Spoiler Alert: NO SPOILERS ANYMORE

[McNistor]

I am not naive to think that a petition is going to solve everything. I fully imagine it will solve nothing directly. But it could be bad PR for them.

I am simply hoping that Autodesk will be put into a position where they have to comment. and be reminded that they are dealing with real people, not just numerical figures.
By not paying to upgrade Softimage, you will be playing into their hands. Ie, that you will be proving that Softimage's demand is waning. Their assumption will be that you switch to Maya. it would be a silent protest that ensures that Softimage is closer to its end than if you did nothing.

Even governments have to answer if there are enough people asking the questions.

You're right, they'd probably be assuming that. That is until they draw the line at the end of fiscal quarter/ year.
I'm not saying that not staying on sub. and/or not buying a license (or do everything you can to promote XSI to others) will be without consequences. It will probably mean the "death" of XSI since it will mean a big drop of revenue.
But what are the options? I think they are as follows: keep paying to Autodesk and get (almost) nothing in return or stop paying and get nothing in return.
I hope I'm wrong about the "nothing", but it's not long before we find out. 26th of this month if I'm not mistaken.

[Pooby]

I am gradually moving all my work over to Fabric Engine as I see that company as the continuation of the Softimage spirit of inspired design. I cannot see an exciting long term development of Softimage in AD's hands based upon the recent awful releases.

However, in the transitional period, I will be using Softimage (ICE) to prototype and develop tools and ideas and actually produce work.
Apart from anything else, I do not like paying for pathetic upgrades so that is enough for me to want to make them answer for their actions. They certainly wont answermy questions if I sent them a mail, but they might if it represented 1000 users questions.

[McNistor]

Go ahead with the petition then. I'm definitely interested in those answers too.
However, I wouldn't be surprised to see Autodesk simply ignore it.

[Nizar]

So Hirazi can start a sort of pool into si-community?

[mirkoj]

Pooby do you think that at some point there could be enough modules fairly finished to be able to put together an user friendly full process application?
Right now Fabric Engine does look great but it is not really a tool for artist to take and start working, and as I understood it was never meant to be right?
Are there options to maybe have bunch of modules created with Fabric engine and people just choose which module to use in their workflow. Maybe having option to choose between couple different character rigging and animation modules, different rendering modules... and so on.

Or I just completely misunderstood point and plan behind Fabric Engine.

[Pooby]

Well, they aren't directly trying to be a full DCC application. (yet?)

However, it is possible to make all the component parts that go into a DCC application, so for example, if you wanted to make a rigging toolset or use theirs or a hybrid of such, and their animation toolset which is in development, you could import a model, rig and animate it and render it with their 'stage' module.
I see it as way of making DCC components that can be strung together how you like.
Its not currently something any artist could just pick up and use however as, outside their modules, they are aiming first at the lower level stuff, and its more for TD's right now. However, I do beleive that it will become more and more friendly to use as they (and other users) make more artist freindly modules over time.

I'm not a big scripter, so Its going to take a while for me personally to get up to speed. I will though, as there is a lot that I can't achieve with any other DCC applications. (including softimage)

[Pancho]

Hi Paul,

is it possible to create custom compounds with Fabric Engine which then can be used in ICE directly?

Cheers

[Hirazi Blue]

To return to the topic of the petition:
Although even I have some doubts about such a petition, I don’t think a general call to jump ship really helps anyone. An individual may or may not decide, obviously, to keep on paying money to Autodesk or to stop doing so. A (call for a) massive exodus of Softimage users will only lead to an untimely discontinuation of the product and, seriously, the Softimage user base isn’t large enough for Autodesk to truly care for or probably even really register the loss in revenue. And telling them what software we would switch to also is quite pointless, I’m afraid, for almost the same reason.
Personally, I still want (desperately) to see/believe the development as “merely sleeping”, as in: not dead just yet. That said, Autodesk should absolutely take the time to address the fears of the user base and not in some exclusive SIC_London meetings under strict NDA, but as openly as is legally possible. And I am pretty sure, legally a lot more is possible than they have been telling us so far. If only they were to try...

@Nizar – No, I won’t be taking the initiative on this one. I am willing to help in many ways, but this one should be “run” by Pooby himself.

[jamination]

People can read Autodesk's intentions anyway they want, but my read on this is a clear indication that Autodesk does not consider Softimage a priority product and I am sure they would feel better about supporting 2 instead of 3 products (in the long run). I started on 3dstudio version 4, then went into max until version 6, softimage 3.5 until now, and I have NEVER seen updates like the last 2, never, it is just appalling. If this is the last Softimage because too many drop subscription, so be it, it is on Autodesk not the users. Eventually something else will fill the void.

[Nizar]

To return to the topic of the petition:
Although even I have some doubts about such a petition, I don’t think a general call to jump ship really helps anyone. An individual may or may not decide, obviously, to keep on paying money to Autodesk or to stop doing so. A (call for a) massive exodus of Softimage users will only lead to an untimely discontinuation of the product and, seriously, the Softimage user base isn’t large enough for Autodesk to truly care for or probably even really register the loss in revenue. And telling them what software we would switch to also is quite pointless, I’m afraid, for almost the same reason.
Personally, I still want (desperately) to see/believe the development as “merely sleeping”, as in: not dead just yet. That said, Autodesk should absolutely take the time to address the fears of the user base and not in some exclusive SIC_London meetings under strict NDA, but as openly as is legally possible. And I am pretty sure, legally a lot more is possible than they have been telling us so far. If only they were to try...

@Nizar – No, I won’t be taking the initiative on this one. I am willing to help in many ways, but this one should be “run” by Pooby himself.

agree, but trying is not so hard or disturbing us.

Eventually something else will fill the void.

what? There is many software around, I don't see one with the some characteristics. I see only others software like softimage companion but not a real substitute (even in the long run)

[jamination]

My point is the reason you use Softimage is more than likely not being updated anyway(ie. rendering, modeling, character animation, hair, cloth, etc.), and in spite of all hopes it more than likely won't be, so it is up to another company to fill the void, and they should if they want the market. I don't think our continued subscription money to Autodesk is going to change that, it will go somewhere but not to what "we" want added/changed. The choice of paying and not getting what i want and not paying and not getting what i want is easy.

edit: well, of course people should keep using it along as it maintains its usefulness. but its superiority can't last forever if things never progress.

[mirkoj]

problem with filling that void is that even without updates those tools in SI are still waaaay ahead than something else out there.. not tools only but package as whole and even with so many flaws it still feels best of all of them.
Really Softimage for me feels like a glow, while anything ANYTHING else is more like some clumsy tool.
That is the point.. I still haven't found nothing similar to glow feeling when working but just more clumsy tools.

[Bullit]

No member of the board will ever step in front of the shareholders and
say: "Hey what can we do to make softimage, maya or max a better product for all the users so thy come to like us?"
And the shareholders say "well let´s just give up a part of our profit so the devs can develop another killer feature."

Anyone can be a shareholder including you. A shareholder have certain rights. One way to make them notice is to warn shareholders of bad decisions.

[SreckoM]

Problem is that you guys think that AD is doing wrong with SI. From shareholders point of view what AD today is doing with SI is exactly what they should do. It is not only 3d software product they own, it is not best seller either, it is not most popular … so they invest enough to keep it alive so they can suck last few pennies out of it. Good thing, for artist, is that SI is such a great piece of software that even without decent investment is still on same level (if not better) as any other 3d software out there. How long that will last, is another question though.

[Pooby]

I sincerely hope it doesn't last long. I'd absolutely love it if there was something better than Softimage around. Unfortunately, nothing can even approach it in the areas I need it.

[antsjoe]

In reading through the post, I think that the petition would be useful if there can be Press Release/coverage in industry magazines and large 3D & related forums-web sites. People and organizations tend to be influenced best by News and Press Releases that can pull back the covers on mistreatment, dissatisfied customer/user base and shoddy practices.

I have been a subscriber in past and currently due to only practical method to have Soft Image on a second computer without purchasing another license and the excessive cost to renew if fail to maintain subscription or updates. I am a single/solo user and the budget I have continues to decrease with each year of minimal economic growth.

I think threats or outright ending subscriptions will probably not accomplish end user wish list of improvements. Discussing the use of a product like Fabric engine to create the better SI might have unforeseen consequences on corporations doing things they like to do with their money - Sue parties that they fear or buy them up. I hope that not one of them occurs for Fabric Engine. It looks like it has great potential in the future and I hope to spend some time this summer learning about it.

So, when the petition has a link I will be glad to add my signature to it. I hope that the discontent and lack of commitment from AD to improve SI can show up in the press and at conferences where they demo SI to the public. Even having persons attending ask questions during the presentations may help to build interest and PR that may spark AutoDesk
to make a change in an improved forecast/release for Soft Image.

aj