Autodesk does not want my business

[Ernest Burden III]

I was just on the phone to an Autodesk Dealer about a few things, and the message is that they (ADSK) don't want to work very hard to keep me as a customer. Not that they have to, but you'ld think they might WANT to.

 

I asked about an upgrade price for my aging ACAD-LT97. There isn't one. No choice but buy full retail. All I use it for is checking paperspace layouts and occasionally fixing files, though I often cannot open ACAD drawings in ACADLT, but can in other apps. No favors there.

 

Then I told them I am a Lightscape user, and felt abandoned, but want to at least see the demos for VIZ4 and MAX5. She pointed out that VIZ4 would probably not be continued, but instead rolled into ADT4. Humm, and why pay $1400 for VIZ when there is a competitive upgrade to MAX5 for $1900? (Can you see where this is going)? What if my only major rendering product is Lightscape? No upgrade price for me, sorry.

 

Autodesk does not want my business, at least not very much. OK, enough whining for one day, back to work.

[John Dollus]

Sounds like you need a new Rep.

 

A couple things about that discussion do not sound quite right. You might try contacting AutoDesk directly about your concerns through their website or phone # from the ADesk site.

 

There is no way to take Viz4 and 'roll into' any part of the AutoCAD core without major software engineering. The two core's are very dissimilar and would take tremendous effort to change.

Given their development trends over the last 10 years, it is more likely they will get rid of Viz entirely by diverting customers to either Max or Architectural Studio in order to increase those ownership rates.

[Paul Griger]

Wow, you mean AutoDevil would kill a product line and force users into another pricier product line? And they don’t mind merging Viz4 into ADT, …ADT,another software line that will is pretty much dead and will be replaced by Revit?

 

I’m flabbergasted. I always thought AutoDevil would never bilk their users for money by making software upgrades obsolete for past faithful users. Or make it impossible to transfer licenses to another user so that you can recover your software investment.

 

~

 

Next thing you’re gonna tell me is that auto manufacturers engineer mufflers to rust out so that you have to replace it every few years

 

Go German and get C4D. The Germans make great cars and software, and they treat their customers like human beings and not like cash cows.

 

AutoDesk

[Wojciech Klepacki]

Hi all.

There is an upgrade from LT to full ACAD in Poland. U can find it under this link: http://www.procad.pl/newlook/html/index.html but site is not in English version ;-((. And about Viz4 - I have the same situation: they told me that Lightscape is death and point me to buy Viz, now they send me info thay I should upgrade to MAX. But I don't need it... funy but Autodesk starts to act as MS - forget about w2k!!! buy XP!!! They don't care about enduser ;-((. Architects in Poland don't ear too much. I have all legal software but I can't afford to upgrade twice a year or more.

To Paul:

I have German car - Opel Vectra, but I can't stand German soft - Allplan by Nemetschek AG... but I don' know C4D.

rgds,

Wojciech Klepacki

P.S.

When I have had some problems with Viz4, Autodesk support in Poland told me: "if u fix the problem and find a solution please call us...", nice, isn't it?

[bigcahunak]

VIZ + ADT... hmmm... heard it before, but just cant believe its possible.

 

Hmmm, and I thoyght C4D is British... isn't it?

 

Speaking of Germans, how come fR stage1 is so late. It was suppose to be released months ago. Rumors say its buggy as VW beatle...

[Greg Hess]

There's no real need to flame autodesk...they do that well enough themselves...

 

http://biz.yahoo.com/djus/030225/1746001076_1.html

 

I'd say there heading into the red pretty fast.

[Craig Ramsay]

I got told by a re-seller yesterday that the new version of Autocad will have some Viz features in it! He did say that he wasn't really suposed to tell me that tho :???:

 

Craig

[3dp]

just to add my spanner

having moved into visualisation as a full time occupation i would never consider the likes of adt/revit/archicad/microstation/vectorworks as visualistion tools....... modelling perhaps but it's very difficult to get a quick and dirty sketch out of compared to a 3d package such as viz/max/maya/xsi etc where the true power of visualisation via lighting and materials come into play

i have no doubt that autodesk will continue in it's quest to develop and try to sell a better mousetrap but for myself i'm content with the tools to hand just now

3d cad models by others usely do not have the depth of information needed for visualsation so i end up remodelling for the purpose of a contract

and as for the adt v revit i think adt has gone as far as it can in so far as autodesk keep on piling more 3d tools ontop of a 2d cad technology

regrading revit and the limited use i had of it's demo it seems to be geared from the ground up as a proper architectural 3d package and (like archicad from what i hear) and maybe thats why autodesk bought it

but it's not a visualisation tool for the creation of artistic visualisation and having worked hard to get and stay here i'd rather not go back to the black and white binary world of cad even in a design sense just now

if someone develops a package that has architectural 3d modelling coupled image/video editing and post production that can export data to the rest of the design team in formats they need (specs and schedules etc) and that allows a dsigner to jump an and create in the same way as pencil in a free form sense but would not take years to learn to be productive with and cost the same as the national debt of a small country i'd be intrested but then i would have a career moving into a different path from what i have chosen

i watch with intrest to see how this will pan out but for now the software companies have had my cash

[nisus]

why not all go and work for Autodesk and make the world a better place? ;-p

[John Dollus]

i can't believe they are predicting 50-60 cent/share increases this year compared to single digit increases last year. They must be planning on increasing the cost of their upgrades and using strongarm tactics to force subscription fees from their users.

[Enlighten]

Hi,

 

Just thought I would give an opinion, I agree that autodesk are terrible for customer service and the way Lightscape has been handled is unforgivable. They just seemed to let a good thing die. I loved the renders I would get with lightscape but the heartache and lack of helpful information and forums like this meant I had to move on. I must admit though I think Max beats the competition hands down, although I tend to think my opinion is biased as I have used it and seen it progress from the days when there was no max just 3d studio.

I also use Lightwave and dabble in Softimage, but I keep hearing people blow the horn of C4D, why is this? am I missing something, I would love to know. Anyway I am rambling, to conclude I wouldn't call autodesk, autdevil, slightly harsh, they have been resting on the laurels for to long but there is no denying they produce very good software, if they could just figure out how to treat there customers right it would all be perfect, oh and lower there prices lol!!!.

 

See ya

 

Enlighten

[seismograph]

Viz4 into Adt4.. hmm.

 

Adt is dead. Revit is now the big deal.

The problem with Autocad is that this softwareconcept is finished.

no updates = no profit

 

I also think viz4 is dead, so better buy max if it's cost you only 500$ more ..if i had that offer when i buy my upgrade, i would have now max5 ... and btw an upgrade from viz4 to max5 would cost me now 2.125€ ...they pissing on me!

 

The radiosity of viz4/max5 is a joke and i'm pretty sure autodesk know it.

 

If they have Revit now, which seems to be very powerfull and together with accurender a very strong competitor to viz4, then they will fuse Viz4 and ADT into this new product...or to be correct: discontinue both products.

 

I can't wait, when they Autodesk get the anger from the Acad users ..many will move to other products like archicad ,allplan or microstation.