Autodesk retires Softimage

[McNistor]

In that case you can't go wrong with Zbrush.
Fun to learn however is anything but. At least that's how it was for me and to tell you the truth it still feels like an alien application. By alien I mean extraterrestrial.

[Dwindleflip]

So we're all moving to Maya? Will Autodesk cancel it in 2 years too? Are they going to lie to their customers while they phase it out of development too? Theres no way 3dsmax is going to survive this.

Softimage will ALWAYS be a legendary brand worth remembering. Autodesk however has increasingly become synonymous with shit. So whats the goal? Where is all this heading? Is there some master plan with a bright side to all of this?

It sure would be nice to know. The Softimage brand should live on and the autodesk brand should die.

[Shredder565]

October 23rd 2008. Autodesk acquires Softimage press release.
Marc Petit: "...We plan to maintain and grow the Softimage product line, and through Autodesk FBX provide better interoperability between Softimage products, 3ds Max and Autodesk Maya... <snip> ...To all 3D artists out there, I want to tell you that we understand your passion for the creative tools you use daily, and that with Autodesk, you can choose your passion."

What a f@#king liar Autodesk turned out to be!

also egotistical. we can choose them without autodesk being in existence as well....

[Zabander]

It would be smart to move from AD, maybe to the foundry or sidefx, I really think that people should not support AD, moving to 3ds max or maya is just a way to allow them to do whatever they want with their costumers. I also use 3ds max but if it wasn't because my Company has a 3ds max pipeline already installed I would move to a serious company.

[dude007]

Wow this sucks so much. I have been using softimage xsi as a graphic design student alongside cinema4d and I have always preferred xsi above any other 3d program. I wanted to buy a license after graduating and did not care about softimage job availability since that was never my goal in using xsi. I had tried maya first and I learn the basics along with some fundamental modeling at school and it felt slow when working with it after I got a try of XSI. XSI was simply the best option for me it just feels right and fast when using it, but buying a license does not seem like an option anymore as autodesk wants to completely get rid of it. I guess my only option and for others that wanted to buy XSI after the end of development will have to use a crack version of it. What the hell were they thinking?

[j3st3r]

Non AD alternatives:

ZBrush
Modo, C4D, Houdini, Blender, Lightwave

For work, I have to stay with AD (Maya from now on, Max is a mediocre jurassic fossil shit, literally speaking), but at home I try to never touch AD product again.

[sattish]

R.I.P Softimage

[Pancho]

Let's get real. Neither Modo nor Lightwave are an alternative to SI. NOT -AT - ALL!

Modo is a nice modeling application. But I would never use it for animation nor particle FX. And LW? Same Modeler for 12 years at least. And for the rest, forget.

Moving over to Maya seems to be a good idea for those who are eager to ride dead horses. Very good decision.

Currently FE seems to be only way out. But what is it at this point and where will it be in 2 years time? For those who actually work with SI it'll be still a good and valuable programm in 2 years time. Till then hopefully something other pops up. But spending thousend of hours to bend my head around a shitty software from a company which is dead in terms of inspiration and new visions is a total no go! Only because a software still gets updates doesn't mean it isn't already dead.

Photoshop is dead for at least a dozen of years, but a lot of people don't seem to notice and still use it....

[benoit81]

Quand le ciel bas et lourd pèse comme un couvercle
Sur l'esprit gémissant en proie aux longs ennuis,
Et que de l'horizon embrassant tout le cercle
Il nous verse un jour noir plus triste que les nuits ;

Quand la terre est changée en un cachot humide,
Où l'Espérance, comme une chauve-souris,
S'en va battant les murs de son aile timide
Et se cognant la tête à des plafonds pourris ;

Quand la pluie étalant ses immenses traînées
D'une vaste prison imite les barreaux,
Et qu'un peuple muet d'infâmes araignées
Vient tendre ses filets au fond de nos cerveaux,

Des cloches tout à coup sautent avec furie
Et lancent vers le ciel un affreux hurlement,
Ainsi que des esprits errants et sans patrie
Qui se mettent à geindre opiniâtrement.

- Et de longs corbillards, sans tambours ni musique,
Défilent lentement dans mon âme ; l'Espoir,
Vaincu, pleure, et l'Angoisse atroce, despotique,
Sur mon crâne incliné plante son drapeau noir.

Personnellement, j'aimerai bien connaître l'avis de Daniel Langlois à propos de l'arrêt de Softimage.
En ce qui me concerne, je vais continuer à bosser sur Softimage dans ma boite ; tant que je ne trouverai pas un meilleur produit. Mais aujourd'hui Softimage fait le job sans prise de tête. L'interdiction de la vente à de nouvelles entreprises est un coup dur, car les éditeurs de plugins vont fuir ce soft. Perso, je n'aurai pas beaucoup de compassion si tout l'édifice Autodesk s'écroule. Jamais cette société aurait du être autorisée à avoir un tel monopole dans les softs 3D. Les autorités n'ont pas fait leur job.
Longue vie à la communauté Softimage !

[steve22]

That's a good post Pancho, thanks for sharing your knowledge. LW gives much more complete package and Modo seems to be one of the best to do modeling.

[KLONOA WORKS]

wait? I cant even buy softimage in the future ?
I am student and I was planing to get it after I graduate. !!!

is it true ?

[Pancho]

Have you read ANY of the current threads???

[KLONOA WORKS]

Have you read ANY of the current threads???

March 28, 2014, Softimage will no longer be available for sale to new customers


yup just want to see if I was dreaming. What should I do?,at least let them buy it.

[Nizar]

Not sure, I have not experience, maybe I wrong, but I think that there might be room for a lawsuit against Autodesk for disclosure of false information to market manipulate. False statements, indeed, to have earned by selling license of XSI, users did lost money and waste time.

[Pancho]

That might be a nice one.

Everybody should ask someone in their families or amaong their friends if this is a realistic option.

[owei]

Once again, I would like to gain attention to http://www.3dwillneverbethesame.com! Please contribute! It´s about you and your great work!! If you are working in a studio, try to convince you boss to contribute as a studio. We need to team up...beside this community.

Also, who did not sign already, though it might does not help much, please sign the petition:
http://www.change.org/petitions/autodesk-save-softimage

Thanks,
oliver (founder and host of si-community.com)