XSI FND to ESS V7 upgrade info in here!

[mocaw]

I don't know about other countries/regions, but in North America there is a maintenance part of the deal that is awesome as well:

-Upgrade to XSI 7 Essentials with 1 year of
maintenance $1495 £745 EUR950
-Upgrade to XSI 7 Essentials with 2 years of
maintenance $1995 £995 EUR1250
-Upgrade to XSI 7 Advanced with 1 year of
maintenance $3495 £1745 EUR2200
-Upgrade to XSI 7 Advanced with 2 year of
maintenance $4495 £2245 EUR2850

The two year Ess. maintenance is a really good deal IMHO. Those prices include the purchase price of XSI! I've asked a softimage rep twice and a reseller about this just to be sure.

[SheepFactory]

Is that 2 year maintenance one from FND to ESS or ESS to ESS?


That is a amazing deal indeed.

[philhoole]

This might be a really daft question but if I upgrade from FND to Ess 7.0 without maintenance then I get no updates at all? No bug fixes, point releases or anything?

None of the packages I've owned over the years have had the concept of paid maintenance so it's a new thing for me and as a home user the difference between £495, £795 and £995 is significant especially as I would also need to add 17.5% to these prices in tax which I can't claim back.

As an aside I think the pricing is pretty good considering what you get but it's still a big investment for what is basically my hobby.

Thanks

[mocaw]

This might be a really daft question but if I upgrade from FND to Ess 7.0 without maintenance then I get no updates at all? No bug fixes, point releases or anything?


I was told that you'd get any release that was considered a bug fix, but once a release comes out that is a feature release- no.

So say you buy 7.0 and 7.2 comes out with a ton of bug fixes, but no new real "features"- then you'd get it for free. If then 7.5 comes out, and say they added a new version of MR or made ICE able to generate geometry, or moved features from Adv. into ess, then you're out of luck, and would have to contact softimage or your reseller about the upgrade pricing at that time.

I was told that major release to major release is roughly $1100 (7.0-8.0 for instance), which is one reason why the two year maintenance deal is so uber good. You'll get all the point releases and ANY new version of XSI that comes out (on top of support) in that period.

If you just buy Ess 7.0 with the regular upgrade, you'll have to pay regular maintenance prices ($799 a year I think) which is also retro active to your registration date!

So the two obvious ways to go IMHO are either get two years of maintenance $1995, or just plunk down $995 and grin and bear it when the next major release comes out and pay $1100. You'll have to decide which of those two is the better gamble on your own...

[Devenish]

I have to admit I was disappointed foundation is an end of life product and forgive me if I am just being slow, but this brings up an interesting question.

If we upgrade to Essentials with a maintenance subscription and after it expires; do we have an option to renew or should we anticipate a final yearly expense of doing business with Softimage is a maintenance price raised on us again to $799 if not more?

[ThE_JacO]

I have to admit I was disappointed foundation is an end of life product and forgive me if I am just being slow, but this brings up an interesting question.

If we upgrade to Essentials with a maintenance subscription and after it expires; do we have an option to renew or should we anticipate a final yearly expense of doing business with Softimage is a maintenance price raised on us again to $799 if not more?

*Disclaimer*
The following is pure guesswork, I have absolutely no clue what I'm talking about here beyond taking a stab to foreseeing something knowing how it worked out in the past few years. The final word on this kind of things if Softimage sales dept. alone.

That will probably be the case.
Considering there was no maintenance for FND though (and the occasional promo offer to shave off 100 bucks was never a general policy) you'd be spending 300 bucks more than it would have costed to keep FND up to date and you have the addition of .5 releases and support in it, not to mention it's the full thing with all the bells and whistles and the added batch licenses.
Not as good as getting away with just four or five hundred bucks a year for some people, I understand, but I wouldn't call it game breaking.

For an example like that (being able to benefit from the upgrade policy) I would say that's not game breaking.

While I agree FND was a terrific deal, it's always been more so as an introduction (forefront money) than it was for yearly costs. For yearly costs Essentials is pretty hard to beat since it's become full featured.

The only people who I agree miss out with FND being pulled are those who want to play around with xsi, and still do minimal commercial work but not enough to justify forking out a few grands. For everything else I sincerely think the upgrade path is very reasonable.

[9192]

I would pay less now and wait for more promotion later.

I had Foundation 4 when it came first, until last September I pay $2000 for Ess 6.5 thinking it is a good deal. Now, to upgrade from Ess 6.5 to 7 I need to pay $1000 because I do not have the subscription, the same price as upgrading from Fnd 4 to Ess 7. Definitely, I will upgrade my Fnd 4 not Ess 6.5.

There will be more and better promotion, that is my two cents.

9192

[Devenish]

Jaco, Well said! this is only speculation and guess work with a *Subject to change applies.

In all honesty it is a great or at least a fair price to allow Foundation users to upgrade at such a discount, especially since nothing could have been offered to begin with. However it is important that we consider the long term cost before making the purchase.

For those fortunate enough to afforded it, XSI is still extremely competitively priced in comparison on a per feature basses with the competition at this time.

[TonyEdwards]

I'm cool with the great upgrade price from FND to ESS and really appreciate Softimage doing providing such a great deal, but have a question about maintenance.

If you just buy Ess 7.0 with the regular upgrade, you'll have to pay regular maintenance prices ($799 a year I think) which is also retro active to your registration date!

So from the above if I just upgrade my FND license to ESS 7 and do not opt for maintenance. Next year 7.x or 8 is released. At that time I decide to upgrade to new release and buy maintenance program do I have to pay maintenance for the previous year as well?

I just want to make sure I understand this correctly and decide if putting off that motorcycle I want is worth it :)

[mocaw]

I'm cool with the great upgrade price from FND to ESS and really appreciate Softimage doing providing such a great deal, but have a question about maintenance.

So from the above if I just upgrade my FND license to ESS 7 and do not opt for maintenance. Next year 7.x or 8 is released. At that time I decide to upgrade to new release and buy maintenance program do I have to pay maintenance for the previous year as well?

I just want to make sure I understand this correctly and decide if putting off that motorcycle I want is worth it :)

Well, make sure and ask a reseller my understanding is that if you bought the upgrade ($900-1200 depending on the year etc.) then no, the maintenance you then purchase would then go forward from your upgrade date. If however, you don't upgrade, but go for maintenance at that time, it's retro actively back dated. So then you have to pay "back dues". This is my understanding. I'll PM you my reseller if you have anymore questions he's VERY helpful.

[TonyEdwards]

Ah, I see now. That makes sense.

Thanks.

[adrencg]

So does this mean that if Foundation is purchased in the next couple of weeks, then it can be upgraded to Essentials for that price? or is it only for existing Foundation users.

[ThE_JacO]

So does this mean that if Foundation is purchased in the next couple of weeks, then it can be upgraded to Essentials for that price? or is it only for existing Foundation users.

Foundation can't be purchased anymore, so it's a moot point.
The creative way around it (since FND isn't transferrable) would be to find a FND user that dropped xsi, get him to upgrade to essentials, and buy off him after release, but it's anybody's guess if it's legal and if Soft will approve the transfer at that point.

If you want to be 100% safe you're probably better off assuming you'll have to fork out for ess straight away if you want new licenses and have no FND to your name already.

[9192]

I bought Ess 6.5 at $2000 that I think it was special price, but still, looks ridiculous compared to the upgrade price for Fnd any version now.
However, I own Fnd 4 and plan to upgrade it as well. SO, I can sell it (Ess 7) later while keep one copy the upgrade from my Ess 6.5, since I am a lonely freelance. I do not need two copies of XSI anyway.

I am asking the quote from Soft and plan to put it on sale as soon as the upgrade arriving.

If there is anyone interested, I will set the price when I know how much the upgrade is.

9192

[ThE_JacO]

I bought Ess 6.5 at $2000 that I think it was special price, but still, looks ridiculous compared to the upgrade price for Fnd any version now.
However, I own Fnd 4 and plan to upgrade it as well. SO, I can sell it (Ess 7) later while keep one copy the upgrade from my Ess 6.5, since I am a lonely freelance. I do not need two copies of XSI anyway.

I am asking the quote from Soft and plan to put it on sale as soon as the upgrade arriving.

If there is anyone interested, I will set the price when I know how much the upgrade is.

9192

I'll let this post be because it's not too off topic, but in general we don't allow e-bay linking or 2nd hand sales on (we archive them rather than hard delete them though as it's not a major issue :) ). If and when you get the quote, and you've made sure Soft will let you transfer the license, keep further sales discussions private if possible please :)

[9192]

Delete it if you want.
However, it is the response to what you brought up about finding the owner of FOundation that no longer used it, right?
For Soft, software is just a tool and there are so many tools and ways to get the work done.

9192

[NeptuneImaging]

Okay, so if I am ready to buy my upgrade from XSI 5.11 FND to XSI 7 Ess, how would go about that...? I don't not see this upgrade link on the softimage online store...


:)

[ThE_JacO]

licensing questions should go to sales@softimage.com or to support@softimage.com
It's the only way you'll get a piece of (digital) paper in your hands worth anything toward a purchase.

[9192]

I did not get anything back from Soft sale department since I asked then from the first day XSI 7 announced.

Just my two cents, Soft might realizes that the upgrade is so good that instead of them making money, Foundation owners who need or no longer need XSI will upgrade and make money later.

9192

[mocaw]

Contact a re-seller and you're more likely to get a response VERY quickly. Mine called me up within minutes of receiving my email. They are not as flooded with questions as softimage is right now- and as a potential customer who directly pays their bills, they're inclined to get your business as quickly as they can before someone else does.

PM me if you want my reseller's info and don't have one near you or one that is responsive.

[9192]

Agree!, I will eventually buy from the reseller, because it's normally cheaper even plus sale tax. (Buying directly from soft I had to pay both shipping and custom tax (Canadian border).

I got my quote back,
From Fnd4 to Ess 7 = $995
From Ess 6.5 (no maintenance fee) to Ess 7 = $999

I think a lot people who own both Fnd and higher versions would do as me. Upgrade all and sell it later, since Soft allow to sell their software to anyone and anywhere.

9192

[Myaorin]

Upgrade to XSI 7 Essentials (Windows) $995
Upgrade to XSI 7 Essentials with 1 year of maintenance $1495

...I can't believe that we use same software and talk about same software.
In Japan,the price of special offer upgrading from FND to ESS7 with 1year maintainance is over $3200.
The retal price upgrading from FND to ESS7 with 1year maintainance is $4100.
I can't understand the difference between Japanese price and your prices.
Japanese XSI society will be eliminated.

[kawallo]

The retal price upgrading from FND to ESS7 with 1year maintainance is $4100.

Wow, what a deal!!

[ThE_JacO]

Wasn't Maya something like 18000 US$ in Japan when it was 9899 in the States at some point? This hasn't got anything to do with Maya btw (my comment), just that I keep hearing some crazy stuff about that market.

It seems like it's a completely isolated market, and I know resellers there (in general, not any specific company's) tend to be very protective of the boundaries and play on the linguistic isolation a lot.

You should definitely look for help from a Japanese speaking person and address a mail to Softimage Japan. There are a couple people in there who speak english too, so maybe even an english written mail will do and get directed to the right people.

[Tecy]

I have a question.

Should I find and perchase XSI foundation that is not used and not regestered, and I regester it this week, will I be elagable for this offer. I have no interest in the foundation as I need the hair system so this is essencial for me to beable to upgrade.

Iv contacted sales and have not got any responce, in fact its not the first time iv contacted them and never got any responce at all?

Thanks.

[9192]

Myaorin,
My recommendation for you is buying the new ESS copy whenever you visit the US.

9192

[Tecy]

Myaorin,
My recommendation for you is buying the new ESS copy whenever you visit the US.

9192

Thanks but I will never visit the US and I never have.

[ThE_JacO]

I think a lot people who own both Fnd and higher versions would do as me. Upgrade all and sell it later, since Soft allow to sell their software to anyone and anywhere.

Be careful with that. It seems a lot of people are taking some stuff for granted.

Soft does NOT allow to sell your licenses as and where you please.
Soft allows certain sales of ess/adv, which just incidentally happens to be the neigh totality of it.

Upgrading from FND to ESS under the promo discount might very leave you bound by the FND EULA, which DOES NOT allow resale, and even if there was a different EULA, Soft can always refuse the license transfer, or ask for their nominal fee for these upgrades (normally irrelevant) inflated to compensate for it.

I'm not saying this is what they're going to do, it's just conjecture, BUT you should keep in mind that it would be fully within their rights to, and ethics wise, since this would be pure speculation, it's hard to make an argument in favor of it.
A lot of people seem to take for granted that it will be possible. It might be, it might not be.
The EULA and Soft's official politics don't include anything on licenses being 100% resellable, and they actually include the opposite for FND, so don't take the current track record, which was mostly company "kindness" (and wanting to keep licenses live and maintained for sure :) ) for granted.

[Tecy]

In my case I may beable to get Foundation 6.5 from somone that has it but has not opned or regestered it.

I did contact softimage and did actualy get a reply but a very primitive one stating that foundation is no longer for sale, what does this mean, that I cant get it or even if I could get it I wouldnt beable to get the offer?

What if somone had perchased it before the 7th july but never regesterd it till this week, then what?

[ThE_JacO]

In my case I may beable to get Foundation 6.5 from somone that has it but has not opned or regestered it.

I did contact softimage and did actualy get a reply but a very primitive one stating that foundation is no longer for sale, what does this mean, that I cant get it or even if I could get it I wouldnt beable to get the offer?

What if somone had perchased it before the 7th july but never regesterd it till this week, then what?

Write to sales again and restate your question with what you posted here.
Nobody on this forum can give you something worth holding in your hand in these regards, it's solely down to the software company.

[Tecy]

Write to sales again and restate your question with what you posted here.
Nobody on this forum can give you something worth holding in your hand in these regards, it's solely down to the software company.

By the time I get a reply from them its gona bee too late. I have to know today. If I perchase this foundation and cant get cheaper upgrade im stuffed. I have Modo, I need hair system not another hairless modler, Modo is more than good enougth for this.

[mocaw]

Why don't you contact a reseller with that same question? I'm sure if it's not registered and it's a legit copy they're not going to turn down your business.

There is no way in H-E-double hockey sticks that softimage is going to sell you a copy of FND or sanction publicly the hunt for the remaining licenses.

I'd get on the hunt ASAP on your own for a solution before they buy them back from all the distributors/re-sellers (I have no idea if they do this like other companies do- just a guess).

[Tecy]

Why don't you contact a reseller with that same question? I'm sure if it's not registered and it's a legit copy they're not going to turn down your business.

There is no way in H-E-double hockey sticks that softimage is going to sell you a copy of FND or sanction publicly the hunt for the remaining licenses.

I'd get on the hunt ASAP on your own for a solution before they buy them back from all the distributors/re-sellers (I have no idea if they do this like other companies do- just a guess).

I have contacted a reseller, but unfortunatly they didnt know either. I just got the link given to me again to the details about the offer from both the reseller and softimage. At least Luxology has much better clearer support, cant fault them.

Maybe Softimage is such a huge company that they dont care too much?

[stblair]

Foundation is no longer being sold.

If you purchased Foundation before 7 July, then yes, you can activate it.
All customers who already purchased Foundation can still deactivate and reactivate their licenses.

update: Ok, I see you also wanted to know if you could buy Foundation from someone else.
That would require some paperwork (a license transfer). I do not know the policy regarding license transfers and whether such a transfer would be eligible for the upgrade deal.
Contact Licensing (see http://softimage.com/about/ for contact info), they are the ones who handle license transfers.

[9192]

ThE_JacO,
It's possible that the upgrade from Fnd will be bound to Fnd EULA. I can only think it would be the only way Soft can do now to prevent bad guy like me.
My original idea is to keep the Fnd 4 I have alive and hold on 6.5 Ess I own. (Will walk to the reseller in town after this to put an order) However, if Soft allowed to sell it, I will upgrade both and sell one. It is not about money, but it is better to let it to someone who really can utilize it than leave one copy on my shelf. I just think of myself back to '93 when started jumping into the 3D world and really wanted to get a hand of the high end software like Softimage3D, but definitely could not afford to get one.

Good tools will be good, only when they have been used.
IMO,

9192

[Tecy]

Foundation is no longer being sold.

If you purchased Foundation before 7 July, then yes, you can activate it.
All customers who already purchased Foundation can still deactivate and reactivate their licenses.

update: Ok, I see you also wanted to know if you could buy Foundation from someone else.
That would require some paperwork (a license transfer). I do not know the policy regarding license transfers and whether such a transfer would be eligible for the upgrade deal.
Contact Licensing (see http://softimage.com/about/ for contact info), they are the ones who handle license transfers.

Hello.


The version im looking at is either from somone that hasnt ever activated it which he can provide the delivery notice. Or from a reseller that still has a few Foundation packages left in stock.

What I need basicly is a yes or no on the thought that the person thats selling it to me, perchased XSI foundation before july 7th but never regestered it? By Him just perchasing it, does that some how part become regestered just for the fact that he brought it initialy, not me?

Thanks.

[stblair]

I will try and make it clear.

Unless you and the seller fill out a license transfer form, the seller is still the owner of the license. Even if the seller gives you the registration code and you activate the license on your computer, you are not the "owner". Sure, you can run Foundation. But if the machine dies and you contact Softimage because you need to activate the license on your new replacement computer, our records will show that someone else owns that copy of Foundation.

[Tecy]

I will try and make it clear.

Unless you and the seller fill out a license transfer form, the seller is still the owner of the license. Even if the seller gives you the registration code and you activate the license on your computer, you are not the "owner". Sure, you can run Foundation. But if the machine dies and you contact Softimage because you need to activate the license on your new replacement computer, our records will show that someone else owns that copy of Foundation.

So without this licence transfer I cant regester it in my name eligable for the essencial upgrade. So now is the question of, A) Is there a charge fro transfer and can it be done. B) how long does it take C) will I qualify for the 66% off offer.

Thankyou for you answers so far.

[Tecy]

Based on the over the top complications of the licence, iv wasted so much time that iv now lost the chance to perchase Foundation for a good price.

Thanks for getting back to me stblair when you could, but this is one customer Softimage have lost, athough it wont show the their profit margin.

[Bucket]

It sounds like a good deal. And I think it's softimage's attempt at being fair to the fnd community. Even though it is sort of an ultimatum. Upgrade or be stuck with a dead piece of software.

[brianod]

If this is true and Foundation is gone then that is a huge loss to the 3D community. At $500 it was the best price/performance ratio for learning a professional 3D tool. How many new people will be left out of learning XSI at a reasonable price? There's always student versions for those who qualify but I don't qualify anymore and it can't be used professionally for profit.

This leaves Modo at $900 as the next logical step up for serious beginners. Modo is a great SD modeler but it has no hair/fur, cloth, particles or true character IK animation tools whatsoever as of the current release 3.02. If and when it does get some of those features I expect the price will rise.

I hope Avid will reconsider and either keep version 6 Foundation around or release a Foundation version of 7 (unlikely).

[Bucket]

ThE_JacO,
It's possible that the upgrade from Fnd will be bound to Fnd EULA. I can only think it would be the only way Soft can do now to prevent bad guy like me.
My original idea is to keep the Fnd 4 I have alive and hold on 6.5 Ess I own. (Will walk to the reseller in town after this to put an order) However, if Soft allowed to sell it, I will upgrade both and sell one. It is not about money, but it is better to let it to someone who really can utilize it than leave one copy on my shelf. I just think of myself back to '93 when started jumping into the 3D world and really wanted to get a hand of the high end software like Softimage3D, but definitely could not afford to get one.

Good tools will be good, only when they have been used.
IMO,

9192


I kind of wonder this myself. Are there any strings attached to this deal not yet mentioned? Would the license be a true 7.0 ess comercial license with no discrepancies between a license acquired by other means such as upgrading from 6.5 ess?

[ThE_JacO]

I kind of wonder this myself. Are there any strings attached to this deal not yet mentioned? Would the license be a true 7.0 ess comercial license with no discrepancies between a license acquired by other means such as upgrading from 6.5 ess?

The license for use and all, afaik, will be exactly the same with no catches or limitations. The only thing, due to the nature of the never-before-once-in-a-lifetime-oh-my-God offer, that might be tracked and dealt with is resales.
It all depends on whether Soft thinks the speculation might turn in a loss or not I guess.
I wouldn't worry about the license though.

[colkai]

If this is true and Foundation is gone then that is a huge loss to the 3D community. At $500 it was the best price/performance ratio for learning a professional 3D tool. How many new people will be left out of learning XSI at a reasonable price? There's always student versions for those who qualify but I don't qualify anymore and it can't be used professionally for profit.

Agreed,
I had heard good things about XSI and was seriously considering moving to Foundation, but this puts it way beyond reach, seems strange to stop Foundation outright, effectively cutting off a market section. Though the upgrade is a "good deal", it is still a lot of money and simply put, more expensive to upgrade than buy Foundation outright.

For someone with limited budgets, it hardly seems "a steal", especially factoring in continued maintenance contracts.

Looks like XSI is officially off my list as a possible software purchase, I can't think I'll be the only one who will be turned away by the higher "admission fees". :sad:

[mocaw]

Agreed,
I had heard good things about XSI and was seriously considering moving to Foundation, but this puts it way beyond reach, seems strange to stop Foundation outright, effectively cutting off a market section. Though the upgrade is a "good deal", it is still a lot of money and simply put, more expensive to upgrade than buy Foundation outright.

For someone with limited budgets, it hardly seems "a steal", especially factoring in continued maintenance contracts.

Looks like XSI is officially off my list as a possible software purchase, I can't think I'll be the only one who will be turned away by the higher "admission fees". :sad:

It should be noted that you are not forced to purchase maintenance, and that upgrades fees are often comparable or in some cases slightly less than paying maintenance depending on how long it is between cycles etc. If you didn't or don't own FND, I can understand that there is now little way for you to get into XSI as easily as before.

Colkai, I understand that you, as a hobbiest user are now left in the cold. Sorry about that, wasn't my decision!

However, pure speculation though, I assume they're going to have some learning addition at some point, or another offer. I do think they'd be in their right mind to, after sept 30 start selling FND 6.x again, with no upgrade path or support until the next cycle. That was VERY powerful software for the money- and all the people who should/would/will upgrade will most likely have done so at that point.

[Rhale]

Does anyone know if the upgrade is a download or shipped as a boxed product?

[mocaw]

My reseller said he's going to ship a box to me...almost demanded it. I'm not sure if in 7 there will be a dongle or not. If so it makes sense that it's shipped. We can always download the demo when it comes out though and use it while we wait for it to ship if that's the case.

[DougNicola]

No dongle for new XSI 7 licenses. And license can be deactivated on one computer and reactivated on another.

Just to be clear here's the official word

By default, new licenses will be dongleless.
Existing licenses that are already on a dongle will stay on a dongle.

The dongleless system (known as SLP) is basically what was being used for Foundation and XSI Student/Teacher.

SLP is streamlined in the sense that if you are connected to the Internet, you can just start up the License Manager and activate your license (or deactivate it). Everything happens beneath the covers (by everything, I mean the LicMgr takes care of generating the request code, sending it to softimage.com, getting the license key file back, and installing the license key).

The ability to deactivate allows you to move your license to another computer.

You should also deactivate your license before doing anything like reinstalling your OS.
Then, after you finish upgrading your system, you can re-activate the license.
~Doug

[Mic_Ma]

It seems like it's a completely isolated market, and I know resellers there (in general, not any specific company's) tend to be very protective of the boundaries and play on the linguistic isolation a lot.


Exactly. The linguistic barrier is huge, across all markets. Everybody is (kept) enclosed in a little bubble and most businesses (who can) exploit this. Would be nice if someone could crack this open one day.

As for discontinuing FND... It means I won't be able to afford it for use at home, or inbetween jobs. A bit sad but I recently tried out Houdini and I think it would make a nice substitute especially with regards to ICE.

[bobakabob]

Agreed,
I had heard good things about XSI and was seriously considering moving to Foundation, but this puts it way beyond reach, seems strange to stop Foundation outright, effectively cutting off a market section. Though the upgrade is a "good deal", it is still a lot of money and simply put, more expensive to upgrade than buy Foundation outright.

For someone with limited budgets, it hardly seems "a steal", especially factoring in continued maintenance contracts.

Looks like XSI is officially off my list as a possible software purchase, I can't think I'll be the only one who will be turned away by the higher "admission fees". :sad:

Agreed. It seems a very odd marketing decision, effectively pulling up the ladder for many small workshops, freelancers and hobbyists. Very disappointing as the impression was given that Foundation was a serious app which would be around for a long time. Users want a sense of security and and a degree of reassurance if they're committing time and money to software which takes years to learn. Prior to Foundation's demise, XSI's marketing seemed extremely savvy, appealing to both high and low end users. Many Lightwave users were certainly drawn to XSI's animation power. This decision takes XSI back into the elite stratosphere of Max and Maya. I've been learning XSI the past couple of years and although I intend to continue, as enjoyable as the software is, the recent marketing is hardly motivation to make it my central app in the future. For the price of Essentials plus maintenance you could buy a workstation or top spec Nikon D300 camera, 18 - 200mm lens and still have change for a copy of Lightwave :) On the other hand, 3D companies aren't charities and presumably there's less profit to be made at this end of the spectrum. Messiah is surely now looking more interesting for those wanting to develop their animation skills.

[Mechis]

So what if your workstation isn't connected to the internet? I wonder what we're supposed to do in that case...
~Mechis

No dongle for new XSI 7 licenses. And license can be deactivated on one computer and reactivated on another.

Just to be clear here's the official word


~Doug

[mocaw]

So what if your workstation isn't connected to the internet? I wonder what we're supposed to do in that case...
~Mechis

Get in your time machine and go back to the future?

[Bucket]

It all depends on whether Soft thinks the speculation might turn in a loss or not I guess.
I wouldn't worry about the license though.

I guess that is my biggest fear. Resallability. I'm so tired of buying software and being stuck with it forever because of the eula. (I'm thining about chucking lightwave 6 into the trash, haven't used it in 7 years) But if the eula on resalability carries over from fnd. Then I'm opt not to bother. I guess the only way to know is to contact a reseller, aye?

[ndog]

Originally Posted by Mechis So what if your workstation isn't connected to the internet? I wonder what we're supposed to do in that case...
~Mechis

Get in your time machine and go back to the future?

I used to run XSI on a laptop in many places without internet access and I'm pretty sure other people will need to do the same so it could be a problem.

[mattmos]

My workstation isn't connected to the net either. I think its a valid question. How would I go about getting a license activated on it without a dongle?

[ThE_JacO]

feel free to keep these questions in here too, but you might also want to send them to support@softimage.com to make sure you get a reliable reply in a timely manner (well, as timely as it gets close to release and with siggraph knocking at the door).

[colkai]

Colkai, I understand that you, as a hobbiest user are now left in the cold. Sorry about that, wasn't my decision!
Obviously ;)
Yup, stings though that.

I do think they'd be in their right mind to, after sept 30 start selling FND 6.x again, with no upgrade path or support until the next cycle. That was VERY powerful software for the money
Couldn't agree more, but then, since when did business decisions and "right mind" necessarily get used in the same sentence? :p

[stblair]

My workstation isn't connected to the net either. I think its a valid question. How would I go about getting a license activated on it without a dongle?

If your XSI workstation is not connected to the Internet, you generate a request code and take it over to a computer that is connected to the Internet. Then you go to the Customer Portal on softimage.com to download your license. You transfer the license file onto a USB flash drive or some other storage device and take it back to your XSI workstation.

Even with a dongle, at some point you have to send an e-mail message or fill in a Web form.

[ThE_JacO]

If your XSI workstation is not connected to the Internet, you generate a request code and take it over to a computer that is connected to the Internet. Then you go to the Customer Portal on softimage.com to download your license. You transfer the license file onto a USB flash drive or some other storage device and take it back to your XSI workstation.

Even with a dongle, at some point you have to send an e-mail message or fill in a Web form.

Since we have you here Stephen, one more question:
Will the dongle still be an option for new purchases? Maybe with an added fee. Or will it be done with and gone entirely for anybody except legacy customers who have one?

[stblair]

Originally Posted by Mechis So what if your workstation isn't connected to the internet? I wonder what we're supposed to do in that case...
~Mechis



I used to run XSI on a laptop in many places without internet access and I'm pretty sure other people will need to do the same so it could be a problem.

You do not need to be connected to the Internet to run XSI, just to activate/deactivate your license. When you do need to activate or deactivate, you could go somewhere where you do have Internet access.

[stblair]

Since we have you here Stephen, one more question:
Will the dongle still be an option for new purchases? Maybe with an added fee. Or will it be done with and gone entirely for anybody except legacy customers who have one?


The dongle will be an option for those who need it (for example, customers with mental ray standalone licenses, which do not run off of SLP). But SLP (the dongleless Softimage Licensing Protocol) is the default.

Customers with a dongle will continue to use the dongle.

UPDATE: Linux customers will always use a dongle.

[kawallo]

The good thing is that thanks to all these procedures piracy will be defeated :buttrock:

[ThE_JacO]

The good thing is that thanks to all these procedures piracy will be defeated :buttrock:

Well, people were complaining about having to use and carry around dongles, I guess it's a case of "be wary of what you ask for, you might get it" :)

[mattmos]

Yeah we've been moaning about dongles for ages and now we're moaning about not having them. Its my right as a consumer! But actually, it doesn't sound too bad - more sensible and I can live with it in return for less pain in licensing in general. And a panic button. Thanks for the info stephen.

[9192]

As a lone freelance, it is great for not having the dongle. So, I don't have to carry it anymore.

9192

[cresshead]

does xsi 6 and hopefully 7 work okay on vista?

i just put my xsi foundation 4.2 on my vista ultimate 64 desktop to have a look around xsi before deciding on the offer and xsi fund 4.2 is def not happy on vista 64...keeps locking up and the mouse doesn't work on the new scene dialogue box buttons [pop up menu box]

additional Q is there a patch for vista installs of xsi foundation 4.2?

steve g

[ThE_JacO]

does xsi 6 and hopefully 7 work okay on vista?
Yes, it's the first version that is officially supporting it.
6.5 could be made run just fine on it, but it wasn't official.
Whether vista itself runs fine is another matter altogether :)

i just put my xsi foundation 4.2 on my vista ultimate 64 desktop to have a look around xsi before deciding on the offer and xsi fund 4.2 is def not happy on vista 64...keeps locking up and the mouse doesn't work on the new scene dialogue box buttons [pop up menu box]
Well, you're talking about a 4+ years old release that is a service pack of a version that was in beta in early 2003 or thereabout. It's not surprising.

additional Q is there a patch for vista installs of xsi foundation 4.2?

steve g
None that I know of, don't even think it would be possible to just patch it like that.

[stblair]

does xsi 6 and hopefully 7 work okay on vista?

i just put my xsi foundation 4.2 on my vista ultimate 64 desktop to have a look around xsi before deciding on the offer and xsi fund 4.2 is def not happy on vista 64...keeps locking up and the mouse doesn't work on the new scene dialogue box buttons [pop up menu box]

additional Q is there a patch for vista installs of xsi foundation 4.2?

steve g

For the dialog box buttons, you have to use the keyboard, or if that fails, close the dialog box by clicking the X.

There are no patches.

4.2 and 5.x were never intended to run on Vista.
6.x was recent enough that it runs ok on Vista, with just a couple of known problems, which are documented on the XSI wiki (http://softimage.wiki.avid.com/index.php/Vista_Known_Issues).

[Sarford]

<rant>

Man, am I glad I have a dongle for my XSI. If there is one thing I HATE its the hasseling whith online activations and deactivations. If I wanna work at a client whith XSI, I just take my dongle and key, download it there and use it, come home and use it there without any hassle.
And, with a dongle, I don't have to think about all the licences I have to deactivate before I wipe my OS for a clean install. God forbid you forget one, then you have to call customer haresment.. euh.. support, explain the story, hope they believe you, hope you don't get a harddisk crash in the month following couse then they don't believe you anymore etc etc.

</rant>

Will, with the new XSI, the dongle licencing still work the same, aka aslong as you have your key and your dongle, you can download XSI anywhere, install it and use it?

[DougNicola]

Everything stays the same if you have a dongle. See stblairs post #62.

[mocaw]

Well, I'm glad at times certain programs don't have a dongle and others do- all depends on the practices of the company AND their fellow plugin makers and developers. I never want to deal with a worley product again thanks to how Fprime is tided to a dongle...for life!

As to my "get with the modern age" in terms of licensing online, I was under the assumption that people knew it was only needed at install etc. and not something that reports to the mother ship every time you run the program. Sorry for seeming snyd about that without taking into account peoples understanding of how it worked.

[kawallo]

A generic serial number would be enough.

[opentarget]

just wondering about license with xsi...i have been told of an option to transfer the license of 3dsmax temporarily from a workstation to another machine(i think it last for only 24hours...cant recall). i have foundation 5 and am defiantly going to avail of the upgrade but just was curious if i could switch between workstation to my laptop...or is this silly talk?

[CiaranM]

just wondering about license with xsi...i have been told of an option to transfer the license of 3dsmax temporarily from a workstation to another machine(i think it last for only 24hours...cant recall). i have foundation 5 and am defiantly going to avail of the upgrade but just was curious if i could switch between workstation to my laptop...or is this silly talk?

Not silly. I used to do it on a near daily basis, between the laptop at home and desktop at work.

[opentarget]

Not silly. I used to do it on a near daily basis, between the laptop at home and desktop at work.

so is that a yes for xsi? or did you use it with max? would be really great if its for xsi.....

[cresshead]

not sure on xsi and i'd like to find out more on that as well..but with 3dsmax you get 2 licences when your on subscription as @home and a @work so i have mine installed on my
quadcore workstation at home and also on my hp laptop i take to work everyday.

also with max you can export your licence to another pc and transfer it and then back again if you wish to...but with the @work and @home i have enough coverage in case a pc dies.

hope there's something like this for xsi...i heard about the panic button thing but would like a more detailed explanation of licencing and option available if possible.

[opentarget]

not sure on xsi and i'd like to find out more on that as well..but with 3dsmax you get 2 licences when your on subscription as @home and a @work so i have mine installed on my
quadcore workstation at home and also on my hp laptop i take to work everyday.

also with max you can export your licence to another pc and transfer it and then back again if you wish to...but with the @work and @home i have enough coverage in case a pc dies.

hope there's something like this for xsi...i heard about the panic button thing but would like a more detailed explanation of licencing and option available if possible.

that would be perfect!
please anyone if you know how it works with xsi let us know.....

[CiaranM]

I was talking about XSI. They already had the dongle-less license for Foundation/Student.

From the horse's mouth:
http://forums.cgsociety.org/showpost.php?p=5260919&postcount=300

[stblair]

not sure on xsi and i'd like to find out more on that as well..but with 3dsmax you get 2 licences when your on subscription as @home and a @work so i have mine installed on my
quadcore workstation at home and also on my hp laptop i take to work everyday.

also with max you can export your licence to another pc and transfer it and then back again if you wish to...but with the @work and @home i have enough coverage in case a pc dies.

hope there's something like this for xsi...i heard about the panic button thing but would like a more detailed explanation of licencing and option available if possible.


You can deactivate your license on your home computer, and then activate the license on your work computer. So that is how you move the license around. If you are going to be doing this every day of every week, year after year, then you may consider switching to a dongle (for a modest one-time fee).

If your computer dies while the license is activated, contact Softimage Support and we will take care of deactivating the license for you.

The "panic" license is for emergencies, like when your computer or your dongle dies and you need to get up and running right away. The panic button will get you a temporary license. Support will contact you within one business day to find out what went wrong. If we can get your original license back up, we will. Otherwise you will get a new permanent license.

[opentarget]

thats perfect! didnt know i could do that with foundation...that being said i havnt had a hell of a lot of time to play with xsi, i use max in work and need to set time aside to learn softimage for my personal work, this licence deactivating will help a lot since i spend most of my weekends away from my home workstation which has softimage on it....but i got me a laptop now so who knows what amazing things might happen now :P

[9192]

What will happen if I already have dongle with my 6,5 when I upgrade to 7?
Will the dongle still work or it will die?

Tanks,

9192

[mocaw]

Softimage has stated that those with dongles will remain with their dongles wiht 7. No need to worry or panic just yet.

[stblair]

What will happen if I already have dongle with my 6,5 when I upgrade to 7?
Will the dongle still work or it will die?

Tanks,

9192

If you already have a dongle, then any new licenses will be issued on the dongle.

For example, if you have 6.5 and are eligible for the free upgrade to 7.0, then when you install 7.0, the Setup will use your dongle ID to automatically download and install your 7.0 license.

[MikeMD]

Didn't Softmage allow for installation of Foundation on 2 machines ( desktop and laptop ).

I'm pretty sure it was just one machine when version 6 came out, then later they said it was OK to request 2 licenses ( without a dongle ). Shouldn't that still be the case?

And by the way, since 6.5 originally came with a dongle ( I think ), if somebody buys 6.5 today, they get a dongle or not?

[stblair]

Didn't Softmage allow for installation of Foundation on 2 machines ( desktop and laptop ).

I'm pretty sure it was just one machine when version 6 came out, then later they said it was OK to request 2 licenses ( without a dongle ). Shouldn't that still be the case?

And by the way, since 6.5 originally came with a dongle ( I think ), if somebody buys 6.5 today, they get a dongle or not?

Foundation and the Student/Teacher version used a combination of registration codes plus SLP, and that system that allowed for up to two activations. 7.0 does not use registration codes, so that is no longer the case.

If you purchase 6.5 today, you get a dongle.

[9192]

I have foundation and want to upgrade to 7 without the dongle. Do I need to wait until 7 come out or I can upgrade it now, get the dongle for 6.5 and drop the dongle later?

Thanks

9192

[stblair]

I have foundation and want to upgrade to 7 without the dongle. Do I need to wait until 7 come out or I can upgrade it now, get the dongle for 6.5 and drop the dongle later?

Thanks

9192

If you upgrade to 6.5 now, you will get a dongle, and your 7.0 license will also be assigned to the dongle. There's no need to switch from the dongle as long as the dongle is in working order.

[WillBellJr]

My experience with the dongle has been bittersweet.

When I upgraded from v5 FND to v6 ESS, $1200 software in hand and I couldn't use it - the dongle was bad!



Coming from v4.2 and v5, it was the only time I ever had to call Softimage.

Softimage, fortunately and to their credit, provided great service and FedEx'd me a new dongle which I believed I received if not the next day, the 2nd day...

The dongle is still a sore thumb by not working reliably - I remember when SI offered up that first (v6.01?) patch - it made it better, but not perfect.

Just the other day I reinstalled v6.02 on my new Dell XPS laptop and after plugging in the dongle and going to install my key with the license manager, I got those SIO errors...

So I had to go to the task manager, kill the licenser processes etc., UGH!
(There's a certain amount of time you have to wait after first plugging in the dongle or after you stop the licencer and unplug it if you want it work without problems!)



So as I said, the dongle has been the only sour taste I experience when using my v6 ESS, so I would actually LOVE to be able to use that smooth and silky software based licenser!

However my other problem then becomes when I'm at work.

My company has a limited domain list for internet access (and unfortunately being a software engineer and not a graphics professional, SI is not on the accepted domain list! :argh: )

So in that case I would still need the dongle (hey, I need my Softimage at work to make the >toolbar icons!!< for the apps I develop! :buttrock: :blush: )

So I wouldn't be mad at all if I could use BOTH methods!



As far as upgrading, I'm feeling the pain myself, as a hobbyist, it's hard for me to come up with $1000 every year since I certainly can't afford $1800 to get maintenance.

Being a hobbyist, I don't need a direct support vein into Softimage, when the patches come out I'm happy!

The only thing I see that you get for your addl $800 is the vX.5 update cause based on my last purchase cycle, I damn sure would not have got a free upgrade to v7 if I was on maintenance!

So while you can join along wo/maintenance, as already mentioned, being able to afford XSI is a bigg-baller kinda situation.


I can't remember how many times I've considered selling off my XSI license - and out off all the packages I own too (LW9, C4D XL 10, ZB3) cause it's just so expensive to keep up with...


I was almost going to say I wish there was a "hobbyist" or indie version with pricing similar or just a bit above what FND was which uses the typical "limited file format" that's not compatible with the full cost version, but I think I'd prefer something similar to other apps where the output resolution is limited to say 1920x1080 or better 2048x2048, somthing like that...

That I could afford to keep up with, and all my learning and wonderful Digital Tutors training won't go for naught, AND if I'm lucky enough to start making consistent money from my semi-pro work, I could then really afford to hang with the bigg-bois and use the unlimited versions...

-Will

[9192]

I am with bell.

I do not want the dongle. So, it look like I need to hold until 7 come and upgrade, unless Soft allow to drop the dongle and turn to software license base later.

I do not want to carry extra thing with my laptop.

9192

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