V14 support scripts?

Eagle Six wrote on 7/25/2016, 9:47 AM

I think the subject of free -vs- paid is a matter of marketing, that is investment -vs- pay back.

If you want to write a script creating a feature you think others will pay for, you have to balance the expected reward of sales over the expense of development. If your feature is of value it will sell and compensate you for the expense.

Same with rewriting already published scripts to run in a new version of Vegas 14. I would never expect script writers to spend expense to make the scripts I purchased for V13 to work in V14 without compensating them if it were an overwhelming burden on their part. On the other hand, the script writers need to consider future sales as part of their pay back.

I think it is a matter of how much will the market bare and how much is the script writer willing to risk. Make no changes and the scripts ends with V13 of Vegas Pro, or make an investment to keep it alive for V14 and the future. I think some script writers will offer a free upgrade and others will offer at a reasonable price. In the end I think most will be happy.

Best Regards.....George

Logan5 wrote on 7/25/2016, 3:14 PM

"...not a trivial amount of work. And if the change goes deeper into changing OFX plug-in ids which have sonycreativesoftware in the name, the change will be MASSIVE for us!"

Indeed, none of this is trivial. If it takes funding buy buying the (new compatible)scripts again... I got your back. Not the scripts creator fault on this situation.

(I'm ignorant on why this is)
Whats is strange to me is that when Magix bought all the Sony Vegas software, parts of it have/will be changed in some way that effect it's functionality?

namespace? Is that Sony name in the code that I'll never see?

As mentioned by John, if the OFX plug-ins are changed...well that would be a massive problem.

videoITguy wrote on 7/25/2016, 4:10 PM

Reply by: Eagle Six - Date: 7/25/2016 7:47:23 AM....."the future. I think some script writers will offer a free upgrade and others will offer at a reasonable price. In the end I think most will be happy." hmmm -

NO, MOST will not be happy - this is a serious issue that affects the legacy of VegasPro usage. There are some very good scripts out there, whose developers have since passed-on. There are compiled .dll components that will be wasted going to version 14 under this scenario. This is just not about the few script developers that are currently interested in being led-on by Magix development...

Trust me, this leaves MOST of the interest in third-party script development very UNHAPPY!

Eagle Six wrote on 7/25/2016, 4:37 PM

videoTguy @ "Trust me, this leaves MOST of the interest in third-party script development very UNHAPPY!"

Actually I trust me, but do read and respect your opinion, and do not feel this is one of those.......who is right or who is wrong things.

However, the script writers who charge for their scripts are in business, and I would think most will modify their business plans to take advantage of the situation, whether that is absorbing the cost or passing on the cost.

Before the announcement of the Magix buy, for the most part the Vegas Pro script business was flat, now the outlook is much better. Although Magix can build in features which may eliminate the need for some scripts, most likely there may be identified the market for additional scripts, as well as some old ones as well. The script development business is similar to software development, with the exception their hat hangs on those that they compliment and should be prepared for the ups and downs.....it's a business.

Best Regards.......George

dxdy wrote on 7/25/2016, 4:44 PM

The script people have the same problem the software houses have...ongoing revenue streams - or lack thereof.

A subscription plan for script support? Oh, my.

I really depend very much on frameserver. I would be willing to contribute a substantial (for me) amount to its being updated for 14.

Eagle Six wrote on 7/25/2016, 4:48 PM

dxdy @ "I really depend very much on frameserver. I would be willing to contribute a substantial (for me) amount to its being updated for 14. "

+1

I agree....

Best Regards.....George

videoITguy wrote on 7/25/2016, 6:25 PM

Judging by the number of third party developers creating scripts of high value with some targeted compiled .dll extensions - the peak period of revenue opportunity with customers peaked during the release of VegasPro 8 - very many years ago.

Since then, the opportunity identified has shrunk to near zero and there is not any clear indication that Magix involvement would or cares to turn that around.

NickHope wrote on 7/25/2016, 10:36 PM

dxdy @ "I really depend very much on frameserver. I would be willing to contribute a substantial (for me) amount to its being updated for 14. "

+1

I agree too

wwaag wrote on 7/26/2016, 12:07 AM

+1

Agreed too. Seems to me we did this some time in the past with donations or maybe its just a senior moment. In any case, I sure wish we could entice SOMEONE to pick up this abandoned bit of software. Looks like I'll be on V13 for the foreseeable future.

wwaag

Grazie wrote on 7/26/2016, 3:10 AM

"Looks like I'll be on V13 for the foreseeable future."

I too am reflecting on the awkwardness's that will be associated with jumping this cassavas.

Oh, dear . . . .

NickHope wrote on 7/26/2016, 4:49 AM

Well, Satish, the Frameserver author, came asking for ideas in 2013, but nothing came of it.

The Frameserver version for VP12 works fine. The VP13 version has a couple of audio bugs. It will only serve audio in 44.1kHz, even if the project properties are different. And there is a problem with the end of the audio stream, as relaxvideo and Marco report on that thread.

Satish has told me that he has basically given up on developing Frameserver and has moved on to other things, but he hopes someone else might fix it. The code is open source and can be found here. Apparently ages ago Chris Nolan (formerly of SCS) gave Satish some info that might help, but I've not been able to get that from Satish.

How much would people contribute to get bug-free versions for VP13 & VP14? I'd happily chuck in 100USD.

Grazie wrote on 7/26/2016, 5:43 AM

Nick, I know your motives and offers are genuine. However, getting into this situation, because of the buyout of this Pro NLE is rather naff having to rely on the pockets of its Users.

Or am I wrong?

G

OldSmoke wrote on 7/26/2016, 6:03 AM

If VP14 is really that much better then I have no issue paying for updated scripts. We all wanted a better Vegas, more stable and supporting more hardware and if that requires rewriting the code then so be it. Many scripts, while still working are old too and we should not expect them to work forever.

NickHope wrote on 7/26/2016, 6:18 AM

Well Grazie, Frameserving was never an included feature of Vegas. It was only through Satish's generosity that we've had the feature for free for so long. Perhaps if a number of us pledged donations then MAGIX might see the value of putting the work in to include the feature themselves, or Satish might take it up again, or another coder could be persuaded to do the job.

But I really do think MAGIX should do all they possibly can to make V14 read and run existing 3rd party scripts and extensions. If not it will feel like the ball got dropped on this issue in the buyout negotiations.

Grazie wrote on 7/26/2016, 6:32 AM

It's business. What I want is for ALL the scripts to be jacked-up to VP14, and not cost me a penny - period!

Could MAGIX do this? Of course they could. Whether it was part of the negotiations or not is somewhat immaterial, and at best gives our new owners the option to have us spending time speculating, and spit balling, and not ask for what we want directly.

We are here 'cos we are here. I bet there are discussions going on about the shared financial responsibilities for this process right now. And if it aint, it will have started! - Lol!

If yah don't ask, yah don't get. Or would you have me NOT ask, and not NOT get it anyway?

Great thread. And yet another reason for MAGIX to maintain this Forum.

G

Gary James wrote on 7/26/2016, 8:16 AM

The point I originally tried to make when I drew attention to the absurd move by Magix to change the Vegas Scripting / Extension Namespace, is there isn't any technical reasoning behind the change. This is CORPORATE LEGAL bureaucracy injecting itself into the functionality of a product that Magix claims to want to support and sell,

We should all be DEMANDING that Magix and Sony come to an arrangement whereby Magix can continue to use the "SONY" Namespace in its product. Then the issue of new or obsolete Scripts and Extensions becomes mute.

TeetimeNC wrote on 7/26/2016, 8:39 AM

But I really do think MAGIX should do all they possibly can to make V14 read and run existing 3rd party scripts and extensions. If not it will feel like the ball got dropped on this issue in the buyout negotiations.

I agree with Nick here. I hope Vegas 14 will be able to maintain support for legacy scripts while also transitioning to the new namespace for any new scripts/versions that appear.

Jerry
http://www.takeonesolutions.com
Photography • Video

dxdy wrote on 7/26/2016, 9:04 AM

As has been said by others, I depend on certain scripts, mostly Frameserver. I did give Satich US$100 back when changes had to be made. I would not be able to use V14 if it couldn't run Frameserver, so obviously I would not be interested in buying (or upgrading to) V14. That is a message that should sound an alarm with Magix marketing. They will look at what happened to sales of the 13 + 14 upgrade with the revelation that scripting won't be a simple carryover.

Depending on what functionality is added to V14 over V13 (such as supporting modern GPUs), I would be willing to pay Satich (or someone) US$100 toward making Frameserver work with V14.

Why my passion over Frameserver? I believe that the TMPGENC encoder does a better job on MPG for DVDs than the Main Concept included in Vegas (up through V13). My customer base is stuck in the 1990s, and DVDs are my biggest seller. If I knew there was an upgraded Main Concept or superior replacement, then I could get along without Framerserver.

Marco. wrote on 7/26/2016, 10:12 AM

Though Frameserver is not a script, is it?

Marco. wrote on 7/26/2016, 10:14 AM

Wouldn't it be a great service of Magix to let users send them scripts to be adopted to work with V14?

Grazie wrote on 7/26/2016, 10:16 AM

Marco! Spot on Pal, spot on!

MAGIX? Care to reach out to us all?

G

Former user wrote on 7/26/2016, 10:27 AM

What about the people who wrote those scripts? If they are scripts you paid for, do you feel that they are out of the loop now?
This is how Vegas got to this point, and a while back you were all screaming about supporting Vegas by buying the latest versions and being willing to update so they can benefit financially, but now you want others to give their work away.

I edited a video for a PR firm of a corporation. It featured the president of the company. Well, a week later they had a new president. I wouldn't be expected to re-edit the video with the new president gratis, would I?

Well, Vegas has a new president, Magix. And to expect others to incorporate the new president in their work for free is not right.

Grazie wrote on 7/26/2016, 11:23 AM

Good point DT.

Now, who's going to make an equitable way forward? MAGIX? SONY? SoFo? How far back should we be going to discover who this would be?

G

dxdy wrote on 7/26/2016, 11:53 AM

"Though Frameserver is not a script, is it?"

(Blush) You are correct. Well, it still needs to work with 14.