CompuServe Messages

I disagree, MicroSoft will provide API support and CDK's like they do for everything else. Not only that, MicroSoft will make SoftImage OLE2 compliant for sure. The _entire_ concept behind MicroSoft products is to provide engines that people can use to create "4th" party apps. Why would MicroSoft change just for SoftImage? If MS does what they have always done with every other MS application, SoftImage meshes will be windows "objects" that you can grab the handle of and manipulate with WINGL API Calls. In fact, writting a "plug-in" for SoftImage will be probably be easier than for MAX because you will be able to do it in a RAD tool like Visual Basic.