Don't Die XSI

[TempOyster]

I was surprised to hear that Softimage 2015 will be the last in development. So I am hoping it doesn't die completely as I would like to see more features and improvements added to it. I've made a poll to hopefully make the developers listen to the people and make the right choice. There are a few options and the best would be to make it open source, but the other one would be to make it cheaper so more people who like it could actually afford it and not pirate it as it's probably why the development stopped. What do you all have to say?

[Hirazi Blue]

As much as I do enjoy good fanfiction, I hope you are aware none of the options you list in your poll are even remotely realistic.
The price tags you place on the product are, sadly, ridiculous, hiring new people to develop the product further doesn't fit Autodesks plans and the idea to make the product open source has been discussed when Autodesk announced Softimage's retirement and was rejected outright by Autodesk at the time (and they won't have changed their minds since).
Nevertheless: welcome to our little community! ;)

[FXDude]

XSI wont die as long as there isn't something with at least remotely similar proportions of 'power' vs. no-brainer-everyday-simplicity that comes along. (which would actually be great)

Maya could very well be humanized t'il it could barely be recognized,
but however you look at it, you can't turn a bulldozer into a jet by replacing the treadmills with nuclear ramjet engines
to then bolt-on wings onto it's frame, it would just become a (pricey/rented) bulldozer with wings, and would never become a jet (or let alone -fly-)
even if it was actually the goal, the base vehicle design in itself would have to be different entirely.

<... even if it was actually the goal>
Maya users (that don't know XSI) think Maya is fast as it is,
(and don't particularly want to see it change too much regardless of potential benefits)
and that counts for the very large majority of Maya users (many users)


Only the ones that know Maya very well, AND that also know XSI, know how much of a bulldozer it really is.
(pretty consistently even the ones that started with Maya)

Enough to have some wish they had'nt known .. 'better' (in many ways and/or in many contexts, or when turnaround times are important)

But -something- (probably eventually some freshly released production/artist-friendly mature software)
is bound to turn-up eventually, perhaps as soon as around new years. (!)

Or 'even' Blender has a pretty decent chance at becoming a decent successor, you can see with modeling (for example among a number of things) how far it has gone.
I personally wished Blender could fork-out a branch (or a mode?) where developers could have more elbow space to experiment and make changes without (or 'while less') having to try to satisfy everyone.

But until then (perhaps), the ones that have access to Soft can be considered like a pretty privileged (flying) few.

[TempOyster]

Well, was worth a try.

[Draise]

If you've got a copy of XSI, use it till bust. I still play with good old trueSpace for sanity's sake, a first love. It's got cool concepts still some new software doesn't quite grasp - yet.. it's 5 years dead. Still, very fun.

If XSI makes you happy, keep whittling away at it, support those who support it, and keep it going.

[Shredder565]

what I would like is a universal code that lets users who bought it put it on as many pc's as they want, AND a universal AUTH code to make re instal painless due to new computer buy or pc reformats. Re instant.

I'm using Softimage till something similair comes out, or the day I die... I'm to old to re learn max and bother with the over complicated maya

[Hirazi Blue]

I still play with good old trueSpace for sanity's sake, a first love. It's got cool concepts still some new software doesn't quite grasp - yet.. it's 5 years dead. Still, very fun.

OT: is there still any kind of (more or less) active community supporting Truespace after all these years?

[Draise]

Here's a somewhat still kinda active community based around trueSpace HERE. There is maybe 1 or 2 active developers still making scripts and addons, and a couple others who drop by the forums every now and then - considering though, there is an "unofficial" update patch, third of it's kind. I frequent the forums there. I've tried developing my own stuff in there too - scripts/shaders. Albeit, the forum is more about the art and the mates in the community now these days, software not really mattering. But a lot there still like trueSpace and do the majority of the work there, but others have moved onto Blender, Messiah, Hexagon, etc yet still frequent the forum.

I certainly hope you all stick to a clandestine kind of "developing" Si, or even focus more on making a whole SI like creative platform with Fabric Engine.....

[Hirazi Blue]

Hope you all stick to a clandestine kind of "developing" Si, or even focus more on making a whole SI like creative platform with Fabric Engine.....

The only way this might have a remote chance of happening, is if we can keep the current community as active as possible. A more or less active community is the only way to convince developers to spend any more time on a dead/dying platform. So to keep Softimage alive, active participation by every member in the community would seem to be a must (i.e. keeping the community alive is very much a community effort). After having succesfully "guaranteed" the community's survival, the rest will be relatively "easy".

[Draise]

True. I've lately seen a lot of good articles and interviews of SI being used - and thankfully those being interviewed have talked of SI. More exposure from a community makes the demand... =)

[TempOyster]

I've tried Max, I've tried Maya, and I have tried Blender. Nothing seems to feel as good as Soft, plus the ICE thing is really amazing to get set up even if it's just for a raft draft. The only thing in it is (that has me pulling my hear and going to other 3D packages) the no support for GPU rendering out of the box. LuxRender seems to be going in the right direction, but you have to export the stuff and no quick render box support I guess. I've even tried to program my own 3D package, so it feels like it. GPGPU particles, and GPU rendering is the way to go, the CPU isn't fast enough to keep up so far. Come on lol, I've just came up with an idea to organize the PPGs better. Holding shift while dragging it will allow you to snap it into anywhere in the screen and move the other stuff over, so it's nice and neat. Business is great and all, but why does it seem to sometimes eclipse the awthomneth in the weettle thingths. Anyways, everyone has their preferences, I don't mean to be pushy or anything to Autodesk, I just love Softimage. Good night, thanks for your comments : )

[druitre]

GPU rendering for XSI If you're looking for something that's 'going in the right direction' - this IS already there and changing the rules.

[nuverian]

+2 for Redshift

[julius]

+3 !

[Pancho]

Yep! Redshift rocks!

[mirkoj]

just waiting for another batch of 5 970 cards for redshift.. I'm loving it and it is really game changer.
Redshift alone gave another couple years of wind in the back to SI ;)