Better access for plugin developers so users can update to latest version sooner

[Anonymous]

Every year I run into the same problem....  A new version of 3ds Max, but plugin developers aren't ready and so I can't upgrade.  My studio requires a number of 3rd party plugins and can't upgrade without them.

Autodesk should have better dialog with 3rd party developers and be proactive so that when they announce a new version of 3ds Max, the plugins are ready to go too. 

[Anonymous]

This can already be done, if the developer has beta access. There you get access to the next version of max\SDK. However this is entirely up to the developer to do so.

[LOMBARDIAUGUSTO]

ThinkingParticles , FumeFX, Krakatoa, Vray and so on made MAX the outsider software in cinema productions and raised the quality standards in TV series in the last years  (just think about game of thrones to mention one)

the big bottle neck this approach is in the connection between the different developer teams so I ask to Autodesk to create a kind of RED-Line o direct channel for the biggest 3rd parts developers like Cebas, Afterworks, ThinkBox, Chaos Group and so on and establish an action plan for the next development steps all together, they know what they need and all together can help autodesk to choose the right direction to push MAX and make it even more production ready for these BIG challenges

autodesk have to push one of the most exciting parts of MAX and garant a great future in the cinema and tv films and commercials business

FX are a huge challenge today and autodesk can't leave everithing in the Houdini hands

[laurent_gibert]

Hi @Anonymous,

Third party developers are important for 3ds Max and the community of users. I recently joined the 3ds Max Product Management team, and part of my role is to take care of the relationship with our developers and influence our roadmap to improve your success and minimize your challenges.

This idea entry is not actually a feature request so we would archive it. But the answer is that you can reach out to me for development challenges related to 3ds Max evolution. You should also make sure to enroll in the ADN program to get access to development support (http://www.autodesk.com/joinadn). Finally, you can also join our beta program to get access to in development versions of the product (https://beta.autodesk.com).

Thanks for developing in 3ds Max, looking forward to hearing more about your developments!

Laurent

[pyroskat]

Totally! make tools so all this plugin developers can use it and incorporate as part of his tools for an easier integration.

-Se should have a solid instancing/proxy system in max, so TP, Vray, Arnold, itoo, can use it. Instancing millions of objects is by default impossible on max. you need to go to vrayproxy solutions, but then you need other plugins adopt this standard. So if you want to render with Arnold TP instances you cant, because you need to develope again this tools.

If we have a solid instancing done in max. every major plugin can adopt it, and will be much easier to jump to new renderers/solutions.

-viewport displaying geometry in TP is very slow for some 3dsmax limitations, Make sure you have a robust viewport performance to show milions of particles/geometry from third parties, so each of them will get speed performance.

And so on...

[LOMBARDIAUGUSTO]

hi pyroskat

you mentioned good points but they are just a small part of what should be done on next development steps

to have a good VDB implementation, to have a great Fluid system that shares it's own cache with all these great plugins, to have a good caching system that works well with all plugins, to have a kind of data highway that connects quickly all the differet plugins, to have a very fast and optimized core and more and more

let's hope autodesk will listen to FX guys

[pyroskat]

Yes, sure, totally agree with you. only pointing some stuff, but there is a lot to do. i will like 3dsmax as a very powerful base to create tools. So will be the best platform for thirdparties to develope his own tools, and 3dsmax needs to take care of all this companies that do 3ds max, MAX.

[Anonymous]

Hi Laurent, thanks for the response. I'm not a developer, I'm a user, and while I think Pyroskat and LOMBARDIAUGUSTO have gone a little bit away from my topic, the sentiment is there.  At the moment I can't upgrade to Max 2018 because Thinkbox and Pixologic haven't upgraded their software.  These are two pretty important software companies in vfx.  Why can't you all talk more?

Rest assured I've been talking with both Thinkbox and Pixologix and raised tickets with them, but from my point of view you are all to blame.  If developers aren't recompiling their plugins quick enough then there needs to be more dialog and / or incentive from Autodesk.  3ds Max doesn't make much sense for me without the plugins.  Houdini has nightly builds to address top priority issues as soon as they arise.  Surely being able to  use Zbrush properly and have access to Krakatoa, Xmesh and Deadline from within 3ds Max's newest version is important to Autodesk too.

Also, for your reference, I posted on this forum by using a link in Max 2018.  If not being able to upgrade is not an annoying thing to fix then what is? 

Maybe move this topic to the appropriate forum instead of archiving it so that others can have their say.

Thanks and kind regards,

[pyroskat]

Oh sorry, I was thinking the topic was started by Augusto, didnt saw it was an answer.

Yes, Im with you also. Better communication, but also why we need a new release EACH year? On our company we upgrade every 2-3 max versions and always 2 years version old, to have everything.

I guess make sense before, when autodesk was relying in to people paying each year to upgrade to a new version. But with the actual model where Autodesk has constant cash flow, why we need that?

I will like a new important max version every 3 years (to say so), and then regular point updates, with bug fixes/new stuff added, so we dont need to reinstall everything from scratch, plugins, also will make third parties devolpers life easier.

[LOMBARDIAUGUSTO]

Hi radyan

my thread was merged to your one

so this explains why we were discussing a bit different argumetns

BTW we would like to have better and more reactive connection between MAX and plugins developers

what you say is thrue, the most important plugins arrive some months later the latest MAX release but there is a reason, try to imagine how much work have to be done to make all thinkingparticles elements work with a new MAX when it's released

houdini and maya have the same issue....but they have much less plugins so people beleave that they don't have this problem

and vwhen you are in a production whit a big pipeline and custom tools...the company waiths to move to the latest release because they need to convert all the tools first...so same problem

these are some of the reasons why plugins sometimes arrive several months later

what i was asking for instead is to make the MAX development plans more shared with plugins developers and possibly to get thechnology to use in MAX from these ones

in some cases you can see plugins that work parallel to MAX parts and they go really faster, try to use GENOME or STOKE and follow some tutorials and you'll undestand what i mean

this menas that there is a way to make things really faster and more optimized but probably is not that easy to port inside MAX for now