Request for official statement concerning the OcDS plugin

[Goldorak]

I'm willing to wait a little longer for an update if, when it arrives, it answers the questions we've been asking such as:

1. What is the current state of the plugin?
2. When can we expect a stable non-beta release?
3. Will there be a v3 of the plugin?
4. What is the timeline for fixing the current bugs?

Please, OTOY, ensure that your response addresses the questions we've been asking for so long. Customers of this plugin have contributed a lot of information about bugs and workarounds to this forum so we've been committed to this plugin's success since its inception. Speaking on my own behalf, if these questions are addressed it will go a long way to rebuilding the trust and goodwill I once had.

You should assume the answer to #3 is yes. We will be able to discuss the rest once we are able to announce the changes being made.

[3dmania]

Joy!!

There seems to be a small light at the end of tunnel

[Spectralis]

I'm willing to wait a little longer for an update if, when it arrives, it answers the questions we've been asking such as:

1. What is the current state of the plugin?
2. When can we expect a stable non-beta release?
3. Will there be a v3 of the plugin?
4. What is the timeline for fixing the current bugs?

Please, OTOY, ensure that your response addresses the questions we've been asking for so long. Customers of this plugin have contributed a lot of information about bugs and workarounds to this forum so we've been committed to this plugin's success since its inception. Speaking on my own behalf, if these questions are addressed it will go a long way to rebuilding the trust and goodwill I once had.

You should assume the answer to #3 is yes. We will be able to discuss the rest once we are able to announce the changes being made.

Thanks! That's great news.

[DrHemulen]

Thanks for the info Goldorak, you last two posts are exactly at the information level I hoped for when you started posting

[Notiusweb]

The whole moral to this story is that linvanchene should write every post for us as users. Look at the traction his post got.

[linvanchene]

The whole moral to this story is that linvanchene should write every post for us as users. Look at the traction his post got.

Actually I am gratefull for every user who takes the time to add their opinion and share their frustration.

Complaints from new customers or those with only a low post count are much more important because they illustrate how big the frustration must be.

- - -

To put this into perspective:

I do not post at all on the forums of Adobe, E-on, Microsoft, Pixologic, Sony, Videocopilot etc. because there is no need to do so. The software works. The developers are coming up with new ideas how to improve the software all on their own.

So let's hope that rather sooner than later Otoy software will reach a mature state so that we can finally work with the software instead of investing time to write forum posts.

Sidenote - Update / Edit:

In general I am aware that especially in the CG / VFX industry a lot of people refrain from posting in forums

- because of company police ( public staff opinion could be considered as company opinion)
- arguments on forums could lead to negative consequences for their business
- time restrictions (the time writing forum posts is not used working)

Nevertheless I find that it is important to stand up and voice the opinion if customers are treated in ways that are not acceptable from ethical, business and legal points of view.

So please do not wait for me or other regular users to post.

Voice your own opinions so the people in charge realize that the current issues are shared by a lot of users.

[Elele]

It is a sad state indeed. We are now down to waiting on getting an update about getting updates about getting actual updates o.O

Though I have to say that besides the quirks, the plugin works pretty well for my purposes at the moment.

[leblancd]

It is a sad state indeed. We are now down to waiting on getting an update about getting updates about getting actual updates o.O

Though I have to say that besides the quirks, the plugin works pretty well for my purposes at the moment.

Yes. For the most part, in general, it works. Depending on your use case, this has generally been true, at least since I have been using it, which has been only a few years.

However, having said that, in those few years, Daz Studio has moved from 4.6, to 4.7, and now 4.8. As well, Octane has gone from v1.x to v2.x. So, saying it works now is really a very temporary thing -- unless you're fine with working with outdated software months/years from now. (It is possible, I suppose. I imagine some people still use Daz 3 for some things.)
The issue is not generally if the software works. The bigger and more important issue is to have an active development, and support for the users of the software, to keep it working. Active support and development overcomes things in the future, like obscure discovered bugs, upstream software updates, and help in working around issues that crop up unexpectedly.

Regarding waiting for updates for the update about updates... It seems like progress. I don't recall an Otoy representative saying as much before recently, so that is *something*. Before, it was us and t_3, or software developer du jour, telling us "please be patient" and then going dark for more than a few months.

[Notiusweb]

I'd be willing to put additional $ down if it meant the company and developer could more quickly resolve whatever it is that's blocking progress. I'd invest in getting things to work properly. And by work properly, I mean get more frequent regular updates and a working response to issues with the plugin. For me, it's a waste to work harder. If it meant paying so I could increase efficiency, I would do it. I don't like the idea that this would be the answer, and I would imagine doing it in a group context and on a one-time supplemental basis. But net-sum, it'd be worth it to be able to do more with materials converting auto and having a less fidgety UI.

I am wondering if it is $ that is holding this up, as I had independently recently posted in the Forum, to be silly, a topic entitled "XXXTane Render", in which I poked fun at the statement:

Forum rules
Please keep character renders sensibly modest, please do not post sexually explicit scenes of characters.

Strictly via text, in it I basically joked that I would never have imagined doing such a thing, and that whoever in OTOY wrote that should get their mind out of the gutter. And, it got about 50 views and then it disappeared SAME DAY, either by moderated decision or systematic-protocol. Now, it was a stupid post, so I don't care. But what was interesting to me is that it showed me, to OTOY's credit, that OTOY could act swiftly and decisively if it wanted to, which is great, even encouraging. Different circumstance, yes, but I am wondering what is preventing the company from working swiftly and decisively here. I believe it wants to. If it was about subsidizing $ to alleviate the bottleneck, I would be willing to be a part of that.

[leblancd]

I'd be willing to put additional $ down if it meant the company and developer could more quickly resolve whatever it is that's blocking progress. I'd invest in getting things to work properly. And by work properly, I mean get more frequent regular updates and a working response to issues with the plugin. For me, it's a waste to work harder. If it meant paying so I could increase efficiency, I would do it. I don't like the idea that this would be the answer, and I would imagine doing it in a group context and on a one-time supplemental basis. But net-sum, it'd be worth it to be able to do more with materials converting auto and having a less fidgety UI.

That would make things much worse, I think.
I think we can agree that getting into a situation where a developer holds hostage valuable updates and information would not be the best thing.

I am wondering if it is $ that is holding this up, as I had independently recently posted in the Forum, to be silly, a topic entitled "XXXTane Render", in which I poked fun at the statement:

Forum rules
Please keep character renders sensibly modest, please do not post sexually explicit scenes of characters.

Strictly via text, in it I basically joked that I would never have imagined doing such a thing, and that whoever in OTOY wrote that should get their mind out of the gutter. And, it got about 50 views and then it disappeared SAME DAY, either by moderated decision or systematic-protocol. Now, it was a stupid post, so I don't care. But what was interesting to me is that it showed me, to OTOY's credit, that OTOY could act swiftly and decisively if it wanted to, which is great, even encouraging. Different circumstance, yes, but I am wondering what is preventing the company from working swiftly and decisively here. I believe it wants to. If it was about subsidizing $ to alleviate the bottleneck, I would be willing to be a part of that.

Yes, I've seen similar behavior. I posted something regarding Iray, back when the news first broke that Daz would be including it in the software, and my post was quietly moved to an "unrelated" channel without warning. (the same day)
Though, moderating posts in a forum is not really the same as having answers to questions about software, it is a shame the speed of response isn't the same across the board.