CompuServe Messages

Tim: I still feel this third party approach is a double edge sword. I also think the jury is still out in regards to ray-tracing and MAX, lack of any details on the rendering engine in MAX leads me to believe that the feature list is still in flux. When a wish-list item becomes so popular as to have a vast majority of users begging for the addition of the feature that is when I think the third party method hurts us all – right in the pocket book! Particle systems, ray-tracing, spline modelling, etc. are found in most of the competitor's base packages. With MAX and 3DS I know we are getting splines but who knows about the rest? The third party method gives us options but it would be nice to have more features in the base package as a way of one-stop shopping. The last thing I want is a package where you have to spend 3x the cost of the base package in plug-ins and add-ons just to be able to function properly (not unlike the AutoCAD scenario of today). To be fair, from what I have seen of MAX the approach is to include a great deal of new functionality which was only available as a plug-in addition into the base package. The Yost Group's most popular IPAS routines have made their way to the core of MAX such as optimize (Optimize on steroids actually) and skin. – Bob Ritger