TrueSpace now free....

renderhjs

as of today TrueSpace is free because microsoft bought some month´s before it and thinks it has to compete with google or do the same things others do ^^ (poor copycats) because as you know sketchup is also available as a almost complete free download initially intended to support google Earth. Microsoft wants the very same with their live maps- delivering a free modeler so that people can produce their own buildings for microsofts map service.

Anyway free as a email registration. If I am not mistaken it was around ~ 600,- $ before so this is certainly a nice progres. Also with now the tutorials (videos) are free as well - they had to be bought before xtra.

truespace thread:
http://forums1.caligari.com/truespace/showpost.php?p=71696&postcount=45

program overview (features):
http://www.caligari.com/Products/trueSpace/tS75/brochure/intro.asp?Cate=BIntro
it basicly has what most other bigger packages have as well e.g
- SDS modeling
- NURBS modeling
- rendering
- fur
- rigging
- animation
- uv editor

download:
http://cart1.caligari.com/web/Truespacemainreg.aspx
use mailinator if you dont want spam:
http://www.mailinator.com/


personally
I dont like the interface (looks a bit consumer style: big flashy icons, rendered symbols,..) but feature wise I think it will do great next to Blender as a almost freeware tool (email registration).

on a sidenote:
did you knew that XSI was once property of microsoft?- they bought it in 1994, Microsoft was once also interested just like Apple with pixar in 3d animation but at 1998 they sold XSI to Avid Technology, Inc because it didn´t fit well in the microsoft product line.

kat

Ah, so that's why it's being done. I figured MS might have a hand in it somewhere, didn't realise they bought the company.

renderhjs

on their website, it´s microsofts voice I hear:

http://www.caligari.com/Products/trueSpace/tS75/Brochure/Intro.asp wrote:

An entirely re-written X format exporter lets you save your trueSpace creations to load into game engines such as XNA to develop games for Windows or the Xbox 360.

Also included is an export to Virtual Earth which will let you place your 3D creations straight into Virtual Earth from trueSpace. Now you can place whatever you make into real world locations in Virtual Earth and share them with others!

I´ve heard that the major reason for microsoft buying truespace out of others was that true space has a unique feature where several people can work on 1 model.

http://www.caligari.com/Products/trueSpace/tS75/Brochure/Intro.asp wrote:

Collaboration
trueSpace7.6 is the only 3D application that lets you meet other people in online shared spaces, whether you want to meet other 3D artists to work or learn together, or just to meet friends for fun.

The community already holds regular meetings of its own, but there is plenty of room for you to start meetings of your own, or use the 3D spaces for your own needs.

some month´s ago microsoft carefully tried contacting blender but failed big time because they mentioned OpenXML as a openFormat (however not in a openSource world like blender)
http://lists.blender.org/pipermail/bf-committers/2008-May/021036.html

With respect to Blender, what can you tell me about your community/user
feedback that you have heard regarding file formats? Specifically,
Microsoft is slowly shifting toward a more open standards based
approach to its file formats. The ISO standard Office Open XML is an
example of the direction we are moving towards.
A good user experience of Blender on Windows is good for your
project/community and good for Microsoft. What we are trying to
understand is what file formats, which are not open or not fully open,
are impeding the optimal experience with your community. If this is an
important issue to your users then it also accrues to the experience in
Windows. I would like to know what feedback you might have received
regarding the files your users most often import and those they might
be having a sub-optimal experience with. Please also include in that
list any Microsoft files that you might have trouble with.

well anyway I´m interested in how trueSpace might improve or change

Daaark

I made a thread about this the other day in general. The x exporter in here was said to be improved. This will work great as an XNA toolkit.

verybad

I think it's just because Google has a 3d program so MS doesn't want to be left out. I really dont' see how it fits with MS's vision for the future however. *shrugs*

jrs100000

renderhjs wrote: »

some month´s ago microsoft carefully tried contacting blender but failed big time because they mentioned OpenXML as a openFormat (however not in a openSource world like blender)
http://lists.blender.org/pipermail/bf-committers/2008-May/021036.html

I dont remember that being so much a problem with OXML, but more a problem with a handful of very vocal open source fanatics going bat shit insane at the mention of Microsoft having anything at all to do with Blender. The devs themselves treated it quite professionally but came to the conclusion that Microsoft really didnt have much to offer in the way of interesting proprietary 3d modeling formats.

In the end they asked for a couple free copies of Visual Studio...I dont think they included the joke answer of asking for DirectX source code.

renderhjs

I imagine:
- pushing XNA
- pushing directX/360 formats
- pushing new cheap Xbox 360 developers
- pushing liveMaps
but that´s all I can think of, mainly to push the interests in their technologies and perhaps show a little bit: "at least we are 2nd"