Marc Petit joins Exocortex

[McNistor]

I would smash a church window to be able to have a peek...; )

Not willing to do much for it apparently. I'd smash a church window for nothing in return. Nothing other than the giggles, of course.
Anyway, you're talking as if you know what the rumor is about. Care to share?

[Eugen]

Nah, nothing to share. I would squeeze my hands good if they happened to be around the neck of some Autodesk decision maker, to get the answers.
But then, being throttled usually goes hand in hand with loosing the ability to speak... ; }

[Superpositivo]

But, Eric, about your "news", are you referring about the rumors on the Softimage Mailing List, or some new News?... You already said it,now. So what is it about?..

[ActionArt]

I wouldn't read to much into SI's lack of development. I'm in a job not where I use Inventor a lot and this is supposedly one of Autodesk's flagship products. They don't even develop it properly! I think it's pretty much par for the course with any AD product.

The sad thing is, once a product is sucked onto the AD vortex it never seems to make it out. If someone with real ambition could buy it, it have a chance but that will never happen.

[xsi_fanatic]

I wouldn't read to much into SI's lack of development. I'm in a job not where I use Inventor a lot and this is supposedly one of Autodesk's flagship products. They don't even develop it properly! I think it's pretty much par for the course with any AD product.

The sad thing is, once a product is sucked onto the AD vortex it never seems to make it out. If someone with real ambition could buy it, it have a chance but that will never happen.

Whatever happened to the power of believing ? Who knows, maybe Softimage might be the first to be released from AD's captivity ;)

[gfxman]

I wouldn't read to much into SI's lack of development. I'm in a job not where I use Inventor a lot and this is supposedly one of Autodesk's flagship products. They don't even develop it properly! I think it's pretty much par for the course with any AD product.

The sad thing is, once a product is sucked onto the AD vortex it never seems to make it out. If someone with real ambition could buy it, it have a chance but that will never happen.

Whatever happened to the power of believing ? Who knows, maybe Softimage might be the first to be released from AD's captivity ;)

Maybe exocortex or fabric engine guys could buy it and develop on it, for it again? I don't think they would need so much money, if it's true that autodesk wants to dismiss it.

[EricTRocks]

Whatever happened to the power of believing ? Who knows, maybe Softimage might be the first to be released from AD's captivity ;)

Maybe exocortex or fabric engine guys could buy it and develop on it, for it again? I don't think they would need so much money, if it's true that autodesk wants to dismiss it.

Sorry but this is not realistic at all. How many people does it already take to maintain the product and QC it for each release and provide support? Does Exocortex or Fabric have that many people currently? Or the money to do that? I don't think so. Plus, I don't think they'd want to take over a 10+ year old software to maintain. AD never lets products out of their hands either. Look at the history. They get it, either dev it and put more money into it, or just let it die...

[McNistor]

Maybe exocortex or fabric engine guys could buy it and develop on it, for it again? I don't think they would need so much money, if it's true that autodesk wants to dismiss it.

So AD bought Softimage for $30mil from Avid and you want a bunch of programmers and other IT people to buy it from AD?
And that's assuming AD would sell which it wouldn't like it's been already said.

[Hirazi Blue]

As long as we're speaking hypothetically, which we are, as Autodesk is not selling, the main question seems to be: who in their right mind would be interested in buying Softimage from Autodesk? Let's face it: ever since the acquisition Autodesk has actively and successfully devalued and further marginalized the brand. To a prospective buyer this would mean having to rebuild the brand from the ground up to regain even a semblance of competitiveness. And that's the kind of momentous task nobody would be willing to invest in, even if they could convince Autodesk to sell (which they couldn't).
IMHO

[Eugen]

Agreed, the image of Softimage became... soft. ; ) Nomen est omen.

[Mathaeus]

As long as we're speaking hypothetically, which we are, as Autodesk is not selling, the main question seems to be: who in their right mind would be interested in buying Softimage from Autodesk?

Well, Foundry seems to be a master in recycling. Don't believe that Modo or even Nuke had sooo much better structure. However Softimage seems to be much bigger challenge. After all, they don't need to do anything significant in first few years.
I think we are too much influenced by opinion of programmers (actually by one of them), as well as our, mainly 'artistic' opinion. In real world, both programmers and artists are, just, employers, they have to do what boss wants. Imho, SI brand is still strong, and brand istelf seems to be more important than any fancy technology.
But... just personally, nine years ago, I was ready to go in voluntary overtime, to fight against Mental Ray, I was ready to forget the vacation because I was only one, running this XSI thing. Today, I just don't want to be only one fanatic in entire team. At least two or three of us . Well, that "two or three" SI users, it was constantly impossible mission, for everyone who wants to work and live out of few big places.

[Bullit]

Autodesk will never sell Softimage unless they need every $. Besides would need someone knowing the application and with a future growing vision for it.

The only chance for Softimage being out of Autodesk would be if they sell the whole Media and Entertainment division. But then what? Someone needs to pick it up and have a vision for it.

If one day Carl Bass wakes up with a new mantra: "we are now a devices and services" company like Microsoft and wants to start build 3D printers, for that, Autodesk needs to make a big investment buying or building a 3D printing company to move in direction of integrating software and printing hardware, then i can see them selling the whole M&E. If they see money in whole 3D printing there are some chances that can happen since M&E isn't giving much reasons for Autodesk happiness except as a PR operation.

[McNistor]

haha, we're incorrigible. Almost every single thread in the general section derails into this narrative.

[EricTRocks]

haha, we're incorrigible. Almost every single thread in the general section derails into this narrative.

Ill take the blame for that this time. Sorry

[angus_davidson]

haha, we're incorrigible. Almost every single thread in the general section derails into this narrative.

Well we are incorrigible, however it just shows how much there is an underlying concern over the future. Autodesk could have easily come out the way they did with Max and given us some reassurance, but no.

[Hirazi Blue]

haha, we're incorrigible. Almost every single thread in the general section derails into this narrative.

Well we are incorrigible, however it just shows how much there is an underlying concern over the future. Autodesk could have easily come out the way they did with Max and given us some reassurance, but no.

Wise words, indeed. All the Softimage community ever got from Autodesk when it came to addressing fears over the future was the famous accusation of “fear mongering”. But more importantly: the idea that we’re incorrigible and that almost every thread derails into the same old narrative is an old and damning myth. We’re passionate about the software and fearful/doubtful about its future, that much is true & that IS something that does pervade “almost every single thread” in this little community (not just in the general section).
;)