Re: Foundation Licensing question

["Tim Leydecker" <BauerOink(at)gmx.de>]

HereÂs some general info on the FND 6.0 licensing scheme:
http://softimage.wiki.avid.com/index.php/INFO:_XSI_6.0_Licensing

Cheers

tim


----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Mikko Ronkainen" <noratio(at)kolumbus.fi>
To: <XSI(at)Softimage.COM>
Sent: Wednesday, December 27, 2006 4:05 PM
Subject: Re: Foundation Licensing question


> I don't know what to say or keep quiet, but did you install spm server, it  is 
> required fnd v6.
>
> On Wed, 27 Dec 2006 15:59:06 +0200, Thomas Helzle <xsi(at)screendream.de>  wrote:
>
> > Hm - this is getting better and better:
> >
> > I tried to install the Trial Version of XSI 6, to at least see if it is  worth all 
> > the trouble.
> > After installation the trial key was installed just fine and the Setup  finished 
> > without errors.
> > After a reboot, I clicked on the XSI icon and XSI started to run, but  only showed 
> > the hooded guy and an empty gui with the headline showing  that I have 30 days 
> > left in my trial.
> > Then it vanished from the screen without any error message or even  windows 
> > complaining.
> >
> > After some digging around, I found in the windows event list (don't know  how this 
> > is properly called in english), that the spm server was  complaining about being 
> > not correctly installed and there I got the  advice to reinstall it.
> >
> > Well, for the trial there is no separate SPM installer so I tried to  repair the 
> > installation. But that didn't work since it didn't refer to  the original 
> > installer but to a temp-directory that no longer existed  after installation. 
> > Cool.
> >
> > So I uninstalled the Trial and re-installed it after another reboot.
> >
> > Now after the setup was finished, I was told that there are no more  license 
> > tokens for this installation...
> >
> > But the best thing was, that XSI Foundation 5.11 also stopped to work  after all 
> > that.
> >
> > I guess I will spend some additional hours to uninstall XSI 6 Trial,  then 
> > Foundation 5.11, reinstall the later and then just forget about  Version 6 for at 
> > least half a year.
> >
> > I just hope I can return my update to the store - I still haven't heard  back from 
> > them.
> >
> > So better be careful with this release.
> >
> > Cheers,
> >
> >
> > Thomas Helzle
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > Am 25.12.2006, 19:51 Uhr, schrieb peter boeykens <peter_b(at)skynet.be>:
> >
> > > licensing(at)softimage.com would be your best bet, and put
> > > support(at)softimage.com in copy.
> > >
> > > I totally agree that licensing to a mac adress sucks.
> > > Its not uncommon to switch workstations every few months.
> > > You should be able to migrate your software along, by offering FND  licensing
> > > on a dongle.
> > > At  paid price for the dongle if need be.
> > > Especially so since apparently they do offer the option to clients that  have
> > > a dongle allready.
> > >
> > > If anything, bad licensing policies are an incentive to piracy, which  is in
> > > no one's interest.
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > ----- Original Message -----
> > > From: "Thomas Helzle" <xsi(at)screendream.de>
> > > To: <XSI(at)Softimage.COM>
> > > Sent: Monday, December 25, 2006 7:14 PM
> > > Subject: Re: Foundation Licensing question
> > >
> > >
> > > Well, so far I didn't get any answers from the people I contacted at
> > > Softimage (well, it's Christmas I guess :) ).
> > > I never had to deal with something like that so if anybody has a hint  on who
> > > to contact (I tried the Store support and Will Mendez), I am all ears.
> > >
> > > Sorry if I annoy some people here. For me it is a very important and
> > > substantial problem and I guess for some others too (even if they may  not
> > > have realized it yet). Since licensing defines the way you are able to  use
> > > the software, it is very important to me.
> > >
> > > Cheers,
> > >
> > > Thomas Helzle
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > On Mon, 25 Dec 2006 01:20:09 +0100, Tim Leydecker <BauerOink(at)gmx.de>  wrote:
> > >
> > > > I second the bits about getting into direct contact with Support
> > > > to see if something can be worked out but I must also say that
> > > > licensing schemes -especially the explicit details- would often
> > > > benefit from being made public prior to having things installed.
> > > >
> > > > For example, Maya 8 (64bit) runs fine but the dongle drivers
> > > > didnÂt run at all on XP64 initially, which made it a pain in the arse.
> > > > I ended up having ordered a piece of plastic worth a â 180,-
> > > > not suitable for my specific way of "travelling the digital world".
> > > > Instead, a simple nodelocked (e.g. tied to a MAC adress) license
> > > > runs fine but obviously has drawbacks in portability (officially).
> > > >
> > > > Comparing this with the problem Thomas describes I can see
> > > > similarities in the user experience, e.g. another day of wasted energy.
> > > > Therefor I would also welcome the option to replace, re-order,
> > > > update or by whatever means get an XSI dongle seperately/later.
> > > >
> > > > The first thing I did with my XSI 5 dongle was break off the cap...
> > > > It still works but doesnÂt look too professional (itÂs edu anyway)
> > > > and wouldnÂt suit an advanced license in terms of looks and price :)
> > > >
> > > > While Eriya Ito may find this less important, I find licensing starts
> > > > to suck the moment a machine dies, a disk crashes or a replacement
> > > > is required and "all those precious apps" start squeaking "license me".
> > > >
> > > > The only areas thatÂs worse I can think of is booking a flight
> > > > via the internet without having a major brand credit card at hand.
> > > > I had to book an alternative flight in the end yesterday, the desired
> > > > one turned out to be unavailable without a credit card. ThatÂs a
> > > > shame, Lan Chile is said to be a great airline and offers "20kg" for
> > > > baggage...
> > > >
> > > > Cheers
> > > >
> > > > tim
> > > >
> > > >
> > > >
> > > > ----- Original Message -----
> > > > From: "Eriya Ito" <eriya.ito(at)grapecity.com>
> > > > To: <XSI(at)Softimage.COM>
> > > > Sent: Monday, December 25, 2006 12:46 AM
> > > > Subject: RE: Foundation Licensing question
> > > >
> > > >
> > > > > Am I the only one who does not understand what's said here?
> > > > > I mean, it does not make any sense by 'I feel tricked by Softimage
> > > > > regarding licensing issues'.
> > > > > You don't go to the store and decide to buy or not buy a software
> > > > > because of it's licensing methods.
> > > > > Softimage (or any other developer company) is not obliged in anyway to
> > > > > explain or publicize the
> > > > > 'new' licensing procedures they adapted to their potential customers.
> > > > > It's what the individuals go and find out. That's why we have this  super
> > > > > community newsgroup for.
> > > > >
> > > > > I mean by all this is please, with all due respect, stop ranting over
> > > > > something that you think
> > > > > you were 'cheated' but what I think 'tough luck', specially in this
> > > > > newsgroup.
> > > > > Would you please contact with Softimage direct since you're not sure
> > > > > if anybody from Softimage is handling your problem officially.
> > > > > I have tons of friends who just live with their shocking new licensing
> > > > > methods
> > > > > they didn't even dreamt of before buying the software.
> > > > >
> > > > > Cheers and a Merry Christmas to all!
> > > > > Eriya
> > > > >
> > > > > -----Original Message-----
> > > > > From: owner-xsi(at)Softimage.COM [mailto:owner-xsi(at)Softimage.COM] On  Behalf
> > > > > Of Thomas Helzle
> > > > > Sent: Sunday, December 24, 2006 7:25 PM
> > > > > To: XSI(at)Softimage.COM
> > > > > Subject: Re: Foundation Licensing question
> > > > >
> > > > > I would really love to get an official word on this:
> > > > >
> > > > > Will it be possible to get a dongle for Foundation?
> > > > >
> > > > > If not, I feel tricked into buying an update (from Foundation 5 to 6)
> > > > > without having been able to make a learned decision since this new
> > > > > licensing scheme wasn't made public in the pre-sale period.
> > > > >
> > > > > Hard-node-locked software is unusable for me.
> > > > > The USB Network Card idea is just as slippery.
> > > > >
> > > > > So my only other option would be buying Essentials, which is much more
> > > > > expensive now.
> > > > >
> > > > > Believe it or not - I even thought about going to Essentials and had a
> > > > > conversation with my local reseller (slash.de) some days before the
> > > > > release about it, but decided against it in the end since I had  already
> > > > > bought the Foundation update from the Softimage store.
> > > > >
> > > > > Honestly this is a big mess.
> > > > > Playing this the hard way will not make Softimage look any better in  my
> > > > > book.
> > > > > Customers are not enemies.
> > > > >
> > > > > The only people having no problem with all this are the ones who don't
> > > > > care for buying software anyway.
> > > > >
> > > > > This is all upside down IMO.
> > > > >
> > > > > Cheers,
> > > > >
> > > > > Thomas Helzle
> > > > > www.screendream.de
> > > > >
> > > > >
> > > > >
> > > > > Am 23.12.2006, 21:02 Uhr, schrieb Stephen Blair
> > > > > <Stephen_Blair(at)Softimage.COM>:
> > > > >
> > > > > > I don't know what you mean by "usb network key".
> > > > > >
> > > > > > When you activate Foundation it is either tied to a [local] dongle or
> > > > > > to your Ethernet card. No choices are offered.
> > > > > >
> > > > > > That's what I know about it.
> > > > > >
> > > > > > Steve
> > > > > >
> > > > > > -----Original Message-----
> > > > > > From: owner-xsi(at)Softimage.COM [mailto:owner-xsi(at)Softimage.COM] On
> > > > > > Behalf Of phil harbath
> > > > > > Sent: Sat 23 December 2006 1:30 PM
> > > > > > To: XSI(at)Softimage.COM
> > > > > > Subject: Re: Foundation Licensing question
> > > > > >
> > > > > > i asked several soft people about the usb network key,  and i can't
> > > > > > seem to get an answer.  the idea would be when installing you could
> > > > > > choose from a list of network devices (if it isn't tied to other
> > > > > > devices is another question).  perhaps someone on this list knows  that
> > > > >
> > > > > > answer to that.
> > > > > >
> > > > > > phil
> > > > > ---
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