Although I don’t think it is related to software subscription but more like (Netflix Hulu Amazon prime etc) in the case of a recession, I can see companies cut their IT / Technology overhead. Likely opting for lower end hardware and cheaper software.
In another scenario. Some companies without much liquidity would prefer a monthly payment for software instead of purchasing full packages especially if they are planning to layoff a portion of their workforce.
Only time can tell.
I still don’t get the push for subscription. It stacks all the odds in favor of the companies doing it.
How would you guys feel about a rent-to-own system. Say 30 installments of $16 (for a $500 license) that can be paused as long as you want and restarted later ? Once you reach 30 you OWN that version.
Guys the appeal of subscriptions is simplifying taxes.
Apart from the subscription model, which I don’t like either, V-Ray is the ultimate render engine for me. I use it many hours a day and find it great to work with an engine that has matured over the years and covers such a wide range of possibilities. I am able to render extremely complex scenes reliably in a very short time (GPU) and the Cosmos model library is very helpful.
The only thing I can think of that I miss is a deeper connection of V-Ray with Bongo so that the scene doesn’t have to be loaded for each frame. Some advanced features could still be integrated into the user interface.
Interesting, they are already on this track … but they are complicating it so much they have to do illustrations.
You should be able to pause at any time and whatever the version is at the last installment that’s the version that becomes perpetual, even if it released on that last day.
I too are now looking for an alternative to Vray, even having purchased a perpetual license only a year ago.
I’ve recently started playing with Bella and I am seriously looking at purchasing a license.
Just a few queries, when switching to the GUI from Rhino and then modifying materials, lighting etc can the new settings be synched back to Rhino?
How about using Bongo with Bella, what would be the easiest approach?
Apologies if these have already been covered, thanks in advance.
Hi Miles_Alex, it is not currently possible to bring changes from the GUI back into Rhino; the main reason for the existence of the GUI is to get the rendering process out of Rhino, and if there are things you are able to do in the GUI, which you are not able to do with the plugin inside of Rhino, then those need to be added to the plugin.
Regarding Bongo, I have not yet specifically tested it, but the plugin implements the standard Rhino render plugin functions, so it should already work. Also please feel free to join our discord (link is in my bio) to ask any question you may have, we are usually very quick to answer/chat there.
Thank you for your speedy response, no problem regarding the sync back to Rhino, I was just curious and perhaps not used to working with a separate GUI, another learning curve I guess.
Cheers!
Having used Bella for a little while, for Rhino users, the GUI is only a render window… All functionality is (it should be) within the Rhino plugin. At the moment you are ready to render, you may opt to send the render to the GUI so that you don’t lockup your Rhino session and can keep working on your model.
Thanks Thomas, I’m a big fan of your portfolio.
I’ve been testing Bella for a few days and can now see the benefits of exporting to the GUI.
I hope the GPU rendering is further developed so it is as quick as VRAY for more complex scenes. Yet I am very impressed with the quality of renderings.
Thanks.
The main problem for us is the subscription model. We have many (Keyshot 9) licenses in our office and perpetually paying for new licenses is not feasible. And updating just a few seats does not make any sense since you can not save the files to an older version as the Rhino for instance could. Also, stopping paying a subscription means that you immediately lost the data.
The current version which we are using has several bugs which obviously cannot be solved and we have to use a demanding workaround that slows and messes workflow.
I understand that having a standalone render has several advantages (as Keyshot has), but you have to keep that in mind changes in the app could not be reversed to Rhino and easily the changes could be lost and that is the problem. Tools like “live link” or “update” scenes are a hassle.
I also personally miss the solid auto-save function. What annoys me, is when I have to just move/rotate/geometry/scale. There is something wrong with pivot points and sensitivity.
To be fair, Keyshot offers outstanding pictures in no time. The app is intuitive and easy to learn like a game. It greatly handles glass and texturing is friendly as well. The node editor for our version is also great and it handles a huge scene with charm.
For these reasons we are switching to mature and industry-standard V-ray (half price) which is also great and tightly integrated into Rhino and Grasshopper. As all of us know that switching daily driver SW is like breaking up I want to consider all options.
Besides V-Ray, I want to give a chance to Bella (greatly looking glass) and maybe Octane. I want to have something that offers future potential for growth and reasonable prices.
But V-Ray is also subscriptions only from now on!
Yes, but half of the price of KeyShot and full integration is fine for the moment.
In my case, I use V-Ray for Rhino and sometimes I need to buy or receive from clients models from TurboSquid or others, and most of the times they come in 3DS Max + Vray, so having the V-Ray plugin in max lets you save the models in Vrayscene format and use it in Rhino without problems.