Upgrading from smoke 2013 to 2015 QUESTIONS

[matt.wilmshurst]

Hi,

Im about to upgrade from 2013 to 2015. Could Autodesk please clarify a few queries for me please?

- I am currently on subscription and have downloaded the update but yet to install. Where do I stand with regards to my ongoing subscription payments (annual) and the new monthly plan. ie. when will I be asked to pay monthly. Im hoping I wont be pushed automatically onto this. My last subscription payment was around September 2013.

- Regading the influence of Flame assist am I correct in thinking the following?

If I continue with Smoke 2013 I will be able to exchange setups (batches, actions, cc's, stabs, gmasks etc) with ongoing Flame versions and other Smoke users. Or is the new flame (from now on) writing Smoke 2013 and 2015 out of the equation?

I look forward to hearing from you.

Matt

Mattwilmshurst.com

- If I upgrade to Smoke 2015 am I completely locked out of saving setups over to flame? ie. even gmasks which can be exported from other apps such as mocha? What are the limitations on this.

[moreymichael]

Good question regarding Mocha. I use it all the time for tracking and rotos. Does 2015 recognize that data?

Matt, I just renewed my subscription this week for the old price. I was told next time I renew, it will be the new payment plan. I suspect you will be stuck with the new plan come next September.

Cheers, Mike

[BKM · Accepted solution]

I am not from Autodesk.. but...

It sounds as if your subscription is current til Sept 2014. I am not sure what happens regarding any updates after this April 2014 Smoke 2015 release. 
All future releases will be Destop Subscription.  I have heard that Autodesk will take into account your current subscription if you choose to continue using Smoke and roll you into Desktop.  I would clarify this with your sales rep or someone with Autodesk.

Regarding Flame Assist and Smoke 2015....

Your Smoke 2015 license that you just downloaded is perpetual and is fully compatible with Flame 2015.  As is Smoke 2013 is fully compatible with Flame 2013 Ext2 Sp3 and Flame 2014. (archives & setups)

With any new releases of Smoke 2015 (excluding Service packs) - Speaking specificially of any new purchases of Desktop Smoke, will not be compatible with Flame products. However, your Perpetual version of Smoke 2015 (including Service Packs - I assume) will remain compatible.

I know it's confusing... but what you have now is compatible with Flame and when Desktop Smoke 2015 is released things will change. 
So in the future... Smoke 2016, for example, won't be compaitble. 

Clear as mud, I know.

An I am not sure on Mocha. For the time beaing, you wil be fine. If the format changes in the future. Mocha will need to update to match Smoke. Untill then, I would assume it would still work. Currently it is just a text setup.

[matt.wilmshurst]

Thanks guys. So if I install 2015 i am good to go on forever using this version without having to pay monthly? I presume so as my machine is not even connected to the web?

[BKM]

Yes. You are good to go.  2015 is perpetual.