Idea- Just keep Mental Ray and FBX support -Softimage/bundle

[waffleface]

Softimage is ready out of the box now with no new features added. Why not, leave it as is, but continue to support new Mental Ray and FBX updates so that it still continues to fit nicely into any pipeline and leave continued development past 2016 at those simple two things. Leave the rest up to plug-in developers and forever-more include Softimage as a free throw-in with any Maya or Max or Suite purchase or rental, so there will be many ways to own it or rent it while exclusively promoting your other packages. The other great thing, since it can only now come with Max/Maya or a Suite, is that Soft users are never a financial burden to their employers since it will always be a free seat with any existing Max/Maya licence.

This could be a very easy, welcomed add-on to the existing Softimage retirement announcement. Please please, consider this as an option Autodesk and please, everyone, support and promote this idea to Autodesk, I think it's our best bet and we might actually be able to get this.

-regards

[waffleface]

(without question, no matter what, Softimage is depreciated but I'm trying to get the best effect out of a transition here)

Soft, as is, without plug-ins or new features, is STILL usable for games, movies, commercials and more. Removing it as a stand-alone product, and packing it SOLEY as a tie in bonus with Maya, Max or any Suite, ONLY further promotes the packages AD wants to keep alive while appeasing the small studios (Japan/Vancouver/etc.) and freelance users of Softimage quite a bit better than just a 2016 cutoff. By keeping alive Crosswalk/FBX functionality for some time longer, -modeling, animation, UV, rigging, etc. can all still be done as is in Soft and if needed, easily sent over to Maya, as that features work right now between those two packages quite well (a little trickier with max as you don't get all the automated 2-way crosswalk features last I checked but you still have FBX handy and a TD can easily work with that). Keeping up to date Mental Ray, allows existing pipe-lines that go in the other direction, or use Softimage entirely, able to keep up and extend the transition period beyond 2016. Now, remember, all the while anyone primarily using Softimage with these Crosswalk/Mental Ray add-ons, are also going to have full up to date copies of at least one of the 2 non-depreciated softwares that AD wants to continue and actively promote at this time, which is only going to increase AD's revenue by ensuring many Japanese/Vancouver studios and others stay in the Autodesk family, and that alone will likely provide more than enough revenue that would potentially be lost (even if only in small amounts) to the obvious hoard of disgruntled orphans.

I don't want to make this too long, but I had hoped by now, AD would have already merged the 3 major userbases (I expect with a Maya base above all else because big studios have a lot invested in existing pipelines with it and that just makes financial sense) . I think the above will really help with that transition, and they can promote in the future a refined Maya with a well needed updated hypershade (Softimage's render tree kills the current, dated, hypershade without question usability wise) and with a much needed update to the interaction model/keyboard shortcut/user interface that Softimage has over every other package out there, out of the box as a default. When you tack on the upcoming ICE replacement, and the best is done not to alienate hurt Softimage users, I think many if not most will naturally migrate to a well refined Maya without much cajoling with the above mentioned treats and perhaps some love given to the animation/keying/rigging/weighting systems.

Anyways, that's my peace, I put it out there with the best of intentions. Mudbox is one of my favorites, I started with Max, moved onto Maya and ended up with Softimage. And in the current forms I have to wait for the future to move on from Softimage, because nothing, inside or outside of the AD family is going to replace it today, and I want that extended for as long as possible as Maya is refined into the obvious front-runner than merges the 3 bases.

[McNistor]

who are you talking to?

[Rez007]

I am assuming his efforts are to anyone from Autodesk who takes a look. Someone from AD might not respond, but at least they might read it.

I actually have similar feelings, as I thought if Autodesk was going to do this, that they would have just made Softimage Suite only and get rid of the Stand Alone option. They let Composite ride...why can't they do that with Softimage? After 2016 , maybe keep a couple of guys for simple implementation of necessities and that is it, and just let it ride out and let us change when we feel we think the time is good. In the meantime we will be learning either Maya or Max and a transition is more likely than what they currently have in place.

Before our license would have terminated, and I think that decision came from the Revenue Section of Autodesk (whatever Maurice called it) - I feel that was a strong arm tactic to get us over to Maya or Max, especially from which department that decision was made. Keeping our licenses active was a move because they realized their mistake after the community backlash. The best move would have made it Suite only even as a "bonus," as Autodesk likes to call it.

Edit: the absolute best move would be to bring Softimage back, which I am still hoping for