CompuServe Messages

David is correct, of course. I am not in any way connected to KUB. I am just an enthusiastic (perhaps a wee bit over-enthusiastic) fan. 🙂 My point remains that TSE is highly beneficial to the future of 3DS, and that Autodesk could do a lot worse than to bundle it in with the current version. We were promised Spline Patch Modelling in the press release which officially announced "Release 4." That press release was the only official source of specifications on Release 4 at the time most of us committed to upgrade to it. The Spline Patch Modeler described in the press release was a major factor in M&M's decision to upgrade, and I'm sure it was for others as well. It was one of the factors which made us believe that upgrading would be worth the price stated in that same press release. NOWHERE IN THE PRESS RELEASE was there any mention of "These specifications subject to change." Therefore, Autodesk at the current time is guilty at least of misrepresentation, in my opinion. We upgraded expecting to get something that we were promised and that we didn't get. The price of the upgrade was not lowered to reflect the loss of value. At the very least, Autodesk is OBLIGATED to provide us something OF AT LEAST EQUIVALENT VALUE to the Spline Modeler. Sorry, but the Texture Browser ain't it, especially since we already had it thanks to the Texture Universe CD-ROM, but it wouldn't have been even if we had not already had it. Browsing textures quickly isn't anywhere remotely near organic spline-patch modelling in terms of value to us in the 3D animation business. Now I understand that circumstances made it impossible for Autodesk to include the Spline Patch Modeller. Nevertheless, they promised it to us in an OFFICIAL Press Release which also announced the pricing of the upgrade. They did so WITHOUT providing any sort of legal loopholes for themselves about "specifications subject to change" or some such. Their hands are tied, legally. We users would be justified in a class-action lawsuit at this point for misrepresentation, or at the VERY least "bait and switch." But I for one would consider the full Script Extensions from KUB as being of roughly equivalent value to the Spline Modeller. If that were provided at Autodesk's expense, I would consider the price of the upgrade as being worthy of what we got (which I am otherwise very, very disappointed in), especially in light of the fact that we were OFFICIALLY PROMISED more than we got. Browsing textures may not be even remotely anywhere near the value of spline modelling, but being able to write our own Universal .PXPs, .SXPs, .AXPs, and .IXPs in a high-level language (not to mention taking advantage of the vast numbers of such routines that others here will surely write and upload or make available as shareware or low-cost commercial software) certainly would be! Look what POCO did for Animator Pro!