To me the similarity in situations between Avid getting DS and AD getting SI strikes me as both astonishing and unsurprising at the same time. (like a paradox)
(like huuge industry standard holding conglomerates, absorbing smaller perhaps intimidating and potentially gamechanging counterparts ) But after a decade+, DS is still (not so minimally) supported, (DS V11 Features <http://www.avid.com/US/products/avid-ds/Features>) while the few DS users (far fewer than SI) have been complaining about exposure and anticipating "the end" since Day 1 of the 'not so new anymore' "regime". Not that could make it easier to consider getting stripped, assimilated and minimized as a "good thing" for any absorbed entity, and of course there is lots of room for SI to be far less "un-prioritized" without putting a dent, if not expand sacred revenue streams. But in the case of SI, it's not by chance that it can be this much supported by it's own userbase. General mutual support, but also SI users coming-up with things that are nothing short of full blown features.. >From in-viewport motion path editing driving SRT curves, to easy yet advanced auto-rig creation tools, plus a constantly growing a-rray ;) of nifty tiny to quite elaborate ICE things that can do real things. This level of support is perhaps in reaction to any possible & relative arrested development from upstairs, but "not by chance" because for instance, somehow 3DS will always remain 3DS until it would be superseded by something else. (without implying 3DS being at-all "bad", having it's own strengths and niches) But even after several years and several new (some very good) features in these perhaps more mainstream solutions, to this day (in 2013), anyone having experienced xSI (without access to coding departments ) in the heat of all sorts of VFX production contexts, either tend to stick to it, or whish these other solutions were somehow more like it in a variety of (very much core) aspects, and that is highly unlikely to change until something relatively revolutionary comes along. (NOTE: no comment about how some solutions may have been made to me more common) As many of you here would surely agree, I think it mostly has to do with how it can *quite inherently* be as consistent, straightforward, & predictable. how complexity is made simple, or the particular balance ratio of artist/technical wherewithal requirements to get things working, nice & get things *done* while remaining just as "friendly" for those that can be more technically literate or inclined. Making the problem solving process of "3D" not so much of a pain if not actually easy, if not actually fun while giving very good likelihoods of having your experiments, hunches, shots in the dark or whatever you happen to be cooking, be fruitful. (the everything working with everythingness) Like making "what you had in mind", or making "original" or making otherwise "cool" more accessible, or like pushing the limit of what is actually possible within given time/resource limits. In any event, I think SI developers really weren't kidding when they called-it "next-gen" : ) and that AD might want to consider that a <<true-er>> "SoftimaYa" might be something that could more likely come out from scratch, as opposed to merely adding (yet) more on top (of something that may have been already well on the "overcomplicated" side for a considerable range of project scales, almost from the start). Nevertheless, saying that "the bar is high" for a new thing coming along would definatly be an understatement! Thanks & Tip of the hat to you! : )
