Autodesk is canning gmax Options

[killakanz]

Here's the scoop:

"As of October 6, 2005, Autodesk will no longer offer Gmax® software as a stand-alone product. If you are interested in other 3D animation, modeling, and rendering applications from Autodesk please check out Autodesk® 3ds Max® software. You can download a free 30-day trial, view product demonstrations, read customer success stories, and get more information about this powerful, versatile product.

Autodesk® 3ds Max® 8 is the latest version of our award-winning 3D software. Designed to provide the most comprehensive and advanced 3D design tools and pipeline workflow, 3ds Max is one of the industry’s most popular solutions for game development, design visualization, and film and video production."

The things got worse with Beau Perschall (Turbosquid VP) posting this:

Dear Gmax users,

I am here today to inform you that Autodesk has officially decided to end its support for the Gmax product and that their company has stopped support for it effective October 6th.

Since Turbo Squid is a valuable partner for Autodesk and we've been managing the product and community on their behalf for the past year, they've allowed us to continue to offer the Gmax download until November 1st so that we can effectively manage the transition for this now defunct product. At that point, the ability to download Gmax from our site will be removed as will the ability for users to get authorization codes for the product.

These forums will continue to operate for the community for a small period of time beyond that date, and we'll be happy to try and assist the community during that time.

Respectfully,

-=Beau


Beau Perschall
VP of Publishing
Turbo Squid, Inc.

Browser, Turbosquid forum admin had an update too:

Yesterday, I talked to an Autodesk representative on the phone. I should get an email that will repeat what I talked about with them. Phone conversation was a bit hard for me to hear as the Autodesk representative was on a cell. The volume of the conversation wasn't good so I may not have heard everything ok.

One of the arguments I have heard before and I think Autodesk repeated it, is that for the past 2 years, no new gamepacks had been created on the game company sides. So this means no money for Autodesk. Also, GMAX is very costly to maintain on the developement side (it is 3d max 4.X based and we are at 3d max 8 now !).

Overall, it seams to be related to no new clients and costly developement. Again, I will get a written confirmation as the phone discussion wasn't of a good quality so I might be wrong on a few things.


As for those that have GMAX now, if you should re-install it, you could either use the registry workaround or change your PC clock to match the registration email you got and re-enter the same registration code.

For those wanting to get GMAX before it disapears, registration should still be available at Turbosquid (I think!) via http://www.turbosquid.com/support (and click the GMAX link).

After that i asked if GmaX can be put up for download at other sites.This was the response:

As for other sites hosting GMAX for downloads, I have no idea if they can. Maybe Autodesk has its saying in it to say who is allowed or not.

As for me saying the costs are high to mainting it, I am not confirming this as, like I pointed out, the phone conversation was of a poor quality. At times I couldn't quite make out what Autodesk was saying. I would rather wait for theire text version for the official confirmation.

By the way, a license just to create a gamepack is somewhere around $80,000 Cdn. I had asked Autodesk about the possibility of going Open Source just for the plugin point of view. They said something (again, waiting for confirmation) like : short term no, but who knows !

This is potentially disasterous to a number of modding communities.
All I can say is if you dont have gmax installed before Nov 1st, then you never will. Keeping it installed after that is another focus.
Sure most of us can stick to using 3D Studio Max, but for purposes of modding Generals there is no way of getting new models in the game without Gmax, our only hope there would be for EA to release their 3DS Max exporter... bloody unlikely.

[Hostile]

In a BFME2 interview they stated they will provde tools that they did not provide before. Maybe this is one of them...

[Tomat]

well it can be sent to the guys that need it by msn or e-mail so its not that bad

[Torn]

That could be a crushing blow, Gmax is an important tool for modders/modellers just starting out, and for exporting W3Ds. If BFME 2 comes with a w3d exporter for 3ds Max then it would be a brilliant move, otherwise the modding community would be severly damaged.

[Hostile]

issue is, you need a validation email to activate it. Now if they remove that, how will you activate the program?

[killakanz]

In a BFME2 interview they stated they will provde tools that they did not provide before. Maybe this is one of them...

That could just mean they'll supply an importer next time.
I dont trust EA enough to jump the gun on statements like that.

[Lauri]

Well EA has been kind with Battlefield, very kind. They released a whole bunch with tools. But it was EA and Dice. For BFME it's EA and.....?

[ched]

and EALA

[killakanz]

People, I've heard from a very reliable source (Flyby told me, I trust this guy very much) that EA is going to release a W3D Exporter for 3D Studio Max in leu of gmax's departure.
I've seen no documentation on this, but if it's true then maybe... just maybe... EA does really care about it's Renegade/Generals/BFME modding community!!

I'll let you know what I hear.

[Lauri]

All game makers should care about modders

[Legion]

The fact that GMAX will die is just another reason to pirate 3DS Max. Autodesk is a bunch of idiots.

[Kelso]

People, I've heard from a very reliable source (Flyby told me, I trust this guy very much) that EA is going to release a W3D Exporter for 3D Studio Max in leu of gmax's departure.
I've seen no documentation on this, but if it's true then maybe... just maybe... EA does really care about it's Renegade/Generals/BFME modding community!!

I'll let you know what I hear.

I was told that EA is developing an SDK for BFME2 which will include an exporter that works with 3DSMax.

[Mastermind]

The fact that GMAX will die is just another reason to pirate 3DS Max. Autodesk is a bunch of idiots.

No, piracy of Max helps Autodesk. That way if/when all the people that pirated it start doing 3-D work for real they have to buy a license, because they don't want to use something they don't know, but they have all this experience with Max. That's why GMax made sense as well, because it trained you to use Max, and if you wanted to do pro work you need a license.

[Creator]

I'm glad that it happened at last. I hate gmax. I model in 3DMax only, but I was forced to use that gmax (Gimp-MAX) to export my models into W3D format.

Does anybody know if W3D export tool for 3DMax is available for download?

[killakanz]

I'm glad that it happened at last. I hate gmax. I model in 3DMax only, but I was forced to use that gmax (Gimp-MAX) to export my models into W3D format.

Does anybody know if W3D export tool for 3DMax is available for download?

um... if you actually read what we've been writing you'd notice that there isn't.

[Guest_Guest_FLyby_*_*]

Well, As Killa already indicated, my sources informed me that a 3dsmax plugin is/will be available for BFME.
I got this from "people" who attended the community gathering organised by EA.
One of the aspects was the inclusion of a Max/Maya plugin.
Presumably it is/was planned for the BFME2 release or shortly afterwards in the follow up patch.
Personally, I hope they include it from the start as currently we are "virtually" without any modding tool that can export the format.
If they are serious about mod support, as some of the EA RTS management said, then they should understand the seriousness of the current problem.