Users expect Otoy to keep all plugins up to date

[linvanchene]

edited and removed by user

[Goldorak]

We won't release a 3rd party plug-in unless OTOY has an option of taking it over, e.g. should the developer no longer be able to continue their work due to disability or some other unfortunate circumstance.

The 3rd party plug-in developers have made Octane Render what it is today. The system works well. That being said, we are always working on improving it and we do carefully read the posts on the forums.

Please know that we are doing everything we can behind the scenes to support and work with each developer to get their product in the best shape possible.

[Spectralis]

I would like to add my support to linvanchene's comments. My current concerns are explained very well in linvanchene's post. In the past I have been very sympathetic towards the DS plugin developer, even defending the extra time needed to develop a plugin we have been assured is very difficult to develop due to various reasons not least to poor DS documentation and an older SDK version.

But with the release of the Carrara plugin my attitude has hardened. If memory serves me well the Carrara plugin was announced just before we received the v1.2 update of the DS plugin. Now the Carrara v2 plugin beta has been released and we are still on v1.2 of the DS plugin! News updates are few and far between and support is non-existent. Every working day I have problems with the plugin that need to be addressed and I'm not the only one in this situation.

I have emailed OTOY with an official complaint because I could think of no other course of action to get a response to this dire situation. This thread is another way to go and hopefully it will have some positive impact on the future development of the DS plugin.

If there is only one person working on the DS plugin then it's no wonder that the pressure of responsibility will effect them when life gets in the way of work or the development reaches an impasse that one person can't figure out. As linvanchene points out, we paid OTOY, not the developer for this plugin. It is as much OTOY's responsibility as the developer to ensure that we receive regular support and updates. But this is not happening. There is no point responding by passing the blame around - we want the v2 update not more excuses please.

Please read the DS plugin forum for more exasperated complaints about this issue.

[Spectralis]

We won't release a 3rd party plug-in unless OTOY has an option of taking it over, e.g. should the developer no longer be able to continue their work due to disability or some other unfortunate circumstance.

The 3rd party plug-in developers have made Octane Render what it is today. The system works well. That being said, we are always working on improving it and we do carefully read the posts on the forums.

Please know that we are doing everything we can behind the scenes to support and work with each developer to get their product in the best shape possible.

This response sounds like a generic advertisement for OTOY and third party developers not an assurance or explanation concerning our situation. The v1.2 DS plugin system does not work well as you will have noted if you read the requests for support on the DS forum. I'm sadly disappointed by this response and even more concerned now about the future of the DS plugin!

[aoktar]

Sorry but, i cannot be agree with Linvance. Most plugins are up-to-date. And plugin devs are doing great work. Also Otoy team is very helpfull and does well respond for any request from plugin devs and users. Your message looks like as that's targetting wrong points.
Also plugins are very critical to choice the OctaneRender for professionals. You should ask to some people that how hard to development a plugin. Every plugin development is a different story and requires lot of efforts. Also big challenges. And you cannot compare one to other. I hope this makes some sense on you...

Best,
Ahmet

[riggles]

Sorry but, i cannot be agree with Linvance. Most plugins are up-to-date. And plugin devs are doing great work. Also Otoy team is very helpfull and does well respond for any request from plugin devs and users. Your message looks like as that's targetting wrong points.
Also plugins are very critical to choice the OctaneRender for professionals. You should ask to some people that how hard to development a plugin. Every plugin development is a different story and requires lot of efforts. Also big challenges. And you cannot compare one to other. I hope this makes some sense on you...

Best,
Ahmet

Mmmm, I'm not so sure. I honestly feel bad for the DAZ Studio plugins owners, both new and past. The plugin is still only compatible with Octane 1.2. Understandably, not all plugins can be updated in the same amount of time. However, OTOY has not made it clear on the DAZ page that the plugin being sold will only work with a version of Octane that is two major releases old and is no longer being supported. If that happened with the Max or C4D plugin, this site would be exploding with fury.

[Spectralis]

The OP has specifically referred to the problem with the very slow development and poor support for the DS plugin compared to ALL the other plugins. How anyone can read this as a criticism of ALL plugin development is beyond me. Please, if anyone is confused about the purpose of this thread then re-read the original post, my post and many of the complaints on the DS plugin forum to clarify the reason for our attempt at constructive criticism about the DS plugin development process here. To put this situation in context, the Carrara plugin was announced just before we received v1.2 of the DS plugin. Version 2 beta of the Carrara plugin has just been released and we are still stuck on beta v1.2! ALL OR plugins are v2 apart from very recent developments and the DS plugin which has been in development for over a year.

I have made a formal complaint about this problem to OTOY. The OP has decided to make one last desperate attempt to get some feedback about the DS plugin which we have not had for months by starting this thread. Perhaps both our decisions will not produce results but if any of you who own other plugins (which are ALL v2 apart from very recent developments) were in the same situation would you do nothing about no support, no feedback and no plugin updates for many months at a time?

[Goldorak]

The OP has specifically referred to the problem with the very slow development and poor support for the DS plugin compared to ALL the other plugins.

DAZ and DS were not mentioned at all by the OP in his post, and that is why this thread is confusing a number of people.

[linvanchene]

edited and removed by user

[Spectralis]

The OP has specifically referred to the problem with the very slow development and poor support for the DS plugin compared to ALL the other plugins.

DAZ and DS were not mentioned at all by the OP in his post, and that is why this thread is confusing a number of people.

Ok, fair point. I assumed having read a number of linvanchene's posts on this subject in the DS plugin forum that others might be aware that this problem is only relevant to the DS plugin. Perhaps linvanchene is trying not to offend the DS developer by generalising about the problem (or potential for it to occur) but I think this is mistaken considering we learnt from the DS plugin developer (months ago) that he's working on this alone and we've been upfront with him about our concerns in the past. I have no idea what the arrangement is with other plugin developers but I don't think this is relevant anyway because plugins that have been in development as long as the DS plugin are all at v2. My only concern is with the DS plugin. I can't comment on the experience of other plugin customers but can only note that ALL of OTOY plugins apart from new developments and the DS plugin are now v2.

After trying to troubleshoot problems with the DS plugin viewport that keep reoccurring for over 4 hours this morning I finally had enough and that's why I'm trying to find a way to resolve this issue or at least get some meaningful response from OTOY or the developer. In an attempt to find a workaround I've also purchased the Carrara plugin because it's v2, can load DS files and is actively being supported. I think this demonstrates that my frustration is directed at the DS plugin development specifically and not OTOY or other plugin developers generally.

If the point of this thread is to make general observations about the way OTOY and other plugin developers work together then that's not relevant to my problem for the above reasons. I thought it was about trying to get a response from OTOY about DS plugin development.