#very poor support
2 messages in this thread
I think your first mistake is mixing Autodesk up with a company that
gives a poop. It's been 2 years now since I went through almost
identically the same runaround. I'm still miffed. I didn't have a
modem originally, and ended up going so far as getting ahold of the
magazines where I read about 3DStudio, contacting the editor, and
talking personally to one of them on the phone. She contacted an
official at Autodesk who promised her he would look into it all, and
contact me personally. Well, it's 2 years, and I still haven't
received that phone call, so don't hold your breath. You may end up
turning blue, or worse, before you get anything out of Autodesk.
The only thing that has changed is after lots and lots of ragging that
Autodesk had no technical support, some genius cooked up this $3000
idea, which is basically only a way to shut critics up, because any
question you ask one of the $3000 people, if they don't know, the
question will only get posted on this forum. So I'd personally
recommend strongly against wasting $3000. Compuserve time is a
little cheaper. <g>
A warning about being too critical: After hitting them with a couple
too many questions and criticisms they either couldn't or wouldn't
answer, they gave up answering my questions altogether, and just
leave me little nastygrams in email. But don't worry. Your best
sources are from volunteers and the Yost Group anyway, so who cares?
All this is probably little consolation for the fact that you thought
that you were buying a quality product from a reputable company and
now they tell you to go hang out on a bulletin board. And I also
feel that bulletin board support is no substitute for a company
personally standing behind its product. But until somebody wakes up
and screws their head on straight, or their competitors start using
this fact against them, it's probably all you're going to get. I've
been using the product for 2 years, and if there's anything I can help
you with feel free to ask. I know how you feel.
I used to work for an Autodesk dealler for a while. Autodesk relies
on their dealers for all of the support. The problem is that 3D
Studio rarely ever sells for $2995. Unless the user doesnt shop
around, he is crazy to pay that price when there are deallers that
are selling boxes for around $2400 or lower. The problem is that for
that price most deallers cant afford to waste too much time
supporting the client. It isnt worth it. What we used to do was
offer classes. But unfortunately the user that is just getting into
3D Studio thinks that he has paid his $2400 and that we have made a
lot of money and should get 20 or more hours of free support.
Autodesk is the one who makes the most money from the product and
needs to change because as long as there are copies of 3DS selling
for low prices, deallers are not going to give support along with the
purchase.
The best info is on the asoft forum anyway.