Autodesk Signs Agreement with Avid Technology to Acquire Softimage

#541

Heres my two cents

While this is a loss to the competition of the industry I think it was somewhat inevitable. I find it kind of amusing how bent out of shape everyone is getting but Id venture to say most of the people who are angry are XSI users, so thats expected. I really doubt there will be many drastic changes to XSI in a negative way just as there werent many for maya, so just relax. Ive used Maya, Max, Lightwave, and SI (not XSI) in production environments and I always came back to Max. So as a Max user I think this is kind of cool to see what will be intergrated into the program. Im sure I am one of few who are thinking this way but anything that will continue to keep Max relevant is ok in my book, I prefer it far and wide over the other options.

#542

This is REALLY REALLY sad news :banghead: Bye bye beloved XSI :love:and welcome Autodesk updating and pricing policy :scream:

#543

Kabab, you are describing exactly why this is anticompetitive. I don’t think being upset about that is naive. I am still wondering whether any regulatory bodies might step in; after all we’ve seen the results of the hands-off approach to regulation lately.

#544

To all of you people who ask “what’s Autodesk going to do with 3 different (or similar) 3D apps?”

Well, I don’t really know, but AD seems to be a redundant company, I mean, how many high end compositing apps can a single company sell?

I’m sure a lot of people in these forums can give me a very thorough explanation on how the FFI systems differ from each other and from other apps like Toxik or even sad forgotten Combustion (I mean apart from being aimed at different market segments at very different price ranges). I’m also quite certain that the same people would agree that a lot, if not most, functions are shared between the compositing apps.

If you go to AD’s site and read the product description for Max and Maya, they say almost the same thing, neither of them says anything specific about the product, and the same kind of applies to the compositing packages. I just can’t wait to read XSI’s product description…

This industry lives in a free market and, as has been said several times in this thread, this is the way capitalism works.

The lenght of this thread has much more to do with the emotional attachment some people develop with software packages and/or companies (I have a very complicated love/hate relationship with Illustrator myself) than with the actual consequences of the buyout.

People seem to say a lot that the price increase is just around the corner, and I won’t tell you it’s not, I don’t have a cristall ball or anything like that, but Maya is cheaper now than it was with Alias, isnt it? And about slow development… Maya 2008 was kind of weak but 2009 seems a lot better, doesnt it?

What really scares me is that all of the time and money people spend for years to become proficient at a particular app may go to shit if some corporate moron decides the company needs to drop a certain product. This is true for AD and also for AVID. People around here say a lot that apps are tools and I believe that to be true, the only difference is that in this particular trade our tools may disappear at any given time, I mean it’s not like anybody is going to discontinue the wrench or the circular saw, right?

#545

While this is a loss to the competition of the industry I think it was somewhat inevitable. I find it kind of amusing how bent out of shape everyone is getting but Id venture to say most of the people who are angry are XSI users, so thats expected. I really doubt there will be many drastic changes to XSI in a negative way just as there werent many for maya, so just relax. Ive used Maya, Max, Lightwave, and SI (not XSI) in production environments and I always came back to Max. So as a Max user I think this is kind of cool to see what will be intergrated into the program. Im sure I am one of few who are thinking this way but anything that will continue to keep Max relevant is ok in my book, I prefer it far and wide over the other options.

That is because the makers of Maya were just as evil as the ones at Max. If it was up to them 3d programs would still cost $10,000-20,000. The more programs they get under their wing and lest competition I see that happening.

Case in point
Motionbuilder WAS $1,000 dollars then it was bought by Autodesk. Then for awhile they offered the 1,000 dollar version to keep the MB guys together and then hiked the price up by 300% It went from 1,000 to 4,000 dollars over night.

Then they were “gracious” enough to offer the user of MB a price cut and sell it for 2,995 dollars. Oh that is so generous of you.

That is sad.

#546

Quoted for agreement! :slight_smile:

#547

Not many drastic changes other than $1000 a year manitenance for mainly bug fixes. Whooppee.

#548

I’m so passionate about xsi this really feels like my parents getting a divorce or something. i heard about it yesterday from a friend at work and it really destroyed me. i really think xsi is the best 3d app out there by FAR. i can go on and on about how and why i think its THE best but its not important.

my first studio used maya and i thought maya is pretty decent, my second studio i worked at used 3dmax and imo thats the worst 3d app out there. luckily both studios let me use xsi in the end so i didn’t complain for more than a few weeks. i wish we could start a petition going, get a petition lets post links to it on all the forums, email everyone we can and convince softimage to NOT sell and keep doing what they’ve been doing. i know it wont happen, but it would be great if we could get such a loyal following of its devoted passionate users to get them to change their minds.

i LOVE xsi, i dont want anything to happen to it, they are so ahead of maya and max in several ways…and in all ways compared to 3dmax imo.

i have a very strong feeling its the beginning of a downward spiral for poor, poor xsi.

#549

Actually its $480 a year, which is quickly covered by the projects I work on, and thankfully there are bug fixes (every software has them). Plus a chance to get new features before they’re released in the next cycle.

#550

Why sad???
This will be like a dream come true, one app that can do what all 3 can do together. How this could be a disadvantage. Imagine all features and workflows available as options that you can mix and match in one program. This is my dream.
Currently I have Maya and Max. Maya has all I need except photometric lighting and I was forced to buy Max just for that. However just for switching my navigation methods when using both programs on a daily bases lowers considerably my efficiency in both programs. It is like driving in a city where in one neighborhood the red means stop and in the other means go. Nobody can drive normally in such conditions. I will really appreciate greatly if Autodesk actually manage to integrate the capabilities of all programs into one super program.

#551

Sorry, this is just not going to happen. They don’t want all the best tools in one package. It’s a bit like your cable company and all the subscription based movie channels. Only one gets the next big movie release, next big release goes to a different movie channel. In the end, you feel like you need to subscribe to them all, i refused and cancelled them all. I watch IFC now.

#552

So, who else looks forward to XSI 2010, with two new modeling tools and a new mental ray? I mean, who needs innovation when you can get a new version of XSI every year at Siggraph? Plain awesomeness imo.

#553

What actually worries me is that Autodesk can certainly ease down development, however stopping development in order to reduce costs does not make sense to me as it really means letting go of people that could be a threat if not on Autodesks side.

However… even if another developer created anything innovate - Autodesk can respond to it with a force to be reckoned with, with its resources it has under its belt!

#554

Blender here I come! Like Rage said it. We got to take the power back:)

#555

Don’t expect a lot of stunning developement to happen because of this… more like the opposite, the company grows too big and politics within the company will take over and slow things down to a crawl. Now there will be even more bosses who needs even higher salaries than before the merge, all those salaries has to be paid by you customers with increased prices on the products they sell.

For once in my life i am glad i have not spent a fortune buying 3dsmax, Maya or XSI. However i do feel sorry for you all who spent your lifesavings on these applications. :frowning: especially those of you who bought XSI.

But there are still a couple of bright stars on the now very dark 3d sky… Cinema4D, Modo, Lightwave and other apps are still alive and kicking! :slight_smile:

/ Magnus

#556

Probably some Autodesk marketing guy

you took the words right outta my mouth.

#557

I didn’t mention any of the things you’re saying in my post. I did mention them in another post on another thread which has nothing to do with this discussion.

Why do you assume I was refering to those issues in my current post?

I’ve been using Maya for over 7 years, I’ve had more problems than just a license arriving late since autodesk took over.

There is no reason to assume that what I said and left open in this thread ties with another post at another time on another thread, there is no constructive intention with your comments.

Be courtious to others please.

Are you asking me for a list of countries? You’ve got to be kidding me…

Why don’t you let people voice their own opinions and move on to your own man.

#558

xsi 6 foundation was $495 It was really good investment :bowdown:

#559

Apple should’ve bought Softimage. Seeing XSI on OS-X next to Houdini would’ve been beautiful.

#560

If AD decides to dominate Television market, probably LW or C4D, don’t these two have strong presence there?