Re: Is combustion 2008 Worth it?

Is the upgrade worth it?

I just got my c2008 copy yesterday and am going over the tutorials to get an understanding of the new features. I haven't used the Particles much because of crashing I experienced back in version 3, which is when I bought Particle Illusion 3. I haven't looked back at the particles in Combustion since then. Plus, Motion 3 has particles now as well.

I will have to try the commit to disc as Ken describes and see if that works for me.

As far as the new features, they are cool. As long as it works for me I will ride this thing out and see what happens with Combustion going forward. Trying to hamstring a application to protect other products is risky IMHO. Others are pressing technology to be more innovative, more affordable and faster. With this being the highway of choice for most of us it will be a case of 'cream rising to the top' and others will falter.

I can see myself using the workflow enhancements in the Schematic View. Overall, I thought it was a weak release but I understand and am now expecting great things from the new Product Manager. We'll see how aggressive they are now. No excuses.

I have often thought that one of the things that would position Combustion in the middle of everything is to allow 3rd party developers to be able to create plug-ins as is the wide-spread situation for After Effects. Combustion would at least be a very formidable conduit for AE systems and the outside world.

Keith Hill
Lighted Path Films | Productions
http://www.LightedPath.biz
Dallas, TX
G5 2Ghz, OS X Tiger (v10.4.10), Final Cut Studio2, Autodesk Combustion v4.0.5| Cinema4D, Mocha DVX100A 24p Camcorder