Well I'm downwright gobsmacked (my new favorite word meaning "utterly astounded") with the enthusiasm for these new features. Even more cool is that the comments sections are rife with questions or requests for features related to the announced features. Which brings me to the dreaded concept of Feature Creep, whereby a software release date is held hostage by the desire to satisfy each and very user to their fullest through the addition of endless features.
Not that Erain would be succeptible to this phenomenon oursleves (yeah, right).
Truth be told, our delays are in large part related to feature creep and our desire to not do things half-a**ed. Yes, we had an Advanced Modeler that was functional many months ago, but it's taken us this long to make it actually usable by adding in the additional features that are truly needed for a great product release.
But back to this feedback loop you all are a part of. As you view these features and begin making those "but it would be REALLY nice if we could do X" comments, please know that we're listening. And just because we've frozen the feature list for V4 doesn't mean you're out of luck forever. This blog, along with our forum, our tech support system and our wishlist@erain.com address are all designed to feed directly into the V5 feature list.
So by all means, be as demanding as you please. And if you're looking for the most direct channel of feature request communication, it's an email to wishlist@erain.com.
RainWriter
June 22, 2004 01:56 PM
Comments:
What you need to consider (IMO) is a free update a few months down the road. 1) It would let you get what you have out quicker - a product which people are already excited about and seems to be as much if not a greater jump from V3 as V3 was from V2 and 2) it would show a great dedication to the product as well as make you seem like a "giving" company which freely adds requested features *even* after the product has been released. Granted such features wouldn't be the big ones, but the little guys which are desirable but not to demanding on the development team (you can't exactly be giving away a V5 there). Having such an update would, at least as I see it, keep me a dedicated customer as it shows a continuing commitment to your product and customers. Sure, its nice to have a great product released, but when the company who makes that product starts giving away little bonuses and updates after you've already got your hands on the real thing - thats when you get butterflies in your tummy and start to feel really good about your purchase... its the gift that keeps on giving!
Plus, there are a few projects of mine (ok, only one) whos completion depends on the release date of V4 so I'm hoping it comes out asap.
...then again, I realize the V4 feature list is frozen, so I guess I'm actually refering more to V5's release? Anyway, what I described above is a "nice" thing nonetheless.
The idea of an interim, or "Dot Release" is something that we've always talked about, so we can appreciate the suggestion. In the past we've taken the approach of adding in some of the convenience features in our update builds rather than going full bore X.1 release. I hope that when V4 hits the streets and gets the full customer evaluation we can at least address any smaller features that would make everyone's life easier. Thanks for the detailed suggestion, and who knows... there may be a dot release in the future for us.
Just out of curiosity, are versions released annually? I'd be willing to wait longer for trumped up features, but I understand that people have work that depends on version 4.0's timely release. And I'll brainstorm a great big list of suggestions. (I think you might have opened the floodgates!)
Shessh, all these great new features and people still want more!!
I think that V4 represents a gigantic leap in capabilities (Macromedia should take erain's direction!!). Perhaps Pixar won't be using it for Finding Nemo 2, but surely it will become an indispensible tool for desktop publishers and anybody else who needs 3D. I've even used Swift 3D v3 for video work! Version 4 will just make it even more useful.
As far as point releases are concerned, JMHO, a release is a release. You can be like Macromedia and release only whole number releases, or like Apple and release point releases that are basically whole number releases (as far as OS X is concerned). I would actually prefer whole number releases just because we then get everything at once and it seems bigger (like getting all your birthday presents on your birthday vs. scattered through out the week).
To all who read these ascii charecters, greetings....
Let it be known that the first feature release of the Advanced Modeling tool warrnants a new full number release and is worth it for me and my friends to purchase the upgrade. Everything after that was just icing on the cake so to speak. I was sold on feature #1. So ERain can leave it as is and release, and I bet there will be millions of happy new 3D artist emerging from the depths of ERain's dedicated delevopment staff in this sweet little(getting larger) tool that they call Swift3D!!
So for those still not happy, go get a second morgage on your house and go buy Maya ;)
Nothing could beat V4's functionality and price.
Nothing.
invisible, you hit it on the nose. Erain should have put the feeze on features a while back and hit the release date. However, there will always be a difference of opinion. If they wanted to give added functionality, they could have just given us a suggested dot release. With that said, erain has the end say as it it their product. They may feel more comfortable now. eh, well either way we did the time!
I hear ya, and I know what's it like to have an application that keeps growing do to customer request and as a developer you do have to put a stop somewhere. If not the app will just grow and grow and never be done.
I have total faith in Erian and think they will make the best decision as to what to add or not to add in this release, but again, I was sold on Feature 1. And I hate to see people that are never satisfied, the ones that always want more. Just say thanks and love it whenever it does come out;)
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