CompuServe Thread

(A cross-post from 'go asoft', cross-posted from Internet:) Subject: A Planet Strangely Like Our Own Keywords: MICROSOFT SOFTIMAGE ANIMATION Organization: National Pixel Products, Mill Valley CA Date: Tue, 22 Feb 1994 22:22:57 GMT Lines: 94 Feb 1994 Microsoft announces agreement for acquisition of SoftImage. March Full-time observer from Microsoft arrives in Montreal to observe. April Observer discovers that SoftImage program modules are communicating without using OLE standards. First attempt at fitting word "Microsoft" into SoftImage Creative Environment top menu buttons (e.g., "Microsoft Actor") fails. Compromise is reached — button labels will be replaced by easily-trademarked pictures of tiny Keith Haring-styled creatures leaping about. Presenter Pro "OZ" ships. May SoftImage engineer begins work on OLE compliance between modules. July Symantec agrees out of court not to sue over possible product name infringement of "Microsoft Actor." Third SoftImage engineer begins work on OLE compliance between modules. At Siggraph, Microsoft executive fails to impress crowd when he declares "Ich bin ein Quebecer." "Microsoft Digital Studio for Windows NT," while not shown at Siggraph, is anticipated before September. September Adobe Systems sues to avoid possible product name infringement of "Microsoft Actor" against "Adobe Acrobat." Asks court to ensure that "Microsoft Actor" is not used across multiple CPU platforms. Observer from Microsoft discovers that cubic splines are not patentable. November In a surprise move, Alias V6 ships. Sixth SoftImage engineer begins work on OLE compliance between modules. All engineers are requested to move operations to Bellevue to facilitate OLE compliance work. December Microsoft petitions Quebecois goverment to require Quebecers to speak English. Government responds by declaring "Microsoft" an English word and hence banned from public use in advertising. In a surprise move, six key SoftImage engineers depart to found Taarna, Jr. 1995 and beyond… Observer from Microsoft discovers that inverse kinematics have nothing to do with children's physical education. Playmation V3 ships. Several key SoftImage customers on the west coast are surprised to find that their technical support questions are now being fielded on (900) numbers by experts in word processing. 3D Studio V5 ships. Microsoft denies report in PC WEEK that "Microsoft Digital Studio" will not be shown running under WindowsNT at Winter CES, due to ongoing problems with OLE. NewTek LightWave for WindowsNT and PowerMacintosh is shown at Winter CES, featuring metaball modeling, realtime channel input, 3D inverse kinematics and comprehensive RenderMan support for $895. "Microsoft Digital Studio" is not shown running under WindowsNT at Winter CES. The absence is attributed to an inadequate number of AC power jacks at the show site. MacroModel V2.5 ships. "Microsoft Digital Studio" is shown running under WindowsNT at Comdex in a "no-touch" demo. The product manager shows how it is possible to control animation by pressing a scriptable button in Microsoft Excel. Several accountants give this feature rave reviews. Haring estate sues over use of Keith-Haring-styled leaping figures as buttons in "Microsoft Digital Studio." Adobe case resolved. "Microsoft Actor" may not be used on non-MIPS CPUs, nor under any OS but IRIX. Citing the turndown in Eastern European economies, Microsoft announced it would cease development on "Microsoft Digital Studio." Source code and maintenance contracts are to be assumed by Discreet Logic Ltd, a division of AutoDesk. Claris 3D V1.01 ships.