Softimage needs a freeware version (no more licenses)

[Anonymous]

Hey everyone,

 I'm a long time Softimage user. I started with the XSI mod tool years ago. Recently my softimage license expired and I was shocked to find that I can not renew it as the program has been completely removed. So now I have a locked program with over ten years worth of projects that i can no longer open. First off I don't understand why I can't buy a license but if that is the case then it would've been a great service to all of us to release a final free version. You know, rather than completely killing off a fantastic piece of 19 year old software. I understand not many people use it so it wasn't realistic to keep it alive but a final patch to unlock it, or a freeware version just to not completely kill such a great program. 

Please autodesk, you would hate to see 3dmax just die one day, please do something! 

[Anonymous]

What you're suggesting (XSI released as an Open Source) seems natural for a sane, honest and sympathetic person, but... for a rapacious, insatiable and sociopathic individual this is impossible. Sad but true!

[Anonymous]

Not possible. If this happens, softimage would become a competitor to Maya and 3ds max, which is unexpected to happen. In fact, nearly no software company would agree to open source a abandoned product. 

[Anonymous]

I think freeware, Autodesk will never do 🙂 . I think a good business should be releasing Softimage as a Indie Product .

Retire Maya LT ... and move Softimage as a Indie Product, remove the rendering and other pieces that can compete with Maya in Television / Movie business , leave baking and ICE. Cater it to Start Ups - Indie Games Companies that can build their pipelines on it .

Stop trying to make Maya the " jack of all trades " ... the more you put inside that architecture the more will be crashy . 

Trying to focus the products towards Media Industries will give them more income and " happy users " 🙂 .

Maya -> Cinema/TV business/ Large Gaming Companies ... AAA Games

Max -> ArchVis ( don't know why max is still available but ... well )

Softimage -> Indies, Startups Gaming companies

[cuencasmp]

I would definitely subscribe to Softimage Indie. 

[Anonymous]

Yes, if autodesk don't sell soft, so why i can't use a cracked version? If autodesk do not sell it, so there is no lost profits for them! I try use Maya for modeling, and after softimage it's like using club instead of lightsaber! 

[cuencasmp]

Unfortunately it wouldn’t be legal. But I don’t get why Autodesk brought Mudbox back for no new development but allowing us to use it and yet they can’t make the same with Softimage. 

bifrost still is nowhere near ICE, so there’s no downside. When they killed Softimage they thought all would move to Max or Maya but that wasn’t the case. A lot moved to Cinema 4D or Houdini. I would say it’s better to have clients within the group instead of only using Maya. But what do I know. 😄

[tecz.cg]

There is a better one I'm working on a free 3D software called Blackdot and it is open source so it is inspired by Softimage XSI, I'm trying to keep it as good as it gets and in the hope of being of use to you when it is ready, so stay tuned.

[Anonymous]

is it have same modeling tools? Can I test it?

[tecz.cg]

Sorry to late for your answer, Blackdot will look like similar to Softimage XSI but maybe not 100% so I try to keep and to get closer it as well, from the time being there is not a beta yet, you will need to wait a little more time, sorry.

[digit.siljrath]

Free Software / OpenSource licensing would be much better than FreeWare.

I got trained up in soft, and then about a year or two later, switched to FreeSoftware, and soft's my most sorely missed (... the only missed).

I suspect I'm not the only one not using Softimage because it does not respect our freedom.  This episode of expiring licenses further speaks to that.

I'll be back to using Softimage when it gets a Free Software license.