SI|3D 3.9 vs XSI

[-mike--1]

Is SI 3D a good buy these days?
I plan to buy Soft 3D 3.9 for Linux but I wonder if it is better to wait for XSI. On the other hand I'm not sure I want all the bells and whistles of XSI. The price is also an important factor (SI|3D Extreme $4995 vs XSI Advanced $11995).

Comments anyone?

Mats

[fredc]

My understanding is that XSI is what you buy and 3.9 is given to you for free.
I think you have your prices confused with the Essentials and Advanced bundels. The Soft site has all the products and bundles outline for you.

However, you might be able to buy 3.9 from another person and upgrade by purchasing your maintance, which is around $1,000 or $2,500 respectively for Essentials or Advance. There is also specific upgrade prices for a given version, such that 3.7 will cost more than 3.8 and so on. However, I have found that the cost of upgrades are essentially the same as maintanance, so you sort of get that for free just for upgrading.

Yes, 3.9 is a very mature and powerful product, so you don't have to have XSI to produce good work. However, if you are buying it retail, I don't think you have a choice anymore. Try to find someone on ebay or the 4 sale forum on this site if you only want 3.9 for now.

Hope this helps.
Urp

[-mike--1]

Thanks for the info Urp.

[richard-sher]

You can still buy 3.9 without buying XSI. I think what he was talking about was the Linux version of Softimage3D(not XSI) that's discussed on this page: http://www.softimage.com/news/press/pressr...10131\_linux.htm

(The SOFTIMAGE|3D system on the Linux platform will be available for $2,995 (USMSRP) for the SOFTIMAGE|3D base version and $4,995 (USMSRP) for the SOFTIMAGE|3D "extreme" version, which is expected to be released later this year.)

-Ed
www.EdHarriss.com

[mtmorrione]

Don't forget 3.X is not only ten year old technology, but it is no longer being made. You might as well pick up XSI. It isn't a hard transition if you remain open minded. At first it may seem like things are missing, but this is usually because they found a better way to do it.

In a year, I find it hard to believe 3.X will even be discussed. They have done incredible work in just 6 months. Once the modeling catches up to the rest of the package, and a few things are streamlined, this will be the best package hands down. Do you wasn't to be stuck not knowing it.

I have seen some of the stuff they are working on (and have even suggested some of it myself). All I can say is - maya -I mean 3d Studio- who?

-Rafe

[moss]

Amen, RafeSacks.

Astro