Cinema 4d R8 Documentation

[Per-Anders]

i heard rumour that c4d english version would be released mid next month, and that's when the docs wil be released too. for the moemtn all we have are the tutorial manuals that come with the demo (although thinking particles and mocca tutorial manuals aren't complete either... grrr).

[AdamT]

Next month? They sure missed their target by a fair margin. And grr.:thumbsdow

[kiwi]

My documents CD has the text files which say see the manuals on the docs CD which dont exist on the docs CD I have.I did find an AR PDF manual in goodies I think it was though :)


Stu.

[rock]

Thanks.

...Rock

[kiwi]

Oooh sorry Rock :hmm: ...its in FEATURES or MODULES,I am not sure if it was installed with the C8 installation or with the following modules,but its "NOT" on the CDs as I previously said.


Stu.

[imashination]

Originally posted by AdamT
Next month? They sure missed their target by a fair margin. And grr.:thumbsdow

The target was Autumn.

It still is autumn

What have I missed?

[pit]

I really want the documentation badly, but I´d rather have flawless docs than some I have to update (downloading pdf´s, printing etc.) So waiting 2 weeks more for those is ok. Guess it´s a logistic problem too - imagine truckloads of manuals that needs to be packed and shipped. Be patient - I´m sure they´re (Maxon) doing a great job on these also!

[AdamT]

The target was Autumn.

True, but more recently there were some strong suggestions that we could expect the shipped version by mid-October. Certainly it was suggested when the EB was announced that the final product would ship within a few weeks of that--although I suspect y'all knew that was a pipedream.

[visualsee]

I wish (Maxon) they would update us on the status of the documentation. I was originally quoted late October when I was asked if I wanted the early bird. My credit card was charged the FULL amount for the early bird (they told me this would happen), however that was under the assumption I'd get the final by the end of October. The EB is essentially a late beta (with no Shave/Haitcut compatibility) and I have no final version and no documentation. Granted, I love the new software, but I would have preferred a demo copy or would have waited if I knew it would have been 1.5 - 2 month until I got a finished product and documentation. I splurged on the studio upgrade and it make a dent in my credit card that I'm now paying for and haven't got the final product. I hope they'll update us soooooooon. I've been with Maxon because of their grest products and great customer service, however lately I've received the run around when I call them on the phone and my emails go unanswered. Can anyone here comment on the official release date?

[Erik Heyninck]

Whenever I contact Maxon Germany, I get an answer the next day at the latest. If I read correctly on their site, the EB that is now shipping is a final version, yet still without printed manuals.
I do hope that Stu's remark that his manuals CD doesn't function is an exception, because, coming from Art, I do will need some kind of guiding too. Yet, the tutorials manual that comes with the demo version is of a far better quality that the one that came with 7.

[AdamT]

I thought the German final release was out, complete with manuals. No?

[visualsee]

Their site seems to say that.

[rgwarren]

Well, they were quick to charge my credit card! I got my EB CD's in about two days!

I don't care if it's paper or PDF right now. I would love to actually figure out the whole Expresso and TP stuff with some real documentation rather than some tutorials that show me how part of it works!

They must have the English PDF's available. Post em!@!@!@!@

[visualsee]

I think the documentation is all that most of us want. I can live without the printed, if I can get the PDF versions. However, at this point a lot of us have paid for the EB under the guise that there was complete documentation on the CDs we'd receive and that wasn't the case. All I want is some documentation so I can figure out how to use some of the features it offers.

[AdamT]

To be honest, my understanding was that there would not be much documentation with the EB release. The main holdup with the shipping version is the documentation and translations. Still, I thought the final release would ship w/n 2-3 weeks of the EB release--not 2-3 *months*.

But I do hope they post the .pdfs whenever they're available.

[visualsee]

I recall the exact wording that I was told when I was asked if I wanted the EB. The first thing I asked about was documentation and I was told (and I quote), "You will find everything you will need, including documentation, on the EB CDs that you will receive." I guess the "everything you will need" really means a bunch of sample c4d files. :hmm:

[acid2002]

Hello all,
After getting my R8 XL Bundle there was a note inside saying the manuals will definately be with me by the end of November.
I also confirmed this by telephone with Maxon UK

Hope this helps

ps My manuals will probably be in the region of 2500 pages hence the delay

[visualsee]

I didn't get any notes like that. No dates were quoted in what I read. I'll have to double check when I get in front of the PC that the EB letter is sitting near.

[visualsee]

bump.

Maxon, any more news on our documentation or final release? I've sent emails to you guys that have gone unanswered and am curious about the status. You've got my $ and I'd really like the product I paid for. :)

[Erik Heyninck]

Be lucky it's only the manuals! I got a mail on Nov 1st that my EB was to be sent, but nearly three weeks later there's still nothing. I conatcted sales at Maxon, and they don't reply. In a few days I'll try to find out whether I can stop the VISA payment.

[visualsee]

I really like Maxon, but I must say that their customer service has gone in the tank over the past few months. I can't get a straight answer from them on the phone and they don't reply to emails. Personally I'm starting to think that I'd be better of just sticking with Lightwave and asking them for a refund on the upgrades that I've paid for and technically haven't received. The product may be great, but if paying customers who have paid a lot of $ (over $1500 for me) can't get a straight answer then they don't deserve our business. I know I'll probably get someone who flames me for being impatient, but I'm just a little annoyed and rightfully so.

[rgwarren]

I agree. What good are new features when the documentation doesn't exist? Thinking Particles is pretty useless aside from a couple of examples. MOCCA would be great if I could actually have some documentation. Expresso..... You get my point.

I paid for an incomplete product I have yet to receive. The EB CDs are nice but MAXON shouldn't have been able to take an order promising documentation within a month ( 2 months ago! ) and taken my money as well.

Kind of a bummer.

:shame:

[visualsee]

:shrug: Worse yet, Maxon said the documentation was on the CDs when I ordered my EB. Yea, right.

[RickBarrett]

I'm not sure why any of you guys would've been told the docs were coming with the early bird - the docs were the whole reason we were doing the early bird. I'm sorry if you were misinformed. I know we have been suffering from a bit of wishful thinking in our estimates of shipping dates and whatnot, and I apologize - we just want to get R8 out the door as much as you do.

The docs have been delayed beyond our expectations - it was just a bigger job than I think the folks working on it realized. With the modularity and all the new features there was quite a bit to document. I'm told they're currently at the press and should be in our hands here in the US the first week of December. We'll get them out to you as soon as we have them.

I appreciate everyone's patience and hope you'll bear with us for just a couple more weeks.

- Rick -

[Erik Heyninck]

And I simply want it "in" my door. Three weeks between the mail and today, and nothing. It may well be belgian post as I wrote to Maxon, but why no answer? Why don't they give me the data of the registered mail so I have something to hold on and start asking questions? The money will be taken from my bank account in some two weeks, and I only have one to eventually block the payment. One simple mail would help me out. But nothing comes. And it's easy to say that I've got to show some patience when you've got your copy and can work with it, study it etc. I come from Art. I have no idea what particles are, how anim works...hey: this is getting urgent.

[visualsee]

It's nice to see some acknowledgement from you Rick, however I am still concerned that the first week of December isn't a firm date and still sounds squishy. What type of refund policy do you have if someone wishes to bail on the upgrade and eventually gets sick of waiting -- just so they can get their money back?

[rgwarren]

Rick

I don't even want the whole manual, just the new stuff. I've been able to use old manuals for the Dynamics and BP stuff.

Isn't there some document in English for Xpresso and TP? How about for MOCCA? Any beta docs in PDF form?

Right now ANYTHING other than a couple of token .c4d files would be great. I've got about three projects on the line that I'm not in the mood for animating a zillion particles when TP could do the job much faster and easier.

I do a lot of molecular modeling and visualization and the TP was the major reason I upgraded.

You must have supplied an English document to your beta testers for TP. Where is that document?

[visualsee]

I'd settle for this to. :bounce:

[Per-Anders]

there is a getting started with TP on maxons website and there was a portion of hte tutorial manual that came with the early bird and teh demo. (in the tutorials folder rather than the manuals folder). I have a couple of more advanced samples on my website in the renderzone section

http://www.peranders.com/c4d8

and srek has a heap more for you to take apart.

http://www.bonkers.de/

hope that these will help. if these aren't understandeable just yet then first off you will need to learn xpresso, there's quite a lot in the tutorial manuals that come with the demo on xpresso, at least enough ot get you started, again both me an dsrek have a number of samples and tute's on our sites dealing with xpresso. once over that hurdle thinking particles should become pretty clear. TP is not an easy to use system currently, though it is very powerful.

[RickBarrett]

I'm trying to find out when / if we can put the pdf documentation online (which was just finished Friday, btw). It's really big, but I'll see what we can do and keep you posted.

visualsee - we don't have a refund policy. It's software, and you already have the essential part - the serial number. You could sell the software (with all rights and previous versions) to a third party, but I hope you'll stick with us for a couple of weeks. I'm fairly confident in that timeframe barring shipping or customs disasters. I just don't have any direct control over making sure we hit it, so that's the main reason it sounds "squishy".

- Rick -

[ajmotley]

Hey Rick,
thanks for the quick reply. I have on question and one comment. On the question side, what will be the release version number for the final R8 release. I ask because I have 8.001 and I am having some problems with this. This version seems to shut down randomly. It doesn't matter if I am using openGL or not. I was told by tech that they did see some problems with this early on, but I was also told that there is a later version already out.
As for my comment, it would be great if we could get the pdf even if it is very large. Lots of us have high speed connections, and for those that don't if they really want it they can start the download. The tutorials and documents thus far have been great, but for me to really get up the steep curve I need all the help I can get. Thanks for your time.

[RickBarrett]

The final release is 8.012 and does contain some bugfixes and enhancements that aren't in the EB.

It'll be tomorrow earliest on the manuals - but I'm looking into it.

- Rick -

[Per-Anders]

thanks Rick (if you can get them up)

[visualsee]

If you can get PDFs up in the next couple of days, I will be happy.

[Erik Heyninck]

I just want to add (when I re-read my posting, I find it a bit harsh) that I'm still glad I ordered the EB, and the demo does prove me right. So I'm not saying anything negative about Maxon, or Cinema. If, for example, I got an affirmation that the EB is not the final version and that this final comes together with the manuals, I'd accept that.

[AdamT]

If you have EB v. 8.01 it is not the final version. Later EB's are v. 8.012 and (I'm pretty sure) that is the same as the final version. *But*, in either case you will receive a package with the final CDs *and* paper manuals.

[RickBarrett]

Happy Thanksgiving!

Go get 'em (http://www.maxoncomputer.com/index.asp?showpage=docs.html)

- Rick -

[Erik Heyninck]

Got'em. Thanks a lot for the work and the time.

[AdamT]

Thanks Rick!!

[Per-Anders]

thanks! :thumbsup:

[visualsee]

:bounce: THANK YOU! THANK YOU! THANK YOU! THANK YOU! THANK YOU! THANK YOU! THANK YOU! THANK YOU! THANK YOU! THANK YOU! THANK YOU! THANK YOU! THANK YOU!

[sunk]

ty ty

[rock]

Thank you Rick.

Rock.

[pit]

Rick u Rock :buttrock:

[flingster]

heh heh fickle bunch you lot.

well done Rick and thank you maxon for taking notice of postings on this forum (its good to talk, me thinks!)

That said....do we have any dates for when:
1) I get the final version of V8 to hit my desk? (Paper manuals included in the UK please).

I know everyone is keen to get manuals and software shipped, users and maxon included....but can we have a firm date please?

cheers guys.

[imashination]

Manuals will be shipped to UK customers and the USA offices in a few days, so very, very, very soon is the answer, but no specific dates i'm afraid.

[flingster]

i upgraded from v6 to v7 with v8 eb as part of my upgrade path. i didn't understand at the time of eb shipping i never got a copy as part of this? So i thought arrgh well final release will be along in a couple of weeks why bother chasing it up. However that aside i await the final release of v8 (with manuals), any chance you can tell me what the delay actually is, and why you can't give me a firm date. I would like to get moving with it really...not knocking ya...just want a firmer timescale really. cheers bud.:thumbsup:

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