#Strange LensFX
17 messages in this thread
I just have to say…
We JUST bought LenZFX, and they neglected to tell us about both the BUGS and
the fact that there is to be a NEW RELEASE shortly that fixes them… It
bothers me a lot that the good folks who put the damn thing out won't even cut
you a deal on the new release… I'm sure there are a lot of others like me who
feel burned.
Just conplainin'…
Matt @ Blizzard
Matt –
Reading this forum will gain you a lot of information on software problems that
members find when they work with new programs. A lot of the developers of those
programs are on line here and let us know about new releases and "bug" fixes.
dumping all over the LenZFX folks might make you feel a lot better but it won't
gain you much.
A request that we make of all members – please either put your full company
name in the Fm: space on the messages and sign with a first and last name or
put your first and last name in the Fm: space. That request is in our member
information in the libraries. Thanks for your cooperation.
Anne
<<..dumping all over the LenZFX folks might make you feel a lot better but it
won't gain you much….>>
The guys at Digimation and their associated developers are well respected by
most of the people who deal with them. I personally have found them very
helpful, even though I have had some minor problems. They are certainly big
enough to handle criticism by people who might justfiably have some grounds for
complaint. The Autodesk Forum is one of few means available for users to give
suppliers feedback, either positive or negative.
The Forum is the best managed on Compuserve that I have come across. Please
don't change the style such that we all have to watch very carefully every word
that we post here. Yours appreciatively,
Gary McHale
Gary –
No way will I ever try to stop criticism of a dealer, vendor or Autodesk. I
think we have all seen how much can be learned by honest criticism. Just when
someone comes on as strong and with profanity (mild though it was) usually it
turns out not to be very constructive. Glad you have found Digimation helpful.
I don't know them personally but have seen for the last ten months how very
quick they are on forum responses and individual problems.
As an old sixties hippy I also treasure my right to give criticism <G> Thanks
for the thumbs up on the forum being well run. We sure do try hard.
Anne
Point taken. There have to be some standards (…I guess mine are a little on
the low side as far as the profanities are concerned). Thanks for the hard
work, it is appreciated.
Gary McHale
Blizzard,
If you have a bug to report in LenZFX, please do so and we will resolve the
issue. I'm sure that this will benefit you more in the long run than 'Just
complainin'. We don't claim that LenZFX is the perfect program (what is?) but
we do claim to address the needs of our users. Some things that people call
'bugs' in LenZFX are not bugs at all. Some limitations in LenZFX are brought
about by IPAS limitations, some by limitations in 3D Studio and some by more
complicated issues. For some of these limitations, we have work arounds or
answers, so if you have a question, your best course of action is to come to
the source.
Finally LenZFX 2 is NOT a bug fix. It's true that we have overcome some of the
limitations imposed by the first LenZFX but a lot of that can be contributed to
the efforts of our programmer David Thompson. Also we have fixed some bugs BUT
the list of new features far exceed any bugs that were fixed. (I'm sure that 3D
Studio Release 3 fixed some bugs in Release 2 – but it wasn't a bug fix
release.)
As far as LenZFX 2 goes, LenZFX is already the best special effects software
you can buy, on any 3D platform, and LenZFX 2 turns the heat up a couple of
notches. No one on Lightwave, Real 3D, Topaz, trueSpace, Sculpt, Animation
Master, Soft Effects, Electric Image………. can do what you can do with
LenZFX and when they see what you'll be able to do with LenZFX 2, they'll be
totally depressed. So relax. If you have constructive comments let us know. If
you want to complain, hold that feeling for just 1 week more, take a look at
LenZFX 2 – then if you still feel the need to complain, call me personally and
I'll be all ears.
By the way, if you upgrade LenZFX 2 with Inferno, you'll be paying the same
price as anyone else. You won't be paying more because you bought LenZFX last
week or last year or 2 months from now.
Finally, before I get off my high horse, let me direct a thought to those
people who complained about LenZFX 2 not shipping on September 15th. Since the
15th, we have added 3 or 4 great new features to LenZFX 2 that will make it
even more powerful and customizable. I know how it is to want software NOW, but
the version you'll get at the end of September is better than what you would
have gotten on September 15th. Take some comfort in that.
David – Digimation
David,
PMJI, but speaking of shipping dates. Do you have one for the World Builder
upgrade? I bought WB a couple of weeks ago, and it doesn't support my Imagine
128 card. I was told (a couple of weeks ago) that in a couple of weeks that I
would be shipped the newest version that would support the card with 256
colors. I also have LenZFX 2 with Inferno on order with Murphy, you think about
one more week until that ships?
Just checking, not complaining. <g>
Terry
Hi Terry,
World Builder upgrades will be in early Oct. Tim Fourcade is very busy on the
manual and I understand that it's the size of the Old Testament. I should have
the software portion this month however and if you would like to get it before
the manual that's no problem. Call the office and let us know and we'll ship
the software portion as soon as we get it. We're still very optomistic about
LenZFX 2 this month. I'll be posting the demo version up here this weekend I
think.
David – Digimation
David,
>>..should have the software portion this month..<< (World Builder)
Yes, I would very much like to get it before the manual in October. I will give
you a call Monday and firm all this up. Glad to hear that LenZFX is soon to
arrive also. Send the first one to Murph for me. <g> I'm assuming that the
manuals for that are already written, right? Now, if you could just pull some
strings and get me a Animator Studio manual, I'll be set for a while. <BG> I
still want to ride down there one day when ya'll have some time and look over
some of the other IPAS routines you have.
Thanks David,
Terry
>> Since the 15th, we have added 3 or 4 great new features to LenZFX 2 that
will make it even more powerful and customizable. <<
GREAT news! I can't wait to get the disks in the mail!!!
– ej
Hi David…
Guess I was a little harsh on you guys… But I had just spent a whole
afternoon trying to put an "Aura" on a particular object. It doesn't work.
When I called your customer support line, I talked to a guy who was very nice
and helpful, but what he told me to do didn't work. Finally, in frustration, I
called a friend who has been working with LenZFX for quite a while, and
explained the problem. His reply was something like: "Oh. You can't use Aura.
It doesn't work." This added to my suspicion that there is in fact a "bug" in
the LenZFX program, at least as far as the "Aura" module is concerned. I hope
I am wrong, because I would love to be able to use this part of the package.
It is, in fact, mostly the reason we purchased the package in the first place.
Maybe you'll have an idea about how to get around the problem… The problem
is this: When I assign an object to glow in the "Aura" module, sometimes it
glows and sometimes it doesn't. This is especially apparant when rendering a
flic, because the object will glow on some frames and not on others. I
understand there is a problem with keyframer information being passed to the
LenZFX module, but this just seems to not work. Any ideas?
Thanks for the help…
Matthew Samia
P.S. Sorry for cuasing such a stir…
David, I don't know whether or not you got my comments to Anne Brown, I know
this thread has got a little complicated. It was intended more in support of
free speech (misguided ot not), rather than a criticism of your company. I hope
that my comments were not misconstrued. I have spoken to you personally over a
minor problem in the past, and it was quickly resolved. There are many
company's that could learn a lot from the quality of support that you guys give
to your products. There is no other company that I know of that supplies the
same level of product support for 3D Studio and related software. If you think
that people got the wrong impression I would be more than happy to set the
record straight.
Gary McHale
Hi Gary…
I agree that this thread has gotten a bit complex… I have to take issue,
however, with your comment that my remarks were "misguided".
I have since apologized to just about everyone for shooting my mouth off about
a product I was unhappy with, because I realize in retrospect that my tone was
less than "professional" (which, as I explained in a letter to someone else,
was a result of trying to get the product to do something it's supposed to do
for an entire afternoon, and coming up blank). I do think that one very
important function of this forum should be the free exchange of info about
products that are out there, and if I am right about this, my remarks weren't
misguided. A bit harsh in tone perhaps, but not misguided.
Matthew P. Samia
<<….It was intended more in support of free speech (misguided ot not)…>>
No, no, no, I meant my comments might have been misguided. I supported your
position. This is getting really confusing. I first came to your support on the
issue of Forum users being able to criticise suppliers over problems that they
might have had. I then got a reply from the Sysop saying that they also
supported this aim. This reassurance from Anne lead me to say that my comments
on free speech might have been misguided, as I had misinterpreted her position.
The note to David was to clarify that whilst I support the right of Forum users
to criticize suppliers, that I had personnaly found their technical support to
be very good, and my comments were not intended as a jibe at Digimation…blah,
blah…mumble mumble…Henry Kissinger eat your heart out. I am going for the
noble peace prize myself…..you have to understand, I had a very difficult
childhood.
I think I am winning anyway. I have managed to offend three people and I wasn't
even trying.
Gary McHale
Gary –
<G> Maybe we could send you to Bosnia as a peace keeper <G>
Anne