Lumion users: A heads up about big changes in licenses
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In case you're not up to date with what's been going on in the Lumion world...
December 2010: Lumion 1 was launched. Even with all its bugs, we early adopters supported the budding software. In early spring, we were told great new features would be coming. However...
June 2011: A new "Lumion Ultimate" license was launched with the features of version 1.2 and all "Lumion" licenses became "Lumion Basic" and would have to pay again to have the new features. Lumion Ultimate buyers were told they would always have everything, initially with 5 modules or "plugins", and were told:
@unknownuser said:
We finished 5 plugin packs now and the other 4 or 5 will be introduced later. The ultimate edition will always get the plugin packs for free. So with time the Ultimate edition will become much more attractive.
They also said among the extra plugins coming for free to them would include Advanced Animation and a new library of models for Interior scenes. See this thread.
Lumion users suddenly became an angry mob about this slightly unexpected change, but eventually calmed down and coughed up the money... Or just kept a limited version. Reactions of SCF members back in June 2011 can be read here...
http://forums.sketchucation.com/viewtopic.php?f=80&t=37871&start=0
and here:
http://forums.sketchucation.com/viewtopic.php?p=333651#p333651December 2011: The library of interior models and the new advanced animation feature are released... With "Lumion 2 Ultimate" license. That means paying again. The Lumion 1 Ultimate didn't "become more attractive" and didn't "get the plugin packs for free". They just changed the version number and thus forced "Ultimate" users to upgrade to get the new stuff, including stuff they were told they would be getting for free. (The interior models and advanced animation).
May 2012: The Lumion team said they would soon be releasing new juicy features... But in order to not give this new features for free to Lumion 2 Ultimate users, as they were supposed to, they will eliminate the plugin system for the Ultimate license, eliminate the Basic license, and introduce a new "top" version that will have these features. Owners of the basic license are being offered a huge discount to upgrade to "Ultimate", and owners of "Ultimate" will be offered a discount to upgrade to the new, yet unnamed license. See this thread.
I still believe Lumion is awesome. It has become my main rendering software. I only want a very clear, official statement by Act-3D about what's going on and what's coming. Until now, the Lumion team way of protecting themselves has been "This is not an official statement", "please wait for and official statement form Act-3D"... (official statement never comes).
As i said, I'm their #1 fan... and also their #1 critic.
Most of the time, as you have seen, I try to keep peace here and in all other forums. But today I saw the need to start a little fire.
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seems like they don't appreciate their users.
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I copy-pasted my post to the Lumion forum. It's becoming an interesting thread. You might want to join...
http://lumion3d.com/forum/general-discussion/lumion-users-a-heads-up-about-constant-changes-in-licensing-policies-here/I better start learning Unity.
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I understand that companies need to adjust their business model as they go.
On it's own nothing wrong with it.
However.....there were promises and I find it unethical to change the policy when something is promised to customers.They could have avoided it (and probably will) by presenting a 'pro forma' 2.x update for existing clients for free (just a small updated) and heading straight for a 3.x release so they can charge for it.
Sloppy corporate communication.
And yes, a statement of a representative of the company on the 'offical' forum, off course makes it an official statement....Good luck Ecuadorian
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What price is the current bells and whistles version?
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$2000.00? never gonna happen. at least not from me.
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Current price of Lumion 2 Ultimate if you're not upgrading from a previous version: 1500 euros
Original price of Lumion in November 2010: 749 euros
Price to upgrade to "Ultimate" version in June 2011: 600 euros thanks to credits worth 150ā¬ given "free" to existing customers.
Price to upgrade from Lumion 1 Ultimate to Lumion 2 Ultimate in december 2011: 450 euros with a 10% offer, now 500.
Price to upgrade from Lumion 2 Ultimate to tomorrow's "Ultimate Ultimate" version: Still unknown, but the fact that they said they're gonna give a 66% discount to existing Ultimate 2 customers means the new "Ultra Mazinkaiser Optimus Prime Z Lumion" is not gonna be cheap.I have no problem paying 30% total price every year for an update that keeps the price of the top version the same... The problem here is that the cost of keeping up with Lumion is snowballing as they create new top versions with higher price tags.
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Update: the new top version will be called "Lumion Pro". Still no word about pricing, only that current Ultimate 2 users will have a 66% discount in their upgrade to Pro.
Also, version 2.2 is now available for Lumion 2 Ultimate users. At least the Lumion guys are throwing Ultimate 2 users a bone: A few useful new features and lots of new vegetation.
However, some key things will be reserved for "Lumion Pro", among this, 4 new detailed people models and the ability to save and load self-contained Lumion scene files to and from any location on your PC or on the network. These files can be opened and explored with the Free Version. This is, in my opinion, something so basic to any software that it should have been part of the original release. About the new detailed people, they say "For now it is only 4 we will add more in future 2.x releases." Let's hope this time they actually keep their word and not wait until 3.x to release more detailed people models. This time they know there will be someone reminding them of their old promises.
Here's the relevant thread:
http://lumion3d.com/forum/announcements/lumion-2-2-available-for-download/ -
Seems a free version is always existing ?
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Yes, but it is very limited and stamps a logo in all your renders.
At this point I would say to anyone considering Lumion: "Run away while you can". Unfortunately I've become too dependent on it. I must find an alternative even if it's not as easy to use... possibly Unity.
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@unknownuser said:
Yes, but it is very limited and stamps a logo in all your renders.
Normal for a free version
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