Softimage XSI 5.0

#1 I agree with you with the excessive price. I looked at the new features and even though they look to be pretty good, I do not think they offer enough (for game development) to actually upgrade (though I'll admit, some of these features sound very very nice). The price would have to be quite a bit lower for me to consider upgrading. Maybe I'll consider version 6.0 in a year or so (or whenever they get to it).

I am very very happy with 4.2 for now and I am glad I bought it.

EDIT:

About the price, we also have to remember that Softimage|XSI Foundation has a lot of features and that it is very well priced compared to its main competitors which is 3ds max and maya. They probably do not have much leeway into how they price things when it is so low to begin with. It could be compared to garagegames and how underpriced torque is which makes people want so much more for so much less money. But even taking that into consideration, I believe the price to be excessive considering the new features. Though I have to admit that if I was primarily an artist, I would upgrade. Just like I am going to upgrade to the next version of visual studio when it comes out.

#2 So for another 100$ you could buy another licensed seat for a second pc, laptop, whatever...I agree the upgrade price seems a bit out of balance reguardless of the new features or value imo. What really sucks for me, is that I just bought v4.2 late last week! I also have to agree that XSI is still a pretty damn amazing value for the power and capabilities.

#3 Eric,

Have you tried contacting them yet about it? I've had my copy for 3 months; not long enough to justify the $400. I'll call them if I don't get a response to my emails.

#4 Nope not yet, but I will.
I did read a forum post where someone had just bought Foundation @ $1,999.00 right before they did the price drop. Softimage did the right thing and gave him the Essentials package license. So we might have a good chance at getting a break:)

#5 Will there be an XSI exporter for TGE? I hope so. It's the best 3D SW in my opinion.

#6 I probably won't upgrade at least not right away- the upgrade price is prohibitive but also XSI 4.2 is so kick-ass and I am really still learning it, and I don't NEED any of the new features mentioned in 5.0.

It looks like a really great set of new features. The shape manager and "ultimapper" look pretty interesting. Softimage continues to amaze. Happy to be a user.

GG and Dark Industries ( I think) are working on an XSI exporter for Torque .dts files.

#7 I got a reply from Softimage. I'll quote it here:

Hello,

Unfortunately the free upgrade to Foundation 5.0 is only available if
you have purchased you Foundation during the month of July.
The Upgrade from Foundation 4.2 to 5.0 is $395 as posted on our web
site.

If you have any other question, please feel free to contact us again.

Thank you,

-----------
Store Administrator
Softimage
store@softimage.com

#8 I think the new Foundation 5.0 comes with Custom Display Host...is this the technology to run a game engine in real time in one of the XSi windows? Wouldn't it be great to model in XSI and see what you do directly in Torque in an XSI window?

#9 @Hokuto- that would be interesting. Custom Display Host isn't available in Foundation 4.2. That would be awesome to have that kind of integration between Torque and XSI. However it would be a major C++ programming effort, probably on the scale of writing the .dts exporter or worse.

#10 This is all off the top of my head so could be completely wrong (feel free to call me up on this) but...

SoftImage have said in the past they were not planning on doing upgrades for the foundation package, this upgrade deal they are doing is promotional only. Meaning it's not gonna last forever. I personally think people should be glad they are doing this deal as they have said before they didn't have it pencilled in. Maybe think of it more as "$100 off" rather then "Expensive upgrade." ;)

On the subject of expense... are you really actually complaining about that price? Get a grip lads, its A STEAL.

#11 @Craig, I agree. I'm still shocked that they'd sell this type of software for such a price, but we always want more for less:) What sucked for me is I had just bought 4.2 but Softimage is giving me the upgrade to 5 for free when it's released. I couldn't be more happy:)

#12 "but we always want more for less:)" Human nature and good business practice ;)

It appears that selling software for much cheaper then one would expect actually ends up creating this bizzare LACK of gratitude rather then the intended opposite. As mentioned earlier GG suffer this too, its a strange state of affairs really isn't it? :D

#13 Thanks for the laugh guys, it brought a tear to my eye.

First of all, quit your bitching. If you truely need the new features in an upgraded version of your 3D application then suck it up and buy the god dammed thing. You knew what the dammed upgrade price would be (roughly) by taking two seconds to look on their sales pages to see what the upgrade cost was at the time, so complaining that you have to pay $395 to get new features for software that you paid $500 for is pathetic, it truely is. In one fell swoop you just bitch slapped everyone at AVID that had the faith to offer you guys a hefty discount on their software as well as everyone that busted their asses off there in product development to give you all these new features.

Do me a favor, in the future, please don't bother asking why other software applications aren't cheaper for entry and low end users such as yourself.

#14 L Foster,

Why such a nasty, personal reply?

Edit:
At least we now know through this thread that those who purchased XSI foundation in July can get a free upgrade.


Craig,

What I said about the price has nothing to do with a lack of gratitude on my part for Softimage. If I wasn't thankful for what I got from them, I would have never contacted them in the first place.

The question I had has nothing to do with how good XSI foundation is, or its price. Its whether the average XSI foundation user will pay $395 for those new features, or simply wait a year or two for the next version. Based on the replies I saw here, most plan on waiting for the next version.

#15 @Alex Rice:@Hokuto- that would be interesting. Custom Display Host isn't available in Foundation 4.2. That would be awesome to have that kind of integration between Torque and XSI. However it would be a major C++ programming effort, probably on the scale of writing the .dts exporter or worse.

Yes and the game engine needs to be able to work with dotXsi format :)
oh well :)

Can you immagine if TSE was going to support DotXsi?

For less than $1000 you would have a full Indie Pro Development set up... able to compete with whatever else is out there!

Wow ... what a dream would that be.... GG is that very impossible to happen?
Wouldn't Softimage offer some help if you were to consider working on something like this?

#16 From Softi Site


dotXSI Transfer File-Format:
Not only has the performance of dotXSI been boosted by over 100%, but XSI v.5.0 includes the full import/export source code! Now more than ever you have the power to integrate the flexibility of dotXSI to the exact needs of your production pipeline. DotXSI allows your content and game engine to speak the same language by enabling full access to arbitrary custom data, multiple attributes per vertex, and real-time shader effects.

#17 Hokuto,

I plan on giving a good, college try on making a dotXSI convertor. I'll start coding by sometime September. I'll start with converting meshes, of course. I'll make no promises, but I'll let you know how it goes.

#18 That's great news Louis. Please keep us posted and good luck. I'm not a coder, but if there is anyway I can help just let me know.

#19 I love you guys. Since I bought the software on July 7, I do get a free upgrade which is very cool. I love the Softimage guys even more of course :)

When I was talking about the price on my previous post, I wasn't critizing Softimage for making the upgrade so highly priced compared to original, but I was mearly saying that I would not pay the price of the upgrade for the new features. I am not an artist, I only use Softimage to make programmer's art and understand what the artist has to do to get something in my game. I hope one day to be able to make better art and that will come with experience. If I was an artist, I would have jumped on it without any second thoughts.

You also have to remember than 395$ is a lot of money to be investing if making models or art is not how you make money. Of course it depends on what kind of social/economic status you live in, but it is still a sizeable investment.

About the custom display host: If it really will be included in foundation 5.0 (which I have not seen written anywhere), it would definitely kick ass. This feature alone would make me spend a fortune. It makes the artist life soooo much easier and in the long run everybody's.
The same thing is possible with 3d studio max, I have seen it done for another engine and maya probably supports it too. That feature, I believe to be essential to increase productivity. You can see your model in the engine right there, and are able to make modifications and see your results almost instatenously. It is priceless.

#20 @L Foster - get off your high horse, dude