
>> I just use this (http://ergodex.com/mainpage.htm) with 50 keys and call
>> it a day :P that way I don't have to deal with remapping the applications
>> because the device switches its keyboard mapping based on which application
>> is active.
>>
>
>
>
> --
> Our users will know fear and cower before our software! Ship it! Ship it
> and let them flee like the dogs they are!
>

Re: Autodesk webinar

[Martin Yara]

Siew, Brent, Thanks !
I knew about the edge slide tool that wasn't exactly what I wanted, but I
didn't know about that NEX / MTK) feature. It seems more M Tool now.

Martin


On Thu, Mar 20, 2014 at 10:13 PM, Brent McPherson <
brent.mcpher...@autodesk.com> wrote:

> Yes, In NEX (internally we refer to the evolution of the NEX plugin as MTK
> - Modeling Tool Kit)
>
> Modeling Panel > Transform Constraint > Surface slide + Double-click edge
> loop selection etc.
>
> Also, when I say "old SI move tool" I mean the M tool without any manips
> that predated Tweak - click & drag points. ;-) That is what Maya's tweak
> mode is like. (except it works on all component types)
> --
> Brent
>
>
> From: softimage-boun...@listproc.autodesk.com [mailto:
> softimage-boun...@listproc.autodesk.com] On Behalf Of Martin Yara
> Sent: 19 March 2014 16:35
> To: softimage@listproc.autodesk.com
> Subject: Re: Autodesk webinar
>
> Hi Brent,
>
> Thanks for your detailed explanation.
>
> from a SI user POV yeah that isn't very impressive, but being a partial
> Maya user, that sounds pretty cool. Not enough to make me want to model in
> Maya but I may not need to move back to SI when tweaking models for a Maya
> based project.
>
> BTW, One of the model tools I miss in Maya is the old SI Move Tool with
> Magnet. Moving edge loops almost without affecting the object form is
> something I can't live without. I remember how excited I was when learned
> MMB + drag + Magnet to move edge loops. I couldn't stop moving edges :D
>
> Is there anything close to that in Maya? If not, you should add it.
>
> Martin
>
>
>
> On Thu, Mar 20, 2014 at 12:07 AM, Brent McPherson <
> brent.mcpher...@autodesk.com<mailto:brent.mcpher...@autodesk.com>> wrote:
> Hi Martin,
>
> Since I work on modeling I can comment directly on the NEX integration in
> 2015 and how modeling toolkit features have made their way into the native
> Maya selection tool. (as the other bigger features are covered in the
> what's new videos)
>
> Maya's native selection tool now has lazy preselection highlighting just
> like NEX that selects the closest component on the poly under the cursor.
> (like Soft's tweak tool) Sub-pixel picking precision no longer required.
> ;-) It also respects the highlight backfacing toggle in the modeling
> toolkit panel and is smart enough to ignore occluded components in shaded
> mode etc.
>
> We have also revamped the Drag (Tab key) and Tweak (` backtick key) modes
> in Maya's select tool. Drag is a raycast selection mode that you activate
> by holding Tab and again makes use of lazy preselection. So just hold Tab
> and raycast away from your current selection tool. If you start dragging on
> an unselected component the tool adds to the selection but if you start on
> a selected component it removes so no need for keyboard modifier
> calisthenics!
>
> Tweak (` backtick key) is a quick (manip-free) way of adjusting components
> (like the *old* Soft move tool) and has a nice big tolerance when outside
> the object so it can be used to tweak components on the silhouette of your
> mesh. Maya's "multi" selection mode (RMB menu) is also a nice way to work
> with points/edges/polys without switching selection modes.
>
> Speaking of RMB menus in Maya you can activate RMB radial menu items by
> RMB dragging quickly - so a RMB-left-swipe will put you in vertex mode
> without displaying the menu.
>
> Maya's loop selection has also been updated to the same level of
> functionality in NEX/Soft so you can make ring or partial loop selections
> by clicking an edge and the shift-double-clicking another edge in the
> loop/ring. (so for those familiar with Maya you don't need to switch to the
> special purpose ring selection tool anymore)
>
> Symmetry in Maya has been completely re-written and integrated between
> Maya and NEX. When symmetry is enabled your selections are fully
> symmetrical so most non-interactive modeling ops will basically work in
> 2015. It also supports NEX's topological symmetry which works off the mesh
> topology and can work on a posed/deformed character as long as the mesh is
> symmetrical.
>
> Maya and NEX soft selection settings have also been unified in 2015. In
> this instance we went with the Maya tech because it has some really nice
> features. You tap B to toggle soft select or hold B and LMB drag to adjust
> soft select. My favorite feature here is how the current weights are locked
> until you change your selection so you can tweak the same selection
> multiple times without having your soft selection recalculated each time
> you release the m

RE: Autodesk webinar

[Matt Lind]

I don't customize my general computing workspace for being left handed as most 
things are already mostly agnostic, and the things that aren't are on the 
trivial side or features I don't typically use.  But it's a different story 
when you work all day in a dedicated application under the pressure of 
deadlines.  To truly take advantage of your talents and skills efficiently, you 
must be able to work intuitively.  Being forced to remap your brain to fit into 
someone else's ideology is not intuitive and a leading cause of accidents for 
left handers in a right handed world.  9 out of 10 times you successfully make 
the adjustment once you adapt, but it's that one slipup that costs you because 
your brain natively wants to do things differently.


Matt




-Original Message-
From: softimage-boun...@listproc.autodesk.com 
[mailto:softimage-boun...@listproc.autodesk.com] On Behalf Of Eric Thivierge
Sent: Thursday, March 20, 2014 6:33 AM
To: softimage@listproc.autodesk.com
Subject: Re: Autodesk webinar

As a lefty, I learned quick that it wasn't going to be a pleasant experience 
using a computer if I had to switch settings along with the keyboard and mouse 
positions each time I sat down at a computer. Thus, I'm a lefty using the mouse 
and keyboard like a righty. Only way to stay productive when going to other 
people's machines in my opinion.

I feel sorry for the rest of the lefties out there who have to struggle along. 
:(

Eric T.

Re: Autodesk webinar

[Greg Punchatz]

whew...

*Greg Punchatz*
*Sr. Creative Director*
Janimation
214.823.7760
www.janimation.com 
On 3/19/2014 11:19 AM, Martin Yara wrote:

Maya 2014 remember component selection per object.
2013 and older, doesn't.

Martin




On Thu, Mar 20, 2014 at 12:43 AM, Greg Punchatz > wrote:


switching between objects? if not these are needed for sure... add
those feature requests to the "how to make maya not suck" ;)  list!

Re: Autodesk webinar

[Eric Thivierge]

As a lefty, I learned quick that it wasn't going to be a pleasant 
experience using a computer if I had to switch settings along with the 
keyboard and mouse positions each time I sat down at a computer. Thus, 
I'm a lefty using the mouse and keyboard like a righty. Only way to stay 
productive when going to other people's machines in my opinion.


I feel sorry for the rest of the lefties out there who have to struggle 
along. :(


Eric T.

RE: Autodesk webinar

[Brent McPherson]

Yes, In NEX (internally we refer to the evolution of the NEX plugin as MTK - 
Modeling Tool Kit)

Modeling Panel > Transform Constraint > Surface slide + Double-click edge loop 
selection etc.

Also, when I say "old SI move tool" I mean the M tool without any manips that 
predated Tweak - click & drag points. ;-) That is what Maya's tweak mode is 
like. (except it works on all component types)
--
Brent


From: softimage-boun...@listproc.autodesk.com 
[mailto:softimage-boun...@listproc.autodesk.com] On Behalf Of Martin Yara
Sent: 19 March 2014 16:35
To: softimage@listproc.autodesk.com
Subject: Re: Autodesk webinar

Hi Brent,

Thanks for your detailed explanation.

from a SI user POV yeah that isn't very impressive, but being a partial Maya 
user, that sounds pretty cool. Not enough to make me want to model in Maya but 
I may not need to move back to SI when tweaking models for a Maya based project.

BTW, One of the model tools I miss in Maya is the old SI Move Tool with Magnet. 
Moving edge loops almost without affecting the object form is something I can't 
live without. I remember how excited I was when learned MMB + drag + Magnet to 
move edge loops. I couldn't stop moving edges :D

Is there anything close to that in Maya? If not, you should add it.

Martin



On Thu, Mar 20, 2014 at 12:07 AM, Brent McPherson 
mailto:brent.mcpher...@autodesk.com>> wrote:
Hi Martin,

Since I work on modeling I can comment directly on the NEX integration in 2015 
and how modeling toolkit features have made their way into the native Maya 
selection tool. (as the other bigger features are covered in the what's new 
videos)

Maya's native selection tool now has lazy preselection highlighting just like 
NEX that selects the closest component on the poly under the cursor. (like 
Soft's tweak tool) Sub-pixel picking precision no longer required. ;-) It also 
respects the highlight backfacing toggle in the modeling toolkit panel and is 
smart enough to ignore occluded components in shaded mode etc.

We have also revamped the Drag (Tab key) and Tweak (` backtick key) modes in 
Maya's select tool. Drag is a raycast selection mode that you activate by 
holding Tab and again makes use of lazy preselection. So just hold Tab and 
raycast away from your current selection tool. If you start dragging on an 
unselected component the tool adds to the selection but if you start on a 
selected component it removes so no need for keyboard modifier calisthenics!

Tweak (` backtick key) is a quick (manip-free) way of adjusting components 
(like the *old* Soft move tool) and has a nice big tolerance when outside the 
object so it can be used to tweak components on the silhouette of your mesh. 
Maya's "multi" selection mode (RMB menu) is also a nice way to work with 
points/edges/polys without switching selection modes.

Speaking of RMB menus in Maya you can activate RMB radial menu items by RMB 
dragging quickly - so a RMB-left-swipe will put you in vertex mode without 
displaying the menu.

Maya's loop selection has also been updated to the same level of functionality 
in NEX/Soft so you can make ring or partial loop selections by clicking an edge 
and the shift-double-clicking another edge in the loop/ring. (so for those 
familiar with Maya you don't need to switch to the special purpose ring 
selection tool anymore)

Symmetry in Maya has been completely re-written and integrated between Maya and 
NEX. When symmetry is enabled your selections are fully symmetrical so most 
non-interactive modeling ops will basically work in 2015. It also supports 
NEX's topological symmetry which works off the mesh topology and can work on a 
posed/deformed character as long as the mesh is symmetrical.

Maya and NEX soft selection settings have also been unified in 2015. In this 
instance we went with the Maya tech because it has some really nice features. 
You tap B to toggle soft select or hold B and LMB drag to adjust soft select. 
My favorite feature here is how the current weights are locked until you change 
your selection so you can tweak the same selection multiple times without 
having your soft selection recalculated each time you release the mouse. Undo 
also restores your soft selection weights which is a nice added touch. 
(Unfortunately the NEX tools don't have this weight preserving feature though 
they use same soft-select falloff settings in 2015)

Anyway those are just a few of the ways we have started to integrate NEX into 
Maya in 2015. Maybe it doesn't sound that impressive to Soft users but we are 
making progress.
--
Brent

<>

Re: Autodesk webinar

[Siew Yi Liang]

Hi Martin:

The Edge Slide tool (pre-2014) is exactly for this purpose, and with 
vertices you can use hold down C+Move (though YMMV since it's 
constrained to only one axis of movement).


2014 and onwards you can use the integrated NEX tools edge/surface slide 
options to achieve this.


Yours sincerely,
Siew Yi Liang

On 3/20/2014 4:08 AM, Martin Yara wrote:
Sorry but was that an answer to my question about moving an edge loop 
with Move Tool with magnet and MMB drag ?


Because I can't get the same result in Maya.

Martin


On Thu, Mar 20, 2014 at 3:32 AM, John Richard Sanchez 
mailto:youngupstar...@gmail.com>> wrote:


If you hold down W (short cut key for move) and click it will
bring up a menu and you can change the setting to "Normal Average"


On Wed, Mar 19, 2014 at 12:34 PM, Martin Yara mailto:furik...@gmail.com>> wrote:

Hi Brent,

Thanks for your detailed explanation.

from a SI user POV yeah that isn't very impressive, but being
a partial Maya user, that sounds pretty cool. Not enough to
make me want to model in Maya but I may not need to move back
to SI when tweaking models for a Maya based project.

BTW, One of the model tools I miss in Maya is the old SI Move
Tool with Magnet. Moving edge loops almost without affecting
the object form is something I can't live without. I remember
how excited I was when learned MMB + drag + Magnet to move
edge loops. I couldn't stop moving edges :D

Is there anything close to that in Maya? If not, you should
add it.

Martin

Re: Autodesk webinar

[Martin Yara]

Sorry but was that an answer to my question about moving an edge loop with
Move Tool with magnet and MMB drag ?

Because I can't get the same result in Maya.

Martin


On Thu, Mar 20, 2014 at 3:32 AM, John Richard Sanchez <
youngupstar...@gmail.com> wrote:

> If you hold down W (short cut key for move) and click it will bring up a
> menu and you can change the setting to "Normal Average"
>
>
> On Wed, Mar 19, 2014 at 12:34 PM, Martin Yara  wrote:
>
>> Hi Brent,
>>
>> Thanks for your detailed explanation.
>>
>> from a SI user POV yeah that isn't very impressive, but being a partial
>> Maya user, that sounds pretty cool. Not enough to make me want to model in
>> Maya but I may not need to move back to SI when tweaking models for a Maya
>> based project.
>>
>> BTW, One of the model tools I miss in Maya is the old SI Move Tool with
>> Magnet. Moving edge loops almost without affecting the object form is
>> something I can't live without. I remember how excited I was when learned
>> MMB + drag + Magnet to move edge loops. I couldn't stop moving edges :D
>>
>> Is there anything close to that in Maya? If not, you should add it.
>>
>> Martin
>>
>>
>>
>>

RE: Autodesk webinar

[Angus Davidson]

I have the Nostromo and it works really well for me. Then again I am an avid 
gamer as well so I have a lot of muscle memory tied up in it. Does take a 
little setting up as its not application aware to the point of that some of the 
other devices are.



From: Raffaele Fragapane [raffsxsil...@googlemail.com]
Sent: 20 March 2014 01:32 AM
To: softimage@listproc.autodesk.com
Subject: Re: Autodesk webinar

I was half poking fun, it's actually a nifty gadget. Doesn't look that small 
(any she said jokes?), but I guess on the right of the keyboard it might be 
viable.
You could also consider a nostromo game pad at that point. I tried using one 
for a while actually but it didn't click for me, they're not bad though, and a 
good deal cheaper than that pad.


On Thu, Mar 20, 2014 at 10:28 AM, Eric Turman 
mailto:i.anima...@gmail.com>> wrote:
Its small enough to co-exist with a normal keyboard, so you can still script.  
Meh, just thought I'd toss it out there for what it was worth.


On Wed, Mar 19, 2014 at 6:23 PM, Raffaele Fragapane 
mailto:raffsxsil...@googlemail.com>> wrote:
Moving the keyboard to the right sorts the same effect, though you don't get to 
choose the spacing and rearrange the arc. Neither goes any length to addressing 
the fact that if you frequently both write and interact (something Matt does, 
I'm sure) it's not a viable solution.
You need your keyboard mostly centered and your wrists more or less spaced a 
certain way. If you're a lefty it's not possible, currently.

Does XSI fare any better for lefties? I wouldn't know, I'm properly handed :p


On Thu, Mar 20, 2014 at 10:19 AM, Eric Turman 
mailto:i.anima...@gmail.com>> wrote:
I just use this (http://ergodex.com/mainpage.htm) with 50 keys and call it a 
day :P that way I don't have to deal with remapping the applications because 
the device switches its keyboard mapping based on which application is active.



--
Our users will know fear and cower before our software! Ship it! Ship it and 
let them flee like the dogs they are!



--




-=T=-



--
Our users will know fear and cower before our software! Ship it! Ship it and 
let them flee like the dogs they are!



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writing to the contrary. 

RE: Autodesk webinar

[Matt Lind]

Both Softimage|3D and Softimage|XSI leave the right half of the keyboard mostly 
unmapped so I can do whatever I want with it.  I prefer to keep it in the 
factory default state as much as possible, so I really don't remap keys anymore.

The only keys I use on a regular basis that are currently inconvenient are 
X/C/V for transforms and a bit of Z for zoom, but since I use frame, frame all, 
and zoom so frequently with the SHIFT key, I crawl the keyboard with my fingers 
to find SHIFT, then feel around for the A, F, or Z key as needed.  The main 
keys for selection and subcomponent selection are centrally located, and many 
of the other functions mapped to the left side have alternate functions 
available on the right side even if they aren't exact.  For example, 
right-handers have S to navigate the camera, but I use the old school O and P 
for the same job because they are easier to reach and actually have more 
function (granularity).  The only keys I would typically want to map are those 
which I use in high frequency such as transform, camera, selection, opening 
editors, and performing previews.  All else I'll just deal with via adjusting 
my workflow such as paying attention to order of operations to make use of MMB 
on a menu to repeat last function used in that menu.  The only keys I used to 
map were preview (J), material editor (M) and deselect all (N), and custom 
tools I had written myself.  If I needed variations of those functions, I'd 
include spacebar or shift.  For example, spacebar was select, so spacebar + N 
is deselect (using filter in XSI).  J is preview all, spacebar + J is preview 
selected.  Not only practical, but mnemonic as well.

For cases where remapping was necessary, Softimage|3D was more friendly than 
XSI as I could use the spacebar as a combo key making it possible for me to 
remap any function and keep it central to the keyboard and minimize physical 
distance.  This improves workflow efficiency because the spacebar is so large I 
could keep my thumb glued to it while sliding my hand left or right to find the 
rest of the keys in the combo.  This greatly reduced physical strain by 
preventing situations where I'd have to contort my wrists to reach waay 
across the keyboard to perform a key combo, and allows me to keep my eyes on 
the monitor and walk the keys with my fingers.  One of the very first gripes I 
had with, then Sumatra, was the abolishment of spacebar as a combo key.  I 
stopped mapping keys after that because using ALT, CTRL, or SHIFT didn't really 
make any difference as using any of them resulted in contorted wrists, or 
situations where it was more difficult to find the remapped keys than using the 
factory defaults as is.

In Maya, it's a completely different ballgame.   Words cannot describe how much 
I hate the use of the keyboard.  It seems heavily biased towards right-handed 
users and focused on putting common functions in the corners instead of the 
middle.  The functions most easily accessed are to get around stupid workflow 
concepts instead of doing it right.  For example, making spacebar for 
minimizing/maximizing viewport size.  There are many other tasks (as listed 
above) that have much higher priority in workflow than minimizing/maximizing a 
viewport, so why give it the biggest and most easily accessible key on the 
keyboard?  What a waste!!!  When using Maya, I found myself taking my eyes off 
the screen very frequently, and spending much more physical effort to find and 
execute commands.  The hotbox, or whatever they call it, kills my wrists.  At 
first I thought it was a case of conditioning the muscles to get used to doing 
those types of actions, but the situation never improved even after several 
weeks.

If I had to come up with propaganda to feed to rival developers to throw them 
off course and tank their own product, Maya would be the blueprint I'd give 
them.


Matt






From: softimage-boun...@listproc.autodesk.com 
[mailto:softimage-boun...@listproc.autodesk.com] On Behalf Of Raffaele Fragapane
Sent: Wednesday, March 19, 2014 4:24 PM
To: softimage@listproc.autodesk.com
Subject: Re: Autodesk webinar

Moving the keyboard to the right sorts the same effect, though you don't get to 
choose the spacing and rearrange the arc. Neither goes any length to addressing 
the fact that if you frequently both write and interact (something Matt does, 
I'm sure) it's not a viable solution.
You need your keyboard mostly centered and your wrists more or less spaced a 
certain way. If you're a lefty it's not possible, currently.

Does XSI fare any better for lefties? I wouldn't know, I'm properly handed :p

On Thu, Mar 20, 2014 at 10:19 AM, Eric Turman 
mailto:i.anima...@gmail.com>> wrote:
I just use this (http://ergodex.com/mainpage.htm) with 50 keys and call it a 
day :P that way I don't have to deal with remapping the applications because 
the devi

Re: Autodesk webinar

[Adam Sale]

just turn the keyboard upside down.



On Wed, Mar 19, 2014 at 4:43 PM, Enoch Ihde  wrote:

> i'm a lefty, and really haven't had issues using softimage or maya.  way
> back in the day in 3ds max, i went to the bother of remapping everything to
> the right side of the keyboard, but when i switched to softimage, the
> entire num pad was already assigned to commands (i have a weird reluctance
> to overwrite existing mappings, just add to them).
>
> of course, a pretty handed agnostic setup would be to have spacebar be the
> button to activate camera navigation (certain application comes to mind)..
> and then some kind of simple remap mirror setup (with H or whatever being
> the axis).
>
> but really, i've never really had any wrist issues, in fact, in many ways,
> i think having the right hand on the keyboard works very well for
> softimage.  with my index on s, i can easily reach the other frequently hit
> keys (7-0, tyui, ]) etc with my pinky
>
>
> On Wed, Mar 19, 2014 at 4:32 PM, Raffaele Fragapane <
> raffsxsil...@googlemail.com> wrote:
>
>> I was half poking fun, it's actually a nifty gadget. Doesn't look that
>> small (any she said jokes?), but I guess on the right of the keyboard it
>> might be viable.
>> You could also consider a nostromo game pad at that point. I tried using
>> one for a while actually but it didn't click for me, they're not bad
>> though, and a good deal cheaper than that pad.
>>
>>
>> On Thu, Mar 20, 2014 at 10:28 AM, Eric Turman wrote:
>>
>>> Its small enough to co-exist with a normal keyboard, so you can still
>>> script.  Meh, just thought I'd toss it out there for what it was worth.
>>>
>>>
>>> On Wed, Mar 19, 2014 at 6:23 PM, Raffaele Fragapane <
>>> raffsxsil...@googlemail.com> wrote:
>>>
 Moving the keyboard to the right sorts the same effect, though you
 don't get to choose the spacing and rearrange the arc. Neither goes any
 length to addressing the fact that if you frequently both write and
 interact (something Matt does, I'm sure) it's not a viable solution.
 You need your keyboard mostly centered and your wrists more or less
 spaced a certain way. If you're a lefty it's not possible, currently.

 Does XSI fare any better for lefties? I wouldn't know, I'm properly
 handed :p


 On Thu, Mar 20, 2014 at 10:19 AM, Eric Turman wrote:

> I just use this (http://ergodex.com/mainpage.htm) with 50 keys and
> call it a day :P that way I don't have to deal with remapping the
> applications because the device switches its keyboard mapping based on
> which application is active.
>



 --
 Our users will know fear and cower before our software! Ship it! Ship
 it and let them flee like the dogs they are!

>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> --
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> -=T=-
>>>
>>
>>
>>
>> --
>> Our users will know fear and cower before our software! Ship it! Ship it
>> and let them flee like the dogs they are!
>>
>
>

Re: Autodesk webinar

[Enoch Ihde]

i'm a lefty, and really haven't had issues using softimage or maya.  way
back in the day in 3ds max, i went to the bother of remapping everything to
the right side of the keyboard, but when i switched to softimage, the
entire num pad was already assigned to commands (i have a weird reluctance
to overwrite existing mappings, just add to them).

of course, a pretty handed agnostic setup would be to have spacebar be the
button to activate camera navigation (certain application comes to mind)..
and then some kind of simple remap mirror setup (with H or whatever being
the axis).

but really, i've never really had any wrist issues, in fact, in many ways,
i think having the right hand on the keyboard works very well for
softimage.  with my index on s, i can easily reach the other frequently hit
keys (7-0, tyui, ]) etc with my pinky


On Wed, Mar 19, 2014 at 4:32 PM, Raffaele Fragapane <
raffsxsil...@googlemail.com> wrote:

> I was half poking fun, it's actually a nifty gadget. Doesn't look that
> small (any she said jokes?), but I guess on the right of the keyboard it
> might be viable.
> You could also consider a nostromo game pad at that point. I tried using
> one for a while actually but it didn't click for me, they're not bad
> though, and a good deal cheaper than that pad.
>
>
> On Thu, Mar 20, 2014 at 10:28 AM, Eric Turman wrote:
>
>> Its small enough to co-exist with a normal keyboard, so you can still
>> script.  Meh, just thought I'd toss it out there for what it was worth.
>>
>>
>> On Wed, Mar 19, 2014 at 6:23 PM, Raffaele Fragapane <
>> raffsxsil...@googlemail.com> wrote:
>>
>>> Moving the keyboard to the right sorts the same effect, though you don't
>>> get to choose the spacing and rearrange the arc. Neither goes any length to
>>> addressing the fact that if you frequently both write and interact
>>> (something Matt does, I'm sure) it's not a viable solution.
>>> You need your keyboard mostly centered and your wrists more or less
>>> spaced a certain way. If you're a lefty it's not possible, currently.
>>>
>>> Does XSI fare any better for lefties? I wouldn't know, I'm properly
>>> handed :p
>>>
>>>
>>> On Thu, Mar 20, 2014 at 10:19 AM, Eric Turman wrote:
>>>
 I just use this (http://ergodex.com/mainpage.htm) with 50 keys and
 call it a day :P that way I don't have to deal with remapping the
 applications because the device switches its keyboard mapping based on
 which application is active.

>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> --
>>> Our users will know fear and cower before our software! Ship it! Ship it
>>> and let them flee like the dogs they are!
>>>
>>
>>
>>
>> --
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> -=T=-
>>
>
>
>
> --
> Our users will know fear and cower before our software! Ship it! Ship it
> and let them flee like the dogs they are!
>

Re: Autodesk webinar

[Raffaele Fragapane]

I was half poking fun, it's actually a nifty gadget. Doesn't look that
small (any she said jokes?), but I guess on the right of the keyboard it
might be viable.
You could also consider a nostromo game pad at that point. I tried using
one for a while actually but it didn't click for me, they're not bad
though, and a good deal cheaper than that pad.


On Thu, Mar 20, 2014 at 10:28 AM, Eric Turman  wrote:

> Its small enough to co-exist with a normal keyboard, so you can still
> script.  Meh, just thought I'd toss it out there for what it was worth.
>
>
> On Wed, Mar 19, 2014 at 6:23 PM, Raffaele Fragapane <
> raffsxsil...@googlemail.com> wrote:
>
>> Moving the keyboard to the right sorts the same effect, though you don't
>> get to choose the spacing and rearrange the arc. Neither goes any length to
>> addressing the fact that if you frequently both write and interact
>> (something Matt does, I'm sure) it's not a viable solution.
>> You need your keyboard mostly centered and your wrists more or less
>> spaced a certain way. If you're a lefty it's not possible, currently.
>>
>> Does XSI fare any better for lefties? I wouldn't know, I'm properly
>> handed :p
>>
>>
>> On Thu, Mar 20, 2014 at 10:19 AM, Eric Turman wrote:
>>
>>> I just use this (http://ergodex.com/mainpage.htm) with 50 keys and call
>>> it a day :P that way I don't have to deal with remapping the applications
>>> because the device switches its keyboard mapping based on which application
>>> is active.
>>>
>>
>>
>>
>> --
>> Our users will know fear and cower before our software! Ship it! Ship it
>> and let them flee like the dogs they are!
>>
>
>
>
> --
>
>
>
>
> -=T=-
>



-- 
Our users will know fear and cower before our software! Ship it! Ship it
and let them flee like the dogs they are!

Re: Autodesk webinar

[Eric Turman]

Its small enough to co-exist with a normal keyboard, so you can still
script.  Meh, just thought I'd toss it out there for what it was worth.


On Wed, Mar 19, 2014 at 6:23 PM, Raffaele Fragapane <
raffsxsil...@googlemail.com> wrote:

> Moving the keyboard to the right sorts the same effect, though you don't
> get to choose the spacing and rearrange the arc. Neither goes any length to
> addressing the fact that if you frequently both write and interact
> (something Matt does, I'm sure) it's not a viable solution.
> You need your keyboard mostly centered and your wrists more or less spaced
> a certain way. If you're a lefty it's not possible, currently.
>
> Does XSI fare any better for lefties? I wouldn't know, I'm properly handed
> :p
>
>
> On Thu, Mar 20, 2014 at 10:19 AM, Eric Turman wrote:
>
>> I just use this (http://ergodex.com/mainpage.htm) with 50 keys and call
>> it a day :P that way I don't have to deal with remapping the applications
>> because the device switches its keyboard mapping based on which application
>> is active.
>>
>
>
>
> --
> Our users will know fear and cower before our software! Ship it! Ship it
> and let them flee like the dogs they are!
>



-- 




-=T=-

Re: Autodesk webinar

[Raffaele Fragapane]

Moving the keyboard to the right sorts the same effect, though you don't
get to choose the spacing and rearrange the arc. Neither goes any length to
addressing the fact that if you frequently both write and interact
(something Matt does, I'm sure) it's not a viable solution.
You need your keyboard mostly centered and your wrists more or less spaced
a certain way. If you're a lefty it's not possible, currently.

Does XSI fare any better for lefties? I wouldn't know, I'm properly handed
:p


On Thu, Mar 20, 2014 at 10:19 AM, Eric Turman  wrote:

> I just use this (http://ergodex.com/mainpage.htm) with 50 keys and call
> it a day :P that way I don't have to deal with remapping the applications
> because the device switches its keyboard mapping based on which application
> is active.
>



-- 
Our users will know fear and cower before our software! Ship it! Ship it
and let them flee like the dogs they are!

Re: Autodesk webinar

[Eric Turman]

I just use this (http://ergodex.com/mainpage.htm) with 50 keys and call it
a day :P that way I don't have to deal with remapping the applications
because the device switches its keyboard mapping based on which application
is active.

Re: Autodesk webinar

[Enoch Ihde]

lefties get along just fine with alt or s.  the world moves on.

Re: Autodesk webinar

[Eugene Flormata]

yeah I started using my thumb too in maya. then I have to contort my hand
into this claw shape to have the buttons handy.
also, maya focus zoom. i always use hypergraph in maya, focus does not
drill down.
and on certain rigs, the object focus button zooms out to some unusable
distance, then I have to have some selection set button made handy just to
zoom into something.

and when will the fcurves be fixed to adjust the slope and length without
the need to weight the curve tangents, free the tangents stretch the
tangents, then recombine them for an equal slope...

not being able to type a formula into any numerical input window is also a
pain




On Wed, Mar 19, 2014 at 3:55 PM, Matt Lind  wrote:

> What do left handers do?
>
>
>
> Like Eugene, I always found using Alias PowerAnimator / Maya to be quite
> painful on the wrists.
>
>
>
>
>
> Matt
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> *From:* softimage-boun...@listproc.autodesk.com [mailto:
> softimage-boun...@listproc.autodesk.com] *On Behalf Of *Raffaele Fragapane
> *Sent:* Wednesday, March 19, 2014 3:54 PM
>
> *To:* softimage@listproc.autodesk.com
> *Subject:* Re: Autodesk webinar
>
>
>
> Sorry, but at what point do you need to manipulate the camera AND
> translate the object at the same time? I don't think I've really ever
> incurred in that need ever :)
>
> I usually have my thumb on alt, pinky resting by tab and index/middle take
> care of walking shortcuts from there.
>
>
>
> On Thu, Mar 20, 2014 at 9:47 AM, Eugene Flormata 
> wrote:
>
> what finger does everyone use to hold alt to navigate in maya? and then
> click on the tools W E R for translate rotate scale?
> I always find myself with getting hand cramps using maya.
>
>
>
>
>
> --
> Our users will know fear and cower before our software! Ship it! Ship it
> and let them flee like the dogs they are!
>

Re: Autodesk webinar

[Raffaele Fragapane]

Well, you are generally agreed upon to be the spawn of the devil, only a
small step short of having a third nipple.

I think it's legal to discriminate the spawn of Satan when it comes to
interaction models provided the current president added the optional "So
help me God" in the oath of office. Given Obama recited the addition, you
can be legally discriminated against. AD's legal department agrees, I'm
sure.


On Thu, Mar 20, 2014 at 10:00 AM, Matt Lind wrote:

> OK, so not only are Softimage users dis-enfranchised, but I have to put up
> with discrimination too?  Aren't there laws against discirimination?
>
>
>
> Matt
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> *From:* softimage-boun...@listproc.autodesk.com [mailto:
> softimage-boun...@listproc.autodesk.com] *On Behalf Of *Raffaele Fragapane
> *Sent:* Wednesday, March 19, 2014 3:59 PM
>
> *To:* softimage@listproc.autodesk.com
> *Subject:* Re: Autodesk webinar
>
>
>
> My girlfriend is left handed, she usually has to keep the keyboard way
> offset than any right handed person ever will, and rest her right hand with
> the index around W. It's enormously impractical when you happen to hop
> between coding and interacting. She has grooves from the keyboard pegs on
> the desk's surface for how much she has to move the keyboard around when
> she uses Maya.
>
>
>
> On Thu, Mar 20, 2014 at 9:55 AM, Matt Lind 
> wrote:
>
> What do left handers do?
>
>
>
> Like Eugene, I always found using Alias PowerAnimator / Maya to be quite
> painful on the wrists.
>
>
>
>
>
> Matt
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> *From:* softimage-boun...@listproc.autodesk.com [mailto:
> softimage-boun...@listproc.autodesk.com] *On Behalf Of *Raffaele Fragapane
> *Sent:* Wednesday, March 19, 2014 3:54 PM
>
>
> *To:* softimage@listproc.autodesk.com
> *Subject:* Re: Autodesk webinar
>
>
>
> Sorry, but at what point do you need to manipulate the camera AND
> translate the object at the same time? I don't think I've really ever
> incurred in that need ever :)
>
> I usually have my thumb on alt, pinky resting by tab and index/middle take
> care of walking shortcuts from there.
>
>
>
> On Thu, Mar 20, 2014 at 9:47 AM, Eugene Flormata 
> wrote:
>
> what finger does everyone use to hold alt to navigate in maya? and then
> click on the tools W E R for translate rotate scale?
> I always find myself with getting hand cramps using maya.
>
>
>
>
>
> --
> Our users will know fear and cower before our software! Ship it! Ship it
> and let them flee like the dogs they are!
>
>
>
>
>
> --
> Our users will know fear and cower before our software! Ship it! Ship it
> and let them flee like the dogs they are!
>



-- 
Our users will know fear and cower before our software! Ship it! Ship it
and let them flee like the dogs they are!

RE: Autodesk webinar

[Matt Lind]

OK, so not only are Softimage users dis-enfranchised, but I have to put up with 
discrimination too?  Aren't there laws against discirimination?

Matt



From: softimage-boun...@listproc.autodesk.com 
[mailto:softimage-boun...@listproc.autodesk.com] On Behalf Of Raffaele Fragapane
Sent: Wednesday, March 19, 2014 3:59 PM
To: softimage@listproc.autodesk.com
Subject: Re: Autodesk webinar

My girlfriend is left handed, she usually has to keep the keyboard way offset 
than any right handed person ever will, and rest her right hand with the index 
around W. It's enormously impractical when you happen to hop between coding and 
interacting. She has grooves from the keyboard pegs on the desk's surface for 
how much she has to move the keyboard around when she uses Maya.

On Thu, Mar 20, 2014 at 9:55 AM, Matt Lind 
mailto:ml...@carbinestudios.com>> wrote:
What do left handers do?

Like Eugene, I always found using Alias PowerAnimator / Maya to be quite 
painful on the wrists.


Matt




From: 
softimage-boun...@listproc.autodesk.com<mailto:softimage-boun...@listproc.autodesk.com>
 
[mailto:softimage-boun...@listproc.autodesk.com<mailto:softimage-boun...@listproc.autodesk.com>]
 On Behalf Of Raffaele Fragapane
Sent: Wednesday, March 19, 2014 3:54 PM

To: softimage@listproc.autodesk.com<mailto:softimage@listproc.autodesk.com>
Subject: Re: Autodesk webinar

Sorry, but at what point do you need to manipulate the camera AND translate the 
object at the same time? I don't think I've really ever incurred in that need 
ever :)
I usually have my thumb on alt, pinky resting by tab and index/middle take care 
of walking shortcuts from there.

On Thu, Mar 20, 2014 at 9:47 AM, Eugene Flormata 
mailto:eug...@flormata.com>> wrote:
what finger does everyone use to hold alt to navigate in maya? and then click 
on the tools W E R for translate rotate scale?
I always find myself with getting hand cramps using maya.



--
Our users will know fear and cower before our software! Ship it! Ship it and 
let them flee like the dogs they are!



--
Our users will know fear and cower before our software! Ship it! Ship it and 
let them flee like the dogs they are!

Re: Autodesk webinar

[Raffaele Fragapane]

My girlfriend is left handed, she usually has to keep the keyboard way
offset than any right handed person ever will, and rest her right hand with
the index around W. It's enormously impractical when you happen to hop
between coding and interacting. She has grooves from the keyboard pegs on
the desk's surface for how much she has to move the keyboard around when
she uses Maya.


On Thu, Mar 20, 2014 at 9:55 AM, Matt Lind  wrote:

> What do left handers do?
>
>
>
> Like Eugene, I always found using Alias PowerAnimator / Maya to be quite
> painful on the wrists.
>
>
>
>
>
> Matt
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> *From:* softimage-boun...@listproc.autodesk.com [mailto:
> softimage-boun...@listproc.autodesk.com] *On Behalf Of *Raffaele Fragapane
> *Sent:* Wednesday, March 19, 2014 3:54 PM
>
> *To:* softimage@listproc.autodesk.com
> *Subject:* Re: Autodesk webinar
>
>
>
> Sorry, but at what point do you need to manipulate the camera AND
> translate the object at the same time? I don't think I've really ever
> incurred in that need ever :)
>
> I usually have my thumb on alt, pinky resting by tab and index/middle take
> care of walking shortcuts from there.
>
>
>
> On Thu, Mar 20, 2014 at 9:47 AM, Eugene Flormata 
> wrote:
>
> what finger does everyone use to hold alt to navigate in maya? and then
> click on the tools W E R for translate rotate scale?
> I always find myself with getting hand cramps using maya.
>
>
>
>
>
> --
> Our users will know fear and cower before our software! Ship it! Ship it
> and let them flee like the dogs they are!
>



-- 
Our users will know fear and cower before our software! Ship it! Ship it
and let them flee like the dogs they are!

RE: Autodesk webinar

[Matt Lind]

What do left handers do?

Like Eugene, I always found using Alias PowerAnimator / Maya to be quite 
painful on the wrists.


Matt




From: softimage-boun...@listproc.autodesk.com 
[mailto:softimage-boun...@listproc.autodesk.com] On Behalf Of Raffaele Fragapane
Sent: Wednesday, March 19, 2014 3:54 PM
To: softimage@listproc.autodesk.com
Subject: Re: Autodesk webinar

Sorry, but at what point do you need to manipulate the camera AND translate the 
object at the same time? I don't think I've really ever incurred in that need 
ever :)
I usually have my thumb on alt, pinky resting by tab and index/middle take care 
of walking shortcuts from there.

On Thu, Mar 20, 2014 at 9:47 AM, Eugene Flormata 
mailto:eug...@flormata.com>> wrote:
what finger does everyone use to hold alt to navigate in maya? and then click 
on the tools W E R for translate rotate scale?
I always find myself with getting hand cramps using maya.



--
Our users will know fear and cower before our software! Ship it! Ship it and 
let them flee like the dogs they are!

Re: Autodesk webinar

[Raffaele Fragapane]

Sorry, but at what point do you need to manipulate the camera AND translate
the object at the same time? I don't think I've really ever incurred in
that need ever :)
I usually have my thumb on alt, pinky resting by tab and index/middle take
care of walking shortcuts from there.


On Thu, Mar 20, 2014 at 9:47 AM, Eugene Flormata wrote:

> what finger does everyone use to hold alt to navigate in maya? and then
> click on the tools W E R for translate rotate scale?
> I always find myself with getting hand cramps using maya.
>



-- 
Our users will know fear and cower before our software! Ship it! Ship it
and let them flee like the dogs they are!

Re: Autodesk webinar

[Eugene Flormata]

what finger does everyone use to hold alt to navigate in maya? and then
click on the tools W E R for translate rotate scale?
I always find myself with getting hand cramps using maya.

Re: Autodesk webinar

[Martin Yara]

Hi Brent,

Thanks for your detailed explanation.

from a SI user POV yeah that isn't very impressive, but being a partial
Maya user, that sounds pretty cool. Not enough to make me want to model in
Maya but I may not need to move back to SI when tweaking models for a Maya
based project.

BTW, One of the model tools I miss in Maya is the old SI Move Tool with
Magnet. Moving edge loops almost without affecting the object form is
something I can't live without. I remember how excited I was when learned
MMB + drag + Magnet to move edge loops. I couldn't stop moving edges :D

Is there anything close to that in Maya? If not, you should add it.

Martin




On Thu, Mar 20, 2014 at 12:07 AM, Brent McPherson <
brent.mcpher...@autodesk.com> wrote:

> Hi Martin,
>
> Since I work on modeling I can comment directly on the NEX integration in
> 2015 and how modeling toolkit features have made their way into the native
> Maya selection tool. (as the other bigger features are covered in the
> what's new videos)
>
> Maya's native selection tool now has lazy preselection highlighting just
> like NEX that selects the closest component on the poly under the cursor.
> (like Soft's tweak tool) Sub-pixel picking precision no longer required.
> ;-) It also respects the highlight backfacing toggle in the modeling
> toolkit panel and is smart enough to ignore occluded components in shaded
> mode etc.
>
> We have also revamped the Drag (Tab key) and Tweak (` backtick key) modes
> in Maya's select tool. Drag is a raycast selection mode that you activate
> by holding Tab and again makes use of lazy preselection. So just hold Tab
> and raycast away from your current selection tool. If you start dragging on
> an unselected component the tool adds to the selection but if you start on
> a selected component it removes so no need for keyboard modifier
> calisthenics!
>
> Tweak (` backtick key) is a quick (manip-free) way of adjusting components
> (like the *old* Soft move tool) and has a nice big tolerance when outside
> the object so it can be used to tweak components on the silhouette of your
> mesh. Maya's "multi" selection mode (RMB menu) is also a nice way to work
> with points/edges/polys without switching selection modes.
>
> Speaking of RMB menus in Maya you can activate RMB radial menu items by
> RMB dragging quickly - so a RMB-left-swipe will put you in vertex mode
> without displaying the menu.
>
> Maya's loop selection has also been updated to the same level of
> functionality in NEX/Soft so you can make ring or partial loop selections
> by clicking an edge and the shift-double-clicking another edge in the
> loop/ring. (so for those familiar with Maya you don't need to switch to the
> special purpose ring selection tool anymore)
>
> Symmetry in Maya has been completely re-written and integrated between
> Maya and NEX. When symmetry is enabled your selections are fully
> symmetrical so most non-interactive modeling ops will basically work in
> 2015. It also supports NEX's topological symmetry which works off the mesh
> topology and can work on a posed/deformed character as long as the mesh is
> symmetrical.
>
> Maya and NEX soft selection settings have also been unified in 2015. In
> this instance we went with the Maya tech because it has some really nice
> features. You tap B to toggle soft select or hold B and LMB drag to adjust
> soft select. My favorite feature here is how the current weights are locked
> until you change your selection so you can tweak the same selection
> multiple times without having your soft selection recalculated each time
> you release the mouse. Undo also restores your soft selection weights which
> is a nice added touch. (Unfortunately the NEX tools don't have this weight
> preserving feature though they use same soft-select falloff settings in
> 2015)
>
> Anyway those are just a few of the ways we have started to integrate NEX
> into Maya in 2015. Maybe it doesn't sound that impressive to Soft users but
> we are making progress.
> --
> Brent
>
>

Re: Autodesk webinar

[John Richard Sanchez]

If you hold down W (short cut key for move) and click it will bring up a
menu and you can change the setting to "Normal Average"


On Wed, Mar 19, 2014 at 12:34 PM, Martin Yara  wrote:

> Hi Brent,
>
> Thanks for your detailed explanation.
>
> from a SI user POV yeah that isn't very impressive, but being a partial
> Maya user, that sounds pretty cool. Not enough to make me want to model in
> Maya but I may not need to move back to SI when tweaking models for a Maya
> based project.
>
> BTW, One of the model tools I miss in Maya is the old SI Move Tool with
> Magnet. Moving edge loops almost without affecting the object form is
> something I can't live without. I remember how excited I was when learned
> MMB + drag + Magnet to move edge loops. I couldn't stop moving edges :D
>
> Is there anything close to that in Maya? If not, you should add it.
>
> Martin
>
>
>
>
> On Thu, Mar 20, 2014 at 12:07 AM, Brent McPherson <
> brent.mcpher...@autodesk.com> wrote:
>
>> Hi Martin,
>>
>> Since I work on modeling I can comment directly on the NEX integration in
>> 2015 and how modeling toolkit features have made their way into the native
>> Maya selection tool. (as the other bigger features are covered in the
>> what's new videos)
>>
>> Maya's native selection tool now has lazy preselection highlighting just
>> like NEX that selects the closest component on the poly under the cursor.
>> (like Soft's tweak tool) Sub-pixel picking precision no longer required.
>> ;-) It also respects the highlight backfacing toggle in the modeling
>> toolkit panel and is smart enough to ignore occluded components in shaded
>> mode etc.
>>
>> We have also revamped the Drag (Tab key) and Tweak (` backtick key) modes
>> in Maya's select tool. Drag is a raycast selection mode that you activate
>> by holding Tab and again makes use of lazy preselection. So just hold Tab
>> and raycast away from your current selection tool. If you start dragging on
>> an unselected component the tool adds to the selection but if you start on
>> a selected component it removes so no need for keyboard modifier
>> calisthenics!
>>
>> Tweak (` backtick key) is a quick (manip-free) way of adjusting
>> components (like the *old* Soft move tool) and has a nice big tolerance
>> when outside the object so it can be used to tweak components on the
>> silhouette of your mesh. Maya's "multi" selection mode (RMB menu) is also a
>> nice way to work with points/edges/polys without switching selection modes.
>>
>> Speaking of RMB menus in Maya you can activate RMB radial menu items by
>> RMB dragging quickly - so a RMB-left-swipe will put you in vertex mode
>> without displaying the menu.
>>
>> Maya's loop selection has also been updated to the same level of
>> functionality in NEX/Soft so you can make ring or partial loop selections
>> by clicking an edge and the shift-double-clicking another edge in the
>> loop/ring. (so for those familiar with Maya you don't need to switch to the
>> special purpose ring selection tool anymore)
>>
>> Symmetry in Maya has been completely re-written and integrated between
>> Maya and NEX. When symmetry is enabled your selections are fully
>> symmetrical so most non-interactive modeling ops will basically work in
>> 2015. It also supports NEX's topological symmetry which works off the mesh
>> topology and can work on a posed/deformed character as long as the mesh is
>> symmetrical.
>>
>> Maya and NEX soft selection settings have also been unified in 2015. In
>> this instance we went with the Maya tech because it has some really nice
>> features. You tap B to toggle soft select or hold B and LMB drag to adjust
>> soft select. My favorite feature here is how the current weights are locked
>> until you change your selection so you can tweak the same selection
>> multiple times without having your soft selection recalculated each time
>> you release the mouse. Undo also restores your soft selection weights which
>> is a nice added touch. (Unfortunately the NEX tools don't have this weight
>> preserving feature though they use same soft-select falloff settings in
>> 2015)
>>
>> Anyway those are just a few of the ways we have started to integrate NEX
>> into Maya in 2015. Maybe it doesn't sound that impressive to Soft users but
>> we are making progress.
>> --
>> Brent
>>
>>
>


-- 
www.johnrichardsanchez.com

Re: Autodesk webinar

[Martin Yara]

Maya 2014 remember component selection per object.
2013 and older, doesn't.

Martin




On Thu, Mar 20, 2014 at 12:43 AM, Greg Punchatz  wrote:

>  switching between objects? if not these are needed for sure... add those
> feature requests to the "how to make maya not suck" ;)  list!
>
>

Re: Autodesk webinar

[Greg Punchatz]

switching between objects? if not these are needed for sure... add those 
feature requests to the "how to make maya not suck" ;)  list!



*Greg Punchatz*
*Sr. Creative Director*
Janimation
214.823.7760
www.janimation.com <http://www.janimation.com>
On 3/19/2014 10:21 AM, Brent McPherson wrote:

They are remembered when switching between different component selection modes 
but not saved with the scene.


From: softimage-boun...@listproc.autodesk.com 
[mailto:softimage-boun...@listproc.autodesk.com] On Behalf Of Greg Punchatz
Sent: 19 March 2014 15:16
To: softimage@listproc.autodesk.com
Subject: Re: Autodesk webinar

Are selections remembered on objects Maya now? During the session and when you 
reload your scene?


Greg Punchatz
Sr. Creative Director
Janimation
214.823.7760
www.janimation.com<http://www.janimation.com>

RE: Autodesk webinar

[Angus Davidson]

Hi Brent

Thanks that was very useful

Kind regards

Angus

From: Brent McPherson [brent.mcpher...@autodesk.com]
Sent: 19 March 2014 05:07 PM
To: softimage@listproc.autodesk.com
Subject: RE: Autodesk webinar

Hi Martin,

Since I work on modeling I can comment directly on the NEX integration in 2015 
and how modeling toolkit features have made their way into the native Maya 
selection tool. (as the other bigger features are covered in the what's new 
videos)

Maya's native selection tool now has lazy preselection highlighting just like 
NEX that selects the closest component on the poly under the cursor. (like 
Soft's tweak tool) Sub-pixel picking precision no longer required. ;-) It also 
respects the highlight backfacing toggle in the modeling toolkit panel and is 
smart enough to ignore occluded components in shaded mode etc.

We have also revamped the Drag (Tab key) and Tweak (` backtick key) modes in 
Maya's select tool. Drag is a raycast selection mode that you activate by 
holding Tab and again makes use of lazy preselection. So just hold Tab and 
raycast away from your current selection tool. If you start dragging on an 
unselected component the tool adds to the selection but if you start on a 
selected component it removes so no need for keyboard modifier calisthenics!

Tweak (` backtick key) is a quick (manip-free) way of adjusting components 
(like the *old* Soft move tool) and has a nice big tolerance when outside the 
object so it can be used to tweak components on the silhouette of your mesh. 
Maya's "multi" selection mode (RMB menu) is also a nice way to work with 
points/edges/polys without switching selection modes.

Speaking of RMB menus in Maya you can activate RMB radial menu items by RMB 
dragging quickly - so a RMB-left-swipe will put you in vertex mode without 
displaying the menu.

Maya's loop selection has also been updated to the same level of functionality 
in NEX/Soft so you can make ring or partial loop selections by clicking an edge 
and the shift-double-clicking another edge in the loop/ring. (so for those 
familiar with Maya you don't need to switch to the special purpose ring 
selection tool anymore)

Symmetry in Maya has been completely re-written and integrated between Maya and 
NEX. When symmetry is enabled your selections are fully symmetrical so most 
non-interactive modeling ops will basically work in 2015. It also supports 
NEX's topological symmetry which works off the mesh topology and can work on a 
posed/deformed character as long as the mesh is symmetrical.

Maya and NEX soft selection settings have also been unified in 2015. In this 
instance we went with the Maya tech because it has some really nice features. 
You tap B to toggle soft select or hold B and LMB drag to adjust soft select. 
My favorite feature here is how the current weights are locked until you change 
your selection so you can tweak the same selection multiple times without 
having your soft selection recalculated each time you release the mouse. Undo 
also restores your soft selection weights which is a nice added touch. 
(Unfortunately the NEX tools don't have this weight preserving feature though 
they use same soft-select falloff settings in 2015)

Anyway those are just a few of the ways we have started to integrate NEX into 
Maya in 2015. Maybe it doesn't sound that impressive to Soft users but we are 
making progress.
--
Brent




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RE: Autodesk webinar

[Brent McPherson]

They are remembered when switching between different component selection modes 
but not saved with the scene.


From: softimage-boun...@listproc.autodesk.com 
[mailto:softimage-boun...@listproc.autodesk.com] On Behalf Of Greg Punchatz
Sent: 19 March 2014 15:16
To: softimage@listproc.autodesk.com
Subject: Re: Autodesk webinar

Are selections remembered on objects Maya now? During the session and when you 
reload your scene?


Greg Punchatz
Sr. Creative Director
Janimation
214.823.7760
www.janimation.com<http://www.janimation.com>

<>

Re: Autodesk webinar

[Greg Punchatz]

Are selections remembered on objects Maya now? During the session and 
when you reload your scene?




*Greg Punchatz*
*Sr. Creative Director*
Janimation
214.823.7760
www.janimation.com 

RE: Autodesk webinar

[Brent McPherson]

Hi Martin,

Since I work on modeling I can comment directly on the NEX integration in 2015 
and how modeling toolkit features have made their way into the native Maya 
selection tool. (as the other bigger features are covered in the what's new 
videos)

Maya's native selection tool now has lazy preselection highlighting just like 
NEX that selects the closest component on the poly under the cursor. (like 
Soft's tweak tool) Sub-pixel picking precision no longer required. ;-) It also 
respects the highlight backfacing toggle in the modeling toolkit panel and is 
smart enough to ignore occluded components in shaded mode etc.

We have also revamped the Drag (Tab key) and Tweak (` backtick key) modes in 
Maya's select tool. Drag is a raycast selection mode that you activate by 
holding Tab and again makes use of lazy preselection. So just hold Tab and 
raycast away from your current selection tool. If you start dragging on an 
unselected component the tool adds to the selection but if you start on a 
selected component it removes so no need for keyboard modifier calisthenics!

Tweak (` backtick key) is a quick (manip-free) way of adjusting components 
(like the *old* Soft move tool) and has a nice big tolerance when outside the 
object so it can be used to tweak components on the silhouette of your mesh. 
Maya's "multi" selection mode (RMB menu) is also a nice way to work with 
points/edges/polys without switching selection modes.

Speaking of RMB menus in Maya you can activate RMB radial menu items by RMB 
dragging quickly - so a RMB-left-swipe will put you in vertex mode without 
displaying the menu.

Maya's loop selection has also been updated to the same level of functionality 
in NEX/Soft so you can make ring or partial loop selections by clicking an edge 
and the shift-double-clicking another edge in the loop/ring. (so for those 
familiar with Maya you don't need to switch to the special purpose ring 
selection tool anymore)

Symmetry in Maya has been completely re-written and integrated between Maya and 
NEX. When symmetry is enabled your selections are fully symmetrical so most 
non-interactive modeling ops will basically work in 2015. It also supports 
NEX's topological symmetry which works off the mesh topology and can work on a 
posed/deformed character as long as the mesh is symmetrical.

Maya and NEX soft selection settings have also been unified in 2015. In this 
instance we went with the Maya tech because it has some really nice features. 
You tap B to toggle soft select or hold B and LMB drag to adjust soft select. 
My favorite feature here is how the current weights are locked until you change 
your selection so you can tweak the same selection multiple times without 
having your soft selection recalculated each time you release the mouse. Undo 
also restores your soft selection weights which is a nice added touch. 
(Unfortunately the NEX tools don't have this weight preserving feature though 
they use same soft-select falloff settings in 2015)

Anyway those are just a few of the ways we have started to integrate NEX into 
Maya in 2015. Maybe it doesn't sound that impressive to Soft users but we are 
making progress.
--
Brent

<>

RE: Autodesk webinar

[Maurice Patel]

Thanks Nicolas.
I do remember seeing that video. This is good advice
Maurice

Maurice Patel
Autodesk : Tél:  514 954-7134

From: softimage-boun...@listproc.autodesk.com 
[mailto:softimage-boun...@listproc.autodesk.com] On Behalf Of Nicolas Esposito
Sent: Wednesday, March 19, 2014 7:08 AM
To: softimage@listproc.autodesk.com
Subject: Re: Autodesk webinar

Hi Maurice,
Thanks again for the clarification on the Maya and Max game development focus, 
its a bit clearer now.

I saw all the new features available in the 2015 release, some of them are 
really interesting and probably suit my needs, but I have to test everything 
properly before judging if Maya could be my replacement or not.

Anyway, since AD is showing off their new features and its doing the webinars 
to clearify some aspect of the transition I would like to see something 
specific related to the workflow transition between Softimage to Maya.

Softimage vs Maya - Dorrito 
Technique<https://vimeo.com/groups/softimagetutorials/videos/87722342>

Here Emilio Hernandez show us the same workflow in order to get the same 
results.

What I would like to see is more videos from you showing using a workflow 
inside Softimage "translated" to Maya, or using a different approach with the 
same results.
This will help clarify ( for those who aren't familiar with Maya as a daily 
base software, but in general to show how to get the same result inside Maya ) 
wheter or not could use Maya as the main tool in replacement of Softimage.

The example showed by Emilio is a case where Maya lacks the quick setup of the 
technique, so showing the "How to" in Maya could be an incentive to switch to 
Maya...
Of course I mean comparing both good and bad of Maya to Softimage, not only 
where Maya is better than Softimage

Cheers

2014-03-18 19:34 GMT+01:00 Paul Griswold 
mailto:pgrisw...@fusiondigitalproductions.com>>:
Thanks Maurice,

So the information I have today is - most of my work is done with Softimage and 
there is 0% chance it will be continued.

Autodesk has a 99% failure rate internally with creating innovative products. 
(your words)

Autodesk wants me to move to Maya, an old, outdated package that cannot do what 
I need now, requires significant work (scripts, plugins, etc.) to make usable, 
is not conducive to small shops or freelancers, and there is no promise that it 
will ever be able to do what Softimage can do right now.  Making that move not 
only moves me back to the junior level, but reduces my pay, lowers the quality 
of my work, and significantly hampers my ability to compete.

Bifrost is being developed at a company with a 99% failure rate with creating 
innovative products.  Bifrost is not an ICE replacement and may never be one.

And, apparently in this industry you should not have all your eggs in one 
basket.  Unfortunately Autodesk bought the goose laying the golden eggs and 
wrung it's neck.  Now there's no more eggs.  I also find it ironic that someone 
from ADSK just said we shouldn't have all our eggs in one basket, yet they want 
everyone to buy suites and are trying to emulate the Adobe model  Or was 
that just something you say because there's really no answer for what Autodesk 
has done?

Yes, I think I can make a decision based on that information.


-Paul



On Tue, Mar 18, 2014 at 1:47 PM, Maurice Patel 
mailto:maurice.pa...@autodesk.com>> wrote:
Hi Paul, Adam
We do understand that people build their livelihoods on our software. This is 
something we take seriously, although (with good reason)  you might find it 
hard to believe right now. Every year we spend significant resources 
maintaining legacy code so that the new features we add to our products don't 
radically disrupt customers workflows. We really do try not to take unnecessary 
risks with our software. And we have an incredibly long track record  of 
developing software for the long term - one can just look at AutoCAD and 3ds 
Max. Even acquisitions like Flame and Maya have continued to be extensively 
developed at Autodesk as have other product acquisitions.

We have stated and are committed both to developing our core products and to 
innovating. Our decision to focus on 3ds max and Maya was so we could continue 
to do both adequately (not one or the other). We are a high tech company so it 
wouldn't be realistic to expect us not to try to innovate even if the risks are 
high. That does not mean that is all we do.

I am not denying that Softimage customers are now facing some challenging 
decisions. But several have said on the forum, and I would personally agree 
with them, that in this industry - as in any high-tech industry - it can be 
risky to have all your eggs in one basket, even if that means looking outside 
of Autodesk (and there are some very interesting solutions out there). Giants 
fall (look at SGI). We are not immune to that either. Personally, I do not 
think that will happen,

Re: Autodesk webinar

[Martin Yara]

I don't understand either what do you mean with selection loop settings. If
you don't mind could you explain how to reproduce it? Sound like a cool
feature I don't know.

Talking about selection tools, I hate the lasso selection tool in Maya. I
wish it could work like Softimage. I use lasso all the time in Softimage
but in Maya its unusable even in "accurate" slow mode.

Anyway, I agree with Luc-Eric here. The tool settings is huge, but I don't
think any Maya user opens it more than a few seconds if at all.

The attribute editor is also quite big but opening it with ctrl + A is fast
enough to have it closed all the time, or have the channel box opened
instead. It should have a Tool Settings hotkey by default too though.

Marking Menus and spacebar Hotbox is the way to work. People sometimes
complain about F8~F12 being too far away which is true, but nobody uses it
often if at all. RMB and drag to the left will change to vertex selection,
you don't even need to see the menu. It's not a bad workflow.

Being able to tearoff and dock the window back easily is pretty cool, but I
miss the minimize option ala Softimage. You can't minimize Tool Settings at
all, not even ala Windows (like the Script Editor), which I hate because I
can't see the command editor.

I agree that all of this is annoying, but I think is the less annoying part
of Maya.


Martin


On Wed, Mar 19, 2014 at 9:25 PM, Sebastien Sterling <
sebastien.sterl...@gmail.com> wrote:

> "The tool
> settings panel is way too huge"
>
> this is what i mean about the loop settings.
> they appear in the same place as the selection settings
>
> so yea it is the same problem
>
>
> On 19 March 2014 11:59, Luc-Eric Rousseau  wrote:
>
>> On Tue, Mar 18, 2014 at 8:28 PM, Sebastien Sterling
>>  wrote:
>> > "which selection tool is taking all of this screen real-estate?"
>> >
>> >
>> > Tool Settings, it's the tool settings panel, where they keep the soft
>> > selection options. which also doubles up as the settings bar for
>> spesific
>> > functions like adding loops etc...
>>
>> The setting bar for adding loops...  I don't know what is.  The tool
>> settings panel is way too huge, we know this I believe we will address
>> the general fatness of the attribute editor in Maya. However, you
>> shouldn't having that opened to work  Maya modelers don't normally
>> work with any windows.  To toggle proportional modeling, you'll press
>> and release the B key. To adjust the proportional radius, you'll press
>> and hold B - same as in XSI in this case.  For everything else, it is
>> in marking menus. (For example, hold W and LMB for the transform tool
>> menu, or Q for selection)  There shouldn't be anything you need in the
>> tool settings that isn't in the tools's marking menu
>>
>
>

Re: Autodesk webinar

[Sebastien Sterling]

"The tool
settings panel is way too huge"

this is what i mean about the loop settings.
they appear in the same place as the selection settings

so yea it is the same problem


On 19 March 2014 11:59, Luc-Eric Rousseau  wrote:

> On Tue, Mar 18, 2014 at 8:28 PM, Sebastien Sterling
>  wrote:
> > "which selection tool is taking all of this screen real-estate?"
> >
> >
> > Tool Settings, it's the tool settings panel, where they keep the soft
> > selection options. which also doubles up as the settings bar for spesific
> > functions like adding loops etc...
>
> The setting bar for adding loops...  I don't know what is.  The tool
> settings panel is way too huge, we know this I believe we will address
> the general fatness of the attribute editor in Maya. However, you
> shouldn't having that opened to work  Maya modelers don't normally
> work with any windows.  To toggle proportional modeling, you'll press
> and release the B key. To adjust the proportional radius, you'll press
> and hold B - same as in XSI in this case.  For everything else, it is
> in marking menus. (For example, hold W and LMB for the transform tool
> menu, or Q for selection)  There shouldn't be anything you need in the
> tool settings that isn't in the tools's marking menu
>

Re: Autodesk webinar

[Jordi Bares]

True it was unfinished, but XSI brought real value from day 1, sure, buggy and 
awkward at first but when I say the render tree, the mixer, the integration 
with mental ray, the weight painting it was a no brainer even if it was painful.

You could argue too that Maya 1 was also the same experience but nobody would 
question moving from Power Animator 7 to maya was rewarding, even if buggy and 
clearly unfinished.

Plus Softimage didn't force anyone to stop using it and kept going as much as 
possible so the users had an easy transition, only with 64bit there was an end 
to it but that was not long ago (may be 5 years?)

This has been probably the biggest fiasco in our industry, simple as that.. 
kill the wrong product, don't offer any serious alternative that can cover what 
we have, managed awfully and now that they release 2015 you see the work they 
have done in one year is absolutely underwhelming (other than the skinning) we 
were doing better with Naiad standalone, Realflow or Houdini two years ago than 
today.

Now look at the releases for the other packages (mud box, motion builder and 
max) and tell me you don't see what I see.

good luck guys.

Jordi Bares
jordiba...@gmail.com

On 19 Mar 2014, at 06:46, Andy Goehler  wrote:

> Moving from Softimage|3D to XSI 1.0 felt exactly the same ;-)
> 
> Andy
> 
> On Mar 18, 2014, at 23:23, Jordi Bares  wrote:
> 
>> … instead they threw FCPX to the table clearly unfinished, from the ground 
>> up amazing ideas but not finished and truly not to the standard of the 
>> industry.
> 

Re: Autodesk webinar

[Luc-Eric Rousseau]

On Tue, Mar 18, 2014 at 8:28 PM, Sebastien Sterling
 wrote:
> "which selection tool is taking all of this screen real-estate?"
>
>
> Tool Settings, it's the tool settings panel, where they keep the soft
> selection options. which also doubles up as the settings bar for spesific
> functions like adding loops etc...

The setting bar for adding loops...  I don't know what is.  The tool
settings panel is way too huge, we know this I believe we will address
the general fatness of the attribute editor in Maya. However, you
shouldn't having that opened to work  Maya modelers don't normally
work with any windows.  To toggle proportional modeling, you'll press
and release the B key. To adjust the proportional radius, you'll press
and hold B - same as in XSI in this case.  For everything else, it is
in marking menus. (For example, hold W and LMB for the transform tool
menu, or Q for selection)  There shouldn't be anything you need in the
tool settings that isn't in the tools's marking menu

Re: Autodesk webinar

[Martin Yara]

Autodesk announces Maya LT as "Game Development", but I they mean low-cost
portable / mobile phone / unity based games.

iPhone is the smartphone leader so you can't ignore it. Maya is the only of
the 3 big that has an Apple version so it was the natural option to choose
to have a little brother to play with unity, even if the Maya Masterplan to
make it rule the world didn't existed (but it did).

Maya is probably the most used application in the game industry. So the
idea that Maya = Film/VFX and Max  = games isn't very accurate.


Martin



On Wed, Mar 19, 2014 at 8:12 AM, Adam Seeley  wrote:

> "Maya LT is meant to be a low cost alternative for low-budget indie game
> developers. Maya and 3ds Max are still meant to be the solutions for Games
> overall"
>
> I would imagine a 3ds max user would be concerned that  Maya & Maya LT
> would be bridged to become a full game developer tool, although Maya is
> actually supposed to be the Film/VFX solution.
>

Re: Autodesk webinar

[Nicolas Esposito]

er make any explicit guarantees about the future. All I can say is make
>> your software decisions based on what you see today - anything else would
>> be, to a certain extent, vaporware and speculation, especially the farther
>> out you look.
>>
>> maurice
>>
>>
>> Maurice Patel
>> Autodesk : Tél:  514 954-7134
>>
>> From: softimage-boun...@listproc.autodesk.com [mailto:
>> softimage-boun...@listproc.autodesk.com] On Behalf Of Paul Griswold
>> Sent: Tuesday, March 18, 2014 12:15 PM
>> To: softimage@listproc.autodesk.com
>> Subject: Re: Autodesk webinar
>>
>> In Softimage we have a production-proven, solid tool.  ICE works TODAY,
>> not 2 years from today, not in a dream of a product called Bifrost, but
>> right NOW.
>>
>> Are you telling everyone here who has based their ENTIRE business around
>> Softimage, we should trust Autodesk to have a fully functioning tool ready
>> that will do EVERYTHING Softimage can do TODAY by the time Softimage hits
>> the end?  We should believe that after you've just admitted that Skyline
>> was a failure?
>>
>> These aren't a bunch of ideas or concepts here, these are our businesses!
>>  We feed our families, we pay our bills, we survive based on Softimage and
>> now we have to hope that somehow Bifrost is not in the 99% failure, but 1%
>> innovation?
>>
>> Do you seriously want us to bet our future on that?  Would you go home
>> and tell your significant other that rather than focusing on a tool that
>> works for you, makes money for you right now, you're betting everything on
>> a promise from Autodesk??
>>
>> Who on earth does business like that??  Is Autodesk going to pay our
>> mortgages or feed our families when Bifrost falls apart?  Because unless
>> that's the plan, I can't think of a single sane person who would go along
>> with this Maya-only plan.
>>
>> This is absolutely a terrible way to do business and everyone at Autodesk
>> knows it.  They've just dug in their heels to avoid looking like they've
>> made a colossal mistake.
>>
>> -Paul
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> On Tue, Mar 18, 2014 at 12:08 PM, Adam Sale > adamfs...@gmail.com>> wrote:
>>
>> Maurice, in all of this talk the one glaring omission is this. You guys
>> are always trying to innovate. You have said success is often 99 percent
>> failure to one percent success. Well, in the event bifrost falls by the
>> wayside like skyline did, all of a sudden autodesk will have zero node
>> based solutions to do the type of ice work we expect of a dcc product. How
>> is that a wise move as a company? Its like throwing out the baby with the
>> bath water and seems incredibly short sighted. So as we move to bifrost to
>> begin our transition away from ICE, we may be in this same mess a couple
>> years down the road if it doesnt pan out. Imagine the fallout then.. people
>> will go absolutely nuclear on AD.
>>
>> Adam
>>
>>
>

Re: Autodesk webinar

[Andy Goehler]

Moving from Softimage|3D to XSI 1.0 felt exactly the same ;-)

Andy

On Mar 18, 2014, at 23:23, Jordi Bares  wrote:

> … instead they threw FCPX to the table clearly unfinished, from the ground up 
> amazing ideas but not finished and truly not to the standard of the industry.

Re: Autodesk webinar

[Sebastien Sterling]

I see it now in the video! yes it looks like it's been standardized as well
I stand corrected, only took 10 years, the dissolution of a much better
application, and someone else technology but i'll be damned if it isn't
their i tip my hat to you sir.


On 19 March 2014 00:37, Luc-Eric Rousseau  wrote:

> On Tue, Mar 18, 2014 at 8:28 PM, Sebastien Sterling
>  wrote:
> > "The NEX smart selection highlight and symmetry now has been integrated
> in
> > the standard maya
> > tools in Maya 2015"
> >
> > Well no actually you haven't, you have just added an extra shelf with NEX
> > specific tools.
>
> I don't know what you mean, the preselection highlight is either there
> or it's not, and it's definitely there in the default tool wi.  Do you
> have Maya 2015?
>

Re: Autodesk webinar

[Luc-Eric Rousseau]

On Tue, Mar 18, 2014 at 8:28 PM, Sebastien Sterling
 wrote:
> "The NEX smart selection highlight and symmetry now has been integrated in
> the standard maya
> tools in Maya 2015"
>
> Well no actually you haven't, you have just added an extra shelf with NEX
> specific tools.

I don't know what you mean, the preselection highlight is either there
or it's not, and it's definitely there in the default tool wi.  Do you
have Maya 2015?

Re: Autodesk webinar

[Sebastien Sterling]

"which selection tool is taking all of this screen real-estate?"


Tool Settings, it's the tool settings panel, where they keep the soft
selection options. which also doubles up as the settings bar for spesific
functions like adding loops etc...that and the attribute Panel open and it
like working in SD. add to that the Explorer or heavens forbid  NOT the
Hypershade !!!

"The NEX smart selection highlight and symmetry now has been integrated in
the standard maya
tools in Maya 2015"

Well no actually you haven't, you have just added an extra shelf with NEX
specific tools.
meaning we now have two parralel modeling kits neither one with the full
functionality of the other, forcing you to hit the NEX tab every time you
need to go back into that specific workflow, when every other legacy tool
takes you back to the conventional maya tools and display.

"NEX first showed up in 2014 EXT 6 month ago."

Actually its been around as an option since 2008. good to know that by 2015
their still isn't a harmonised and fully integrated modelling workflow in
Maya, maybe by 2018 "ETX" we might actually get the edge creasing as part
of the NEX tools. Still i can't complain too much looks like we finaly got
a standardized Axial manipulator, so baby steps.




On 18 March 2014 18:15, Luc-Eric Rousseau  wrote:

> On Tue, Mar 18, 2014 at 12:49 PM, Sebastien Sterling
>  wrote:
> > I would care to know if anything is going to be done about the disgusting
> > maya UI, its so bloated and unwieldy everywhere i go, people actually
> need 2
> > screens to work, and i don't just mean, one screen for animation curves,
> you
> > need a second screen simply to display the bloody selection tools, less
> your
> > single view port shrink to the size of a postage stamp.
>
> which selection tool is taking all of this screen real-estate?
>
> > I'm seeing a lot of new features and very few elegant means to access
> them. why is NEX still
> > some kind of ill integrated appendage? why aren't it's ui smart element
> > selection highlights a standard ? this leaves us with 2 different ill
> > matched workflows. they're are several manipulation that will
> accidentally
> > take you out off NEX
>
> NEX first showed up in 2014 EXT 6 month ago.  The NEX smart selection
> highlight and symmetry now has been integrated in the standard maya
> tools in Maya 2015
>

Re: Autodesk webinar

[Morten Bartholdy]

+1

Morten



Den 18. marts 2014 kl. 23:42 skrev Adam Sale :

> Maurice, thanks for the reply, I can imagine how long your days must be
> corresponding with people who are having a tough time understanding this
> decision. Even after the initial emotion of the announcement has died down,
> I think most people are still at a loss, even after all the explanations of
> WHY?
> 
> Yes, innovation does have a high failure rate, which is why you don't chuck
> out the ONE proven technology in this area you are trying to innovate in
> the HOPES that it takes hold and is a success. At the very least, you don't
> throw it out UNTIL the new tech is proven.
> That IS putting all your eggs in one basket.
> You keep mentioning this idea of eggs in a basket, can't you see this is
> exactly what you guys are doing?
> It's mind blowing the short sightedness in this whole debacle.
> I have been delving into Maya this last while since the announcement, and
> its staggering how long in the tooth it is. Absolutely staggering.
> All this talk is just going in circles, endlessly.
> Eventually this fever pitch will die down, and AD will be left with a lot
> of pissed off, disgruntled, mistrusting customers, and an as of yet
> unproven next gen tech.
> That's not the way to conduct business, if you have the intention of
> keeping and growing a client base.
> Even some of my most die hard Maya friends at big and small studios are
> starting to SEE the big picture, and the image they report to me isn't
> pretty.
> This has been an absolute PR nightmare right from the get go.
> On another note, I was sitting at YVR last year waiting for a flight to
> Vegas for AU, and chatted with another guy next to me who happened to be
> one of the lead devs for iRay. As we talked, I brought up that I was
> presenting on Softimage ICE and if they ever had plans to implement iRay in
> Soft. His attitude changed suddenly and he muttered that Softimage would be
> dead within 2 years. According to him, he had been in high level talks with
> people at AD and this was a certainty. I laughed it off, with a nervous
> sort of chuckle, but his words sat with me. The disdain with which he spoke
> of Soft was palpable. I think the perception of Soft as this annoying
> little program that could,  has been exacerbated in the years since the
> takeover by the lack of openness and accountability from AD and the
> products complete lack of visibility. The fact it was shoved into a dark
> corner like Jennifer Grey in Dirty Dancing, guaranteed that there would be
> little to no development from the majority of third party vendors.
> 
> Adam
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> On Tue, Mar 18, 2014 at 3:13 PM, Andre De Angelis <
> andre.deange...@gmail.com  > wrote:
> > "Just to put my words in context: innovation has a high failure rate in
> > general"
> > So do AD acquisitions it seems.
> > 
> > > On 19 Mar 2014, at 6:14 am, Maurice Patel < maurice.pa...@autodesk.com
> >  > wrote:
> > >
> > > Just to put my words in context: innovation has a high failure rate in
> > general

Re: Autodesk webinar

[Morten Bartholdy]

So true Paul.

Morten



Den 18. marts 2014 kl. 21:27 skrev Bk :

> > 
> > I don't "find it hard to believe".
> > 
> > > Autodesk have shown clear as crystal that they don't care, at least not
> > > humanly care. They "care" in a managed collateral damage kind of way, but
> > > it all comes back to what can you get away with that will have minimal
> > > negative impact on your company.
> > > If autodesk had any shred of decency, they would bend over backwards to
> > > help the customers who's lives they have turned upside down, not enforce
> > > time limits and restrict ability to get new seats etc.
> > > You have done as a company one of the worse things you could have done for
> > > Softimage users by EOL ing the software we have spent our careers
> > > mastering, but that is no the half of it.The part that really stings is
> > > the
> > > adding of insult to injury through blatant  manipulative strong arm
> > > tactics.
> > >  It's a modern equivalent of Europe storming the Americas and we are the
> > > natives. The Europeans justified it to themselves that they were bringing
> > > civilisation to the savages. You no doubt think believe that you are
> > > offering us something of value too and we just cant see it, but that shows
> > > utter disregard for a viewpoint other than your(AD's) own.
> > > 
> > > 
> > > 
> > > 
> > > On Tue, Mar 18, 2014 at 1:47 PM, Maurice Patel <
> > > maurice.pa...@autodesk.com <mailto:maurice.pa...@autodesk.com> <
> > > mailto:maurice.pa...@autodesk.com <mailto:maurice.pa...@autodesk.com> >>
> > > wrote:
> > > Hi Paul, Adam
> > > We do understand that people build their livelihoods on our software. This
> > > is something we take seriously, although (with good reason)  you might
> > > find
> > > it hard to believe right now. Every year we spend significant resources
> > > maintaining legacy code so that the new features we add to our products
> > > don't radically disrupt customers workflows. We really do try not to take
> > > unnecessary risks with our software. And we have an incredibly long track
> > > record  of developing software for the long term - one can just look at
> > > AutoCAD and 3ds Max. Even acquisitions like Flame and Maya have continued
> > > to be extensively developed at Autodesk as have other product
> > > acquisitions.
> > > 
> > > We have stated and are committed both to developing our core products and
> > > to innovating. Our decision to focus on 3ds max and Maya was so we could
> > > continue to do both adequately (not one or the other). We are a high tech
> > > company so it wouldn't be realistic to expect us not to try to innovate
> > > even if the risks are high. That does not mean that is all we do.
> > > 
> > > I am not denying that Softimage customers are now facing some challenging
> > > decisions. But several have said on the forum, and I would personally
> > > agree
> > > with them, that in this industry - as in any high-tech industry - it can
> > > be
> > > risky to have all your eggs in one basket, even if that means looking
> > > outside of Autodesk (and there are some very interesting solutions out
> > > there). Giants fall (look at SGI). We are not immune to that either.
> > > Personally, I do not think that will happen, but no one at Autodesk will
> > > ever make any explicit guarantees about the future. All I can say is make
> > > your software decisions based on what you see today - anything else would
> > > be, to a certain extent, vaporware and speculation, especially the farther
> > > out you look.
> > > 
> > > maurice
> > > 
> > > 
> > > Maurice Patel
> > > Autodesk : Tél:  514 954-7134
> > > From: softimage-boun...@listproc.autodesk.com
> > > <mailto:softimage-boun...@listproc.autodesk.com> <
> > > mailto:softimage-boun...@listproc.autodesk.com
> > > <mailto:softimage-boun...@listproc.autodesk.com> >
> > > [mailto:softimage-boun...@listproc.autodesk.com<
> > > mailto:softimage-boun...@listproc.autodesk.com
> > > <mailto:softimage-boun...@listproc.autodesk.com> >] On Behalf Of Paul
> > > Griswold
> > > Sent: Tuesday, March 18, 2014 12:15 PM
> > > To: softimage@listproc.autodesk.com
> > > <mailto:softimage@listproc.autodesk.com> &l

Re: Autodesk webinar

[Morten Bartholdy]

o expect us not to try to innovate
> > even if the risks are high. That does not mean that is all we do.
> > 
> > I am not denying that Softimage customers are now facing some challenging
> > decisions. But several have said on the forum, and I would personally agree
> > with them, that in this industry - as in any high-tech industry - it can be
> > risky to have all your eggs in one basket, even if that means looking
> > outside of Autodesk (and there are some very interesting solutions out
> > there). Giants fall (look at SGI). We are not immune to that either.
> > Personally, I do not think that will happen, but no one at Autodesk will
> > ever make any explicit guarantees about the future. All I can say is make
> > your software decisions based on what you see today - anything else would
> > be, to a certain extent, vaporware and speculation, especially the farther
> > out you look.
> > 
> > maurice
> > 
> > 
> > Maurice Patel
> > Autodesk : Tél:   514 954-7134 
> > From: softimage-boun...@listproc.autodesk.com
> > <mailto:softimage-boun...@listproc.autodesk.com> [mailto:
> > softimage-boun...@listproc.autodesk.com
> > <mailto:softimage-boun...@listproc.autodesk.com> ] On Behalf Of Paul
> > Griswold
> > Sent: Tuesday, March 18, 2014 12:15 PM
> > To: softimage@listproc.autodesk.com
> > <mailto:softimage@listproc.autodesk.com>
> > Subject: Re: Autodesk webinar
> > In Softimage we have a production-proven, solid tool.  ICE works TODAY, not
> > 2 years from today, not in a dream of a product called Bifrost, but right
> > NOW.
> > 
> > Are you telling everyone here who has based their ENTIRE business around
> > Softimage, we should trust Autodesk to have a fully functioning tool ready
> > that will do EVERYTHING Softimage can do TODAY by the time Softimage hits
> > the end?  We should believe that after you've just admitted that Skyline
> > was a failure?
> > 
> > These aren't a bunch of ideas or concepts here, these are our businesses!
> > We feed our families, we pay our bills, we survive based on Softimage and
> > now we have to hope that somehow Bifrost is not in the 99% failure, but 1%
> > innovation?
> > 
> > Do you seriously want us to bet our future on that?  Would you go home and
> > tell your significant other that rather than focusing on a tool that works
> > for you, makes money for you right now, you're betting everything on a
> > promise from Autodesk??
> > 
> > Who on earth does business like that??  Is Autodesk going to pay our
> > mortgages or feed our families when Bifrost falls apart?  Because unless
> > that's the plan, I can't think of a single sane person who would go along
> > with this Maya-only plan.
> > 
> > This is absolutely a terrible way to do business and everyone at Autodesk
> > knows it.  They've just dug in their heels to avoid looking like they've
> > made a colossal mistake.
> > 
> > -Paul
> > 
> > 
> > 
> > 
> > On Tue, Mar 18, 2014 at 12:08 PM, Adam Sale < adamfs...@gmail.com
> > <mailto:adamfs...@gmail.com>  > <mailto:adamfs...@gmail.com> >> wrote:
> > 
> > Maurice, in all of this talk the one glaring omission is this. You guys are
> > always trying to innovate. You have said success is often 99 percent
> > failure to one percent success. Well, in the event bifrost falls by the
> > wayside like skyline did, all of a sudden autodesk will have zero node
> > based solutions to do the type of ice work we expect of a dcc product. How
> > is that a wise move as a company? Its like throwing out the baby with the
> > bath water and seems incredibly short sighted. So as we move to bifrost to
> > begin our transition away from ICE, we may be in this same mess a couple
> > years down the road if it doesnt pan out. Imagine the fallout then.. people
> > will go absolutely nuclear on AD.
> > 
> > Adam

Re: Autodesk webinar

[Adam Sale]

+ 1 on your last sentence Adam



On Tue, Mar 18, 2014 at 4:12 PM, Adam Seeley  wrote:

> Hi Maurice,
>
> Yes, sure, things can change very fast indeed.
>
> It's just not a very reassuring corporate stance for customers who need to
> make a long term investment in people, time and cash.  That kind of
> statement leaves little reassurance that anyone can invest confidently in
> any of your products for the long term, especially the ones that might
> compete with one another.
>
> "Maya LT is meant to be a low cost alternative for low-budget indie game
> developers. Maya and 3ds Max are still meant to be the solutions for Games
> overall"
>
> I would imagine a 3ds max user would be concerned that  Maya & Maya LT
> would be bridged to become a full game developer tool, although Maya is
> actually supposed to be the Film/VFX solution. Beginning to sound like one
> fat egg being hatched.
>
>
> Also, do I read correctly, 1.5 years ago:
>
> "Autodesk plans to continue to develop all of products mentioned"
>*and*
> "At that time, although Softimage was not an area we were planning on
> investing more in, there was no plan to discontinue it."
>
> If you stop investment in a  product that needs its cutting edge regularly
> sharpened, it will be discontinued sooner or later, no question.
> It's all very mixed messages...
>
>
> As for eggs in baskets, that may apply to companies that can spread talent
> over a number of software solutions (possibly not very efficient mind you).
> But for individuals filling those seats, there's a generally a software
> commitment that has to be made.
> We expected our lovely (and still profitable) egg  to be safe in the hands
> of your rather large and well filled basket.
>
> Anyway, hopefully Soft will scale up with hardware improvements enough for
> the next few years.
> I would say the field is wide open for a new generation of software.
>
> Respect is due for remaining here and taking the brunt of our
> dissatisfaction, but there is little chance you will convince anybody that
> this is a wise decision.
>
> Adam.
> _
> http://www.linkedin.com/in/adamseeleyuk
> https://vimeo.com/adamseeley
>
>
>   --
>  *From:* Maurice Patel 
> *To:* "softimage@listproc.autodesk.com" 
> *Sent:* Tuesday, 18 March 2014, 15:21
> *Subject:* RE: Autodesk webinar
>
> Hi Perry,
> At that time, although Softimage was not an area we were planning on
> investing more in, there was no plan to discontinue it. That decision was
> only made at the end of last year. Last year was a watershed one for the
> industry for many different reasons resulting in many significant changes
> to our strategy. At the time this statement was made we did not even have
> any plans for MayaLT. Unfortunately things can change very fast.
> maurice
>
> Maurice Patel
> Autodesk : Tél:  514 954-7134
>
> From: softimage-boun...@listproc.autodesk.com [mailto:
> softimage-boun...@listproc.autodesk.com] On Behalf Of Perry Harovas
> Sent: Tuesday, March 18, 2014 11:12 AM
> To: softimage@listproc.autodesk.com
> Subject: Re: Autodesk webinar
>
> Maurice, I know things change, but this statement from Marc was only a
> year and a half ago:
>
> "Autodesk plans to continue to develop all of products mentioned [in this
> story]. These are all solutions that serve many different customer needs
> across multiple industries and in many different types of workflows.
> We are not discontinuing development on any of the products you mentioned
> but we will increase focus in specific areas where individual products are
> strong."
>
>
>
>
>

Re: Autodesk webinar

[Adam Seeley]

Hi Maurice,


Yes, sure, things can change very fast indeed.

It's just not a very reassuring corporate stance for customers who need to make 
a long term investment in people, time and cash.  That kind of statement leaves 
little reassurance that anyone can invest confidently in any of your products 
for the long term, especially the ones that might compete with one another.

"Maya LT is meant to be a low cost alternative for low-budget indie game 
developers. Maya and 3ds Max are still meant to be the solutions for 
Games overall" 

I would imagine a 3ds max user would be concerned that  Maya & Maya LT would be 
bridged to become a full game developer tool, although Maya is actually 
supposed to be the Film/VFX solution. Beginning to sound like one fat egg being 
hatched.



Also, do I read correctly, 1.5 years ago:
"Autodesk plans to continue to develop all of products mentioned"
   *and*
"At that time, although Softimage was not an area we were planning on investing 
more in, there was no plan to discontinue it."

If you stop investment in a  product that needs its cutting edge regularly 
sharpened, it will be discontinued sooner or later, no question.

It's all very mixed messages... 


As for eggs in baskets, that may apply to companies that can spread talent over 
a number of software solutions (possibly not very efficient mind you). 

But for individuals filling those seats, there's a generally a software 
commitment that has to be made.

We expected our lovely (and still profitable) egg  to be safe in the hands of 
your rather large and well filled basket.


Anyway, hopefully Soft will scale up with hardware improvements enough for the 
next few years.
I would say the field is wide open for a new generation of software.


Respect is due for remaining here and taking the brunt of our dissatisfaction, 
but there is little chance you will convince anybody that this is a wise 
decision.


Adam. 

_
http://www.linkedin.com/in/adamseeleyuk
https://vimeo.com/adamseeley




>
> From: Maurice Patel 
>To: "softimage@listproc.autodesk.com"  
>Sent: Tuesday, 18 March 2014, 15:21
>Subject: RE: Autodesk webinar
> 
>
>Hi Perry,
>At that time, although Softimage was not an area we were planning on investing 
>more in, there was no plan to discontinue it. That decision was only made at 
>the end of last year. Last year was a watershed one for the industry for many 
>different reasons resulting in many significant changes to our strategy. At 
>the time this statement was made we did not even have any plans for MayaLT. 
>Unfortunately things can change very fast.
>maurice
>
>Maurice Patel
>Autodesk : Tél:  514 954-7134
>
>
>From: softimage-boun...@listproc.autodesk.com 
>[mailto:softimage-boun...@listproc.autodesk.com] On Behalf Of Perry Harovas
>Sent: Tuesday, March 18, 2014 11:12 AM
>To: softimage@listproc.autodesk.com
>Subject: Re: Autodesk webinar
>
>Maurice, I know things change, but this statement from Marc was only a year 
>and a half ago:
>
>"Autodesk plans to continue to develop all of products mentioned [in this 
>story]. These are all solutions that serve many different customer needs 
>across multiple industries and in many different types of workflows.
>We are not discontinuing development on any of the products you mentioned but 
>we will increase focus in specific areas where individual products are strong."
>
>
>
>
>

Re: Autodesk webinar

[John Richard Sanchez]

+1


On Tue, Mar 18, 2014 at 6:42 PM, Adam Sale  wrote:

> Maurice, thanks for the reply, I can imagine how long your days must be
> corresponding with people who are having a tough time understanding this
> decision. Even after the initial emotion of the announcement has died down,
> I think most people are still at a loss, even after all the explanations of
> WHY?
>
> Yes, innovation does have a high failure rate, which is why you don't
> chuck out the ONE proven technology in this area you are trying to innovate
> in the HOPES that it takes hold and is a success. At the very least, you
> don't throw it out UNTIL the new tech is proven.
>
> That IS putting all your eggs in one basket.
>
> You keep mentioning this idea of eggs in a basket, can't you see this is
> exactly what you guys are doing?
>
> It's mind blowing the short sightedness in this whole debacle.
>
> I have been delving into Maya this last while since the announcement, and
> its staggering how long in the tooth it is. Absolutely staggering.
>
> All this talk is just going in circles, endlessly.
> Eventually this fever pitch will die down, and AD will be left with a lot
> of pissed off, disgruntled, mistrusting customers, and an as of yet
> unproven next gen tech.
> That's not the way to conduct business, if you have the intention of
> keeping and growing a client base.
>
> Even some of my most die hard Maya friends at big and small studios are
> starting to SEE the big picture, and the image they report to me isn't
> pretty.
>
> This has been an absolute PR nightmare right from the get go.
>
> On another note, I was sitting at YVR last year waiting for a flight to
> Vegas for AU, and chatted with another guy next to me who happened to be
> one of the lead devs for iRay. As we talked, I brought up that I was
> presenting on Softimage ICE and if they ever had plans to implement iRay in
> Soft. His attitude changed suddenly and he muttered that Softimage would be
> dead within 2 years. According to him, he had been in high level talks with
> people at AD and this was a certainty. I laughed it off, with a nervous
> sort of chuckle, but his words sat with me. The disdain with which he spoke
> of Soft was palpable. I think the perception of Soft as this annoying
> little program that could,  has been exacerbated in the years since the
> takeover by the lack of openness and accountability from AD and the
> products complete lack of visibility. The fact it was shoved into a dark
> corner like Jennifer Grey in Dirty Dancing, guaranteed that there would be
> little to no development from the majority of third party vendors.
>
> Adam
>
>
>
>
>
>
> On Tue, Mar 18, 2014 at 3:13 PM, Andre De Angelis <
> andre.deange...@gmail.com> wrote:
>
>> "Just to put my words in context: innovation has a high failure rate in
>> general"
>>
>> So do AD acquisitions it seems.
>>
>> > On 19 Mar 2014, at 6:14 am, Maurice Patel 
>> wrote:
>> >
>> > Just to put my words in context: innovation has a high failure rate in
>> general
>>
>>
>


-- 
www.johnrichardsanchez.com

Re: Autodesk webinar

[Adam Sale]

Maurice, thanks for the reply, I can imagine how long your days must be
corresponding with people who are having a tough time understanding this
decision. Even after the initial emotion of the announcement has died down,
I think most people are still at a loss, even after all the explanations of
WHY?

Yes, innovation does have a high failure rate, which is why you don't chuck
out the ONE proven technology in this area you are trying to innovate in
the HOPES that it takes hold and is a success. At the very least, you don't
throw it out UNTIL the new tech is proven.

That IS putting all your eggs in one basket.

You keep mentioning this idea of eggs in a basket, can't you see this is
exactly what you guys are doing?

It's mind blowing the short sightedness in this whole debacle.

I have been delving into Maya this last while since the announcement, and
its staggering how long in the tooth it is. Absolutely staggering.

All this talk is just going in circles, endlessly.
Eventually this fever pitch will die down, and AD will be left with a lot
of pissed off, disgruntled, mistrusting customers, and an as of yet
unproven next gen tech.
That's not the way to conduct business, if you have the intention of
keeping and growing a client base.

Even some of my most die hard Maya friends at big and small studios are
starting to SEE the big picture, and the image they report to me isn't
pretty.

This has been an absolute PR nightmare right from the get go.

On another note, I was sitting at YVR last year waiting for a flight to
Vegas for AU, and chatted with another guy next to me who happened to be
one of the lead devs for iRay. As we talked, I brought up that I was
presenting on Softimage ICE and if they ever had plans to implement iRay in
Soft. His attitude changed suddenly and he muttered that Softimage would be
dead within 2 years. According to him, he had been in high level talks with
people at AD and this was a certainty. I laughed it off, with a nervous
sort of chuckle, but his words sat with me. The disdain with which he spoke
of Soft was palpable. I think the perception of Soft as this annoying
little program that could,  has been exacerbated in the years since the
takeover by the lack of openness and accountability from AD and the
products complete lack of visibility. The fact it was shoved into a dark
corner like Jennifer Grey in Dirty Dancing, guaranteed that there would be
little to no development from the majority of third party vendors.

Adam






On Tue, Mar 18, 2014 at 3:13 PM, Andre De Angelis  wrote:

> "Just to put my words in context: innovation has a high failure rate in
> general"
>
> So do AD acquisitions it seems.
>
> > On 19 Mar 2014, at 6:14 am, Maurice Patel 
> wrote:
> >
> > Just to put my words in context: innovation has a high failure rate in
> general
>
>

Re: Autodesk webinar

[Jordi Bares]

Don't agree, Apple ignored their customers when they insisted in buying the old 
FCP, instead they threw FCPX to the table clearly unfinished, from the ground 
up amazing ideas but not finished and truly not to the standard of the 
industry. You could not even have a professional monitor out, nor open/save 
EDLs which regardless how crappy they are still are the industry standard.

In this new world where we are so interconnected you better listen to your 
customers and better be very honest because they will catch you every time like 
we have seen with AD.

Let's see where this lead us

Jordi Bares
jordiba...@gmail.com

On 18 Mar 2014, at 16:57, Marc-Andre Carbonneau 
 wrote:

> This example has more to do with the history of Sumatra’s launch… its 
> reported release date, a lot of users had moved on already…
>  
> From: softimage-boun...@listproc.autodesk.com 
> [mailto:softimage-boun...@listproc.autodesk.com]On Behalf Of Jordi Bares
> Sent: 18 mars 2014 12:37
> To: softimage@listproc.autodesk.com
> Subject: Re: Autodesk webinar
>  
> Exactly what Apple did with Final Cut Pro, and guess what happened? the whole 
> industry moved to Avid and Adobe Premiere.
>  
> Jordi Bares
> jordiba...@gmail.com
>  
> On 18 Mar 2014, at 16:33,  wrote:
> 
> 
> Yes, absolutely!!
>  
> Its one thing deciding to shut down Softimage – however stupid that decision 
> is,
> but to not allow purchases of new seats, except for existing customers. 
> That’s just mean minded and bullying. Its like they are trying their hardest 
> to make enemies.
>  
> From: olivier jeannel
> Sent: Tuesday, March 18, 2014 4:29 PM
> To: softimage@listproc.autodesk.com
> Subject: Re: Autodesk webinar
>  
> I think the opposite.
> AD should make it available to buy seats.
> 
> Why AD is refusing ? they will earn money for nothing. That I don't 
> understand.
> 
> Le 18/03/2014 17:21, Mirko Jankovic a écrit :
> People... do you REALLY think that there is anything at all left to be said?
>  
> I saw screw AD, screw PR and all marketing from each nd every copany.
> Only thing important is use tool that works for you.
> Right now if it is Softimage, keep using it as long as it serves you and gets 
> food on your table.
> In the next couple years if there is something better go for it if not.. keep 
> using SI fro another 10 years if needed.
>  
> In any case it doesn't make any sense at all to go through PR firewall of AD.
>  
> It was clear from day one back in 2008 that AD will kill Softimage, and every 
> single year after that was step in that direction.
> It is pure business war that AD won offer SI and SI is casualty... nothing we 
> can do there nor they will ever change their mind.
>  
> Use what works for you and stop waisting time on this PR crap..
>  
> 
> On Tue, Mar 18, 2014 at 5:16 PM, Morten Bartholdy  
> wrote:
> Yes please share Paul.
> Morten
> 
> Den 18. marts 2014 kl. 17:09 skrev Marc-Andre Carbonneau 
> :
> 
> > Hi Paul, 
> > 
> > If your company allows it, could you share the document/presentation you 
> > wrote highlighting your comparisons and choices to convince them? 
> > Very appreciated, 
> > MAC 
> > 
> > -----Original Message- 
> > From: softimage-boun...@listproc.autodesk.com 
> > [mailto:softimage-boun...@listproc.autodesk.com] On Behalf Of 
> > p...@bustykelp.com 
> > Sent: 18 mars 2014 11:59 
> > To: softimage@listproc.autodesk.com 
> > Subject: Re: Autodesk webinar 
> > 
> > "Last year was a watershed one for the industry for many different reasons 
> > resulting in many significant changes to our strategy" 
> > 
> > Yes, the industry is changing. Budgets are getting smaller and work needs 
> > to be done faster. 
> > 
> > So surely, the wise thing to do would be to invest in the tool with the 
> > fastest workflow. I have spent the last 3 years demonstrating to my studio 
> > why Softimage needs to be what we are using to make our projects feasible, 
> > and despite the fact, I'm the only Softimage person there. I have managed 
> > to persuade them through demonstration and now we are setting up production 
> > with it. 
> > By making tools that perform complex tasks quickly ( Softimage and ICE 
> > combo ), There is a huge market to be explored doing movie quality work on 
> > television that would have been unfeasible a few years ago. 
> > 
> > How do you think it feels after all that effort, RIGHT before the project 
> > is about to start, to hear this news? Its utterly short sighted and I 
> > imagine it will be rather embarrassing when we reveal how we managed to 
> > pull

Re: Autodesk webinar

[Jordi Bares]

I love my mac but will never buy another professional product from apple.

Jordi Bares
jordiba...@gmail.com

On 18 Mar 2014, at 16:46, Angus Davidson  wrote:

> Unfortunately people seldom learn from history. The parallels are uncanny. 5 
> or so updates later FCP X is a decent system compared to launch.  The problem 
> is most people have moved on. They didnt listen to what their users needed 
> and they delayed their new gen Mac pro to long. Budgets have to be spent and 
> most of them were on non apple machines and Avid and Adobe software. As some 
> folks know I am a big Apple fan but that left me shaking my head and 
> wondering what the hell they were smoking.
> 
> 
> From: Jordi Bares [jordiba...@gmail.com]
> Sent: 18 March 2014 06:36 PM
> To: softimage@listproc.autodesk.com
> Subject: Re: Autodesk webinar
> 
> Exactly what Apple did with Final Cut Pro, and guess what happened? the whole 
> industry moved to Avid and Adobe Premiere.
> 
> Jordi Bares
> jordiba...@gmail.com
> 
> On 18 Mar 2014, at 16:33,  wrote:
> 
>> Yes, absolutely!!
>>  
>> Its one thing deciding to shut down Softimage – however stupid that decision 
>> is,
>> but to not allow purchases of new seats, except for existing customers. 
>> That’s just mean minded and bullying. Its like they are trying their hardest 
>> to make enemies.
>>  
>> From: olivier jeannel
>> Sent: Tuesday, March 18, 2014 4:29 PM
>> To: softimage@listproc.autodesk.com
>> Subject: Re: Autodesk webinar
>>  
>> I think the opposite.
>> AD should make it available to buy seats.
>> 
>> Why AD is refusing ? they will earn money for nothing. That I don't 
>> understand.
>> 
>> Le 18/03/2014 17:21, Mirko Jankovic a écrit :
>>> People... do you REALLY think that there is anything at all left to be said?
>>>  
>>> I saw screw AD, screw PR and all marketing from each nd every copany.
>>> Only thing important is use tool that works for you.
>>> Right now if it is Softimage, keep using it as long as it serves you and 
>>> gets food on your table.
>>> In the next couple years if there is something better go for it if not.. 
>>> keep using SI fro another 10 years if needed.
>>>  
>>> In any case it doesn't make any sense at all to go through PR firewall of 
>>> AD.
>>>  
>>> It was clear from day one back in 2008 that AD will kill Softimage, and 
>>> every single year after that was step in that direction.
>>> It is pure business war that AD won offer SI and SI is casualty... nothing 
>>> we can do there nor they will ever change their mind.
>>>  
>>> Use what works for you and stop waisting time on this PR crap..
>>> 
>>> 
>>> On Tue, Mar 18, 2014 at 5:16 PM, Morten Bartholdy  
>>> wrote:
>>> Yes please share Paul.
>>> Morten
>>> 
>>> Den 18. marts 2014 kl. 17:09 skrev Marc-Andre Carbonneau 
>>> : 
>>> 
>>> > Hi Paul, 
>>> > 
>>> > If your company allows it, could you share the document/presentation you 
>>> > wrote highlighting your comparisons and choices to convince them? 
>>> > Very appreciated, 
>>> > MAC 
>>> > 
>>> > -Original Message- 
>>> > From: softimage-boun...@listproc.autodesk.com 
>>> > [mailto:softimage-boun...@listproc.autodesk.com] On Behalf 
>>> > ofp...@bustykelp.com 
>>> > Sent: 18 mars 2014 11:59 
>>> > To: softimage@listproc.autodesk.com 
>>> > Subject: Re: Autodesk webinar 
>>> > 
>>> > "Last year was a watershed one for the industry for many different 
>>> > reasons resulting in many significant changes to our strategy" 
>>> > 
>>> > Yes, the industry is changing. Budgets are getting smaller and work needs 
>>> > to be done faster. 
>>> > 
>>> > So surely, the wise thing to do would be to invest in the tool with the 
>>> > fastest workflow. I have spent the last 3 years demonstrating to my 
>>> > studio why Softimage needs to be what we are using to make our projects 
>>> > feasible, and despite the fact, I'm the only Softimage person there. I 
>>> > have managed to persuade them through demonstration and now we are 
>>> > setting up production with it. 
>>> > By making tools that perform complex tasks quickly ( Softimage and ICE 
>>> > combo ), There is a huge market to be explored doing movie quality work 
>>> > on television

Re: Autodesk webinar

[Andre De Angelis]

"Just to put my words in context: innovation has a high failure rate in general"

So do AD acquisitions it seems.

> On 19 Mar 2014, at 6:14 am, Maurice Patel  wrote:
> 
> Just to put my words in context: innovation has a high failure rate in general

Re: Autodesk webinar

[Jason S]

Hi,
Sorry, I'm sure it's been a long day.
But some of the continuing responses (some to be honest
being rather full of fluff) 
just begs to be addressed.


On 03/18/14 11:11, Perry Harovas wrote:

Maurice, I know things change, but this statement from Marc was
only a year and a half ago:
“Autodesk
plans
to continue to develop all of products mentioned [in this story].
These are all solutions that serve many different customer needs across
multiple industries and in many different types of workflows. 
We
are
not discontinuing development on any of the products you mentioned
but we will increase focus in specific areas where individual products
are strong."

Maurice Patel wrote:

Hi Perry,
At that time, although Softimage was not an area we were planning on investing more in, there was no plan to discontinue it. That decision was only made at the end of last year. Last year was a watershed one for the industry for many different reasons resulting in many significant changes to our strategy. 
At the time this statement was made we did not even have any plans for MayaLT. 


The thing is, from the very beginning, the question on everyone's
mind was.. 
< what about the "overlap"? >  (and the widely held
suspicions around just that), 
or.. how can 3 competing products be (or continue to be)
under the same roof? 

And now (at the very end) when reading the various
stories about the demise,
 *also mentioned in yesterdays webinar*, 
the stated reasons for the demise was all around.. yep..  "overlap"  
and the redundancy of having all these competing products under the
same roof.
(while also mentionning how long ago it was decided) ,

Plus of course, considering the goals of the acquisition
(technology & skilled personnel "sharing"),
the absence of marketing, all the dowgrading...

.. saying that this wasn't in the cards till just lately, is hard to
-not- see as quite stretch. 




And the latest vow of confidence was at the somewhat recent 2014 launch.
While perhaps that was from all the pressure from people (including
me) saying ;
"don't you dare pull the rug.. tell us you're not going to pull that
rug, cause you promised you wouldn't do that!" 
(said mostly from all the suspicion due to all these competing
products being under the same roof, the slow dev, the shufflings, the
abscence, etc..)

Nevertheless, by then it must have been super-obvious what people
wanted .
(or absolutely did -not- want)

So if the decision was recent, how can that decision be made despite
the overwhelming feedback of what people wanted (or absolutely
didn't want) if the company is all about what customers
need/want (?)

If the proposed package was actually on par on the most needed
aspects,
it -could- (perhaps) have been more easily
understood.
(Maya 2017? with Bifrost 3.0, Passes, and reviewed workflows?)

But as things are now, and until things change (more
substantially), we want Softimage, 
and we would switch to Maya when it would become better for us,
because if we would switch, it would be because it would be better for
us. 
And not because the company regrets to inform us that the rug has been
pulled.

The company got it's technology and the human resources, 
so why not let us stay until we feel good and ready to move. (?)


PS; 
On 03/18/14 11:21, Maurice Patel wrote:

At the time this statement was made we did not even have any plans for MayaLT.

Speaking of MayaLT.. it reminded me of this post from late 2012;


  Here is a quote
from Graphics Speak on December 17, 2012
__
  ...
For years the M&E division
has been focused on the high-end of the market. 
  
  It is time for
us to
  democratize the market for creative media products the way 
Autodesk
changed the CAD industry 30 years ago.
   Our new goal
at M&E is to
continue to serve the top market, but also to expand.
…
_
  

.. so if you
consider the
following  ( quotes from Modo
forum )



_
  Maya is powerful
and deep, but
since in it’s history, 
  it was aimed
towards big production
teams 
  


  Developed
openness and
programmability, 
so that studios could integrate their
proprietary code, 
end up with a base for their pipelines, 
and
build-up tools for "rapid productivity" of their own.
  
-
- - - - - - - - - - -
>From T4D
  
  the thing I
find silly, is
smaller studio's using Maya.
  YES Maya is
used in feature
films and by the big legends of the 3d industry,
BUT those same
people DON'T USE STANDARD MAYA.
  
Here we had a few Maya
gurus at the start, and we ran Maya as prime tool for a while,
and there was alot of custom
tools even for simple stuff made by those guys,.
  
  But we are
small, and when
they moved on,
  the rest of us
just used SI
more and more.
  It ( IMO ) is
easier to
work-out how it all works and get it done
( and that's without ICE )
  
  -
- - - - - - - - - -
  
Google
ANY discussion anywhere, talking about Maya & Softimage
and you would find that people
having extensively or even slightly worked on both,
CONSIS

Re: Autodesk webinar

[Bk]

> "All I can say is make your software decisions based on what you see today - 
> anything else would be, to a certain extent, vaporware and speculation, 
> especially the farther out you look."

We did do that. We were assured by your guys on a few occasions that AD was 
committed to continuing developing Softimage and look how that turned out. 

Re: Autodesk webinar

[Rob Chapman]

quoting Raf here from cgtalk forum last night. was going to tweet but
too long, wish I had listened to this kind of advice in 2008

"If you are an AD M&E client, be it Maya, Max, MoBu, Mudbox or
anything else that isn't Soft, and this hasn't alarmed you in the
least, you are a shortsighted fool."

are all Autodesk M&E customers short sighted fools?  they sure as hell
treat us that way

On 18 March 2014 20:27, Bk  wrote:
>
> I don't "find it hard to believe".
>
>
> Autodesk have shown clear as crystal that they don't care, at least not
> humanly care. They "care" in a managed collateral damage kind of way, but it
> all comes back to what can you get away with that will have minimal negative
> impact on your company.
>
> If autodesk had any shred of decency, they would bend over backwards to help
> the customers who's lives they have turned upside down, not enforce time
> limits and restrict ability to get new seats etc.
> You have done as a company one of the worse things you could have done for
> Softimage users by EOL ing the software we have spent our careers mastering,
> but that is no the half of it.The part that really stings is the adding of
> insult to injury through blatant manipulative strong arm tactics.
>  It's a modern equivalent of Europe storming the Americas and we are the
> natives. The Europeans justified it to themselves that they were bringing
> civilisation to the savages. You no doubt think believe that you are
> offering us something of value too and we just cant see it, but that shows
> utter disregard for a viewpoint other than your(AD's) own.
>
>
>
> On Tue, Mar 18, 2014 at 1:47 PM, Maurice Patel
> mailto:maurice.pa...@autodesk.com>> wrote:
> Hi Paul, Adam
> We do understand that people build their livelihoods on our software. This
> is something we take seriously, although (with good reason)  you might find
> it hard to believe right now. Every year we spend significant resources
> maintaining legacy code so that the new features we add to our products
> don't radically disrupt customers workflows. We really do try not to take
> unnecessary risks with our software. And we have an incredibly long track
> record  of developing software for the long term - one can just look at
> AutoCAD and 3ds Max. Even acquisitions like Flame and Maya have continued to
> be extensively developed at Autodesk as have other product acquisitions.
>
> We have stated and are committed both to developing our core products and to
> innovating. Our decision to focus on 3ds max and Maya was so we could
> continue to do both adequately (not one or the other). We are a high tech
> company so it wouldn't be realistic to expect us not to try to innovate even
> if the risks are high. That does not mean that is all we do.
>
> I am not denying that Softimage customers are now facing some challenging
> decisions. But several have said on the forum, and I would personally agree
> with them, that in this industry - as in any high-tech industry - it can be
> risky to have all your eggs in one basket, even if that means looking
> outside of Autodesk (and there are some very interesting solutions out
> there). Giants fall (look at SGI). We are not immune to that either.
> Personally, I do not think that will happen, but no one at Autodesk will
> ever make any explicit guarantees about the future. All I can say is make
> your software decisions based on what you see today - anything else would
> be, to a certain extent, vaporware and speculation, especially the farther
> out you look.
>
> maurice
>
>
> Maurice Patel
> Autodesk : Tél:  514 954-7134
> From:
> softimage-boun...@listproc.autodesk.com<mailto:softimage-boun...@listproc.autodesk.com>
> [mailto:softimage-boun...@listproc.autodesk.com<mailto:softimage-boun...@listproc.autodesk.com>]
> On Behalf Of Paul Griswold
> Sent: Tuesday, March 18, 2014 12:15 PM
> To: softimage@listproc.autodesk.com<mailto:softimage@listproc.autodesk.com>
> Subject: Re: Autodesk webinar
> In Softimage we have a production-proven, solid tool.  ICE works TODAY, not
> 2 years from today, not in a dream of a product called Bifrost, but right
> NOW.
>
> Are you telling everyone here who has based their ENTIRE business around
> Softimage, we should trust Autodesk to have a fully functioning tool ready
> that will do EVERYTHING Softimage can do TODAY by the time Softimage hits
> the end?  We should believe that after you've just admitted that Skyline was
> a failure?
>
> These aren't a bunch of ideas or concepts here, these are our businesses!
> We feed our families, we pay our bills, we survive based on Softimage and
> now we have to hope that so

Re: Autodesk webinar

[Bk]

> 
> I don't "find it hard to believe".

> Autodesk have shown clear as crystal that they don't care, at least not 
> humanly care. They "care" in a managed collateral damage kind of way, but it 
> all comes back to what can you get away with that will have minimal negative 
> impact on your company.
If autodesk had any shred of decency, they would bend over backwards to help 
the customers who's lives they have turned upside down, not enforce time limits 
and restrict ability to get new seats etc.
You have done as a company one of the worse things you could have done for 
Softimage users by EOL ing the software we have spent our careers mastering, 
but that is no the half of it.The part that really stings is the adding of 
insult to injury through blatant manipulative strong arm tactics.
 It's a modern equivalent of Europe storming the Americas and we are the 
natives. The Europeans justified it to themselves that they were bringing 
civilisation to the savages. You no doubt think believe that you are offering 
us something of value too and we just cant see it, but that shows utter 
disregard for a viewpoint other than your(AD's) own. 


> 
> On Tue, Mar 18, 2014 at 1:47 PM, Maurice Patel 
> mailto:maurice.pa...@autodesk.com>> wrote:
> Hi Paul, Adam
> We do understand that people build their livelihoods on our software. This is 
> something we take seriously, although (with good reason)  you might find it 
> hard to believe right now. Every year we spend significant resources 
> maintaining legacy code so that the new features we add to our products don't 
> radically disrupt customers workflows. We really do try not to take 
> unnecessary risks with our software. And we have an incredibly long track 
> record  of developing software for the long term - one can just look at 
> AutoCAD and 3ds Max. Even acquisitions like Flame and Maya have continued to 
> be extensively developed at Autodesk as have other product acquisitions.
> 
> We have stated and are committed both to developing our core products and to 
> innovating. Our decision to focus on 3ds max and Maya was so we could 
> continue to do both adequately (not one or the other). We are a high tech 
> company so it wouldn't be realistic to expect us not to try to innovate even 
> if the risks are high. That does not mean that is all we do.
> 
> I am not denying that Softimage customers are now facing some challenging 
> decisions. But several have said on the forum, and I would personally agree 
> with them, that in this industry - as in any high-tech industry - it can be 
> risky to have all your eggs in one basket, even if that means looking outside 
> of Autodesk (and there are some very interesting solutions out there). Giants 
> fall (look at SGI). We are not immune to that either. Personally, I do not 
> think that will happen, but no one at Autodesk will ever make any explicit 
> guarantees about the future. All I can say is make your software decisions 
> based on what you see today - anything else would be, to a certain extent, 
> vaporware and speculation, especially the farther out you look.
> 
> maurice
> 
> 
> Maurice Patel
> Autodesk : Tél:  514 954-7134
> From: 
> softimage-boun...@listproc.autodesk.com<mailto:softimage-boun...@listproc.autodesk.com>
>  
> [mailto:softimage-boun...@listproc.autodesk.com<mailto:softimage-boun...@listproc.autodesk.com>]
>  On Behalf Of Paul Griswold
> Sent: Tuesday, March 18, 2014 12:15 PM
> To: softimage@listproc.autodesk.com<mailto:softimage@listproc.autodesk.com>
> Subject: Re: Autodesk webinar
> In Softimage we have a production-proven, solid tool.  ICE works TODAY, not 2 
> years from today, not in a dream of a product called Bifrost, but right NOW.
> 
> Are you telling everyone here who has based their ENTIRE business around 
> Softimage, we should trust Autodesk to have a fully functioning tool ready 
> that will do EVERYTHING Softimage can do TODAY by the time Softimage hits the 
> end?  We should believe that after you've just admitted that Skyline was a 
> failure?
> 
> These aren't a bunch of ideas or concepts here, these are our businesses!  We 
> feed our families, we pay our bills, we survive based on Softimage and now we 
> have to hope that somehow Bifrost is not in the 99% failure, but 1% 
> innovation?
> 
> Do you seriously want us to bet our future on that?  Would you go home and 
> tell your significant other that rather than focusing on a tool that works 
> for you, makes money for you right now, you're betting everything on a 
> promise from Autodesk??
> 
> Who on earth does business like that??  Is Autodesk going to pay our 
> mortgages or feed our families when Bifrost f

RE: Autodesk webinar

[Maurice Patel]

Hi Paul
Just to put my words in context: innovation has a high failure rate in general 
- no matter who you are or what industry you are in. You will have a high 
probability of failure if you try to do innovative things. So this statement 
was a generalization. Autodesk's success rate is much higher than 1%.
Maurice


Maurice Patel
Autodesk : Tél:  514 954-7134

From: softimage-boun...@listproc.autodesk.com 
[mailto:softimage-boun...@listproc.autodesk.com] On Behalf Of Paul Griswold
Sent: Tuesday, March 18, 2014 2:34 PM
To: softimage@listproc.autodesk.com
Subject: Re: Autodesk webinar

Thanks Maurice,

So the information I have today is - most of my work is done with Softimage and 
there is 0% chance it will be continued.

Autodesk has a 99% failure rate internally with creating innovative products. 
(your words)

Autodesk wants me to move to Maya, an old, outdated package that cannot do what 
I need now, requires significant work (scripts, plugins, etc.) to make usable, 
is not conducive to small shops or freelancers, and there is no promise that it 
will ever be able to do what Softimage can do right now.  Making that move not 
only moves me back to the junior level, but reduces my pay, lowers the quality 
of my work, and significantly hampers my ability to compete.

Bifrost is being developed at a company with a 99% failure rate with creating 
innovative products.  Bifrost is not an ICE replacement and may never be one.

And, apparently in this industry you should not have all your eggs in one 
basket.  Unfortunately Autodesk bought the goose laying the golden eggs and 
wrung it's neck.  Now there's no more eggs.  I also find it ironic that someone 
from ADSK just said we shouldn't have all our eggs in one basket, yet they want 
everyone to buy suites and are trying to emulate the Adobe model  Or was 
that just something you say because there's really no answer for what Autodesk 
has done?

Yes, I think I can make a decision based on that information.


-Paul



On Tue, Mar 18, 2014 at 1:47 PM, Maurice Patel 
mailto:maurice.pa...@autodesk.com>> wrote:
Hi Paul, Adam
We do understand that people build their livelihoods on our software. This is 
something we take seriously, although (with good reason)  you might find it 
hard to believe right now. Every year we spend significant resources 
maintaining legacy code so that the new features we add to our products don't 
radically disrupt customers workflows. We really do try not to take unnecessary 
risks with our software. And we have an incredibly long track record  of 
developing software for the long term - one can just look at AutoCAD and 3ds 
Max. Even acquisitions like Flame and Maya have continued to be extensively 
developed at Autodesk as have other product acquisitions.

We have stated and are committed both to developing our core products and to 
innovating. Our decision to focus on 3ds max and Maya was so we could continue 
to do both adequately (not one or the other). We are a high tech company so it 
wouldn't be realistic to expect us not to try to innovate even if the risks are 
high. That does not mean that is all we do.

I am not denying that Softimage customers are now facing some challenging 
decisions. But several have said on the forum, and I would personally agree 
with them, that in this industry - as in any high-tech industry - it can be 
risky to have all your eggs in one basket, even if that means looking outside 
of Autodesk (and there are some very interesting solutions out there). Giants 
fall (look at SGI). We are not immune to that either. Personally, I do not 
think that will happen, but no one at Autodesk will ever make any explicit 
guarantees about the future. All I can say is make your software decisions 
based on what you see today - anything else would be, to a certain extent, 
vaporware and speculation, especially the farther out you look.

maurice


Maurice Patel
Autodesk : Tél:  514 954-7134
From: 
softimage-boun...@listproc.autodesk.com<mailto:softimage-boun...@listproc.autodesk.com>
 
[mailto:softimage-boun...@listproc.autodesk.com<mailto:softimage-boun...@listproc.autodesk.com>]
 On Behalf Of Paul Griswold
Sent: Tuesday, March 18, 2014 12:15 PM
To: softimage@listproc.autodesk.com<mailto:softimage@listproc.autodesk.com>
Subject: Re: Autodesk webinar
In Softimage we have a production-proven, solid tool.  ICE works TODAY, not 2 
years from today, not in a dream of a product called Bifrost, but right NOW.

Are you telling everyone here who has based their ENTIRE business around 
Softimage, we should trust Autodesk to have a fully functioning tool ready that 
will do EVERYTHING Softimage can do TODAY by the time Softimage hits the end?  
We should believe that after you've just admitted that Skyline was a failure?

These aren't a bunch of ideas or concepts here, these are our businesses!  We 
feed our families, we pay our bills, we survive based

Re: Autodesk webinar

[Andres Stephens]

Ressistence? I feel the same way How? Do and share SI vs. Maya vs. Max 
comparisons and business history/AD conspiracy revelations and truth to their 
business tactics within 3Dmax and Maya forums and communities to cause unrest 
till the WHOLE user base Autodesk tries to re-consider and starts to get uneasy 
and demands better transparency and business development - even supporting SI 
from the Max and Maya community? 

(seriously, why limit options giving into the competition?! Are they really 
that secure they are or will be ahead of the competition always - even if they 
just bought, killed and abused millions of lines of code fully capable for 
years and years to come??!?)

We just want Autodesk to look after those it produces products for, giving us 
strong OPTIONS, not limiting us... not empty promises. 

I think knowledge, sharing this knowledge, and all.. is power, and will sway 
masses, and markets, and the future of the industry and it’s capability - and 
security. 



-Draise






From: David Gallagher
Sent: ‎Tuesday‎, ‎March‎ ‎18‎, ‎2014 ‎13‎:‎51‎ ‎
To: softimage@listproc.autodesk.com



I'm starting to realize there isn't some new Autodesk software that's going to 
fill this spot, and Maya isn't going to do it even after a few years of 
releases.

I'm so angry with Autodesk for this absurd move.

Where do I sign up for the resistance?
Dave G

Re: Autodesk webinar

[Enoch Ihde]

as to maya taking up ridiculous screen real estate with oversized windows,
you need look no farther than the outliner vs the explorer, in terms of
functionality vs screen real estate.
or the attribute editor vs a ppg.  to tear of an attribute editor, you end
up with some ginormous window, try having 3 of those open and still be able
to work...


On Tue, Mar 18, 2014 at 11:50 AM, David Gallagher <
davegsoftimagel...@gmail.com> wrote:

>
> I'm starting to realize there isn't some new Autodesk software that's
> going to fill this spot, and Maya isn't going to do it even after a few
> years of releases.
>
> I'm so angry with Autodesk for this absurd move.
>
> Where do I sign up for the resistance?
> Dave G
>
>
> On 3/18/2014 12:34 PM, Paul Griswold wrote:
>
>  Thanks Maurice,
>
>  So the information I have today is - most of my work is done with
> Softimage and there is 0% chance it will be continued.
>
>  Autodesk has a 99% failure rate internally with creating innovative
> products. (your words)
>
>  Autodesk wants me to move to Maya, an old, outdated package that cannot
> do what I need now, requires significant work (scripts, plugins, etc.) to
> make usable, is not conducive to small shops or freelancers, and there is
> no promise that it will ever be able to do what Softimage can do right now.
>  Making that move not only moves me back to the junior level, but reduces
> my pay, lowers the quality of my work, and significantly hampers my ability
> to compete.
>
>  Bifrost is being developed at a company with a 99% failure rate with
> creating innovative products.  Bifrost is not an ICE replacement and may
> never be one.
>
>  And, apparently in this industry you should not have all your eggs in
> one basket.  Unfortunately Autodesk bought the goose laying the golden eggs
> and wrung it's neck.  Now there's no more eggs.  I also find it ironic that
> someone from ADSK just said we shouldn't have all our eggs in one basket,
> yet they want everyone to buy suites and are trying to emulate the Adobe
> model  Or was that just something you say because there's really no
> answer for what Autodesk has done?
>
>  Yes, I think I can make a decision based on that information.
>
>
>  -Paul
>
>
>
>
> On Tue, Mar 18, 2014 at 1:47 PM, Maurice Patel  > wrote:
>
>> Hi Paul, Adam
>> We do understand that people build their livelihoods on our software.
>> This is something we take seriously, although (with good reason)  you might
>> find it hard to believe right now. Every year we spend significant
>> resources maintaining legacy code so that the new features we add to our
>> products don't radically disrupt customers workflows. We really do try not
>> to take unnecessary risks with our software. And we have an incredibly long
>> track record  of developing software for the long term - one can just look
>> at AutoCAD and 3ds Max. Even acquisitions like Flame and Maya have
>> continued to be extensively developed at Autodesk as have other product
>> acquisitions.
>>
>> We have stated and are committed both to developing our core products and
>> to innovating. Our decision to focus on 3ds max and Maya was so we could
>> continue to do both adequately (not one or the other). We are a high tech
>> company so it wouldn't be realistic to expect us not to try to innovate
>> even if the risks are high. That does not mean that is all we do.
>>
>> I am not denying that Softimage customers are now facing some challenging
>> decisions. But several have said on the forum, and I would personally agree
>> with them, that in this industry - as in any high-tech industry - it can be
>> risky to have all your eggs in one basket, even if that means looking
>> outside of Autodesk (and there are some very interesting solutions out
>> there). Giants fall (look at SGI). We are not immune to that either.
>> Personally, I do not think that will happen, but no one at Autodesk will
>> ever make any explicit guarantees about the future. All I can say is make
>> your software decisions based on what you see today - anything else would
>> be, to a certain extent, vaporware and speculation, especially the farther
>> out you look.
>>
>> maurice
>>
>>
>> Maurice Patel
>> Autodesk : Tél:  514 954-7134
>>
>>  From: softimage-boun...@listproc.autodesk.com [mailto:
>> softimage-boun...@listproc.autodesk.com] On Behalf Of Paul Griswold
>> Sent: Tuesday, March 18, 2014 12:15 PM
>> To: softimage@listproc.autodesk.com
>> Subject: Re: Autodesk webinar
>>
>>  In Softimage we have a production-

Re: Autodesk webinar

[David Gallagher]

I'm starting to realize there isn't some new Autodesk software that's 
going to fill this spot, and Maya isn't going to do it even after a few 
years of releases.


I'm so angry with Autodesk for this absurd move.

Where do I sign up for the resistance?
Dave G

On 3/18/2014 12:34 PM, Paul Griswold wrote:

Thanks Maurice,

So the information I have today is - most of my work is done with 
Softimage and there is 0% chance it will be continued.


Autodesk has a 99% failure rate internally with creating innovative 
products. (your words)


Autodesk wants me to move to Maya, an old, outdated package that 
cannot do what I need now, requires significant work (scripts, 
plugins, etc.) to make usable, is not conducive to small shops or 
freelancers, and there is no promise that it will ever be able to do 
what Softimage can do right now.  Making that move not only moves me 
back to the junior level, but reduces my pay, lowers the quality of my 
work, and significantly hampers my ability to compete.


Bifrost is being developed at a company with a 99% failure rate with 
creating innovative products.  Bifrost is not an ICE replacement and 
may never be one.


And, apparently in this industry you should not have all your eggs in 
one basket.  Unfortunately Autodesk bought the goose laying the golden 
eggs and wrung it's neck.  Now there's no more eggs.  I also find it 
ironic that someone from ADSK just said we shouldn't have all our eggs 
in one basket, yet they want everyone to buy suites and are trying to 
emulate the Adobe model  Or was that just something you say 
because there's really no answer for what Autodesk has done?


Yes, I think I can make a decision based on that information.


-Paul




On Tue, Mar 18, 2014 at 1:47 PM, Maurice Patel 
mailto:maurice.pa...@autodesk.com>> wrote:


Hi Paul, Adam
We do understand that people build their livelihoods on our
software. This is something we take seriously, although (with good
reason)  you might find it hard to believe right now. Every year
we spend significant resources maintaining legacy code so that the
new features we add to our products don't radically disrupt
customers workflows. We really do try not to take unnecessary
risks with our software. And we have an incredibly long track
record  of developing software for the long term - one can just
look at AutoCAD and 3ds Max. Even acquisitions like Flame and Maya
have continued to be extensively developed at Autodesk as have
other product acquisitions.

We have stated and are committed both to developing our core
products and to innovating. Our decision to focus on 3ds max and
Maya was so we could continue to do both adequately (not one or
the other). We are a high tech company so it wouldn't be realistic
to expect us not to try to innovate even if the risks are high.
That does not mean that is all we do.

I am not denying that Softimage customers are now facing some
challenging decisions. But several have said on the forum, and I
would personally agree with them, that in this industry - as in
any high-tech industry - it can be risky to have all your eggs in
one basket, even if that means looking outside of Autodesk (and
there are some very interesting solutions out there). Giants fall
(look at SGI). We are not immune to that either. Personally, I do
not think that will happen, but no one at Autodesk will ever make
any explicit guarantees about the future. All I can say is make
your software decisions based on what you see today - anything
else would be, to a certain extent, vaporware and speculation,
especially the farther out you look.

maurice


Maurice Patel
Autodesk : Tél: 514 954-7134 

From: softimage-boun...@listproc.autodesk.com
<mailto:softimage-boun...@listproc.autodesk.com>
[mailto:softimage-boun...@listproc.autodesk.com
<mailto:softimage-boun...@listproc.autodesk.com>] On Behalf Of
Paul Griswold
Sent: Tuesday, March 18, 2014 12:15 PM
To: softimage@listproc.autodesk.com
<mailto:softimage@listproc.autodesk.com>
Subject: Re: Autodesk webinar

In Softimage we have a production-proven, solid tool.  ICE works
TODAY, not 2 years from today, not in a dream of a product called
Bifrost, but right NOW.

Are you telling everyone here who has based their ENTIRE business
around Softimage, we should trust Autodesk to have a fully
functioning tool ready that will do EVERYTHING Softimage can do
TODAY by the time Softimage hits the end?  We should believe that
after you've just admitted that Skyline was a failure?

These aren't a bunch of ideas or concepts here, these are our
businesses!  We feed our families, we pay our bills, we survive
based on Softimage and now we have to hope that somehow Bifrost is
n

Re: Autodesk webinar

[Cristobal Infante]

We also now know that Autodesk has no problem killing their software and
they will want to unify all development in one application.

So if you carry on using their 3d software (Maya or 3DsMax) you have a
50/50 chance this will happen to you again sometime in the future.



On 18 March 2014 18:34, Paul Griswold <
pgrisw...@fusiondigitalproductions.com> wrote:

> Thanks Maurice,
>
> So the information I have today is - most of my work is done with
> Softimage and there is 0% chance it will be continued.
>
> Autodesk has a 99% failure rate internally with creating innovative
> products. (your words)
>
> Autodesk wants me to move to Maya, an old, outdated package that cannot do
> what I need now, requires significant work (scripts, plugins, etc.) to make
> usable, is not conducive to small shops or freelancers, and there is no
> promise that it will ever be able to do what Softimage can do right now.
>  Making that move not only moves me back to the junior level, but reduces
> my pay, lowers the quality of my work, and significantly hampers my ability
> to compete.
>
> Bifrost is being developed at a company with a 99% failure rate with
> creating innovative products.  Bifrost is not an ICE replacement and may
> never be one.
>
> And, apparently in this industry you should not have all your eggs in one
> basket.  Unfortunately Autodesk bought the goose laying the golden eggs and
> wrung it's neck.  Now there's no more eggs.  I also find it ironic that
> someone from ADSK just said we shouldn't have all our eggs in one basket,
> yet they want everyone to buy suites and are trying to emulate the Adobe
> model  Or was that just something you say because there's really no
> answer for what Autodesk has done?
>
> Yes, I think I can make a decision based on that information.
>
>
> -Paul
>
>
>
>
> On Tue, Mar 18, 2014 at 1:47 PM, Maurice Patel  > wrote:
>
>> Hi Paul, Adam
>> We do understand that people build their livelihoods on our software.
>> This is something we take seriously, although (with good reason)  you might
>> find it hard to believe right now. Every year we spend significant
>> resources maintaining legacy code so that the new features we add to our
>> products don't radically disrupt customers workflows. We really do try not
>> to take unnecessary risks with our software. And we have an incredibly long
>> track record  of developing software for the long term - one can just look
>> at AutoCAD and 3ds Max. Even acquisitions like Flame and Maya have
>> continued to be extensively developed at Autodesk as have other product
>> acquisitions.
>>
>> We have stated and are committed both to developing our core products and
>> to innovating. Our decision to focus on 3ds max and Maya was so we could
>> continue to do both adequately (not one or the other). We are a high tech
>> company so it wouldn't be realistic to expect us not to try to innovate
>> even if the risks are high. That does not mean that is all we do.
>>
>> I am not denying that Softimage customers are now facing some challenging
>> decisions. But several have said on the forum, and I would personally agree
>> with them, that in this industry - as in any high-tech industry - it can be
>> risky to have all your eggs in one basket, even if that means looking
>> outside of Autodesk (and there are some very interesting solutions out
>> there). Giants fall (look at SGI). We are not immune to that either.
>> Personally, I do not think that will happen, but no one at Autodesk will
>> ever make any explicit guarantees about the future. All I can say is make
>> your software decisions based on what you see today - anything else would
>> be, to a certain extent, vaporware and speculation, especially the farther
>> out you look.
>>
>> maurice
>>
>>
>> Maurice Patel
>> Autodesk : Tél:  514 954-7134
>>
>> From: softimage-boun...@listproc.autodesk.com [mailto:
>> softimage-boun...@listproc.autodesk.com] On Behalf Of Paul Griswold
>> Sent: Tuesday, March 18, 2014 12:15 PM
>> To: softimage@listproc.autodesk.com
>> Subject: Re: Autodesk webinar
>>
>> In Softimage we have a production-proven, solid tool.  ICE works TODAY,
>> not 2 years from today, not in a dream of a product called Bifrost, but
>> right NOW.
>>
>> Are you telling everyone here who has based their ENTIRE business around
>> Softimage, we should trust Autodesk to have a fully functioning tool ready
>> that will do EVERYTHING Softimage can do TODAY by the time Softimage hits
>> the end?  We should believe that after you've just admitted that S

Re: Autodesk webinar

[Paul Griswold]

Thanks Maurice,

So the information I have today is - most of my work is done with Softimage
and there is 0% chance it will be continued.

Autodesk has a 99% failure rate internally with creating innovative
products. (your words)

Autodesk wants me to move to Maya, an old, outdated package that cannot do
what I need now, requires significant work (scripts, plugins, etc.) to make
usable, is not conducive to small shops or freelancers, and there is no
promise that it will ever be able to do what Softimage can do right now.
 Making that move not only moves me back to the junior level, but reduces
my pay, lowers the quality of my work, and significantly hampers my ability
to compete.

Bifrost is being developed at a company with a 99% failure rate with
creating innovative products.  Bifrost is not an ICE replacement and may
never be one.

And, apparently in this industry you should not have all your eggs in one
basket.  Unfortunately Autodesk bought the goose laying the golden eggs and
wrung it's neck.  Now there's no more eggs.  I also find it ironic that
someone from ADSK just said we shouldn't have all our eggs in one basket,
yet they want everyone to buy suites and are trying to emulate the Adobe
model  Or was that just something you say because there's really no
answer for what Autodesk has done?

Yes, I think I can make a decision based on that information.


-Paul




On Tue, Mar 18, 2014 at 1:47 PM, Maurice Patel
wrote:

> Hi Paul, Adam
> We do understand that people build their livelihoods on our software. This
> is something we take seriously, although (with good reason)  you might find
> it hard to believe right now. Every year we spend significant resources
> maintaining legacy code so that the new features we add to our products
> don't radically disrupt customers workflows. We really do try not to take
> unnecessary risks with our software. And we have an incredibly long track
> record  of developing software for the long term - one can just look at
> AutoCAD and 3ds Max. Even acquisitions like Flame and Maya have continued
> to be extensively developed at Autodesk as have other product acquisitions.
>
> We have stated and are committed both to developing our core products and
> to innovating. Our decision to focus on 3ds max and Maya was so we could
> continue to do both adequately (not one or the other). We are a high tech
> company so it wouldn't be realistic to expect us not to try to innovate
> even if the risks are high. That does not mean that is all we do.
>
> I am not denying that Softimage customers are now facing some challenging
> decisions. But several have said on the forum, and I would personally agree
> with them, that in this industry - as in any high-tech industry - it can be
> risky to have all your eggs in one basket, even if that means looking
> outside of Autodesk (and there are some very interesting solutions out
> there). Giants fall (look at SGI). We are not immune to that either.
> Personally, I do not think that will happen, but no one at Autodesk will
> ever make any explicit guarantees about the future. All I can say is make
> your software decisions based on what you see today - anything else would
> be, to a certain extent, vaporware and speculation, especially the farther
> out you look.
>
> maurice
>
>
> Maurice Patel
> Autodesk : Tél:  514 954-7134
>
> From: softimage-boun...@listproc.autodesk.com [mailto:
> softimage-boun...@listproc.autodesk.com] On Behalf Of Paul Griswold
> Sent: Tuesday, March 18, 2014 12:15 PM
> To: softimage@listproc.autodesk.com
> Subject: Re: Autodesk webinar
>
> In Softimage we have a production-proven, solid tool.  ICE works TODAY,
> not 2 years from today, not in a dream of a product called Bifrost, but
> right NOW.
>
> Are you telling everyone here who has based their ENTIRE business around
> Softimage, we should trust Autodesk to have a fully functioning tool ready
> that will do EVERYTHING Softimage can do TODAY by the time Softimage hits
> the end?  We should believe that after you've just admitted that Skyline
> was a failure?
>
> These aren't a bunch of ideas or concepts here, these are our businesses!
>  We feed our families, we pay our bills, we survive based on Softimage and
> now we have to hope that somehow Bifrost is not in the 99% failure, but 1%
> innovation?
>
> Do you seriously want us to bet our future on that?  Would you go home and
> tell your significant other that rather than focusing on a tool that works
> for you, makes money for you right now, you're betting everything on a
> promise from Autodesk??
>
> Who on earth does business like that??  Is Autodesk going to pay our
> mortgages or feed our families when Bifrost falls apart?  Because unless
> that's the plan, I ca

Re: Autodesk webinar

[Luc-Eric Rousseau]

On Tue, Mar 18, 2014 at 12:49 PM, Sebastien Sterling
 wrote:
> I would care to know if anything is going to be done about the disgusting
> maya UI, its so bloated and unwieldy everywhere i go, people actually need 2
> screens to work, and i don't just mean, one screen for animation curves, you
> need a second screen simply to display the bloody selection tools, less your
> single view port shrink to the size of a postage stamp.

which selection tool is taking all of this screen real-estate?

> I'm seeing a lot of new features and very few elegant means to access them. 
> why is NEX still
> some kind of ill integrated appendage? why aren't it's ui smart element
> selection highlights a standard ? this leaves us with 2 different ill
> matched workflows. they're are several manipulation that will accidentally
> take you out off NEX

NEX first showed up in 2014 EXT 6 month ago.  The NEX smart selection
highlight and symmetry now has been integrated in the standard maya
tools in Maya 2015

RE: Autodesk webinar

[Maurice Patel]

Hi Paul, Adam
We do understand that people build their livelihoods on our software. This is 
something we take seriously, although (with good reason)  you might find it 
hard to believe right now. Every year we spend significant resources 
maintaining legacy code so that the new features we add to our products don't 
radically disrupt customers workflows. We really do try not to take unnecessary 
risks with our software. And we have an incredibly long track record  of 
developing software for the long term - one can just look at AutoCAD and 3ds 
Max. Even acquisitions like Flame and Maya have continued to be extensively 
developed at Autodesk as have other product acquisitions.

We have stated and are committed both to developing our core products and to 
innovating. Our decision to focus on 3ds max and Maya was so we could continue 
to do both adequately (not one or the other). We are a high tech company so it 
wouldn't be realistic to expect us not to try to innovate even if the risks are 
high. That does not mean that is all we do.

I am not denying that Softimage customers are now facing some challenging 
decisions. But several have said on the forum, and I would personally agree 
with them, that in this industry - as in any high-tech industry - it can be 
risky to have all your eggs in one basket, even if that means looking outside 
of Autodesk (and there are some very interesting solutions out there). Giants 
fall (look at SGI). We are not immune to that either. Personally, I do not 
think that will happen, but no one at Autodesk will ever make any explicit 
guarantees about the future. All I can say is make your software decisions 
based on what you see today - anything else would be, to a certain extent, 
vaporware and speculation, especially the farther out you look.

maurice


Maurice Patel
Autodesk : Tél:  514 954-7134

From: softimage-boun...@listproc.autodesk.com 
[mailto:softimage-boun...@listproc.autodesk.com] On Behalf Of Paul Griswold
Sent: Tuesday, March 18, 2014 12:15 PM
To: softimage@listproc.autodesk.com
Subject: Re: Autodesk webinar

In Softimage we have a production-proven, solid tool.  ICE works TODAY, not 2 
years from today, not in a dream of a product called Bifrost, but right NOW.

Are you telling everyone here who has based their ENTIRE business around 
Softimage, we should trust Autodesk to have a fully functioning tool ready that 
will do EVERYTHING Softimage can do TODAY by the time Softimage hits the end?  
We should believe that after you've just admitted that Skyline was a failure?

These aren't a bunch of ideas or concepts here, these are our businesses!  We 
feed our families, we pay our bills, we survive based on Softimage and now we 
have to hope that somehow Bifrost is not in the 99% failure, but 1% innovation?

Do you seriously want us to bet our future on that?  Would you go home and tell 
your significant other that rather than focusing on a tool that works for you, 
makes money for you right now, you're betting everything on a promise from 
Autodesk??

Who on earth does business like that??  Is Autodesk going to pay our mortgages 
or feed our families when Bifrost falls apart?  Because unless that's the plan, 
I can't think of a single sane person who would go along with this Maya-only 
plan.

This is absolutely a terrible way to do business and everyone at Autodesk knows 
it.  They've just dug in their heels to avoid looking like they've made a 
colossal mistake.

-Paul





On Tue, Mar 18, 2014 at 12:08 PM, Adam Sale 
mailto:adamfs...@gmail.com>> wrote:

Maurice, in all of this talk the one glaring omission is this. You guys are 
always trying to innovate. You have said success is often 99 percent failure to 
one percent success. Well, in the event bifrost falls by the wayside like 
skyline did, all of a sudden autodesk will have zero node based solutions to do 
the type of ice work we expect of a dcc product. How is that a wise move as a 
company? Its like throwing out the baby with the bath water and seems 
incredibly short sighted. So as we move to bifrost to begin our transition away 
from ICE, we may be in this same mess a couple years down the road if it doesnt 
pan out. Imagine the fallout then.. people will go absolutely nuclear on AD.

Adam

<>

Re: Autodesk webinar

[John Richard Sanchez]

I don't know about everyone else but this is what I am going to do.
http://youtu.be/MWWtrW0oI1E


On Tue, Mar 18, 2014 at 1:24 PM, Ed Manning  wrote:

> On Tue, Mar 18, 2014 at 1:15 PM, adrian wyer <
> adrian.w...@fluid-pictures.com> wrote:
>
>> i would be VERY surprised to learn that more than 10% of your subscription
>> payment was actually spent on softimage
>>
>> i would imagine 50% on new tech (revit, bifrost etc) and the rest in the
>> shareholders pockets every time it's dividend o'clock!
>>
>>
> ADSK hasn't paid a dividend since 2005
>



-- 
www.johnrichardsanchez.com

Re: Autodesk webinar

[Ed Manning]

On Tue, Mar 18, 2014 at 1:15 PM, adrian wyer  wrote:

> i would be VERY surprised to learn that more than 10% of your subscription
> payment was actually spent on softimage
>
> i would imagine 50% on new tech (revit, bifrost etc) and the rest in the
> shareholders pockets every time it's dividend o'clock!
>
>
ADSK hasn't paid a dividend since 2005

Re: Autodesk webinar

[Perry Harovas]

You might not even have to wait two years, because unfortunately Autodesk
has made it clear that this is the end of life of this
product, and while WE all know that using Softimage for a few years won't
impact our ability to deliver amazing products,
our clients won't always know, or believe, that. That could end up hurting
a lot of us, just from the stigma associated with using an EOL product.

The tool isn't what makes us do great work, but sadly, the clients often
think it is.

This will hurt us all even in the short term.





On Tue, Mar 18, 2014 at 1:15 PM, adrian wyer  wrote:

> i would be VERY surprised to learn that more than 10% of your subscription
> payment was actually spent on softimage
>
> i would imagine 50% on new tech (revit, bifrost etc) and the rest in the
> shareholders pockets every time it's dividend o'clock!
>
> a
>
> -Original Message-
> From: softimage-boun...@listproc.autodesk.com
> [mailto:softimage-boun...@listproc.autodesk.com] On Behalf Of
> pete...@skynet.be
> Sent: 18 March 2014 17:10
> To: softimage@listproc.autodesk.com
> Subject: Re: Autodesk webinar
>
> How much of the subscription money is going into those 99% failures?
>
> I know it's nasty to put it like that - but people paying subscription are
> doing so believing (hoping) they are funding the very future and survival
> of
>
> the software they are paying for. Right now, it's: continue to pay
> subscription, in order to get upgraded, eh no, downgraded, eh no
> retro-graded to another DCC app.
>
> It's a losing proposition, any which way you look at it.
> A few years (2, 3?) of subscription is enough to buy that other app - so
> anyone who wanted to have it, could and would have done so already.
> So what happened to the subscription money of the past few years - seeing
> it
>
> wasn't used to keep Softimage from the slaughtering block? Was it not
> enough
>
> for the survival of the software? Was it used to help fund the future of
> another software? Or was it to fund research? At a 99% failure rate? Does
> the competition have that same 99% failure rate?
> Or do I misunderstand it again?
>
>
> -Original Message-
> From: Maurice Patel
> Sent: Tuesday, March 18, 2014 4:54 PM
> To: softimage@listproc.autodesk.com
> Subject: RE: Autodesk webinar
>
> Hi Peter,
> That is not what I am saying. We will continue to build new technologies
> and
>
> we will continue to do research into new areas. And new projects have and
> will continue to be kicked off. Innovation is 99% failure 1% success. Does
> not mean we will not keep trying to do new and different things but our
> approaches will change and adapt. Bifrost  and Recap are two examples or
> recent projects - time will tell how successful they are - but we have not
> stopped trying.
> maurice
>
> Maurice Patel
> Autodesk : Tél:  514 954-7134
>
> From: softimage-boun...@listproc.autodesk.com
> [mailto:softimage-boun...@listproc.autodesk.com] On Behalf Of
> pete...@skynet.be
> Sent: Tuesday, March 18, 2014 11:40 AM
> To: softimage@listproc.autodesk.com
> Subject: Re: Autodesk webinar
>
> "...We had plans to build a next generation technology, starting with
> games - we called it project skyline. The industry was in a growth period.
> Everyone was optimistic. And if we had succeeded we probably would not be
> having this conversation."
>
> so - no next generation 3D authoring from Autodesk then - that's official
> and final ?
> As that's all the info needed to move forward really.
>
> Sad how the death of one exciting technology (Naiad) leads to the death of
> another (SI / ICE ) and it all ends up zombified in Maya.
> Assimilate or die.
>
>
>
> From: Perry Harovas<mailto:perryharo...@gmail.com>
> Sent: Tuesday, March 18, 2014 3:55 PM
> To: softimage@listproc.autodesk.com<mailto:softimage@listproc.autodesk.com
> >
> Subject: Re: Autodesk webinar
>
> I would imagine he means Project Skyline.
>
>
>
>
> On Tue, Mar 18, 2014 at 10:53 AM, Chris Marshall
> mailto:chrismarshal...@gmail.com>> wrote:
>
> Which bit failed?
>
> On 18 March 2014 14:51, Maurice Patel
> mailto:maurice.pa...@autodesk.com>> wrote:
> "sometimes we have to fall back on our positions when our attempts fail"
> Maurice
>
>
>
>
>
> --
>
>
>
>
>
> Perry Harovas
> Animation and Visual Effects
>
> http://www.TheAfterImage.com<http://www.theafterimage.com/>
>
>
>
>


-- 





Perry Harovas
Animation and Visual Effects

http://www.TheAfterImage.com <http://www.theafterimage.com/>

RE: Autodesk webinar

[adrian wyer]

i would be VERY surprised to learn that more than 10% of your subscription
payment was actually spent on softimage

i would imagine 50% on new tech (revit, bifrost etc) and the rest in the
shareholders pockets every time it's dividend o'clock!

a

-Original Message-
From: softimage-boun...@listproc.autodesk.com
[mailto:softimage-boun...@listproc.autodesk.com] On Behalf Of
pete...@skynet.be
Sent: 18 March 2014 17:10
To: softimage@listproc.autodesk.com
Subject: Re: Autodesk webinar

How much of the subscription money is going into those 99% failures?

I know it's nasty to put it like that - but people paying subscription are 
doing so believing (hoping) they are funding the very future and survival of

the software they are paying for. Right now, it's: continue to pay 
subscription, in order to get upgraded, eh no, downgraded, eh no 
retro-graded to another DCC app.

It's a losing proposition, any which way you look at it.
A few years (2, 3?) of subscription is enough to buy that other app - so 
anyone who wanted to have it, could and would have done so already.
So what happened to the subscription money of the past few years - seeing it

wasn’t used to keep Softimage from the slaughtering block? Was it not enough

for the survival of the software? Was it used to help fund the future of 
another software? Or was it to fund research? At a 99% failure rate? Does 
the competition have that same 99% failure rate?
Or do I misunderstand it again?


-Original Message- 
From: Maurice Patel
Sent: Tuesday, March 18, 2014 4:54 PM
To: softimage@listproc.autodesk.com
Subject: RE: Autodesk webinar

Hi Peter,
That is not what I am saying. We will continue to build new technologies and

we will continue to do research into new areas. And new projects have and 
will continue to be kicked off. Innovation is 99% failure 1% success. Does 
not mean we will not keep trying to do new and different things but our 
approaches will change and adapt. Bifrost  and Recap are two examples or 
recent projects – time will tell how successful they are – but we have not 
stopped trying.
maurice

Maurice Patel
Autodesk : Tél:  514 954-7134

From: softimage-boun...@listproc.autodesk.com 
[mailto:softimage-boun...@listproc.autodesk.com] On Behalf Of 
pete...@skynet.be
Sent: Tuesday, March 18, 2014 11:40 AM
To: softimage@listproc.autodesk.com
Subject: Re: Autodesk webinar

“...We had plans to build a next generation technology, starting with 
games - we called it project skyline. The industry was in a growth period. 
Everyone was optimistic. And if we had succeeded we probably would not be 
having this conversation.”

so – no next generation 3D authoring from Autodesk then – that’s official 
and final ?
As that’s all the info needed to move forward really.

Sad how the death of one exciting technology (Naiad) leads to the death of 
another (SI / ICE ) and it all ends up zombified in Maya.
Assimilate or die.



From: Perry Harovas<mailto:perryharo...@gmail.com>
Sent: Tuesday, March 18, 2014 3:55 PM
To: softimage@listproc.autodesk.com<mailto:softimage@listproc.autodesk.com>
Subject: Re: Autodesk webinar

I would imagine he means Project Skyline.




On Tue, Mar 18, 2014 at 10:53 AM, Chris Marshall 
mailto:chrismarshal...@gmail.com>> wrote:

Which bit failed?

On 18 March 2014 14:51, Maurice Patel 
mailto:maurice.pa...@autodesk.com>> wrote:
"sometimes we have to fall back on our positions when our attempts fail"
Maurice





--





Perry Harovas
Animation and Visual Effects

http://www.TheAfterImage.com<http://www.theafterimage.com/> 

Re: Autodesk webinar

[Morten Bartholdy]

+1

Morten



Den 18. marts 2014 kl. 18:09 skrev pete...@skynet.be:

> How much of the subscription money is going into those 99% failures?
>
> I know it's nasty to put it like that - but people paying subscription
are
> doing so believing (hoping) they are funding the very future and survival
of
> the software they are paying for. Right now, it's: continue to pay
> subscription, in order to get upgraded, eh no, downgraded, eh no
> retro-graded to another DCC app.
>
> It's a losing proposition, any which way you look at it.
> A few years (2, 3?) of subscription is enough to buy that other app - so
> anyone who wanted to have it, could and would have done so already.
> So what happened to the subscription money of the past few years - seeing
it
> wasn’t used to keep Softimage from the slaughtering block? Was it not
enough
> for the survival of the software? Was it used to help fund the future of
> another software? Or was it to fund research? At a 99% failure rate? Does
> the competition have that same 99% failure rate?
> Or do I misunderstand it again?
>
>
> -Original Message-
> From: Maurice Patel
> Sent: Tuesday, March 18, 2014 4:54 PM
> To: softimage@listproc.autodesk.com
> Subject: RE: Autodesk webinar
>
> Hi Peter,
> That is not what I am saying. We will continue to build new technologies
and
> we will continue to do research into new areas. And new projects have and
> will continue to be kicked off. Innovation is 99% failure 1% success.
Does
> not mean we will not keep trying to do new and different things but our
> approaches will change and adapt. Bifrost  and Recap are two examples or
> recent projects – time will tell how successful they are – but we have
not
> stopped trying.
> maurice
>
> Maurice Patel
> Autodesk : Tél:  514 954-7134
>
> From: softimage-boun...@listproc.autodesk.com
> [mailto:softimage-boun...@listproc.autodesk.com] On Behalf Of
> pete...@skynet.be
> Sent: Tuesday, March 18, 2014 11:40 AM
> To: softimage@listproc.autodesk.com
> Subject: Re: Autodesk webinar
>
> “...We had plans to build a next generation technology, starting with
> games - we called it project skyline. The industry was in a growth
period.
> Everyone was optimistic. And if we had succeeded we probably would not be
> having this conversation.”
>
> so – no next generation 3D authoring from Autodesk then – that’s official
> and final ?
> As that’s all the info needed to move forward really.
>
> Sad how the death of one exciting technology (Naiad) leads to the death
of
> another (SI / ICE ) and it all ends up zombified in Maya.
> Assimilate or die.
>
>
>
> From: Perry Harovas<mailto:perryharo...@gmail.com>
> Sent: Tuesday, March 18, 2014 3:55 PM
> To:
softimage@listproc.autodesk.com<mailto:softimage@listproc.autodesk.com>
> Subject: Re: Autodesk webinar
>
> I would imagine he means Project Skyline.
>
>
>
>
> On Tue, Mar 18, 2014 at 10:53 AM, Chris Marshall
> mailto:chrismarshal...@gmail.com>> wrote:
>
> Which bit failed?
>
> On 18 March 2014 14:51, Maurice Patel
> mailto:maurice.pa...@autodesk.com>> wrote:
> "sometimes we have to fall back on our positions when our attempts fail"
> Maurice
>
>
>
>
>
> --
>
>
>
>
>
> Perry Harovas
> Animation and Visual Effects
>
> http://www.TheAfterImage.com<http://www.theafterimage.com/>
>

Re: Autodesk webinar

[Morten Bartholdy]

This sounds like a very accurate account. And so Softimage was OEL'ed
because it didn't run on Mac OS and Maya did, so it didn't fit into
Autodesks plans for a Game platform...?

Maurice, if I read this correctly Skyline was primarily targeting the game
industry, and was never intended to be a new gen platform for those who use
Maya and Softimage now!? This would then mean that trying to build on Maya
and adding Bifröst is a fall back plan in attempt to offer at least
something new and advanced to the Movie VFX userbase.

I think it becomes more and more clear that Autodesk doesn't care at all
about the TVC market as it is too small compared to Movie VFX and Games, so
they have focused their development plans on the DCC's that have the
largest userbase rather than the best technical content. You could have had
a Houdini competitor!!

I have lost all trust in Autodesk at this point, but you can still turn a
big PR disaster into something good if you bite the bullet and do a U-turn
here:

1. Best solution: Get Softimage back in development and sales, put ICE
development on afterburner and market it huge. Personally I don't believe
in this one happening, but it would be ideal for us and for Autodesk.

2. Keep selling Softimage licenses and focus development on bugfixing and
opening up the SDK so 3rd party developers can do the advanced development
for Softimage. This one would not be so expensive, but would keep Autodesk
in the game with a technologically advanced DCC when Max and Maya
eventually fail due to old age.

3. Just keep selling Softimage and fix critical bugs along the way. The
least attractive solution to the users, but a lot better than killing it
totally.


My 2 cents, and keeping fingers crossed.

Morten Bartholdy






Den 18. marts 2014 kl. 17:28 skrev Dan Pejril :

> Hi Maurice,
>
> I truly appreciate you coming here and setting the record straight
> finally. However it is spun, Softimage was purchased in mind to gut its
> code and to reassign the intellectual backbone to other packages.
> Granted there was supposed to be a Next-Gen App that would replace them
> all. But at the end of the day, Softimage has been ignored by AD over
> the years and now killed. In addition, there is no Softimage, no
> Next-Gen App, no current replacement for Softimage now, nor in the near
> future. There is only a software package most of us have initially left
> to go to Softimage in the first place.
>
> What truly boggles my mind is how disastrous AD's public relations are.
> For the size AD is, I would think they would have a better way of
> relating with the public. I can't help but to feel that information
> regarding Softimage has been misrepresented and I now find it hard to
> believe AD has any credibility left. I hope AD can get its act together
> and figure how to relate to the community and somehow patch the ill will
> created. Until then, I will be looking for solutions outside the AD
> umbrella.
>
> Thank you for the straight talk. So long, and thanks for all the fish.
>
>
> On 3/18/2014 11:21 AM, Maurice Patel wrote:
> > Hi Perry,
> > At that time, although Softimage was not an area we were planning on
investing more in, there was no plan to discontinue it. That decision was
only made at the end of last year. Last year was a watershed one for the
industry for many different reasons resulting in many significant changes
to our strategy. At the time this statement was made we did not even have
any plans for MayaLT. Unfortunately things can change very fast.
> > maurice
> >
> > Maurice Patel
> > Autodesk : Tél:  514 954-7134
> >
> > From: softimage-boun...@listproc.autodesk.com
[mailto:softimage-boun...@listproc.autodesk.com] On Behalf Of Perry Harovas
> > Sent: Tuesday, March 18, 2014 11:12 AM
> > To: softimage@listproc.autodesk.com
> > Subject: Re: Autodesk webinar
> >
> > Maurice, I know things change, but this statement from Marc was only a
year and a half ago:
> >
> > "Autodesk plans to continue to develop all of products mentioned [in
this story]. These are all solutions that serve many different customer
needs across multiple industries and in many different types of workflows.
> > We are not discontinuing development on any of the products you
mentioned but we will increase focus in specific areas where individual
products are strong."
> >
> >
>
>

Re: Autodesk webinar

[peter_b]

How much of the subscription money is going into those 99% failures?

I know it's nasty to put it like that - but people paying subscription are 
doing so believing (hoping) they are funding the very future and survival of 
the software they are paying for. Right now, it's: continue to pay 
subscription, in order to get upgraded, eh no, downgraded, eh no 
retro-graded to another DCC app.


It's a losing proposition, any which way you look at it.
A few years (2, 3?) of subscription is enough to buy that other app - so 
anyone who wanted to have it, could and would have done so already.
So what happened to the subscription money of the past few years - seeing it 
wasn’t used to keep Softimage from the slaughtering block? Was it not enough 
for the survival of the software? Was it used to help fund the future of 
another software? Or was it to fund research? At a 99% failure rate? Does 
the competition have that same 99% failure rate?

Or do I misunderstand it again?


-Original Message- 
From: Maurice Patel

Sent: Tuesday, March 18, 2014 4:54 PM
To: softimage@listproc.autodesk.com
Subject: RE: Autodesk webinar

Hi Peter,
That is not what I am saying. We will continue to build new technologies and 
we will continue to do research into new areas. And new projects have and 
will continue to be kicked off. Innovation is 99% failure 1% success. Does 
not mean we will not keep trying to do new and different things but our 
approaches will change and adapt. Bifrost  and Recap are two examples or 
recent projects – time will tell how successful they are – but we have not 
stopped trying.

maurice

Maurice Patel
Autodesk : Tél:  514 954-7134

From: softimage-boun...@listproc.autodesk.com 
[mailto:softimage-boun...@listproc.autodesk.com] On Behalf Of 
pete...@skynet.be

Sent: Tuesday, March 18, 2014 11:40 AM
To: softimage@listproc.autodesk.com
Subject: Re: Autodesk webinar

“...We had plans to build a next generation technology, starting with 
games - we called it project skyline. The industry was in a growth period. 
Everyone was optimistic. And if we had succeeded we probably would not be 
having this conversation.”


so – no next generation 3D authoring from Autodesk then – that’s official 
and final ?

As that’s all the info needed to move forward really.

Sad how the death of one exciting technology (Naiad) leads to the death of 
another (SI / ICE ) and it all ends up zombified in Maya.

Assimilate or die.



From: Perry Harovas<mailto:perryharo...@gmail.com>
Sent: Tuesday, March 18, 2014 3:55 PM
To: softimage@listproc.autodesk.com<mailto:softimage@listproc.autodesk.com>
Subject: Re: Autodesk webinar

I would imagine he means Project Skyline.




On Tue, Mar 18, 2014 at 10:53 AM, Chris Marshall 
mailto:chrismarshal...@gmail.com>> wrote:


Which bit failed?

On 18 March 2014 14:51, Maurice Patel 
mailto:maurice.pa...@autodesk.com>> wrote:

"sometimes we have to fall back on our positions when our attempts fail"
Maurice





--





Perry Harovas
Animation and Visual Effects

http://www.TheAfterImage.com<http://www.theafterimage.com/> 

RE: Autodesk webinar

[Marc-Andre Carbonneau]

This example has more to do with the history of Sumatra's launch... its 
reported release date, a lot of users had moved on already...

From: softimage-boun...@listproc.autodesk.com 
[mailto:softimage-boun...@listproc.autodesk.com] On Behalf Of Jordi Bares
Sent: 18 mars 2014 12:37
To: softimage@listproc.autodesk.com
Subject: Re: Autodesk webinar

Exactly what Apple did with Final Cut Pro, and guess what happened? the whole 
industry moved to Avid and Adobe Premiere.

Jordi Bares
jordiba...@gmail.com<mailto:jordiba...@gmail.com>

On 18 Mar 2014, at 16:33, mailto:p...@bustykelp.com>> wrote:


Yes, absolutely!!

Its one thing deciding to shut down Softimage - however stupid that decision is,
but to not allow purchases of new seats, except for existing customers. That's 
just mean minded and bullying. Its like they are trying their hardest to make 
enemies.

From: olivier jeannel<mailto:olivier.jean...@noos.fr>
Sent: Tuesday, March 18, 2014 4:29 PM
To: softimage@listproc.autodesk.com<mailto:softimage@listproc.autodesk.com>
Subject: Re: Autodesk webinar

I think the opposite.
AD should make it available to buy seats.

Why AD is refusing ? they will earn money for nothing. That I don't understand.

Le 18/03/2014 17:21, Mirko Jankovic a écrit :
People... do you REALLY think that there is anything at all left to be said?

I saw screw AD, screw PR and all marketing from each nd every copany.
Only thing important is use tool that works for you.
Right now if it is Softimage, keep using it as long as it serves you and gets 
food on your table.
In the next couple years if there is something better go for it if not.. keep 
using SI fro another 10 years if needed.

In any case it doesn't make any sense at all to go through PR firewall of AD.

It was clear from day one back in 2008 that AD will kill Softimage, and every 
single year after that was step in that direction.
It is pure business war that AD won offer SI and SI is casualty... nothing we 
can do there nor they will ever change their mind.

Use what works for you and stop waisting time on this PR crap..

On Tue, Mar 18, 2014 at 5:16 PM, Morten Bartholdy 
mailto:x...@colorshopvfx.dk>> wrote:
Yes please share Paul.
Morten

Den 18. marts 2014 kl. 17:09 skrev Marc-Andre Carbonneau 
mailto:marc-andre.carbonn...@ubisoft.com>>:

> Hi Paul,
>
> If your company allows it, could you share the document/presentation you 
> wrote highlighting your comparisons and choices to convince them?
> Very appreciated,
> MAC
>
> -Original Message-
> From: 
> softimage-boun...@listproc.autodesk.com<mailto:softimage-boun...@listproc.autodesk.com>
>  
> [mailto:softimage-boun...@listproc.autodesk.com<mailto:softimage-boun...@listproc.autodesk.com>]
>  On Behalf Of p...@bustykelp.com<mailto:p...@bustykelp.com>
> Sent: 18 mars 2014 11:59
> To: softimage@listproc.autodesk.com<mailto:softimage@listproc.autodesk.com>
> Subject: Re: Autodesk webinar
>
> "Last year was a watershed one for the industry for many different reasons 
> resulting in many significant changes to our strategy"
>
> Yes, the industry is changing. Budgets are getting smaller and work needs to 
> be done faster.
>
> So surely, the wise thing to do would be to invest in the tool with the 
> fastest workflow. I have spent the last 3 years demonstrating to my studio 
> why Softimage needs to be what we are using to make our projects feasible, 
> and despite the fact, I'm the only Softimage person there. I have managed to 
> persuade them through demonstration and now we are setting up production with 
> it.
> By making tools that perform complex tasks quickly ( Softimage and ICE combo 
> ), There is a huge market to be explored doing movie quality work on 
> television that would have been unfeasible a few years ago.
>
> How do you think it feels after all that effort, RIGHT before the project is 
> about to start, to hear this news? Its utterly short sighted and I imagine it 
> will be rather embarrassing when we reveal how we managed to pull this off , 
> as its going to be a testament to the clear advantage given by Softimage over 
> any other solution and I will take every opportunity I can to say that.
>
> There is no way I'm going to change tracks back to a tool I had to spend all 
> that time proving Softimage was far superior to.
>
>
>
>
> -Original Message-
> From: Maurice Patel
> Sent: Tuesday, March 18, 2014 3:21 PM
> To: softimage@listproc.autodesk.com<mailto:softimage@listproc.autodesk.com>
> Subject: RE: Autodesk webinar
>
> Hi Perry,
> At that time, although Softimage was not an area we were planning on
> investing more in, there was no plan to discontinue it. That decision was
> only made at the end of last year. Last year was

RE: Autodesk webinar

[Angus Davidson]

Sadly I tend to agree with you. Tim Cook is too timid for my liking. They have 
hired some new blood recently . Lets see what they do.

From: olivier jeannel [olivier.jean...@noos.fr]
Sent: 18 March 2014 06:50 PM
To: softimage@listproc.autodesk.com
Subject: Re: Autodesk webinar

Imho, Apple was Steve Job only. Now it has no vision, it has a wallet though...
(And I'm not fan of Steve Job)

Le 18/03/2014 17:46, Angus Davidson a écrit :
Unfortunately people seldom learn from history. The parallels are uncanny. 5 or 
so updates later FCP X is a decent system compared to launch.  The problem is 
most people have moved on. They didnt listen to what their users needed and 
they delayed their new gen Mac pro to long. Budgets have to be spent and most 
of them were on non apple machines and Avid and Adobe software. As some folks 
know I am a big Apple fan but that left me shaking my head and wondering what 
the hell they were smoking.



From: Jordi Bares [jordiba...@gmail.com<mailto:jordiba...@gmail.com>]
Sent: 18 March 2014 06:36 PM
To: softimage@listproc.autodesk.com<mailto:softimage@listproc.autodesk.com>
Subject: Re: Autodesk webinar

Exactly what Apple did with Final Cut Pro, and guess what happened? the whole 
industry moved to Avid and Adobe Premiere.

Jordi Bares
jordiba...@gmail.com<mailto:jordiba...@gmail.com>

On 18 Mar 2014, at 16:33, mailto:p...@bustykelp.com>> wrote:

Yes, absolutely!!

Its one thing deciding to shut down Softimage – however stupid that decision is,
but to not allow purchases of new seats, except for existing customers. That’s 
just mean minded and bullying. Its like they are trying their hardest to make 
enemies.

From: olivier jeannel<mailto:olivier.jean...@noos.fr>
Sent: Tuesday, March 18, 2014 4:29 PM
To: softimage@listproc.autodesk.com<mailto:softimage@listproc.autodesk.com>
Subject: Re: Autodesk webinar

I think the opposite.
AD should make it available to buy seats.

Why AD is refusing ? they will earn money for nothing. That I don't understand.

Le 18/03/2014 17:21, Mirko Jankovic a écrit :
People... do you REALLY think that there is anything at all left to be said?

I saw screw AD, screw PR and all marketing from each nd every copany.
Only thing important is use tool that works for you.
Right now if it is Softimage, keep using it as long as it serves you and gets 
food on your table.
In the next couple years if there is something better go for it if not.. keep 
using SI fro another 10 years if needed.

In any case it doesn't make any sense at all to go through PR firewall of AD.

It was clear from day one back in 2008 that AD will kill Softimage, and every 
single year after that was step in that direction.
It is pure business war that AD won offer SI and SI is casualty... nothing we 
can do there nor they will ever change their mind.

Use what works for you and stop waisting time on this PR crap..


On Tue, Mar 18, 2014 at 5:16 PM, Morten Bartholdy 
mailto:x...@colorshopvfx.dk>> wrote:
Yes please share Paul.

Morten

Den 18. marts 2014 kl. 17:09 skrev Marc-Andre Carbonneau 
mailto:marc-andre.carbonn...@ubisoft.com>>:

> Hi Paul,
>
> If your company allows it, could you share the document/presentation you 
> wrote highlighting your comparisons and choices to convince them?
> Very appreciated,
> MAC
>
> -Original Message-
> From: 
> softimage-boun...@listproc.autodesk.com<mailto:softimage-boun...@listproc.autodesk.com>
>  
> [mailto:softimage-boun...@listproc.autodesk.com<mailto:softimage-boun...@listproc.autodesk.com>]
>  On Behalf Of p...@bustykelp.com<mailto:p...@bustykelp.com>
> Sent: 18 mars 2014 11:59
> To: softimage@listproc.autodesk.com<mailto:softimage@listproc.autodesk.com>
> Subject: Re: Autodesk webinar
>
> "Last year was a watershed one for the industry for many different reasons 
> resulting in many significant changes to our strategy"
>
> Yes, the industry is changing. Budgets are getting smaller and work needs to 
> be done faster.
>
> So surely, the wise thing to do would be to invest in the tool with the 
> fastest workflow. I have spent the last 3 years demonstrating to my studio 
> why Softimage needs to be what we are using to make our projects feasible, 
> and despite the fact, I'm the only Softimage person there. I have managed to 
> persuade them through demonstration and now we are setting up production with 
> it.
> By making tools that perform complex tasks quickly ( Softimage and ICE combo 
> ), There is a huge market to be explored doing movie quality work on 
> television that would have been unfeasible a few years ago.
>
> How do you think it feels after all that effort, RIGHT before the project is 
> about to start, to hear this news? Its utterly short sighted and I im

Re: Autodesk webinar

[olivier jeannel]

Imho, Apple was Steve Job only. Now it has no vision, it has a wallet 
though...

(And I'm not fan of Steve Job)

Le 18/03/2014 17:46, Angus Davidson a écrit :
Unfortunately people seldom learn from history. The parallels are 
uncanny. 5 or so updates later FCP X is a decent system compared to 
launch.  The problem is most people have moved on. They didnt listen 
to what their users needed and they delayed their new gen Mac pro to 
long. Budgets have to be spent and most of them were on non apple 
machines and Avid and Adobe software. As some folks know I am a big 
Apple fan but that left me shaking my head and wondering what the hell 
they were smoking.




*From:* Jordi Bares [jordiba...@gmail.com]
*Sent:* 18 March 2014 06:36 PM
*To:* softimage@listproc.autodesk.com
*Subject:* Re: Autodesk webinar

Exactly what Apple did with Final Cut Pro, and guess what happened? 
the whole industry moved to Avid and Adobe Premiere.


Jordi Bares
jordiba...@gmail.com <mailto:jordiba...@gmail.com>

On 18 Mar 2014, at 16:33, <mailto:p...@bustykelp.com>> wrote:



Yes, absolutely!!
Its one thing deciding to shut down Softimage – however stupid that 
decision is,
but to not allow purchases of new seats, except for existing 
customers. That’s just mean minded and bullying. Its like they are 
trying their hardest to make enemies.

*From:* olivier jeannel <mailto:olivier.jean...@noos.fr>
*Sent:* Tuesday, March 18, 2014 4:29 PM
*To:* softimage@listproc.autodesk.com 
<mailto:softimage@listproc.autodesk.com>

*Subject:* Re: Autodesk webinar
I think the opposite.
AD should make it available to buy seats.

Why AD is refusing ? they will earn money for nothing. That I don't 
understand.


Le 18/03/2014 17:21, Mirko Jankovic a écrit :
People... do you REALLY think that there is anything at all left to 
be said?

I saw screw AD, screw PR and all marketing from each nd every copany.
Only thing important is use tool that works for you.
Right now if it is Softimage, keep using it as long as it serves you 
and gets food on your table.
In the next couple years if there is something better go for it if 
not.. keep using SI fro another 10 years if needed.
In any case it doesn't make any sense at all to go through PR 
firewall of AD.
It was clear from day one back in 2008 that AD will kill Softimage, 
and every single year after that was step in that direction.
It is pure business war that AD won offer SI and SI is casualty... 
nothing we can do there nor they will ever change their mind.

Use what works for you and stop waisting time on this PR crap..


On Tue, Mar 18, 2014 at 5:16 PM, Morten Bartholdy 
mailto:x...@colorshopvfx.dk>> wrote:


Yes please share Paul.

Morten


Den 18. marts 2014 kl. 17:09 skrev Marc-Andre Carbonneau
mailto:marc-andre.carbonn...@ubisoft.com>>:

> Hi Paul,
>
> If your company allows it, could you share the
document/presentation you wrote highlighting your comparisons
and choices to convince them?
> Very appreciated,
> MAC
>
> -Original Message-
> From: softimage-boun...@listproc.autodesk.com
<mailto:softimage-boun...@listproc.autodesk.com>
[mailto:softimage-boun...@listproc.autodesk.com
<mailto:softimage-boun...@listproc.autodesk.com>] On Behalf Of
p...@bustykelp.com <mailto:p...@bustykelp.com>
> Sent: 18 mars 2014 11:59
    > To: softimage@listproc.autodesk.com
<mailto:softimage@listproc.autodesk.com>
> Subject: Re: Autodesk webinar
>
> "Last year was a watershed one for the industry for many
different reasons resulting in many significant changes to our
strategy"
>
> Yes, the industry is changing. Budgets are getting smaller and
work needs to be done faster.
>
> So surely, the wise thing to do would be to invest in the tool
with the fastest workflow. I have spent the last 3 years
demonstrating to my studio why Softimage needs to be what we are
using to make our projects feasible, and despite the fact, I'm
the only Softimage person there. I have managed to persuade them
through demonstration and now we are setting up production with it.
> By making tools that perform complex tasks quickly ( Softimage
and ICE combo ), There is a huge market to be explored doing
movie quality work on television that would have been unfeasible
a few years ago.
>
> How do you think it feels after all that effort, RIGHT before
the project is about to start, to hear this news? Its utterly
short sighted and I imagine it will be rather embarrassing when
we reveal how we managed to pull this off , as its going to be a
testament to the clear advantage given by Softimage over any
other solution and I will take every opport

Re: Autodesk webinar

[Sebastien Sterling]

I would care to know if anything is going to be done about the disgusting
maya UI, its so bloated and unwieldy everywhere i go, people actually need
2 screens to work, and i don't just mean, one screen for animation curves,
you need a second screen simply to display the bloody selection tools, less
your single view port shrink to the size of a postage stamp. I'm seeing a
lot of new features and very few elegant means to access them. why is NEX
still some kind of ill integrated appendage? why aren't it's ui smart
element selection highlights a standard ? this leaves us with 2 different
ill matched workflows. they're are several manipulation that will
accidentally take you out off NEX

Function vs fluidity has always been a massive problem within maya,

the amount of view port ergonomics

the amount of clicks/Keys it takes to get you somewhere.

the amount of breaks in a workflow.

Consider this like yet another feature to port, cause it clearly is not
there now.




On 18 March 2014 15:54, Maurice Patel  wrote:

> Hi Peter,
> That is not what I am saying. We will continue to build new technologies
> and we will continue to do research into new areas. And new projects have
> and will continue to be kicked off. Innovation is 99% failure 1% success.
> Does not mean we will not keep trying to do new and different things but
> our approaches will change and adapt. Bifrost  and Recap are two examples
> or recent projects - time will tell how successful they are - but we have
> not stopped trying.
> maurice
>
> Maurice Patel
> Autodesk : Tél:  514 954-7134
>
> From: softimage-boun...@listproc.autodesk.com [mailto:
> softimage-boun...@listproc.autodesk.com] On Behalf Of pete...@skynet.be
> Sent: Tuesday, March 18, 2014 11:40 AM
> To: softimage@listproc.autodesk.com
> Subject: Re: Autodesk webinar
>
> "...We had plans to build a next generation technology, starting with
> games - we called it project skyline. The industry was in a growth period.
> Everyone was optimistic. And if we had succeeded we probably would not be
> having this conversation."
>
> so - no next generation 3D authoring from Autodesk then - that's official
> and final ?
> As that's all the info needed to move forward really.
>
> Sad how the death of one exciting technology (Naiad) leads to the death of
> another (SI / ICE ) and it all ends up zombified in Maya.
> Assimilate or die.
>
>
>
> From: Perry Harovas<mailto:perryharo...@gmail.com>
> Sent: Tuesday, March 18, 2014 3:55 PM
> To: softimage@listproc.autodesk.com<mailto:softimage@listproc.autodesk.com
> >
> Subject: Re: Autodesk webinar
>
> I would imagine he means Project Skyline.
>
>
>
>
> On Tue, Mar 18, 2014 at 10:53 AM, Chris Marshall <
> chrismarshal...@gmail.com<mailto:chrismarshal...@gmail.com>> wrote:
>
> Which bit failed?
>
> On 18 March 2014 14:51, Maurice Patel  maurice.pa...@autodesk.com>> wrote:
> "sometimes we have to fall back on our positions when our attempts fail"
> Maurice
>
>
>
>
>
> --
>
>
>
>
>
> Perry Harovas
> Animation and Visual Effects
>
> http://www.TheAfterImage.com<http://www.theafterimage.com/>
>

RE: Autodesk webinar

[Angus Davidson]

Unfortunately people seldom learn from history. The parallels are uncanny. 5 or 
so updates later FCP X is a decent system compared to launch.  The problem is 
most people have moved on. They didnt listen to what their users needed and 
they delayed their new gen Mac pro to long. Budgets have to be spent and most 
of them were on non apple machines and Avid and Adobe software. As some folks 
know I am a big Apple fan but that left me shaking my head and wondering what 
the hell they were smoking.



From: Jordi Bares [jordiba...@gmail.com]
Sent: 18 March 2014 06:36 PM
To: softimage@listproc.autodesk.com
Subject: Re: Autodesk webinar

Exactly what Apple did with Final Cut Pro, and guess what happened? the whole 
industry moved to Avid and Adobe Premiere.

Jordi Bares
jordiba...@gmail.com<mailto:jordiba...@gmail.com>

On 18 Mar 2014, at 16:33, mailto:p...@bustykelp.com>> wrote:

Yes, absolutely!!

Its one thing deciding to shut down Softimage – however stupid that decision is,
but to not allow purchases of new seats, except for existing customers. That’s 
just mean minded and bullying. Its like they are trying their hardest to make 
enemies.

From: olivier jeannel<mailto:olivier.jean...@noos.fr>
Sent: Tuesday, March 18, 2014 4:29 PM
To: softimage@listproc.autodesk.com<mailto:softimage@listproc.autodesk.com>
Subject: Re: Autodesk webinar

I think the opposite.
AD should make it available to buy seats.

Why AD is refusing ? they will earn money for nothing. That I don't understand.

Le 18/03/2014 17:21, Mirko Jankovic a écrit :
People... do you REALLY think that there is anything at all left to be said?

I saw screw AD, screw PR and all marketing from each nd every copany.
Only thing important is use tool that works for you.
Right now if it is Softimage, keep using it as long as it serves you and gets 
food on your table.
In the next couple years if there is something better go for it if not.. keep 
using SI fro another 10 years if needed.

In any case it doesn't make any sense at all to go through PR firewall of AD.

It was clear from day one back in 2008 that AD will kill Softimage, and every 
single year after that was step in that direction.
It is pure business war that AD won offer SI and SI is casualty... nothing we 
can do there nor they will ever change their mind.

Use what works for you and stop waisting time on this PR crap..


On Tue, Mar 18, 2014 at 5:16 PM, Morten Bartholdy 
mailto:x...@colorshopvfx.dk>> wrote:
Yes please share Paul.

Morten

Den 18. marts 2014 kl. 17:09 skrev Marc-Andre Carbonneau 
mailto:marc-andre.carbonn...@ubisoft.com>>:

> Hi Paul,
>
> If your company allows it, could you share the document/presentation you 
> wrote highlighting your comparisons and choices to convince them?
> Very appreciated,
> MAC
>
> -Original Message-
> From: 
> softimage-boun...@listproc.autodesk.com<mailto:softimage-boun...@listproc.autodesk.com>
>  
> [mailto:softimage-boun...@listproc.autodesk.com<mailto:softimage-boun...@listproc.autodesk.com>]
>  On Behalf Of p...@bustykelp.com<mailto:p...@bustykelp.com>
> Sent: 18 mars 2014 11:59
> To: softimage@listproc.autodesk.com<mailto:softimage@listproc.autodesk.com>
> Subject: Re: Autodesk webinar
>
> "Last year was a watershed one for the industry for many different reasons 
> resulting in many significant changes to our strategy"
>
> Yes, the industry is changing. Budgets are getting smaller and work needs to 
> be done faster.
>
> So surely, the wise thing to do would be to invest in the tool with the 
> fastest workflow. I have spent the last 3 years demonstrating to my studio 
> why Softimage needs to be what we are using to make our projects feasible, 
> and despite the fact, I'm the only Softimage person there. I have managed to 
> persuade them through demonstration and now we are setting up production with 
> it.
> By making tools that perform complex tasks quickly ( Softimage and ICE combo 
> ), There is a huge market to be explored doing movie quality work on 
> television that would have been unfeasible a few years ago.
>
> How do you think it feels after all that effort, RIGHT before the project is 
> about to start, to hear this news? Its utterly short sighted and I imagine it 
> will be rather embarrassing when we reveal how we managed to pull this off , 
> as its going to be a testament to the clear advantage given by Softimage over 
> any other solution and I will take every opportunity I can to say that.
>
> There is no way I'm going to change tracks back to a tool I had to spend all 
> that time proving Softimage was far superior to.
>
>
>
>
> -Original Message-
> From: Maurice Patel
> Sent: Tuesday, March 18, 2014 3:21 PM
> To: softimage@listproc.autodesk

Re: Autodesk webinar

[Jordi Bares]

Exactly what Apple did with Final Cut Pro, and guess what happened? the whole 
industry moved to Avid and Adobe Premiere.

Jordi Bares
jordiba...@gmail.com

On 18 Mar 2014, at 16:33,  wrote:

> Yes, absolutely!!
>  
> Its one thing deciding to shut down Softimage – however stupid that decision 
> is,
> but to not allow purchases of new seats, except for existing customers. 
> That’s just mean minded and bullying. Its like they are trying their hardest 
> to make enemies.
>  
> From: olivier jeannel
> Sent: Tuesday, March 18, 2014 4:29 PM
> To: softimage@listproc.autodesk.com
> Subject: Re: Autodesk webinar
>  
> I think the opposite.
> AD should make it available to buy seats.
> 
> Why AD is refusing ? they will earn money for nothing. That I don't 
> understand.
> 
> Le 18/03/2014 17:21, Mirko Jankovic a écrit :
>> People... do you REALLY think that there is anything at all left to be said?
>>  
>> I saw screw AD, screw PR and all marketing from each nd every copany.
>> Only thing important is use tool that works for you.
>> Right now if it is Softimage, keep using it as long as it serves you and 
>> gets food on your table.
>> In the next couple years if there is something better go for it if not.. 
>> keep using SI fro another 10 years if needed.
>>  
>> In any case it doesn't make any sense at all to go through PR firewall of AD.
>>  
>> It was clear from day one back in 2008 that AD will kill Softimage, and 
>> every single year after that was step in that direction.
>> It is pure business war that AD won offer SI and SI is casualty... nothing 
>> we can do there nor they will ever change their mind.
>>  
>> Use what works for you and stop waisting time on this PR crap..
>> 
>> 
>> On Tue, Mar 18, 2014 at 5:16 PM, Morten Bartholdy  
>> wrote:
>> Yes please share Paul.
>> Morten
>> 
>> Den 18. marts 2014 kl. 17:09 skrev Marc-Andre Carbonneau 
>> : 
>> 
>> > Hi Paul, 
>> > 
>> > If your company allows it, could you share the document/presentation you 
>> > wrote highlighting your comparisons and choices to convince them? 
>> > Very appreciated, 
>> > MAC 
>> > 
>> > -Original Message- 
>> > From: softimage-boun...@listproc.autodesk.com 
>> > [mailto:softimage-boun...@listproc.autodesk.com] On Behalf Of 
>> > p...@bustykelp.com 
>> > Sent: 18 mars 2014 11:59 
>> > To: softimage@listproc.autodesk.com 
>> > Subject: Re: Autodesk webinar 
>> > 
>> > "Last year was a watershed one for the industry for many different reasons 
>> > resulting in many significant changes to our strategy" 
>> > 
>> > Yes, the industry is changing. Budgets are getting smaller and work needs 
>> > to be done faster. 
>> > 
>> > So surely, the wise thing to do would be to invest in the tool with the 
>> > fastest workflow. I have spent the last 3 years demonstrating to my studio 
>> > why Softimage needs to be what we are using to make our projects feasible, 
>> > and despite the fact, I'm the only Softimage person there. I have managed 
>> > to persuade them through demonstration and now we are setting up 
>> > production with it. 
>> > By making tools that perform complex tasks quickly ( Softimage and ICE 
>> > combo ), There is a huge market to be explored doing movie quality work on 
>> > television that would have been unfeasible a few years ago. 
>> > 
>> > How do you think it feels after all that effort, RIGHT before the project 
>> > is about to start, to hear this news? Its utterly short sighted and I 
>> > imagine it will be rather embarrassing when we reveal how we managed to 
>> > pull this off , as its going to be a testament to the clear advantage 
>> > given by Softimage over any other solution and I will take every 
>> > opportunity I can to say that. 
>> > 
>> > There is no way I'm going to change tracks back to a tool I had to spend 
>> > all that time proving Softimage was far superior to. 
>> > 
>> > 
>> > 
>> > 
>> > -Original Message- 
>> > From: Maurice Patel 
>> > Sent: Tuesday, March 18, 2014 3:21 PM 
>> > To: softimage@listproc.autodesk.com 
>> > Subject: RE: Autodesk webinar 
>> > 
>> > Hi Perry, 
>> > At that time, although Softimage was not an area we were planning on 
>> > investing more in, there was no plan to discontinue it. That decision was 
>> > only made 

Re: Autodesk webinar

[paul]

Yes, absolutely!! 

Its one thing deciding to shut down Softimage – however stupid that decision 
is, 
but to not allow purchases of new seats, except for existing customers. That’s 
just mean minded and bullying. Its like they are trying their hardest to make 
enemies.

From: olivier jeannel 
Sent: Tuesday, March 18, 2014 4:29 PM
To: softimage@listproc.autodesk.com 
Subject: Re: Autodesk webinar

I think the opposite.
AD should make it available to buy seats.

Why AD is refusing ? they will earn money for nothing. That I don't understand.

Le 18/03/2014 17:21, Mirko Jankovic a écrit :

  People... do you REALLY think that there is anything at all left to be said? 

  I saw screw AD, screw PR and all marketing from each nd every copany.
  Only thing important is use tool that works for you.
  Right now if it is Softimage, keep using it as long as it serves you and gets 
food on your table. 
  In the next couple years if there is something better go for it if not.. keep 
using SI fro another 10 years if needed. 

  In any case it doesn't make any sense at all to go through PR firewall of AD. 

  It was clear from day one back in 2008 that AD will kill Softimage, and every 
single year after that was step in that direction. 
  It is pure business war that AD won offer SI and SI is casualty... nothing we 
can do there nor they will ever change their mind. 

  Use what works for you and stop waisting time on this PR crap..



  On Tue, Mar 18, 2014 at 5:16 PM, Morten Bartholdy  
wrote:

Yes please share Paul. 


Morten 




Den 18. marts 2014 kl. 17:09 skrev Marc-Andre Carbonneau 
: 


> Hi Paul, 
> 
> If your company allows it, could you share the document/presentation you 
wrote highlighting your comparisons and choices to convince them? 
> Very appreciated, 
> MAC 
> 
> -Original Message- 
> From: softimage-boun...@listproc.autodesk.com 
[mailto:softimage-boun...@listproc.autodesk.com] On Behalf Of 
p...@bustykelp.com 
> Sent: 18 mars 2014 11:59 
> To: softimage@listproc.autodesk.com 
> Subject: Re: Autodesk webinar 
> 
> "Last year was a watershed one for the industry for many different 
reasons resulting in many significant changes to our strategy" 
> 
> Yes, the industry is changing. Budgets are getting smaller and work needs 
to be done faster. 
> 
> So surely, the wise thing to do would be to invest in the tool with the 
fastest workflow. I have spent the last 3 years demonstrating to my studio why 
Softimage needs to be what we are using to make our projects feasible, and 
despite the fact, I'm the only Softimage person there. I have managed to 
persuade them through demonstration and now we are setting up production with 
it. 
> By making tools that perform complex tasks quickly ( Softimage and ICE 
combo ), There is a huge market to be explored doing movie quality work on 
television that would have been unfeasible a few years ago. 
> 
> How do you think it feels after all that effort, RIGHT before the project 
is about to start, to hear this news? Its utterly short sighted and I imagine 
it will be rather embarrassing when we reveal how we managed to pull this off , 
as its going to be a testament to the clear advantage given by Softimage over 
any other solution and I will take every opportunity I can to say that. 
> 
> There is no way I'm going to change tracks back to a tool I had to spend 
all that time proving Softimage was far superior to. 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> -Original Message- 
> From: Maurice Patel 
    > Sent: Tuesday, March 18, 2014 3:21 PM 
> To: softimage@listproc.autodesk.com 
> Subject: RE: Autodesk webinar 
> 
> Hi Perry, 
> At that time, although Softimage was not an area we were planning on 
> investing more in, there was no plan to discontinue it. That decision was 
> only made at the end of last year. Last year was a watershed one for the 
> industry for many different reasons resulting in many significant changes 
to 
> our strategy. At the time this statement was made we did not even have 
any 
> plans for MayaLT. Unfortunately things can change very fast. 
> maurice 
> 
> Maurice Patel 
> Autodesk : Tél:  514 954-7134 
> 
> From: softimage-boun...@listproc.autodesk.com 
> [mailto:softimage-boun...@listproc.autodesk.com] On Behalf Of Perry 
Harovas 
> Sent: Tuesday, March 18, 2014 11:12 AM 
> To: softimage@listproc.autodesk.com 
> Subject: Re: Autodesk webinar 
> 
> Maurice, I know things change, but this statement from Marc was only a 
year 
> and a half ago: 
> 
> "Autodesk plans to continue to develop all of products mentioned [in this 
> st

Re: Autodesk webinar

[Dan Pejril]

Hi Maurice,

I truly appreciate you coming here and setting the record straight 
finally. However it is spun, Softimage was purchased in mind to gut its 
code and to reassign the intellectual backbone to other packages. 
Granted there was supposed to be a Next-Gen App that would replace them 
all. But at the end of the day, Softimage has been ignored by AD over 
the years and now killed. In addition, there is no Softimage, no 
Next-Gen App, no current replacement for Softimage now, nor in the near 
future. There is only a software package most of us have initially left 
to go to Softimage in the first place.


What truly boggles my mind is how disastrous AD's public relations are. 
For the size AD is, I would think they would have a better way of 
relating with the public. I can't help but to feel that information 
regarding Softimage has been misrepresented and I now find it hard to 
believe AD has any credibility left. I hope AD can get its act together 
and figure how to relate to the community and somehow patch the ill will 
created. Until then, I will be looking for solutions outside the AD 
umbrella.


Thank you for the straight talk. So long, and thanks for all the fish.


On 3/18/2014 11:21 AM, Maurice Patel wrote:

Hi Perry,
At that time, although Softimage was not an area we were planning on investing 
more in, there was no plan to discontinue it. That decision was only made at 
the end of last year. Last year was a watershed one for the industry for many 
different reasons resulting in many significant changes to our strategy. At the 
time this statement was made we did not even have any plans for MayaLT. 
Unfortunately things can change very fast.
maurice

Maurice Patel
Autodesk : Tél:  514 954-7134

From: softimage-boun...@listproc.autodesk.com 
[mailto:softimage-boun...@listproc.autodesk.com] On Behalf Of Perry Harovas
Sent: Tuesday, March 18, 2014 11:12 AM
To: softimage@listproc.autodesk.com
Subject: Re: Autodesk webinar

Maurice, I know things change, but this statement from Marc was only a year and 
a half ago:

"Autodesk plans to continue to develop all of products mentioned [in this 
story]. These are all solutions that serve many different customer needs across 
multiple industries and in many different types of workflows.
We are not discontinuing development on any of the products you mentioned but we 
will increase focus in specific areas where individual products are strong."

Re: Autodesk webinar

[olivier jeannel]

I think the opposite.
AD should make it available to buy seats.

Why AD is refusing ? they will earn money for nothing. That I don't 
understand.


Le 18/03/2014 17:21, Mirko Jankovic a écrit :
People... do you REALLY think that there is anything at all left to be 
said?


I saw screw AD, screw PR and all marketing from each nd every copany.
Only thing important is use tool that works for you.
Right now if it is Softimage, keep using it as long as it serves you 
and gets food on your table.
In the next couple years if there is something better go for it if 
not.. keep using SI fro another 10 years if needed.


In any case it doesn't make any sense at all to go through PR firewall 
of AD.


It was clear from day one back in 2008 that AD will kill Softimage, 
and every single year after that was step in that direction.
It is pure business war that AD won offer SI and SI is casualty... 
nothing we can do there nor they will ever change their mind.


Use what works for you and stop waisting time on this PR crap..


On Tue, Mar 18, 2014 at 5:16 PM, Morten Bartholdy <mailto:x...@colorshopvfx.dk>> wrote:


Yes please share Paul.

Morten


Den 18. marts 2014 kl. 17:09 skrev Marc-Andre Carbonneau
mailto:marc-andre.carbonn...@ubisoft.com>>:

> Hi Paul,
>
> If your company allows it, could you share the
document/presentation you wrote highlighting your comparisons and
choices to convince them?
> Very appreciated,
> MAC
>
> -Original Message-
> From: softimage-boun...@listproc.autodesk.com
<mailto:softimage-boun...@listproc.autodesk.com>
[mailto:softimage-boun...@listproc.autodesk.com
<mailto:softimage-boun...@listproc.autodesk.com>] On Behalf Of
p...@bustykelp.com <mailto:p...@bustykelp.com>
> Sent: 18 mars 2014 11:59
> To: softimage@listproc.autodesk.com
<mailto:softimage@listproc.autodesk.com>
> Subject: Re: Autodesk webinar
>
> "Last year was a watershed one for the industry for many
different reasons resulting in many significant changes to our
strategy"
>
> Yes, the industry is changing. Budgets are getting smaller and
work needs to be done faster.
>
> So surely, the wise thing to do would be to invest in the tool
with the fastest workflow. I have spent the last 3 years
demonstrating to my studio why Softimage needs to be what we are
using to make our projects feasible, and despite the fact, I'm the
only Softimage person there. I have managed to persuade them
through demonstration and now we are setting up production with it.
> By making tools that perform complex tasks quickly ( Softimage
and ICE combo ), There is a huge market to be explored doing movie
quality work on television that would have been unfeasible a few
years ago.
>
> How do you think it feels after all that effort, RIGHT before
the project is about to start, to hear this news? Its utterly
short sighted and I imagine it will be rather embarrassing when we
reveal how we managed to pull this off , as its going to be a
testament to the clear advantage given by Softimage over any other
solution and I will take every opportunity I can to say that.
>
> There is no way I'm going to change tracks back to a tool I had
to spend all that time proving Softimage was far superior to.
>
>
>
>
> -Original Message-
> From: Maurice Patel
> Sent: Tuesday, March 18, 2014 3:21 PM
> To: softimage@listproc.autodesk.com
<mailto:softimage@listproc.autodesk.com>
> Subject: RE: Autodesk webinar
>
> Hi Perry,
> At that time, although Softimage was not an area we were
planning on
> investing more in, there was no plan to discontinue it. That
decision was
> only made at the end of last year. Last year was a watershed one
for the
> industry for many different reasons resulting in many
significant changes to
> our strategy. At the time this statement was made we did not
even have any
> plans for MayaLT. Unfortunately things can change very fast.
> maurice
>
> Maurice Patel
> Autodesk : Tél: 514 954-7134 
>
> From: softimage-boun...@listproc.autodesk.com
<mailto:softimage-boun...@listproc.autodesk.com>
> [mailto:softimage-boun...@listproc.autodesk.com
<mailto:softimage-boun...@listproc.autodesk.com>] On Behalf Of
Perry Harovas
> Sent: Tuesday, March 18, 2014 11:12 AM
> To: softimage@listproc.autodesk.com
<mailto:softimage@listproc.autodesk.com>
> Subject: Re: Autodesk webinar
>
> Maurice, I know things change, but this statement from Marc was
only a year
> and

Re: Autodesk webinar

[Mirko Jankovic]

People... do you REALLY think that there is anything at all left to be said?

I saw screw AD, screw PR and all marketing from each nd every copany.
Only thing important is use tool that works for you.
Right now if it is Softimage, keep using it as long as it serves you and
gets food on your table.
In the next couple years if there is something better go for it if not..
keep using SI fro another 10 years if needed.

In any case it doesn't make any sense at all to go through PR firewall of
AD.

It was clear from day one back in 2008 that AD will kill Softimage, and
every single year after that was step in that direction.
It is pure business war that AD won offer SI and SI is casualty... nothing
we can do there nor they will ever change their mind.

Use what works for you and stop waisting time on this PR crap..


On Tue, Mar 18, 2014 at 5:16 PM, Morten Bartholdy wrote:

>   Yes please share Paul.
>
>
>
> Morten
>
>
>
>
> Den 18. marts 2014 kl. 17:09 skrev Marc-Andre Carbonneau <
> marc-andre.carbonn...@ubisoft.com>:
>
> > Hi Paul,
> >
> > If your company allows it, could you share the document/presentation you
> wrote highlighting your comparisons and choices to convince them?
> > Very appreciated,
> > MAC
> >
> > -Original Message-
> > From: softimage-boun...@listproc.autodesk.com [mailto:
> softimage-boun...@listproc.autodesk.com] On Behalf Of p...@bustykelp.com
> > Sent: 18 mars 2014 11:59
> > To: softimage@listproc.autodesk.com
> > Subject: Re: Autodesk webinar
> >
> > "Last year was a watershed one for the industry for many different
> reasons resulting in many significant changes to our strategy"
> >
> > Yes, the industry is changing. Budgets are getting smaller and work
> needs to be done faster.
> >
> > So surely, the wise thing to do would be to invest in the tool with the
> fastest workflow. I have spent the last 3 years demonstrating to my studio
> why Softimage needs to be what we are using to make our projects feasible,
> and despite the fact, I'm the only Softimage person there. I have managed
> to persuade them through demonstration and now we are setting up production
> with it.
> > By making tools that perform complex tasks quickly ( Softimage and ICE
> combo ), There is a huge market to be explored doing movie quality work on
> television that would have been unfeasible a few years ago.
> >
> > How do you think it feels after all that effort, RIGHT before the
> project is about to start, to hear this news? Its utterly short sighted and
> I imagine it will be rather embarrassing when we reveal how we managed to
> pull this off , as its going to be a testament to the clear advantage given
> by Softimage over any other solution and I will take every opportunity I
> can to say that.
> >
> > There is no way I'm going to change tracks back to a tool I had to spend
> all that time proving Softimage was far superior to.
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > -Original Message-
> > From: Maurice Patel
> > Sent: Tuesday, March 18, 2014 3:21 PM
> > To: softimage@listproc.autodesk.com
> > Subject: RE: Autodesk webinar
> >
> > Hi Perry,
> > At that time, although Softimage was not an area we were planning on
> > investing more in, there was no plan to discontinue it. That decision
> was
> > only made at the end of last year. Last year was a watershed one for the
> > industry for many different reasons resulting in many significant
> changes to
> > our strategy. At the time this statement was made we did not even have
> any
> > plans for MayaLT. Unfortunately things can change very fast.
> > maurice
> >
> > Maurice Patel
> > Autodesk : Tél:  514 954-7134
> >
> > From: softimage-boun...@listproc.autodesk.com
> > [mailto:softimage-boun...@listproc.autodesk.com] On Behalf Of Perry
> Harovas
> > Sent: Tuesday, March 18, 2014 11:12 AM
> > To: softimage@listproc.autodesk.com
> > Subject: Re: Autodesk webinar
> >
> > Maurice, I know things change, but this statement from Marc was only a
> year
> > and a half ago:
> >
> > "Autodesk plans to continue to develop all of products mentioned [in
> this
> > story]. These are all solutions that serve many different customer needs
> > across multiple industries and in many different types of workflows.
> > We are not discontinuing development on any of the products you
> mentioned
> > but we will increase focus in specific areas where individual products
> are
> > strong."
> >
> >
> >
> >
>

Re: Autodesk webinar

[Sebastien Sterling]

+1 Paul.

i think a great yet tiered example of this is the LEGO movie, you can tell
its not the most ambitious or expensive project, and yet it was so cleverly
made. SI really shines as a complete and elegant solution.,incidentally if
you look at the latest stuff yet to come out, it looks like the big studios
are trailering back the quality a notch, Mr Peebody, the good dinosaur.
these do not seem to be as extravagant as Brave, or Tangled.


On 18 March 2014 15:58,  wrote:

> "Last year was a watershed one for the industry for many different reasons
> resulting in many significant changes to our strategy"
>
> Yes, the industry is changing. Budgets are getting smaller and work needs
> to be done faster.
>
> So surely, the wise thing to do would be to invest in the tool with the
> fastest workflow. I have spent the last 3 years demonstrating to my studio
> why Softimage needs to be what we are using to make our projects feasible,
> and despite the fact, I'm the only Softimage person there. I have managed
> to persuade them through demonstration and now we are setting up production
> with it.
> By making tools that perform complex tasks quickly ( Softimage and ICE
> combo ), There is a huge market to be explored doing movie quality work on
> television that would have been unfeasible a few years ago.
>
> How do you think it feels after all that effort, RIGHT before the project
> is about to start, to hear this news? Its utterly short sighted and I
> imagine it will be rather embarrassing when we reveal how we managed to
> pull this off , as its going to be a testament to the clear advantage given
> by Softimage over any other solution and I will take every opportunity I
> can to say that.
>
> There is no way I'm going to change tracks back to a tool I had to spend
> all that time proving Softimage was far superior to.
>
>
>
>
> -Original Message- From: Maurice Patel
> Sent: Tuesday, March 18, 2014 3:21 PM
>
> To: softimage@listproc.autodesk.com
> Subject: RE: Autodesk webinar
>
> Hi Perry,
> At that time, although Softimage was not an area we were planning on
> investing more in, there was no plan to discontinue it. That decision was
> only made at the end of last year. Last year was a watershed one for the
> industry for many different reasons resulting in many significant changes
> to our strategy. At the time this statement was made we did not even have
> any plans for MayaLT. Unfortunately things can change very fast.
> maurice
>
> Maurice Patel
> Autodesk : Tél:  514 954-7134
>
> From: softimage-boun...@listproc.autodesk.com [mailto:softimage-bounces@
> listproc.autodesk.com] On Behalf Of Perry Harovas
> Sent: Tuesday, March 18, 2014 11:12 AM
> To: softimage@listproc.autodesk.com
> Subject: Re: Autodesk webinar
>
> Maurice, I know things change, but this statement from Marc was only a
> year and a half ago:
>
> "Autodesk plans to continue to develop all of products mentioned [in this
> story]. These are all solutions that serve many different customer needs
> across multiple industries and in many different types of workflows.
> We are not discontinuing development on any of the products you mentioned
> but we will increase focus in specific areas where individual products are
> strong."
>
>
>
>

Re: Autodesk webinar

[paul]

I don't have a document like that I'm afraid.. I have lots of Email 
correspondence that I couldn't share, but more importantly, it was done 
through practical examples and demonstration rather than words.


-Original Message- 
From: Marc-Andre Carbonneau

Sent: Tuesday, March 18, 2014 4:09 PM
To: softimage@listproc.autodesk.com
Subject: RE: Autodesk webinar

Hi Paul,

If your company allows it, could you share the document/presentation you 
wrote highlighting your comparisons and choices to convince them?

Very appreciated,
MAC

-Original Message-
From: softimage-boun...@listproc.autodesk.com 
[mailto:softimage-boun...@listproc.autodesk.com] On Behalf Of 
p...@bustykelp.com

Sent: 18 mars 2014 11:59
To: softimage@listproc.autodesk.com
Subject: Re: Autodesk webinar

"Last year was a watershed one for the industry for many different reasons 
resulting in many significant changes to our strategy"


Yes, the industry is changing. Budgets are getting smaller and work needs to 
be done faster.


So surely, the wise thing to do would be to invest in the tool with the 
fastest workflow. I have spent the last 3 years demonstrating to my studio 
why Softimage needs to be what we are using to make our projects feasible, 
and despite the fact, I'm the only Softimage person there. I have managed to 
persuade them through demonstration and now we are setting up production 
with it.
By making tools that perform complex tasks quickly ( Softimage and ICE 
combo ), There is a huge market to be explored doing movie quality work on 
television that would have been unfeasible a few years ago.


How do you think it feels after all that effort, RIGHT before the project is 
about to start, to hear this news? Its utterly short sighted and I imagine 
it will be rather embarrassing when we reveal how we managed to pull this 
off , as its going to be a testament to the clear advantage given by 
Softimage over any other solution and I will take every opportunity I can to 
say that.


There is no way I'm going to change tracks back to a tool I had to spend all 
that time proving Softimage was far superior to.





-Original Message- 
From: Maurice Patel

Sent: Tuesday, March 18, 2014 3:21 PM
To: softimage@listproc.autodesk.com
Subject: RE: Autodesk webinar

Hi Perry,
At that time, although Softimage was not an area we were planning on
investing more in, there was no plan to discontinue it. That decision was
only made at the end of last year. Last year was a watershed one for the
industry for many different reasons resulting in many significant changes to
our strategy. At the time this statement was made we did not even have any
plans for MayaLT. Unfortunately things can change very fast.
maurice

Maurice Patel
Autodesk : Tél:  514 954-7134

From: softimage-boun...@listproc.autodesk.com
[mailto:softimage-boun...@listproc.autodesk.com] On Behalf Of Perry Harovas
Sent: Tuesday, March 18, 2014 11:12 AM
To: softimage@listproc.autodesk.com
Subject: Re: Autodesk webinar

Maurice, I know things change, but this statement from Marc was only a year
and a half ago:

"Autodesk plans to continue to develop all of products mentioned [in this
story]. These are all solutions that serve many different customer needs
across multiple industries and in many different types of workflows.
We are not discontinuing development on any of the products you mentioned
but we will increase focus in specific areas where individual products are
strong."

Re: Autodesk webinar

[David Saber]

Spot-on questions

On 2014-03-18 16:28, Arvid Björn wrote:
Maurice, could you explain this, either XSI was supposed to be part of 
the now failed project Skyline – or it was never meant to be kept 
alive, but only bought up for its resources to then be moved into 
project Skyline and other parts of AD M&E. Which one is it?


Follow-up question, if it was the first option, how come XSI was never 
heavily marketed anywhere for this purpose? If it was the second, 
would you agree that you were not completely open with your intentions 
5 years ago?

RE: Autodesk webinar

[Morten Bartholdy]

Yes please share Paul.

Morten



Den 18. marts 2014 kl. 17:09 skrev Marc-Andre Carbonneau
:

> Hi Paul,
>
> If your company allows it, could you share the document/presentation you
wrote highlighting your comparisons and choices to convince them?
> Very appreciated,
> MAC
>
> -Original Message-
> From: softimage-boun...@listproc.autodesk.com
[mailto:softimage-boun...@listproc.autodesk.com] On Behalf Of
p...@bustykelp.com
> Sent: 18 mars 2014 11:59
> To: softimage@listproc.autodesk.com
> Subject: Re: Autodesk webinar
>
> "Last year was a watershed one for the industry for many different
reasons resulting in many significant changes to our strategy"
>
> Yes, the industry is changing. Budgets are getting smaller and work needs
to be done faster.
>
> So surely, the wise thing to do would be to invest in the tool with the
fastest workflow. I have spent the last 3 years demonstrating to my studio
why Softimage needs to be what we are using to make our projects feasible,
and despite the fact, I'm the only Softimage person there. I have managed
to persuade them through demonstration and now we are setting up production
with it.
> By making tools that perform complex tasks quickly ( Softimage and ICE
combo ), There is a huge market to be explored doing movie quality work on
television that would have been unfeasible a few years ago.
>
> How do you think it feels after all that effort, RIGHT before the project
is about to start, to hear this news? Its utterly short sighted and I
imagine it will be rather embarrassing when we reveal how we managed to
pull this off , as its going to be a testament to the clear advantage given
by Softimage over any other solution and I will take every opportunity I
can to say that.
>
> There is no way I'm going to change tracks back to a tool I had to spend
all that time proving Softimage was far superior to.
>
>
>
>
> -Original Message-
> From: Maurice Patel
> Sent: Tuesday, March 18, 2014 3:21 PM
> To: softimage@listproc.autodesk.com
> Subject: RE: Autodesk webinar
>
> Hi Perry,
> At that time, although Softimage was not an area we were planning on
> investing more in, there was no plan to discontinue it. That decision was
> only made at the end of last year. Last year was a watershed one for the
> industry for many different reasons resulting in many significant changes
to
> our strategy. At the time this statement was made we did not even have
any
> plans for MayaLT. Unfortunately things can change very fast.
> maurice
>
> Maurice Patel
> Autodesk : Tél:  514 954-7134
>
> From: softimage-boun...@listproc.autodesk.com
> [mailto:softimage-boun...@listproc.autodesk.com] On Behalf Of Perry
Harovas
> Sent: Tuesday, March 18, 2014 11:12 AM
> To: softimage@listproc.autodesk.com
> Subject: Re: Autodesk webinar
>
> Maurice, I know things change, but this statement from Marc was only a
year
> and a half ago:
>
> "Autodesk plans to continue to develop all of products mentioned [in this
> story]. These are all solutions that serve many different customer needs
> across multiple industries and in many different types of workflows.
> We are not discontinuing development on any of the products you mentioned
> but we will increase focus in specific areas where individual products
are
> strong."
>
>
>
>

Re: Autodesk webinar

[Paul Griswold]

In Softimage we have a production-proven, solid tool.  ICE works TODAY, not
2 years from today, not in a dream of a product called Bifrost, but right
NOW.

Are you telling everyone here who has based their ENTIRE business around
Softimage, we should trust Autodesk to have a fully functioning tool ready
that will do EVERYTHING Softimage can do TODAY by the time Softimage hits
the end?  We should believe that after you've just admitted that Skyline
was a failure?

These aren't a bunch of ideas or concepts here, these are our businesses!
 We feed our families, we pay our bills, we survive based on Softimage and
now we have to hope that somehow Bifrost is not in the 99% failure, but 1%
innovation?

Do you seriously want us to bet our future on that?  Would you go home and
tell your significant other that rather than focusing on a tool that works
for you, makes money for you right now, you're betting everything on a
promise from Autodesk??

Who on earth does business like that??  Is Autodesk going to pay our
mortgages or feed our families when Bifrost falls apart?  Because unless
that's the plan, I can't think of a single sane person who would go along
with this Maya-only plan.

This is absolutely a terrible way to do business and everyone at Autodesk
knows it.  They've just dug in their heels to avoid looking like they've
made a colossal mistake.

-Paul






On Tue, Mar 18, 2014 at 12:08 PM, Adam Sale  wrote:

> Maurice, in all of this talk the one glaring omission is this. You guys
> are always trying to innovate. You have said success is often 99 percent
> failure to one percent success. Well, in the event bifrost falls by the
> wayside like skyline did, all of a sudden autodesk will have zero node
> based solutions to do the type of ice work we expect of a dcc product. How
> is that a wise move as a company? Its like throwing out the baby with the
> bath water and seems incredibly short sighted. So as we move to bifrost to
> begin our transition away from ICE, we may be in this same mess a couple
> years down the road if it doesnt pan out. Imagine the fallout then.. people
> will go absolutely nuclear on AD.
>
> Adam
> On Mar 18, 2014 9:00 AM,  wrote:
>
>> "Last year was a watershed one for the industry for many different
>> reasons resulting in many significant changes to our strategy"
>>
>> Yes, the industry is changing. Budgets are getting smaller and work needs
>> to be done faster.
>>
>> So surely, the wise thing to do would be to invest in the tool with the
>> fastest workflow. I have spent the last 3 years demonstrating to my studio
>> why Softimage needs to be what we are using to make our projects feasible,
>> and despite the fact, I'm the only Softimage person there. I have managed
>> to persuade them through demonstration and now we are setting up production
>> with it.
>> By making tools that perform complex tasks quickly ( Softimage and ICE
>> combo ), There is a huge market to be explored doing movie quality work on
>> television that would have been unfeasible a few years ago.
>>
>> How do you think it feels after all that effort, RIGHT before the project
>> is about to start, to hear this news? Its utterly short sighted and I
>> imagine it will be rather embarrassing when we reveal how we managed to
>> pull this off , as its going to be a testament to the clear advantage given
>> by Softimage over any other solution and I will take every opportunity I
>> can to say that.
>>
>> There is no way I'm going to change tracks back to a tool I had to spend
>> all that time proving Softimage was far superior to.
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> -Original Message- From: Maurice Patel
>> Sent: Tuesday, March 18, 2014 3:21 PM
>> To: softimage@listproc.autodesk.com
>> Subject: RE: Autodesk webinar
>>
>> Hi Perry,
>> At that time, although Softimage was not an area we were planning on
>> investing more in, there was no plan to discontinue it. That decision was
>> only made at the end of last year. Last year was a watershed one for the
>> industry for many different reasons resulting in many significant changes
>> to our strategy. At the time this statement was made we did not even have
>> any plans for MayaLT. Unfortunately things can change very fast.
>> maurice
>>
>> Maurice Patel
>> Autodesk : Tél:  514 954-7134
>>
>> From: softimage-boun...@listproc.autodesk.com [mailto:softimage-bounces@
>> listproc.autodesk.com] On Behalf Of Perry Harovas
>> Sent: Tuesday, March 18, 2014 11:12 AM
>> To: softimage@listproc.autodesk.com
>> Subject: Re: Autodesk webinar
>>
>> Maurice, I know things change, but thi

Re: Autodesk webinar

[olivier jeannel]

I second that.
for me the hardest part is that you simply refuse to sell seats. I don't 
say support, just let people buy that discontinued software.
What would it cost you ? Zero maintenance, a full 3K euros in your 
pocket... Honestly ?

Compared to the damage it cause to your customers ?

SI will slowly fade away, people will abandon it when it will be useless 
compare to the tremendous power of Maya.

People would change to Maya when the moment comes.
But, for now, I hear companies in difficulties because of you.
Frankly, I'd like a fair answer.



Le 18/03/2014 16:58, p...@bustykelp.com a écrit :
"Last year was a watershed one for the industry for many different 
reasons resulting in many significant changes to our strategy"


Yes, the industry is changing. Budgets are getting smaller and work 
needs to be done faster.


So surely, the wise thing to do would be to invest in the tool with 
the fastest workflow. I have spent the last 3 years demonstrating to 
my studio why Softimage needs to be what we are using to make our 
projects feasible, and despite the fact, I'm the only Softimage person 
there. I have managed to persuade them through demonstration and now 
we are setting up production with it.
By making tools that perform complex tasks quickly ( Softimage and ICE 
combo ), There is a huge market to be explored doing movie quality 
work on television that would have been unfeasible a few years ago.


How do you think it feels after all that effort, RIGHT before the 
project is about to start, to hear this news? Its utterly short 
sighted and I imagine it will be rather embarrassing when we reveal 
how we managed to pull this off , as its going to be a testament to 
the clear advantage given by Softimage over any other solution and I 
will take every opportunity I can to say that.


There is no way I'm going to change tracks back to a tool I had to 
spend all that time proving Softimage was far superior to.





-Original Message- From: Maurice Patel
Sent: Tuesday, March 18, 2014 3:21 PM
To: softimage@listproc.autodesk.com
Subject: RE: Autodesk webinar

Hi Perry,
At that time, although Softimage was not an area we were planning on 
investing more in, there was no plan to discontinue it. That decision 
was only made at the end of last year. Last year was a watershed one 
for the industry for many different reasons resulting in many 
significant changes to our strategy. At the time this statement was 
made we did not even have any plans for MayaLT. Unfortunately things 
can change very fast.

maurice

Maurice Patel
Autodesk : Tél:  514 954-7134

From: softimage-boun...@listproc.autodesk.com 
[mailto:softimage-boun...@listproc.autodesk.com] On Behalf Of Perry 
Harovas

Sent: Tuesday, March 18, 2014 11:12 AM
To: softimage@listproc.autodesk.com
Subject: Re: Autodesk webinar

Maurice, I know things change, but this statement from Marc was only a 
year and a half ago:


"Autodesk plans to continue to develop all of products mentioned [in 
this story]. These are all solutions that serve many different 
customer needs across multiple industries and in many different types 
of workflows.
We are not discontinuing development on any of the products you 
mentioned but we will increase focus in specific areas where 
individual products are strong."

RE: Autodesk webinar

[Marc-Andre Carbonneau]

Hi Paul,

If your company allows it, could you share the document/presentation you wrote 
highlighting your comparisons and choices to convince them?
Very appreciated,
MAC

-Original Message-
From: softimage-boun...@listproc.autodesk.com 
[mailto:softimage-boun...@listproc.autodesk.com] On Behalf Of p...@bustykelp.com
Sent: 18 mars 2014 11:59
To: softimage@listproc.autodesk.com
Subject: Re: Autodesk webinar

"Last year was a watershed one for the industry for many different reasons 
resulting in many significant changes to our strategy"

Yes, the industry is changing. Budgets are getting smaller and work needs to be 
done faster.

So surely, the wise thing to do would be to invest in the tool with the fastest 
workflow. I have spent the last 3 years demonstrating to my studio why 
Softimage needs to be what we are using to make our projects feasible, and 
despite the fact, I'm the only Softimage person there. I have managed to 
persuade them through demonstration and now we are setting up production with 
it.
By making tools that perform complex tasks quickly ( Softimage and ICE combo ), 
There is a huge market to be explored doing movie quality work on television 
that would have been unfeasible a few years ago.

How do you think it feels after all that effort, RIGHT before the project is 
about to start, to hear this news? Its utterly short sighted and I imagine it 
will be rather embarrassing when we reveal how we managed to pull this off , as 
its going to be a testament to the clear advantage given by Softimage over any 
other solution and I will take every opportunity I can to say that.

There is no way I'm going to change tracks back to a tool I had to spend all 
that time proving Softimage was far superior to.




-Original Message- 
From: Maurice Patel
Sent: Tuesday, March 18, 2014 3:21 PM
To: softimage@listproc.autodesk.com
Subject: RE: Autodesk webinar

Hi Perry,
At that time, although Softimage was not an area we were planning on 
investing more in, there was no plan to discontinue it. That decision was 
only made at the end of last year. Last year was a watershed one for the 
industry for many different reasons resulting in many significant changes to 
our strategy. At the time this statement was made we did not even have any 
plans for MayaLT. Unfortunately things can change very fast.
maurice

Maurice Patel
Autodesk : Tél:  514 954-7134

From: softimage-boun...@listproc.autodesk.com 
[mailto:softimage-boun...@listproc.autodesk.com] On Behalf Of Perry Harovas
Sent: Tuesday, March 18, 2014 11:12 AM
To: softimage@listproc.autodesk.com
Subject: Re: Autodesk webinar

Maurice, I know things change, but this statement from Marc was only a year 
and a half ago:

"Autodesk plans to continue to develop all of products mentioned [in this 
story]. These are all solutions that serve many different customer needs 
across multiple industries and in many different types of workflows.
We are not discontinuing development on any of the products you mentioned 
but we will increase focus in specific areas where individual products are 
strong."

Re: Autodesk webinar

[Adam Sale]

Maurice, in all of this talk the one glaring omission is this. You guys are
always trying to innovate. You have said success is often 99 percent
failure to one percent success. Well, in the event bifrost falls by the
wayside like skyline did, all of a sudden autodesk will have zero node
based solutions to do the type of ice work we expect of a dcc product. How
is that a wise move as a company? Its like throwing out the baby with the
bath water and seems incredibly short sighted. So as we move to bifrost to
begin our transition away from ICE, we may be in this same mess a couple
years down the road if it doesnt pan out. Imagine the fallout then.. people
will go absolutely nuclear on AD.

Adam
On Mar 18, 2014 9:00 AM,  wrote:

> "Last year was a watershed one for the industry for many different reasons
> resulting in many significant changes to our strategy"
>
> Yes, the industry is changing. Budgets are getting smaller and work needs
> to be done faster.
>
> So surely, the wise thing to do would be to invest in the tool with the
> fastest workflow. I have spent the last 3 years demonstrating to my studio
> why Softimage needs to be what we are using to make our projects feasible,
> and despite the fact, I'm the only Softimage person there. I have managed
> to persuade them through demonstration and now we are setting up production
> with it.
> By making tools that perform complex tasks quickly ( Softimage and ICE
> combo ), There is a huge market to be explored doing movie quality work on
> television that would have been unfeasible a few years ago.
>
> How do you think it feels after all that effort, RIGHT before the project
> is about to start, to hear this news? Its utterly short sighted and I
> imagine it will be rather embarrassing when we reveal how we managed to
> pull this off , as its going to be a testament to the clear advantage given
> by Softimage over any other solution and I will take every opportunity I
> can to say that.
>
> There is no way I'm going to change tracks back to a tool I had to spend
> all that time proving Softimage was far superior to.
>
>
>
>
> -Original Message- From: Maurice Patel
> Sent: Tuesday, March 18, 2014 3:21 PM
> To: softimage@listproc.autodesk.com
> Subject: RE: Autodesk webinar
>
> Hi Perry,
> At that time, although Softimage was not an area we were planning on
> investing more in, there was no plan to discontinue it. That decision was
> only made at the end of last year. Last year was a watershed one for the
> industry for many different reasons resulting in many significant changes
> to our strategy. At the time this statement was made we did not even have
> any plans for MayaLT. Unfortunately things can change very fast.
> maurice
>
> Maurice Patel
> Autodesk : Tél:  514 954-7134
>
> From: softimage-boun...@listproc.autodesk.com [mailto:softimage-bounces@
> listproc.autodesk.com] On Behalf Of Perry Harovas
> Sent: Tuesday, March 18, 2014 11:12 AM
> To: softimage@listproc.autodesk.com
> Subject: Re: Autodesk webinar
>
> Maurice, I know things change, but this statement from Marc was only a
> year and a half ago:
>
> "Autodesk plans to continue to develop all of products mentioned [in this
> story]. These are all solutions that serve many different customer needs
> across multiple industries and in many different types of workflows.
> We are not discontinuing development on any of the products you mentioned
> but we will increase focus in specific areas where individual products are
> strong."
>
>
>
>

Re: Autodesk webinar

[paul]

"Last year was a watershed one for the industry for many different reasons 
resulting in many significant changes to our strategy"


Yes, the industry is changing. Budgets are getting smaller and work needs to 
be done faster.


So surely, the wise thing to do would be to invest in the tool with the 
fastest workflow. I have spent the last 3 years demonstrating to my studio 
why Softimage needs to be what we are using to make our projects feasible, 
and despite the fact, I'm the only Softimage person there. I have managed to 
persuade them through demonstration and now we are setting up production 
with it.
By making tools that perform complex tasks quickly ( Softimage and ICE 
combo ), There is a huge market to be explored doing movie quality work on 
television that would have been unfeasible a few years ago.


How do you think it feels after all that effort, RIGHT before the project is 
about to start, to hear this news? Its utterly short sighted and I imagine 
it will be rather embarrassing when we reveal how we managed to pull this 
off , as its going to be a testament to the clear advantage given by 
Softimage over any other solution and I will take every opportunity I can to 
say that.


There is no way I'm going to change tracks back to a tool I had to spend all 
that time proving Softimage was far superior to.





-Original Message- 
From: Maurice Patel

Sent: Tuesday, March 18, 2014 3:21 PM
To: softimage@listproc.autodesk.com
Subject: RE: Autodesk webinar

Hi Perry,
At that time, although Softimage was not an area we were planning on 
investing more in, there was no plan to discontinue it. That decision was 
only made at the end of last year. Last year was a watershed one for the 
industry for many different reasons resulting in many significant changes to 
our strategy. At the time this statement was made we did not even have any 
plans for MayaLT. Unfortunately things can change very fast.

maurice

Maurice Patel
Autodesk : Tél:  514 954-7134

From: softimage-boun...@listproc.autodesk.com 
[mailto:softimage-boun...@listproc.autodesk.com] On Behalf Of Perry Harovas

Sent: Tuesday, March 18, 2014 11:12 AM
To: softimage@listproc.autodesk.com
Subject: Re: Autodesk webinar

Maurice, I know things change, but this statement from Marc was only a year 
and a half ago:


"Autodesk plans to continue to develop all of products mentioned [in this 
story]. These are all solutions that serve many different customer needs 
across multiple industries and in many different types of workflows.
We are not discontinuing development on any of the products you mentioned 
but we will increase focus in specific areas where individual products are 
strong."

RE: Autodesk webinar

[Maurice Patel]

Hi Peter,
That is not what I am saying. We will continue to build new technologies and we 
will continue to do research into new areas. And new projects have and will 
continue to be kicked off. Innovation is 99% failure 1% success. Does not mean 
we will not keep trying to do new and different things but our approaches will 
change and adapt. Bifrost  and Recap are two examples or recent projects – time 
will tell how successful they are – but we have not stopped trying.
maurice

Maurice Patel
Autodesk : Tél:  514 954-7134

From: softimage-boun...@listproc.autodesk.com 
[mailto:softimage-boun...@listproc.autodesk.com] On Behalf Of pete...@skynet.be
Sent: Tuesday, March 18, 2014 11:40 AM
To: softimage@listproc.autodesk.com
Subject: Re: Autodesk webinar

“...We had plans to build a next generation technology, starting with games - 
we called it project skyline. The industry was in a growth period. Everyone was 
optimistic. And if we had succeeded we probably would not be having this 
conversation.”

so – no next generation 3D authoring from Autodesk then – that’s official and 
final ?
As that’s all the info needed to move forward really.

Sad how the death of one exciting technology (Naiad) leads to the death of 
another (SI / ICE ) and it all ends up zombified in Maya.
Assimilate or die.



From: Perry Harovas<mailto:perryharo...@gmail.com>
Sent: Tuesday, March 18, 2014 3:55 PM
To: softimage@listproc.autodesk.com<mailto:softimage@listproc.autodesk.com>
Subject: Re: Autodesk webinar

I would imagine he means Project Skyline.




On Tue, Mar 18, 2014 at 10:53 AM, Chris Marshall 
mailto:chrismarshal...@gmail.com>> wrote:

Which bit failed?

On 18 March 2014 14:51, Maurice Patel 
mailto:maurice.pa...@autodesk.com>> wrote:
"sometimes we have to fall back on our positions when our attempts fail"
Maurice





--





Perry Harovas
Animation and Visual Effects

http://www.TheAfterImage.com<http://www.theafterimage.com/>
<>

Re: Autodesk webinar

[Nicolas Esposito]

I understand the two OS being a plus.
Although purely based on the widely known game engines around ( Unity and
UDK ), they both using FBX as primary import ( not Maya own format specific
to Unity ), so wheter you're using Max/Maya/Softimage it wont make much
difference, because all of them supports FBX export with baking options.
You still rely on videotutorials on how to get content from
Maya/Softimage/Max to Unity, and again you're using FBX, so unless you'll
develop something like Houdini engine already does the pipeline for content
export is still the same on all 3 of them.

Is still nosense keep asking myself the same question, but again the good
old Softimage Mod Tool was specifically designed to create games, was free
of charge ( for non commercial ) and, if continued/evolved by AD, could've
be one of the most powerfull ( and not so costly ) tool for game
development, maybe with the addition of Facerobot but without ICE ( if you
want to compare it to MayaLT without MEL script )


Too bad that AD kept showing Softimage just as a VFX Addon instead of
pushing this software for game development...


2014-03-18 16:30 GMT+01:00 John Richard Sanchez :

>
> "At the time this statement was made we did not even have any plans for
>> MayaLT. Unfortunately things can change very fast." Which is why IF they
>> were listening to the XSI users they would change their minds about EOL
>> instead of giving a webinar that pretty much is " You are going to Maya or
>> the highway and there is nothing you can do about it. Now let us tell you
>> why you will love it"
>>
>>
>>
>
>
> --
> www.johnrichardsanchez.com
>

Re: Autodesk webinar

[Luc-Eric Rousseau]

On Tue, Mar 18, 2014 at 11:11 AM, Nicolas Esposito <3dv...@gmail.com> wrote:
> Maybe I didn't explained myself clearly.
>
> I'm not talking about before or after the acquisition, I'm talking about the
> features that Softimage have since XSI 7 almost, which later improve with
> the addition of Facerobot.
>
> The question is again why AD decided to push more towards Maya Lite, which
> do not have all those features that Softimage have already tailored for game
> development.
>
> I'm assuming that in the future (?) maybe those features will be implemented
> into Maya, but right now I see 3DS more towards game development ( seeing
> the wide range of plugins made by game developers ) rather then Maya itself.
> Maya its early to judge, but still I see this "unveil" of Maya Lite very
> very strange


In my opinion,  there isn't much tailored for games in XSI, especially
Face Robot where the game export was just something added to try to
later justify the product for games.  Face Robot was never thought for
real time, it was designed for high quality deform for film.The
lipsync was added in version 2011. Is anyone using that real time bone
rig in an actual game?

FYI: Maya LT shipped with DirectX 11, ShaderFX, Turtle for texture
baking, the softimage polygon reduction tool, HumanIK, great FBX
support, etc. So that's more than that list, minus gator.And Maya
works on the Mac, which is important for all the mobile developers.

Re: Autodesk webinar

[peter_b]

“...We had plans to build a next generation technology, starting with games - 
we called it project skyline. The industry was in a growth period. Everyone was 
optimistic. And if we had succeeded we probably would not be having this 
conversation.”

so – no next generation 3D authoring from Autodesk then – that’s official and 
final ?
As that’s all the info needed to move forward really.

Sad how the death of one exciting technology (Naiad) leads to the death of 
another (SI / ICE ) and it all ends up zombified in Maya.
Assimilate or die.




From: Perry Harovas 
Sent: Tuesday, March 18, 2014 3:55 PM
To: softimage@listproc.autodesk.com 
Subject: Re: Autodesk webinar

I would imagine he means Project Skyline. 






On Tue, Mar 18, 2014 at 10:53 AM, Chris Marshall  
wrote:


  Which bit failed?


  On 18 March 2014 14:51, Maurice Patel  wrote:

"sometimes we have to fall back on our positions when our attempts fail"

Maurice







-- 






Perry Harovas
Animation and Visual Effects

http://www.TheAfterImage.com

Re: Autodesk webinar

[John Richard Sanchez]

> "At the time this statement was made we did not even have any plans for
> MayaLT. Unfortunately things can change very fast." Which is why IF they
> were listening to the XSI users they would change their minds about EOL
> instead of giving a webinar that pretty much is " You are going to Maya or
> the highway and there is nothing you can do about it. Now let us tell you
> why you will love it"
>
>
>


-- 
www.johnrichardsanchez.com

Re: Autodesk webinar

[Perry Harovas]

Hi Maurice,

I certainly understand that things change fast. Of course, and I respect
that.

However, the fast that there were no plans to invest more in Softimage at
that time leads naturally to the question of why were your customers not
told about this
to give them time to make software decisions? It seems this 2 year period
we are now in is meant to be the answer to that, but having another year
and a half on top
of the 2 years (without the public announcement of EOL) we have now would,
I am guessing, have made it a lot easier for some of your customers.

You no doubt know how long it takes to learn these applications. Entire
facilities (and maybe more scary, small shops and freelancers) have their
entire business
hinging on these tools. Seems to me that many, many mistakes were made over
the past few years, and not telling Glassworks a few days in advance was
just one example
of the mistakes that seem to have been made.




On Tue, Mar 18, 2014 at 11:21 AM, Maurice Patel
wrote:

> Hi Perry,
> At that time, although Softimage was not an area we were planning on
> investing more in, there was no plan to discontinue it. That decision was
> only made at the end of last year. Last year was a watershed one for the
> industry for many different reasons resulting in many significant changes
> to our strategy. At the time this statement was made we did not even have
> any plans for MayaLT. Unfortunately things can change very fast.
> maurice
>
> Maurice Patel
> Autodesk : Tél:  514 954-7134
>
> From: softimage-boun...@listproc.autodesk.com [mailto:
> softimage-boun...@listproc.autodesk.com] On Behalf Of Perry Harovas
> Sent: Tuesday, March 18, 2014 11:12 AM
> To: softimage@listproc.autodesk.com
> Subject: Re: Autodesk webinar
>
> Maurice, I know things change, but this statement from Marc was only a
> year and a half ago:
>
> "Autodesk plans to continue to develop all of products mentioned [in this
> story]. These are all solutions that serve many different customer needs
> across multiple industries and in many different types of workflows.
> We are not discontinuing development on any of the products you mentioned
> but we will increase focus in specific areas where individual products are
> strong."
>
>
>
>


-- 





Perry Harovas
Animation and Visual Effects

http://www.TheAfterImage.com <http://www.theafterimage.com/>

RE: Autodesk webinar

[Maurice Patel]

sorry last sentence is garbled should say

such as the fact that the greatest proportion of the assets on the unity store, 
created using Autodesk software,  were being created in Maya

Maurice Patel
Autodesk : Tél:  514 954-7134

From: softimage-boun...@listproc.autodesk.com 
[mailto:softimage-boun...@listproc.autodesk.com] On Behalf Of Maurice Patel
Sent: Tuesday, March 18, 2014 11:27 AM
To: softimage@listproc.autodesk.com
Subject: RE: Autodesk webinar

Hi Nicolas,
That is a very good question. We saw a very rapid rise in mobile gaming and a 
need for a lower cost 3D solution in this area. The decision to introduce a 
product for this market was only made last spring and we wanted to get a 
product on the market within 6 months that ran on both Windows and OSX. There 
really was only one alternative once those criteria were set. However, there 
were also other criteria - such as the fact that the created proportion of the 
assets on the unity store created using Autodesk software were being created in 
Maya - that made us feel this was the right decision
Maurice

<>

Re: Autodesk webinar

[Arvid Björn]

Maurice, could you explain this, either XSI was supposed to be part of the
now failed project Skyline - or it was never meant to be kept alive, but
only bought up for its resources to then be moved into project Skyline and
other parts of AD M&E. Which one is it?

Follow-up question, if it was the first option, how come XSI was never
heavily marketed anywhere for this purpose? If it was the second, would you
agree that you were not completely open with your intentions 5 years ago?

Thanks



On Tue, Mar 18, 2014 at 4:11 PM, Nicolas Esposito <3dv...@gmail.com> wrote:

> Maurice,
>
> Maybe I didn't explained myself clearly.
>
> I'm not talking about before or after the acquisition, I'm talking about
> the features that Softimage have since XSI 7 almost, which later improve
> with the addition of Facerobot.
>
> The question is again why AD decided to push more towards Maya Lite, which
> do not have all those features that Softimage have already tailored for
> game development.
>
> I'm assuming that in the future (?) maybe those features will be
> implemented into Maya, but right now I see 3DS more towards game
> development ( seeing the wide range of plugins made by game developers )
> rather then Maya itself.
> Maya its early to judge, but still I see this "unveil" of Maya Lite very
> very strange
>
>
> 2014-03-18 16:01 GMT+01:00 Maurice Patel :
>
> Actually at the time of the acquisition Maya and 3ds Max were about 50-50
>> in games other than Japan. Outside of Japan, Softimage's core has primarily
>> been TVC. But this was more about building a run-time tool and so was
>> different from all three. It was a radically different philosophy to DCC -
>> maybe too radical.
>>
>> Maurice Patel
>> Autodesk : Tél:  514 954-7134
>>
>> From: softimage-boun...@listproc.autodesk.com [mailto:
>> softimage-boun...@listproc.autodesk.com] On Behalf Of Nicolas Esposito
>> Sent: Tuesday, March 18, 2014 10:52 AM
>> To: softimage@listproc.autodesk.com
>> Subject: Re: Autodesk webinar
>>
>> Hello Maurice,
>>
>> What sound strange to me is this: Softimage for years had all the
>> necessary tools in order to satisfy game development technology, which is
>> way more advanced than 3ds and Maya.
>> Facerobot, even if old and not updated at all in the last years, is a
>> quick way to produce head rigs with lipsync and optionally mocap, and it
>> generate ready-to-use models for game engines
>> Rendermap, altough is a tool that is used right now in other 3d app, is a
>> tool which was there since long time, same thing Ultimapper, GATOR ( which
>> is unique and Ubisoft had to made their own GATOR inside 3DS ) and poly
>> reduction, with many other useful tools.
>> Not even considering that lots of companies are still using Softimage for
>> game development, and companies like Valve and Crytek release their own
>> plugins in order to properly use propetary model export into their game
>> engines.
>>
>> What is not clear is, since Softimage had those tools for a very long
>> time, you decided to push Maya into Game Development instead of Softimage,
>> which was ( still, not the recent release, but for years ) the perfect
>> candidate for that.
>>
>> 2014-03-18 15:40 GMT+01:00 Maurice Patel > <mailto:maurice.pa...@autodesk.com>>:
>> Hi Alastair,
>> There were many reasons behind the acquisition but the main one was
>> because we saw an opportunity not just in ICE but also in the engineering
>> team that was capable of creating it. As Marc Petit stated in the press
>> release at the time:
>> "Upon the completion of this acquisition we will be adding Softimage
>> technology and products to our portfolio, and welcoming one of the most
>> talented teams in the industry to Autodesk Media & Entertainment. Both will
>> help us accelerate the work of our Games Technology Group, as we build the
>> next-generation of real-time, interactive 3D authoring tools for games,
>> film and television."
>> We had plans to build a next generation technology, starting with games -
>> we called it project skyline. The industry was in a growth period. Everyone
>> was optimistic. And if we had succeeded we probably would not be having
>> this conversation.
>> maurice
>>
>> Maurice Patel
>> Autodesk : Tél:  514 954-7134
>>
>> -Original Message-
>> From: softimage-boun...@listproc.autodesk.com> softimage-boun...@listproc.autodesk.com> [mailto:
>> softimage-boun...@listproc.autodesk.com> softimage-boun...@listproc.autodesk.com>] On Behalf Of Angus Davidso

RE: Autodesk webinar

[Maurice Patel]

Hi Nicolas,
That is a very good question. We saw a very rapid rise in mobile gaming and a 
need for a lower cost 3D solution in this area. The decision to introduce a 
product for this market was only made last spring and we wanted to get a 
product on the market within 6 months that ran on both Windows and OSX. There 
really was only one alternative once those criteria were set. However, there 
were also other criteria - such as the fact that the created proportion of the 
assets on the unity store created using Autodesk software were being created in 
Maya - that made us feel this was the right decision
Maurice

Maurice Patel
Autodesk : Tél:  514 954-7134

From: softimage-boun...@listproc.autodesk.com 
[mailto:softimage-boun...@listproc.autodesk.com] On Behalf Of Nicolas Esposito
Sent: Tuesday, March 18, 2014 11:12 AM
To: softimage@listproc.autodesk.com
Subject: Re: Autodesk webinar

Maurice,

Maybe I didn't explained myself clearly.

I'm not talking about before or after the acquisition, I'm talking about the 
features that Softimage have since XSI 7 almost, which later improve with the 
addition of Facerobot.

The question is again why AD decided to push more towards Maya Lite, which do 
not have all those features that Softimage have already tailored for game 
development.

I'm assuming that in the future (?) maybe those features will be implemented 
into Maya, but right now I see 3DS more towards game development ( seeing the 
wide range of plugins made by game developers ) rather then Maya itself.
Maya its early to judge, but still I see this "unveil" of Maya Lite very very 
strange

2014-03-18 16:01 GMT+01:00 Maurice Patel 
mailto:maurice.pa...@autodesk.com>>:
Actually at the time of the acquisition Maya and 3ds Max were about 50-50 in 
games other than Japan. Outside of Japan, Softimage's core has primarily been 
TVC. But this was more about building a run-time tool and so was different from 
all three. It was a radically different philosophy to DCC - maybe too radical.

Maurice Patel
Autodesk : Tél:  514 954-7134
From: 
softimage-boun...@listproc.autodesk.com<mailto:softimage-boun...@listproc.autodesk.com>
 
[mailto:softimage-boun...@listproc.autodesk.com<mailto:softimage-boun...@listproc.autodesk.com>]
 On Behalf Of Nicolas Esposito
Sent: Tuesday, March 18, 2014 10:52 AM
To: softimage@listproc.autodesk.com<mailto:softimage@listproc.autodesk.com>
Subject: Re: Autodesk webinar
Hello Maurice,

What sound strange to me is this: Softimage for years had all the necessary 
tools in order to satisfy game development technology, which is way more 
advanced than 3ds and Maya.
Facerobot, even if old and not updated at all in the last years, is a quick way 
to produce head rigs with lipsync and optionally mocap, and it generate 
ready-to-use models for game engines
Rendermap, altough is a tool that is used right now in other 3d app, is a tool 
which was there since long time, same thing Ultimapper, GATOR ( which is unique 
and Ubisoft had to made their own GATOR inside 3DS ) and poly reduction, with 
many other useful tools.
Not even considering that lots of companies are still using Softimage for game 
development, and companies like Valve and Crytek release their own plugins in 
order to properly use propetary model export into their game engines.

What is not clear is, since Softimage had those tools for a very long time, you 
decided to push Maya into Game Development instead of Softimage, which was ( 
still, not the recent release, but for years ) the perfect candidate for that.
2014-03-18 15:40 GMT+01:00 Maurice Patel 
mailto:maurice.pa...@autodesk.com><mailto:maurice.pa...@autodesk.com<mailto:maurice.pa...@autodesk.com>>>:
Hi Alastair,
There were many reasons behind the acquisition but the main one was because we 
saw an opportunity not just in ICE but also in the engineering team that was 
capable of creating it. As Marc Petit stated in the press release at the time:
"Upon the completion of this acquisition we will be adding Softimage technology 
and products to our portfolio, and welcoming one of the most talented teams in 
the industry to Autodesk Media & Entertainment. Both will help us accelerate 
the work of our Games Technology Group, as we build the next-generation of 
real-time, interactive 3D authoring tools for games, film and television."
We had plans to build a next generation technology, starting with games - we 
called it project skyline. The industry was in a growth period. Everyone was 
optimistic. And if we had succeeded we probably would not be having this 
conversation.
maurice

Maurice Patel
Autodesk : Tél:  514 954-7134

-Original Message-
From: 
softimage-boun...@listproc.autodesk.com<mailto:softimage-boun...@listproc.autodesk.com><mailto:softimage-boun...@listproc.autodesk.com<mailto:softimage-boun...@listproc.autodesk.com>>
 
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