Refractive Software (Octane), purchased by Otoy.

[mirobimbo]

http://venturebeat.com/2012/03/02/otoy- ... exclusive/

Autodesk actually has an investment in Otoy.

[pixelrush]

Well thats a shame. If Autodesk are involved sooner or later they will buy the whole thing out and raise prices to as far a people can stand. Screwing bastards. Perhaps the reason we are not getting any new betas is someone else is calling the priorities. Eventually I think this move to acquisition will be bad news for users. Pity radiance sold out. Seems to be exactly 6 months after the partnership deal. Kept it pretty quiet too....
I think I will drop providing help to other users given the circumstance. These companies are big enough to employ a paid support person. Don't see why I should help 'build a user base' for them

[necko77]

some info from rs is needed as soon as possible...autodesk is company that destroyed lightscape buying it...
but this opens new possibilitys for octane
im not autodesk user...autodesk-borg

cycles are here too...there is alternative alwys...same as octane used to be...

nice buisness move radiance,but heartless too;)

[pixelrush]

Yeah I think Cycles looks more attractive for Blender users with each business move Refractive make. Probably I should put my time into that instead...same old story re open source and commercial having different agendas.
Better take the 99 euro deal for v1 while its going, and if they offer v2 cheap as well, say 199 euro, you better be in, after that who knows 999 euro?

[necko77]

you are right cos its not in their philosofy to have cheap product
thats why radiance announce autocad plugin...i almost wrote there "great move" cos thats big market...

[gabrielefx]

everyone knows that Octane has great potential and only a big company can develop a lot of new code.
I'm not surprised.
I was one of the first persons that used Lightscape in 1998. Then Lighscape was acquired by Autodesk and integrated very well in Max.

Nobody today use Lightscape and the Max scanline anymore. We use Mentalray or Vray.

Regarding gpu render the Octane's technology is significantly superior to iray, vray-rt and arion....and Autodesk knows it.

In Otoy works a guy named Paul Debevec....very interesting...

Long life to Octane!

[polytek]

don t expect an answer to you're questions, it's absolute radio silence about every question wich involves the lack off beta releases, what we can expect in the near future, there point off focus at the moment...only the pushing off the plugins witch in the light off this article seems more logical to me now...sadly lightwave isn't one off them....so frustrating

[Refracty]

I think this move could ensure the longevity of the product. So it has some good aspects.
But as a user I would prefer to see an official statement in the forum before come to know this via external press.

[t_3]

I think this move could ensure the longevity of the product. So it has some good aspects.
But as a user I would prefer to see an official statement in the forum before come to know this via external press.

++

refractive clearly needs to improve their communications work. as good as octane is, as lousy is public relations. at least this move should build up some extra resources to accomplish this...

[matej]

I think this move could ensure the longevity of the product.

The question is; which product? With the focus on integration, the standalone version will probably be left in the mud or in the best case with crappy support & development cycles. (as we are starting to see now -> no info on updates or anything)

This great news also means that there most probably won't be a Blender plugin - ever - since the new owners won't be giving any chances to a free & opensource dangerous alternative to their overprices 3D suits. So the future path of blenderheads is clear... It was fun 'till it lasted.