Leaderboard

I just took a moment to slow down and look at the recently uploaded artwork that appears at the bottom of some of the Cafe pages. I wanted to give a shout out to all the artists that have posted work on this site that have such a wonderful gift! These artists set the bar at a level I can only dream of reaching someday. Your work makes me sad, happy, intrigued and sometimes question my own existence or purpose. You all wield the weapon of imagination to combat reality and demonstrate your ability to bring it to life. On top of this, many of you share your knowledge freely and that is appreciated by many, many, others. My hat's off to all of you and thank you for what you do!!!

Will perpetual licenses still be available to upgrade / buy in the (far away - beyond 21) future?

Ok. Guess that would include me haha. Thanks for the clarification.

Just to be clear - the meaning here is "at some later date". Sorry - I don't know how that translates in any language.

Please let me clarify, I'm not dragged down at all. I'm inspired by the artwork and people that post on this site!! I occasionally create a decent piece here and there, but want to do so more often. And I will. I wanted this thread to be about you and the other artists that contribute imagery, ideas, help, animations and variety of other things to everyone that takes the time to see and use it. I just wanted to give a heartfelt thanks from me and those like me.

Sorry - thought I provided an answer - maybe it was in one of the other forums or slacks. Perpetual licenses are available to buy now and for R21 - in fact they're a little cheaper in most cases. Some future feature upgrades will only be available initially to subscribers, but those will eventually be rolled into a perpetual upgrade. We're looking into options for providing Cineversity for perpetual customers. Honestly we've been a bit surprised by how much attention that aspect has gotten - though as one of the key contributors to Cineversity over the years I'm flattered.

Update (solved): Thank to Hobbyist post in this thread, the issue is solved. For anyone having the same issue, this is the way to go about it. Right click on the footage in after effects - Interpret Footage - Main. In there, go to Assume this frame rate: and change this to the frame rate you exported in.

Sorry, will post in right section in future threads I make.

Hi there, Is it After Effects that is interpreting the sequence as 30 fps? You might need to adjust it in After Effects rather than in C4D. You are making the change from 30 to 24 in Project Settings and Output Frame Rate, so that might indicate the issue is in how AE is interpreting the footage. I'm not aware of the Student License limitations but some of the more experienced folks here might be.

That's very sad to hear, but i totally understand. I will stay on R19 & R20 for some time. (Wont't even install my MSA R21 for now.) I bought seamilar some time ago but i also never heard fromt the other plugins. Ordering now. Thank you very much for your super helpfull plugins and the nice offer. But it's a sad occasion for this sale. all the best Jörg

RICK, (sorry to shout, having some trouble attracting your attention). Will perpetual licenses still be available to upgrade / buy in the future? If this is something you don't want to answer, let me know and I'll stop asking. I'm kinda responsible for this stuff in my organisation so would be good to know so I can advise. Also, for those of us who won't personally rent software, can I ask that Cineversity and CV plugins be reconsidered for perpetual users? Seems more punitive than practical to take those away.

Hi Igor This latest topics next to latest comments just seems to be a repeat of the main topics list at the top, I think this space would be better used with more latest comments, with the name and time of latest post rather than original post date and time. I am moaning a bit but I do appreciate all your efforts and how difficult a task it must be, both building a new site and having tons of members telling you how to do it :) Deck

R21 is still self contained, but thanks to many restrictions placed on us by the makers of operating systems, mostly security related, we are limited in what we can do. For example changes to the installation folder are basically forbidden outside of updates. This makes it neccesary to split some things off and store them in other places by default. So far we were able to accomodate this. For example with the new node based assets we introduced an easy way to define locations where assets are stored and we will continue to refine this.

Hi Rick! what is wrong with the current licensing system? I have C4D installed on my PC and laptop. No hassle at all. Why did you have to change that? Why do you feel the need to control and "punish" your paying customers? You won't prevent piracy. That is for sure. I am just disappointed by your new business strategy, the direction MAXON is heading the lack-luster R21 release on top of that. R21 will be my last version as I am slowly switching to Blender and Houdini/Solaris.

I have the feeling some people have to be reminded that *adding* the option of subscription is a good thing. The huge problem here is everything thats taken away from Studio-MSA owners —> the future perpetual-licensees. People like me (MSA Studio) are royally effed in a number of ways. I’m happy for students who can now go in with a subscription to wet their feet. I’m happy for those who don’t mind ~100$/month rent because they need Cinema 4D for only 2–3 months. (and by the way, I also don’t care about Prime MSA owners getting a mayor update for the same price. Although I’m not sure they’ll be happy after the first two years are over.) I, as a MSA-customer with Studio feel treated extremely bad by MAXON. I know, I’ll get R21 with my current MSA. But there must be changes made to some decisions within this next year or I will need to make changes after R21 (that maybe slowly migrating to other packages, while using R20/R21 as long as they run).

There's been some confusion on this, so let me be clear - we'll extend your Cineversity until the end of your MSA. -Rick

It’s funny I’ve been doing this for so long I know how the meetings went… Actually, what is below is more brutally phrased, as this stuff it’s always parsed in nicer, more optimistic ways, but this sums it up. MBA Hack: “Don’t worry, we can keep our current users happy by giving them a “perpetual” license. At least for now.” MAXON staffer: “But they aren’t going to be thrilled by this news. And it really isn’t perpetual.” MBA Hack: “We know that, but its our job to sell this initiative - this is how it is going to be. So just keep those people calm until this gets fully implemented, We’ll put out the monthly price, It will seem cheap.” MAXON staffer: “But it’s the same price as an MSA was, maybe more. And it’s not really monthly, it’s annual” MBA Hack: “yes, but we’ll sell the hell out of the value and simplicity of it.” LATER… MAXON staffer: “I just got some user feedback online, it looks like there’s an insurrection with our base.” MBA Hack: “Well they are going to have to live with it, the decision’s been made, too late to change it. I’m sorry for them. Keep pushing the value proposition - we have perpetual for many of them now. Once the transition is over we’ll just make it more and more unacceptable to stay stuck in perpetual. Eventually most of them will have lost any resistance to the future. And in a year, If if they leave, then our new customers will more than make up for it in our revenue stream - it won’t matter if they leave then. This is a bright day for MAXON.” MAXON staffer: “I feel dirty” MBA Hack: “Look - this is the way it is. It’s set in stone. We can’t go backward. This will be the best for everyone. It’s… cost effective, a high level approach, a strategy initiative, robust, empowering, a win-win….” (etc, etc, etc. More MBA doublespeak… forever. (FWIW - have had to listen to this MBA nonsense for too long - there is a “Business Meeting Bingo” card that I always have up on long calls, good for (quiet) laughs - mute button helps too) So back to cases - Rick, I run a business. So what am I getting for loyalty? Loyalty is a real and valuable asset. I treat my longtime clients with special care. And MAXON is not so big that this doesn’t matter. Unfortunately McGavaran is still bathed in the corporate culture of Adobe - but C4D isn’t that monolithic, and won’t be. 3D is a niche product. It won’t be widely adopted like Photoshop. What are the longtime users really getting that makes this worth while to not jump ship now? I know it’s not your fault, you have your marching orders. But we need something rock solid within a month. Note: Maybe we all need to make our grievances clearly known higher up the food chain. I’m guessing we should be emailing those at the top, VP and above, and maybe even the suits at Nemeczek (sp?)

A general response that might address a number of questions and concerns: I think it's clear that MAXON is moving faster than ever before in the past year since David started as CEO. We've reorganized the company, completed our first acquisition and developed a new option for selling and delivering our software. There's also been a great many positive internal changes y'all haven't seen. Each one of these efforts should have individually taken a year or more, but we've achieved quite a bit thanks to a great team that's extremely devoted to MAXON, Cinema 4D and our user community. While this shouldn't serve as an excuse - it may provide a bit of explanation if you've noticed a bit of raggedness. It comes not from a lack of enthusiasm, but quite the contrary - perhaps a bit of over-enthusiasm that's led to taking on a lot in a little time. I really wish I'd been able to produce the Cineversity video content for the new release we've had in the past, because there's fantastic features and usability improvements in R21. There simply wasn't time to get it done before this year's Siggraph announcement. The speed with which we're changing is the main reason I'd be hesitant to make firm commitments on release and delivery. It's not because we don't have plans, and not because we're trying to keep you in the dark or trick you. I'm amazed at what we've achieved in the last year, and it's hard to imagine how MAXON and the industry will continue to change over the next 3 years. I can say personally that I've never worked harder in my life, and never been so excited about the work I'm doing. There's more pressure, drive and resources than ever to deliver the best products to the best user community.

Dave, MAXON isn't going to change their minds on this. This is the whole Adobe-forced-subscription saga...another chapter. No human appeals will work...as there is an absence of humanity at the top. As for loss of trust and respect...yes total. As for a puncturing of enthusiasm for the product, yup. It's gone.

Interesting that for the last couple of pages in this thread, the major theme has been "so exactly what my options if I want to stay perpetual?" Amidst all that confusion, there have been NO posts from any MAXON employee. We have not even heard from those employee's who run the forum (Igor last posted over 140 messages ago). Maybe they are waiting for us to pass through the "storming" phase of change and calm down and enter the "norming" or acceptance phase of change before they show themselves again. After all, we have more in common with an angry mob this week than the once peaceful lovers of C4D we used to be last week. Heck, if I were them, I would stay away. So....confusion reigns....tempers flare (including mine)....and MAXON is silent. But maybe...just maybe....our reaction just took them by surprise. They initially faced the angry mob and tried to defend MAXON's position that subscriptions are great for "THE WHOLE WORLD" but the arguments kept coming - and when you do the math, they had nothing to defend themselves. They drank the cool-aid that subscriptions were just soooo game changing and soo amazing because it allowed everyone to get Studio. Images of THE WHOLE WORLD using C4D Studio were just too exciting for them to ignore. In that daze of 3D utopia that had been created at MAXON, they failed to realize that their existing customers, in particular their Studio customers, were NOT THE WHOLE WORLD. We are the ones being cast aside, being asked to pay more than others to get the very same thing. We were simply left behind. Never in their good-hearted imagination (and they do have good hearts) did it occur to them that to independent Studio owners, their entire proposal and rules on subscriptions and perpetual licenses makes them - in fact - look like Adobe. This has to be a shock to them because for years we kept asking "Will MAXON become like Adobe" and for years we heard the uniform cry in return "MAXON will never be like Adobe". Well....they have become Adobe. They didn't know it but they did....and it shocks them to their very core. "We were the good guys" they are saying to one another in surprise as the dream of "3D for the Whole world" starts to collapse on them for the money making sham it really is. "How did we let this happen?" they ask in disbelief. They now realize that they have also lost something as well in this whole debacle. Their passions and values for Cinema 4D were once lock step in-tune with those of their customers - making C4D the most fun, stable and easy to use DCC software out there. But now our values are different. We are no longer excited about C4D. We could care less about C4D Live. As we try to navigate the mis-information concerning our options for our perpetual licenses, we are in reality thinking more about leaving C4D than continuing the journey. We just need all the facts before we make one final decision. That is what happens when trust is lost...what you once loved quickly becomes something you despise. I would imagine that to hear that drum beat for 31 pages can be a little distressing to MAXON employees. So our good friends at MAXON, who once celebrated with us over R20 one year ago, have now gone silent. Maybe...just maybe, this realization is also making them face some changes about what they once believed in. Maybe...just maybe....they are doing some "storming" of their own. So my sincere hope is this: Their silence implies that our anger has been felt. That it is being discussed. That they are looking to management to guide them...and us...to an acceptable middle ground were we all benefit, where we are all comfortable with the licensing changes that MAXON has introduced. That no one, especially the independent Studio owner and hobbyist who has poured so much time and money into this software, is left behind. Maybe...just maybe...they are busily trying to develop a unified plan and message where we are all made whole again. Mabye....just maybe that is my hope. ...but hope is a bad strategy and we need to be real.... ...and MAXON needs to restore our trust. Dave

I want to personally thank Rick, Igor, Srek, Hrvoje and Cerbera. And above all thanks to 3DKiwi, who has been a champ and done so much, founding this site. You each have been generous, gentlemanly, and enjoyable. I want to thank the many other cool posters here. C4d and this forum have brought me a lot of good times. I won't disappear completely but it's time for me to (for the most part) move on. I've communicating my views...and said what I felt needed to be said. Big Picture: I'll still hang out for now on the CG site. But time to say goodbye.

You might feel better thinking it shocks them. I don't believe they're even bothered.