AWS Thinkbox Discussion Forums

Installer Workflow Wish

Deprecated Krakatoa MX 2.x Beta Discussion
#1

I know, I know this again…runs and dives behind large object to avoid flying projectiles… sorry but some things are just a PITA.I figured before there are too many more builds out I would bring this up (again) A lot of this is in relation to everyone I work with uses a different version of the plugin/max. Swapping plugin builds in different versions of max can be a huge hassle. I gets confusing too.
Some of this is just nit-picky sure but it also is cohesive.

First thanks! I love the new installer with max versions, please give this to Paul so he can introduce it to Frost/XMesh/other plugins (or whomever builds these) for consistencies sake! This in itself would be very helpful/time saving.

my second wish will you please put back the install/remove utility (at least for Krakatoa) so we can have single max version control back until if/when Autodesk fixes the Listener issues. Embarrassingly so I do still use it sometimes. Even if you just drop it in the install folder (this I can at least easily/quickly do on my own so it isn’t that big of a deal)

…

Fifth is a more of a pipe dream (although it shouldn’t be you have enough plugins now this is a must), if someone had time to dev a global Thinkbox Versioning Utility :smiley:
It scans the install tells me what versions of what plugin I have installed in which version of max
It lets me add/remove a single version of a specific plugin to a specific version of max.

Cebas is on the right track with their updater, it definitely still needs better organization and more work but the idea is F’N Awesome! Please check this out. I will make a demo vid for you if you can’t/don’t have access to it.

Lastly can the installers naming conventions follow the same versioning format, for instance Krakatoa? (consistency)

The first and fifth are the most important, the rest are probably just specific to me and just me griping about, others would have to provide their input as to whether it is useful to them or not.

EDIT: I omitted third and fourth (not that I wouldn’t like it that way…)

#2

Is this completely unreasonable, or are you guys just too busy, or better yet taking a well deserved holiday?

#3

We passed around the ideas and had a short discussion today. I think we can easily get the installer logic working for Frost. The “Thinkbox Plugin Manager” is interesting but we don’t particularly feel like Cebas got it right. Its not a small project so its hard to say what will happen.

Can you give us more details about how you use the “install/remove utility”? What exactly is “single max version control”? Do you often need to add/remove our plugins from a Max install? Why does this come up?

We made plans to discuss this further next week too, so the better I understand your needs, the more we can talk about it.

#4

Sure, since I am always using/testing the latest builds, it comes up often enough for me, that every time I take a job I just change my plugin versions to match whomever I am working for. I am maybe just setting a up a workflow that requires me to conform only to the features that they have available for one reason or another, or swapping scene files, ect.

Well what I mean by single max version control:
Since the Krakatoa installer can install all max versions, sometimes people want to use the Listener, that is about it really. Other than that it is like the KVM script I wrote, I can select which version of Krakatoa I want to run in whatever version of max (or no version for that matter), then when I am done I can switch it back easily, just because all this does is edit my plugin.ini file. This make beta testing and work easier too do. The only real drawback is not knowing what is where in which. (and max2013 regionalized folders all over the place!)

To continue, a new build of Frost arrives (just happens to fix a bug), okay, I am using max2013 at the moment, I run the installer, set my directory, and choose the single version of max to install. I continue to work. Oops forget that max 2010, 2011, 2012 all have older versions but I didn’t know that until I started working, go to create a Frost halfway through a LOL “creative moment”… come screeching to a halt, need to install the updated Frost build in 2011. Oh crap stopped again… need to get Krakatoa two builds ago, finally…

Oh shit now I need to cache out my Frost mesh… Is this the build of XMesh I want? Over to Thinkbox check to see if it is the right build, yep back to max… cache.

I don’t even have Genome, Ember hasn’t rolled yet, who knows what other IP you guys are planning on teasing us with.

You guys have developed a fantastic workflow BUT the process of updating and using that workflow can be a bit of a painful process. With so many plugins and so many versions of plugins it becomes a bit overwhelming at times, especially when a few new builds come out around the same time.

I guess it boils done to what is the average plugin type count of an individual/studio. If someone just uses Krakatoa I guess this is not a big deal, if they have everything well that is a lot to keep track of.

Some things I like about Cebas system:

  1. New build notifications if I want when I choose or restart my machine!
  2. Archiving the current build so I can switch back to it whenever I want.
  3. Per max version control, I can choose which versions of max to update with what.
  4. If I click on an archive or active version the changelog appears in the far right pane.
  5. The license manager is “built-in”.
  6. Overall being able to see what is where kind of.

What I don’t like:

  1. With a lot of max versions and a lot of plugins the listview is getting to be a clusterf**k!
  2. Max version control is a bit cludgy, I can only direct it to the most current max build directory, no others version have that option.
  3. It is a PITA and confusing to get it to list already installed plugins in older versions, well in fact I can’t get it to do it.
  4. Not being able to see exactly what is where.
  5. Not having the ability to redistribute over multiple machines (one click farm plugin updates?)

What would I change?
The biggest thing is the organization of it. I would organize the root differently that is for sure! Either by max version or by plugin. Max version seems most logical, by tabs Newest Max version on the left (organization is all up for debate) then by plugin BUT everything should be visible in a way that you could quickly determine that everything is the way you want it.

Just soo much wasted time updating instead of doing, sometimes by the time I get everything situated I am burnt and have lost inspiration to make something. I like testing, building, breaking, doing, trying, crying, smashing, bashing, I don’t like updating. :wink: :smiley:

You guys are great at designing interfacing, I just don’t know how to easily put it into words so…
LOL, Sorry I had to rapid proto off of excel: --of course I embellished a little bit :slight_smile:

#5

I had another thought in regards to this… Cloud Licensing.

So anywhere I go, I can install your plugins, then when I start max, the Thinkbox license server asks for the license, I log into a thinkbox license server, which checks my licenses, sees that they are not in use and checks them out to me :slight_smile:

#6

We might have to look into something like this for Deadline On The Cloud licensing anyway… But the technology would be applicable to other Thinkbox products. Not promising anything, just saying it is being discussed. :wink:

#7

Thanks. No promises necessary, if it works it works if not, no harm no foul.

#8

Any news, either way?

#9

None yet.

#10

Thanks

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