The major players in 3D modelling/content creation can't even agree on the precise interpretation of trimmed nurbs surfaces, much less on other more difficult areas like material properties and lighting for rendering. For materials no two renderers agree on what something simple like a chrome material means much less something more complicated like wood, leather or marble.
They want to define something universal that everyone making 3D software will use as a native data format -- the two main products at Alias (Studio Tools and Maya) don't even use the same file format (because they have different problem domains -- but at least they share the same interpretation of nurbs:-)
In StudioTools, some of the textures and images in the scene can be the result of compositing a bunch of layers (like photoshop) -- are they going to embedd a photoshop like 2D format in their 3D format? Others are 16 bit/channel or float per channel -- Now add trimmed nurbs, hierarchical subdivision surfaces, construction history, particle systems, dynamics, kinematics, animation tracks, procedurally generated textures, fluids, the list goes on and on -- the number of node types for StudioTools and Maya alone would be in the thousands. I'm sure that CAD and Engineering software packages would add a couple thousand unique ones to that list.
The mind just boggles at the complexity of what they're attempting. I'm quite sure they have not the faintest idea of just how large a chunk of work they've bitten off.
When I was at IBM (10 years ago now), we used to call this sort of thing "boiling the ocean". ie. comsume enourmous resources and money for extended periods of time while producing no discernable and/or useful results.
Ian Ameline Software Architect, Alias. (Not speaking for my employer.)
Hmmm -- I work here at Alias (and I'm not an authorized spokesperson for them, so this post contains *my* opinions). There's not much stainless steel -- it's mostly plain old industrial steel -- welded. It's a 110 year old brick building that, as far as I'm aware, was renovated by the owners (at their expense) to our specifications, some 6 or so years ago, -- in exchange for this a long term lease is in place.
50% went to siggraph? Maybe 5% -- probably not even that many.
Great party -- yes, I admit we know how to throw a good party. We used to party more, but the average age here has been increasing over the years -- that has an impact on how much you drink and party like a madman.
Pool tables, plural? no -- 1 pool table that's 10 years old -- it was here before SGI bought Alias.
Hundreds of fancy display devices? Where? Do you mean the standard 19" monitors you'll see at any tech company? Yes there are hundreds of those.
Is Alias a fun place to work? Yes it is -- I get to work on cool software with some really sharp people.
I don't know about marketing costs and profit margins on Maya since the price reduction -- but my understanding is that since then we're selling more licences and making more money off the product, while squeezing marketshare from the competition. Seems like a smart move to me.
As for Accel-KKR being interested in money -- of course they are -- so was SGI -- any owner of a company like this would be primarily interested in money. I don't mean to disillusion all you naieve slashdotters, but most companies are in it for the money -- Studio, Maya and our other products are a means to an end, that end being money. And our customers buy those products because they (correctly IMHO) believe that they will help them make money -- money money money, the root of all evil -- bring it on -- there, that should unbalance more than a few out there:-)
Slashdot Mirror
It's strange, anti-charming, and overweight. Probably wears glasses and doesn't bathe regularly too. (ducking quickly :-)
If you check our web site you'll see that there are 3 open positions on the Studio Development team -- it's growing.
:-).
And while 15 inch monitors might be standard at a bank, I've yet to see a single one of our customers who have standardized on anything less than 19"
P.S. I'd be bitter too If I had to work on a 15 inch monitor for a bank
The major players in 3D modelling/content creation can't even agree on the precise interpretation of trimmed nurbs surfaces, much less on other more difficult areas like material properties and lighting for rendering. For materials no two renderers agree on what something simple like a chrome material means much less something more complicated like wood, leather or marble.
:-)
They want to define something universal that everyone making 3D software will use as a native data format -- the two main products at Alias (Studio Tools and Maya) don't even use the same file format (because they have different problem domains -- but at least they share the same interpretation of nurbs
In StudioTools, some of the textures and images in the scene can be the result of compositing a bunch of layers (like photoshop) -- are they going to embedd a photoshop like 2D format in their 3D format? Others are 16 bit/channel or float per channel -- Now add trimmed nurbs, hierarchical subdivision surfaces, construction history, particle systems, dynamics, kinematics, animation tracks, procedurally generated textures, fluids, the list goes on and on -- the number of node types for StudioTools and Maya alone would be in the thousands. I'm sure that CAD and Engineering software packages would add a couple thousand unique ones to that list.
The mind just boggles at the complexity of what they're attempting. I'm quite sure they have not the faintest idea of just how large a chunk of work they've bitten off.
When I was at IBM (10 years ago now), we used to call this sort of thing "boiling the ocean". ie. comsume enourmous resources and money for extended periods of time while producing no discernable and/or useful results.
Ian Ameline
Software Architect,
Alias.
(Not speaking for my employer.)
Hmmm -- I work here at Alias (and I'm not an authorized spokesperson for them, so this post contains *my* opinions). There's not much stainless steel -- it's mostly plain old industrial steel -- welded. It's a 110 year old brick building that, as far as I'm aware, was renovated by the owners (at their expense) to our specifications, some 6 or so years ago, -- in exchange for this a long term lease is in place.
:-)
50% went to siggraph? Maybe 5% -- probably not even that many.
Great party -- yes, I admit we know how to throw a good party. We used to party more, but the average age here has been increasing over the years -- that has an impact on how much you drink and party like a madman.
Pool tables, plural? no -- 1 pool table that's 10 years old -- it was here before SGI bought Alias.
Hundreds of fancy display devices? Where? Do you mean the standard 19" monitors you'll see at any tech company? Yes there are hundreds of those.
Is Alias a fun place to work? Yes it is -- I get to work on cool software with some really sharp people.
I don't know about marketing costs and profit margins on Maya since the price reduction -- but my understanding is that since then we're selling more licences and making more money off the product, while squeezing marketshare from the competition. Seems like a smart move to me.
As for Accel-KKR being interested in money -- of course they are -- so was SGI -- any owner of a company like this would be primarily interested in money. I don't mean to disillusion all you naieve slashdotters, but most companies are in it for the money -- Studio, Maya and our other products are a means to an end, that end being money. And our customers buy those products because they (correctly IMHO) believe that they will help them make money -- money money money, the root of all evil -- bring it on -- there, that should unbalance more than a few out there
- Ian Ameline