I know that Matt Hoffman and the gang at EITG are going to be busy finishing up the last update to 6.5r2 and then the Mactell conversion for a while, but I wanted to open up this thread to EIAS and non EIAS users alike.
What primary features do you wish to see in EIAS 7. (Has a nice ring too it doesn’t it? EIAS 7)
Ok… don’t be shy. Tell yah what, I’ll start.
I’d really like to see a nicely implemented referencing system in EIAS 7. No more manual swapping models. Northernlights has given us a nice temp solution with swapper, but I want more. 
Well, since its a wishlist…
I’d like to see true HDRI rendering.
And a UV editor/integration of some sort.
thanx
As much as I agree with you on the UV editing capabilities, I personally don’t think you’ll see this. Why? If and until EITG starts to integrate modeling capabilities into EIAS, UV editing, in my opinion will remain deligated to the modeling program of choice.
yes, and maybe that’s not a bad thing…
Maybe an updated Steamroller UV?
well, it is a wishlist!
-Build in sub-d’s. Encage is okay, but it can be a hassle having that plug-in in the middle of a mildly complex rig.
-Redo
-Improved… no wait, make that vastly improved controllers. Especially the rotation-controller. You know, pre-hilighting, decent snap-distance, visualisation of the rotation-angle/drag-distance. The works.
-Settings for picking the length of the motion-path before and after the current frame in keyframes, rather than showing the complete motion-path which can become unwieldy.
-Improved readability of the project-window. I posted a mock-up on the EITG forums a while ago (about two thirds down)and had a look at it again today. I still believe that the points I made are valid.
-A simple set of modelling tools. Nothing fancy.
For the type of work I do, EI has all the tools I need; but sometimes I would love an Archvision RPC Plugin or similar tool to easily and rapidly enhance my animations.
I dream of a particle system for smoke and fire where I can control coverage, color, intensity, dispersion with all the programming hidden behind the sliders…
Konkeptoine’s Fire offers an interesting solution for fire and smoke… though there are serious limitations to this plugin.
Dante, PPPro and Fyreworks all have methods of creating interesting flame effects. “Fire” would be a perfect solution if the volumetric solution would deform and follow when animating the fire’s source object. Right now, its only practical for stationary flaming objects.
EIAS is a great package but here is my own personal wishlist for EITG and Animator 7:
– a streamlined, customizable and much more interactive interface (no more floating palettes everywhere) with a variety of layouts that can be switched out easily.
– Custom hotkeys!
– much better cursor-honing for object selection/deselection. Right now selecting and manipulating objects by point-and-click is a hassle.
– an f-curve editor that behaves more predictably (no more unexpected velocity spikes). Predictable curve flattening with easy-access auto ease-in and ease-out controls.
– a 3D NLE like Trax in Maya.
– saveable light and camera presets (drag-and-drop on new light and camera).
– saveable scene presets complete with world ref maps, lighting and staging.
– drag-and-drop 3D behaviors (scriptable and editable in Xpressionist) like in Apple’s Motion.
– much better use of mouse controls like a zooming scroll ball (see customizable interface).
– Quaternion rotation option to minimize gimble lock from current Euller system.
– vertex manipulation of imported models and more flexible use of sliders for deforming models and making morph targets.
– a node-based materials editor with instant, accurate material previews.
– Pre-comped renderpass support for writing layered multipass renderings directly to Shake, Combustion and After Effects.
– all-in-one RGBAZ files. No more separate .eiz files please.
– Open EXR support.
– true HDRI support (see Open EXR support).
– accurate previews for setting up HDRI domes and spheres.
– equirectangular file generation option for six-sided environment renderings.
I think that’s about it.
WAIT!! Put me down for integrated Rodeo too, partner – Yeeeeeeee Haaaaaaaw!
I’ve been waiting for this in EIAS for a long, long time!
I was halfway though my suggestion when the computer crashed, damit.
Ok, i don’t expect all or any of this stuff to make it in v7, and its brobably all been said before, anyway -
1 Polygonal modeling tools, just enough to do the job, no fancy BS.
2 vertex painting, ok yes like a built in Amorphium
3 Updated texture editor, lots of little things (if only i could code)
4 Better handling of Zbrush models and UV’s
5 Sub-pixel displacement
6 Better asset management, asset browser etc
7 New Imageviewer tools, how about paint and selection tools, support for layers with blend modes, lets make it… the Electric Image Editor TM :bounce:
8-9-10+ Reserved for EITG eyes only 
Reuben
i think NLE is not too much to ask for as it will compliment EI realy well
maybe licence silo and integrate to more into EI like lightwave. (ask them for like a 10 year contranct where they get pay’d for silo that comes with EI. and you could add the trimmings to glue the 2 apps together.
would love the preview for the martial editor hate renders for every little change i make to test it :banghead:
build PPP into EI
make shaders be able to displace polys if i can alreay, plz tell me how
improve radisoity
make camara faster and 64bit ready as camera seems to be why people realy love EI
camera to render 16bit images
add better tutorails to your website or try to get people to update them as they look realy dated.
give the website some bling and get the punters in
steal users from other apps like truespace give them good competitive xross grades.
the media works adds adds adds. i don’t like coke i know coke is bad for me. why do i want it? naff example but point is there.
I do pre-viz work and a lot of times I supply a reference birds-eye camera view,
then a front, side and top view from the actual front, side and top view windows in Animator.
There are times I’m delivering 15 models or so…
Rendering the camera view is no prob, can send it out to renderama.
But I have to manually render the front, side and top view windows
I’d love to be able to send those windows out to render like the camera window…
Mike Fitz
www.3dartz.com
I’ll chime in…
I think there are a couple of realistic ones there… 1,4,5,6 are most likely I reckon…
I also want to see scroll wheel support (without USB override), but I think that may come as a side effect of moving to X-Code…
Could, might, maybe,
Ian
Like many others said, true update to render-ball. Show real preview of shaders and combinations of shaders along with textures. People say that is hard… is that because Camera is a separate app? Can a ‘mini’ camera be made to run in the background? I’d think it wouldn’t need much resources to just render a simple little sphere and give a true preview.
SAT support for model import with render-time tessellation. I’m sure that is a long-shot, but as others have said… it IS a wish-list. Having objects not be tessellated till render-time, and then maybe dependent on how far they are from Camera would be totally cool!
A low priority visual update to camera window would be kind of cool too. I know test renders are quick and easy, but often while working on settings and a project… the CPU isn’t doing much anyway. If it saved a few test renders, it would be nice.
Here is an easy one… a 2nd set of camera settings for preview renders. Basically, currently you have to change your Camera render setting to some lower settings for preview renders, and then change them back to what you want for your final render. It might be nice to have two sets… one for ‘Go’ and Renderama… and the other that effects preview renders when clicking the icon on the camera window (of course, being to pick either mode from there would be needed).
Thanks,
-Steve
I hadn’t thought of that but it would be something I could really use.
Put me down for node-based materials as well.
Al
Rodeo! Where have I been? This is just what I’ve been waiting for!! I guess I didn’t wish big enough.
And yeah, Camera’s rendering is just way too fast. 
or even better (maybe) to be able to Save & or Load settings sets, or with a menu to choose the sets from?
Another wish is for EI to automagically utilize & detect processors.
and in Animator - wouldn’t it help with large projects?
thanx
>Another wish is for EI to automagically utilize & detect processors.
Yes. My number-one request is to be able to use BOTH processors on a preview render.
GM
I’m in favor of:
Better Dual Monitor support – including saving your workspace layouts as named configs.
Exporting Models with Displacements Intact – Displacements are currently render time only but could be used as a modeling technique.
Baking out Lighting, Procedural Textures, and Normals to U.V. Maps.
Painless Multipass Renders – Diffuse, Spec, etc. in a format readable by major compositing apps (RLA or OpenEXR).
yes a multithreaded Animator and or Camera would be great… that would probably shut us all up for a while