kenpimentel Posted March 31, 2009 Share Posted March 31, 2009 We're down to hours for those customers that will be eligible for electronic download (FCD) of 3ds Max/Design 2010. FCD is available on a region-by-region basis for subscription customers only. April 1st (that is a risky day, isn't it?) is our FCD date (please don't ask me what hour or timezone - I'd assume 9AM EST). This is not the trial. The trial download goes live when we ship physical boxes (FCS). All other subscription customers must wait for FCS. We're not communicating FCS at this moment (because something can always go wrong). PS: I posted four new videos here: http://area.autodesk.com/index.php/blogs_ken/blog_detail/announcement_3ds_max_2010/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BrianKitts Posted March 31, 2009 Share Posted March 31, 2009 (edited) Quadrify???? really guys???? hmmm...didn't we just end 8 years of someone inventing silly new words????? oh well hopefully it will lead to some fantasicated new renderings! Edited March 31, 2009 by BrianKitts Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AJLynn Posted March 31, 2009 Share Posted March 31, 2009 Quadify. Quadrify is when you upgrade your computer to a Quadro. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian Smith Posted March 31, 2009 Share Posted March 31, 2009 (edited) thank goodness for quadrify Edited March 31, 2009 by Brian Smith Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BrianKitts Posted March 31, 2009 Share Posted March 31, 2009 Quadify..... Oops... my mistake it was Quadify, well that's good, that sounds much more inteligable. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Administrators Jeff Mottle Posted March 31, 2009 Administrators Share Posted March 31, 2009 (edited) Thanks for posting the news here Ken, I appreciate it. Back when I was in production I would have killed for that quadify feature. Would have saved a lot of pain for sure. I don't care what it's called, if it works, great! G Guys out of that entire list is that the only thing you can comment on? A name of a new feature you don't like? Seriously? Edited March 31, 2009 by Jeff Mottle Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AJLynn Posted March 31, 2009 Share Posted March 31, 2009 Actually Quadify sounds like a good feature I HATE extraneous triangle lines. Improvements to the materials manager are welcome, and I'm psyche to see what the new modeling tools do. (Isn't Graphite already an Ashlar-Vellum trademark?) It's also pretty cool that Ken managed to use the phrase "hardware agnostic". Pro Optimizer might be a dark-horse highly useful feature. And mental ray improvements appear to be moving along at a respectable pace. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kenpimentel Posted March 31, 2009 Author Share Posted March 31, 2009 We certainly hope people can focus more than just on "quadify" - that's probably one of the smaller features in the release. I think there are about 350 features if you counted them all. Not that quantity = quality. I hope once people get their hands on it that they can share their impressions of what works and what doesn't. Usually, the "what doesn't" gets plenty of attention... We know we need to do more and that we constantly have to prove ourselves. We'll keep trying if you'll keep pushing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DavidR Posted April 1, 2009 Share Posted April 1, 2009 . I think there are about 350 features if you counted them all. Not that quantity = quality. I hope once people get their hands on it that they can share their impressions of what works and what doesn't. QUOTE] So how many of those features work? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kenpimentel Posted April 1, 2009 Author Share Posted April 1, 2009 So how many of those features work? Not sure how to take that. Are you trying to make a point? We've done all the testing we can do plus what the beta forum does. All new features are tested multiple times with every beta version. Does that mean we ship with zero bugs? No, I'm not aware of any software that does that. I can guarantee you that we have some bugs - even with the new features. We did fix roughly 400 legacy bugs - we even fixed the selection mechanism so that it works as you'd expect now. According to the beta forum, I think 92% of them said the beta was as good or better than the prior released version when it comes to stability. I think 49% said quality was better than the prior version. It all sounds like we're improving - but we know we have more to go. Anyway, can someone explain to me why the posts on this forum seem mostly negative? I must be doing something wrong as the vibe seems all wrong. Perhaps I overstayed my welcome? If my posts are unwelcome, please let me know. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian Smith Posted April 1, 2009 Share Posted April 1, 2009 Not sure how to take that. Are you trying to make a point? We've done all the testing we can do plus what the beta forum does. All new features are tested multiple times with every beta version. Does that mean we ship with zero bugs? No, I'm not aware of any software that does that. I can guarantee you that we have some bugs - even with the new features. We did fix roughly 400 legacy bugs - we even fixed the selection mechanism so that it works as you'd expect now. According to the beta forum, I think 92% of them said the beta was as good or better than the prior released version when it comes to stability. I think 49% said quality was better than the prior version. It all sounds like we're improving - but we know we have more to go. Anyway, can someone explain to me why the posts on this forum seem mostly negative? I must be doing something wrong as the vibe seems all wrong. Perhaps I overstayed my welcome? If my posts are unwelcome, please let me know. I disagree. I'm guessing 95% of them are positive. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AJLynn Posted April 1, 2009 Share Posted April 1, 2009 It's the internet factor. People get annoyed at companies for one reason or another and the annoyed people are the ones who write the comments. Every once in a while somebody who's not annoyed writes something positive and gets mocked for it, and stops. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mesht Posted April 1, 2009 Share Posted April 1, 2009 well guys, i managed to download my copy of 2010 and try it out. didn't really explore or test out 100% but notice a major change to the interface. icons seems to change though. one thing that impress is the capibility of viewport shading. the material editor seems unchanged, no new material types, addition of global lights and shadows control if i can recall. other than that still exploring the 350 new features?so...still testing 'what doesn't works" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kenpimentel Posted April 1, 2009 Author Share Posted April 1, 2009 I disagree. I'm guessing 95% of them are positive. I guess I don't count snarkiness as positive. Maybe that is just taken for granted here. Sorry. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aaron-cds Posted April 1, 2009 Share Posted April 1, 2009 (edited) Anyway, it's been a long road for us as the vision for 3ds Max 2010 was formed over 18 months ago, but we had to ship three releases in that same time period to get to where we are today. We all agree that three releases in such a short period is probably more stressful than we want to repeat anytime soon. That's nothing to brag about, imo. I would say that three releases in such a short period was a waste of effort and it was the #1 reason I cancelled my subscription to Max. I'm not even sure I used Max 2008 before Max 2009 came out SIX MONTHS LATER! Who's the brain behind that decision? I want my $500 back for my subscription that year. Why the hell didn't autodesk just wait 18 months to put out a good release after max 9? This just proves that Max 2008 and Max 2009 were released because they had to justify that the subcribers were getting their money's worth. I hope I get a chance to jump on a class-action lawsuit so I can get a refund for paying $1000 for two years of half-ass releases. Edited April 1, 2009 by aaron-cds Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aaron-cds Posted April 1, 2009 Share Posted April 1, 2009 I hope once people get their hands on it that they can share their impressions of what works and what doesn't. Usually, the "what doesn't" gets plenty of attention... We know we need to do more and that we constantly have to prove ourselves. We'll keep trying if you'll keep pushing. What a bunch of bs, why can't autodesk fix the current problems with Max 2009 that I've already paid for? Why should I have to pay to upgrade to get bug fixes? Shouldn't there be a warranty for software just like there is for most things we buy? If you bought a new car that had mechanical problems or other defects, a warranty covers the repair. They don't tell you that you'll have to trade it in for next years model for more money. THEY FIX IT! This is my biggest problem with autodesk. They continue to sell us cars that don't always work and expect us to upgrade to next years model for which they claim that all of the problems have been worked out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kenpimentel Posted April 1, 2009 Author Share Posted April 1, 2009 What a bunch of bs, why can't autodesk fix the current problems with Max 2009 that I've already paid for? Well, perhaps you'll be slightly happier when you hear about our hot fixes for max 2008 and 2009 that we're about to post. Won't solve all your problems, but then your expectations are pretty high for any software company that I'm familiar with. Not sure if you want to learn anything or just be angry. I can understand why you might choose "be angry", but here's an attempt to explain things. Any software has bugs, some more than others. We fix hundreds of bugs (as does every software company that I've ever worked for). Which bugs we fix are prioritized via your CER reports (most common method) or via customer escalations or forum reports. We bundle up as many of those fixes into a service pack that we can test as thoroughly as we can afford to test. Some bugs require fixes that might affect the SDK, data compatibility or other major issue and therefore can't be put in the service pack. We release the service pack and we monitor the situation (via CER/escalations). Sometimes, we get enough additional bugs that we think another SP is warranted. Other times, we think the fix is either important enough or isolated enough that we'll issue a "hot fix". This comes out faster, but has less testing. It is impossible to do robust testing and still have a "hot fix" because a full test pass can take weeks. In summary, some of the legacy bug fixing wasn't possible to release to the shipping code branch. For other legacy fixes, the timing was just off relative to the SP or it would have gone into that. Perception of stability is further complicated by a lot of factors that affect 3ds Max that we have no control over (RAM, drivers, OS, third-party plugins/scripts). We use the CER data to try to resolve some of these by working with partners to fix some of the bigger issues. We agree that we should do more about stability with every release and make sure that the latest release is better than the prior one. So far, customer surveys do tell us this is generally the case. Not all customers say this, but a majority do. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aaron-cds Posted April 1, 2009 Share Posted April 1, 2009 Well, perhaps you'll be slightly happier when you hear about our hot fixes for max 2008 and 2009 that we're about to post. Won't solve all your problems, but then your expectations are pretty high for any software company that I'm familiar with. Not sure if you want to learn anything or just be angry. I can understand why you might choose "be angry", but here's an attempt to explain things. Any software has bugs, some more than others. We fix hundreds of bugs (as does every software company that I've ever worked for). Which bugs we fix are prioritized via your CER reports (most common method) or via customer escalations or forum reports. We bundle up as many of those fixes into a service pack that we can test as thoroughly as we can afford to test. Some bugs require fixes that might affect the SDK, data compatibility or other major issue and therefore can't be put in the service pack. We release the service pack and we monitor the situation (via CER/escalations). Sometimes, we get enough additional bugs that we think another SP is warranted. Other times, we think the fix is either important enough or isolated enough that we'll issue a "hot fix". This comes out faster, but has less testing. It is impossible to do robust testing and still have a "hot fix" because a full test pass can take weeks. In summary, some of the legacy bug fixing wasn't possible to release to the shipping code branch. For other legacy fixes, the timing was just off relative to the SP or it would have gone into that. Perception of stability is further complicated by a lot of factors that affect 3ds Max that we have no control over (RAM, drivers, OS, third-party plugins/scripts). We use the CER data to try to resolve some of these by working with partners to fix some of the bigger issues. We agree that we should do more about stability with every release and make sure that the latest release is better than the prior one. So far, customer surveys do tell us this is generally the case. Not all customers say this, but a majority do. Thank you for your reply. My bone of contention is not with the bugs. It's the fact that I have to pay to have the bugs fixed. I think that's unfair. I'm not sure that it's wrong to be angry about that. I feel like I'm being fairly reasonable considering how much money I've given to your company. I have one word of inspiration for you and the rest of the team at autodesk, CHAOSGROUP. That's a software company that knows how to do it right. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian Smith Posted April 1, 2009 Share Posted April 1, 2009 oh god no...here we go again! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kenpimentel Posted April 1, 2009 Author Share Posted April 1, 2009 they had to justify that the subcribers were getting their money's worth. Yes, that was the goal and that is the system that is in place. We try to make sure subscribers are happy because then they renew. This requires providing value on an annual basis or subscribers would not support the program. That is a fact, not an opinion. I'm sorry you didn't find the releases valuable, but apparently someone else did. The fact that the releases have generated record numbers of seats and 70% growth over the last two years suggests we might have done something right. There is no other professional 3d animation product that grew as much during this timeframe. In my experience, you have to provide some compelling value in order to achieve such results - it just doesn't "happen". Personally, I'd like to start looking forwards and not backwards. There is an endless debate about what was done and why. It got us to where we are now, and this release builds on that which came before it. Maybe you didn't see the value before, hopefully you see some value now. If not, I hope the alternatives work for you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AJLynn Posted April 1, 2009 Share Posted April 1, 2009 Guys, we are NOT having this argument again. If anybody wants to have it, they should look up one of the versions from a previous Autodesk release, read it and experience it vicariously. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kenpimentel Posted April 1, 2009 Author Share Posted April 1, 2009 It's the fact that I have to pay to have the bugs fixed. I think that's unfair. I'm not sure that it's wrong to be angry about that. AFAIK, we don't charge for bug fixes either. Hot Fixes and SPs are free. Yes, some companies give away features with bug fixes via their upgrades. Unfortunately, there are accounting rules which we have to follow as a public company that ensure that our services packs are just that - bug fixes. I already explained that we can't release some fixes by just "patching" the current release. That means certain fixes must go into the next release. Yes, we charge for new releases - though the subscription program keeps the cost to 12-14% of a new seat. There is nothing wrong with being angry when a product doesn't live up to expectations. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Administrators Jeff Mottle Posted April 1, 2009 Administrators Share Posted April 1, 2009 Yes, I'm going to jump in here. This battle has been done to death. Please use this thread to comment on new featues and new features that do or don't work. If you want to discuss the politics of software development it will be deleted. There was another thread on the forums that went on for far too long. [Moderators] please delete any comments from this thread that are not on topic moving forward. - Jeff Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kenpimentel Posted April 1, 2009 Author Share Posted April 1, 2009 Guys, we are NOT having this argument again. I vote for this too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kenpimentel Posted April 1, 2009 Author Share Posted April 1, 2009 (edited) Special "gift" to those reading this thread. Apparently, we let the 3ds Max/Design 2010 trial slip out of the bag one week early. If you fill out this form, you'll be able to download the trial. You have at least a few hours before I'm able to get hold of someone to stop this from happening. I've already pressed the red panic button - but I think it requires someone on the East coast to do something and they are all fast asleep (like I should be). [/url]http://www.autodesk.co.uk/products/autodesk-3ds-max-design/free-trial Hope it works for you, sorry if you didn't make it in time. Wait a week and try again. Edited June 14, 2013 by Jeff Mottle Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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