We're excited to announce that DAZ has acquired Eovia Corporation, developer and publisher of leading 3D animation, modeling and rendering solutions, based in Mountain View, Calif. The acquisition includes the Carrara and Hexagon product families as well as the key people and development teams that support them. This combination of DAZ and Eovia technologies provides the entire 3D community with a more powerful set of solutions for creating, managing, and rendering compelling 3D media. We believe the natural synergy that exists between the offerings of DAZ and Eovia has incredible potential. We hope you'll join us in welcoming the Eovia team to the DAZ family and we're certain you'll enjoy the results of this momentous acquisition. Keep an eye on the DAZ website and forums as the full announcement, including press release will hit tomorrow morning at 10AM EST.

Not sure where this is heading... Daz studio vs transposer? Bryce vs Carrara 5? Sounds strange.

Too bad for the Eovia guys.  Even though I think that DAZ is an okay company, they don't have the capital resoures or marketing clout to push Carrara or Hexagon to the next level.  I really like Hexagon but I fear for its future (see what DAZ has done with Bryce --> nothing).  I hope I'm wrong.

DAZ is going up in the world while Eovia is going...

What has to do it with Vue? :blink:

Mazak

It has nothing to do with Vue but is big news on the 3D front.    Lots of people use Daz models in their Vue renders so I don't see it out of place in this forum.

What I don't understand is how people know how much capital Daz has to work with..  A lot said they didn't have enough to buy eovia before it was announced. :)  Seems they did. :)

Guess the future will tell or show what happens to all the products that Daz now has to offer the consumer.

Iloco, you're right, I didn't think DAZ was a big company, I thought of it as just a content provider, selling figures and props, most of them brokered for independent artists. When they bought Bryce, didn't seem very important either, since the software had been left in the dark for so long, and they didn't do much to revamp it.

And you're right again saying this is big news, even if some don't see a relation with Vue. Autodesk and Maya were big news too, even for hobbyists like me. Reducing your options as a potential customer is never a good thing, nor is it for the people who work for Eovia, I think.

It is indirectly related to Vue actually.

Carrara has evolved with features that compete directly with what we are using in Vue (ecosystems, trees, landscapes), and Vue has evolved with features that bring it closer to Carrara as well (improved shader, more realistic lighting).

With Shade, they are currently the only other tools that can import Poser content directly (not counting Daz studio since it is now in the same family as Carrara).

It is going to be interesting to see how it evolves. This kind of merger could strengthen Carrara or could easily break it ... which would be too bad since they are doing so well with Hexagon.

I think this is HUGE NEWS. It is strategically a very good move for DAZ and is very BAD NEWS for Vue, I'm afraid. Mainly because this gives DAZ a much stronger competitive platform to market their models- and E-ON is not part of it.

I posted a couple of months ago- here--- that a colloration between DAZ and EOVIA seemed very LOGICAL for both companies.

What surprises me is that they have actually BOUGHT Eovia! You can bet there is some OTHER MONEY from DAZ investors in play here.

Now DAZ can have the software talent to fix Bryce and bring it more up to speed. Bryce has always needed a TOTAL Render Engine Overhaul- this purchase will give them the software tools and talent to do that. The New Bryce will NOT be like the old Bryce, that's for sure...

...also a strategy emerges too that shows that DAZ is essentially RE-CREATING---

MetaCreations! ....Heh!

The ORIGINAL MetaCreations goal was to inter-link Poser-Bryce-Ray Dream-

Now- they can do this MINUS Poser! Plus they will have a powerful modeling program to push from the DAZ platform.

It's Deja Vu- all over again... (but not Deja Vue)

This will HAVE to force e-frontier and E-on closer together... Hmmmm one has to wonder if an E-frontier-E-On MERGER is NEXT????

What has impressed me with Carrara and Daz is the Owners were on chat and the forums talking to the customers last nite.
  Dan farr(Daz)  and I forget the person representing eovia.   This shows they care about what people have to say and are listening. 
 They are noit depending on other 3rd party people to do their talking for them.   I like their approach
I wish this were true of other software makers we know so well.
 Direct communacation with the top brass is good as I see it. :)

Its going to be an Interesting year. :)

I totally agree- it shows clearly that DAZ is a strongly focussed MARKETING company!

Marketing and popularizing your product is the name of the game!

E-on's beautiful website and hoopla is great - but they need to FOLLOW UP with more user-friendly attitudes on a public level. ---------Maybe E-On should move OUT OF
PARIS??? -----It seems to be giving them some kind of  "let them eat cake" attitude.

....(And we all know what happened to Marie Antoinette.) (But she actually didn't say that line.)

Unfortunately- E-on- while having some nice, bright people- always seems to want to hide behind a veil of secrecy and are not  "user friendly". Vue is a great product-if DAZ had it- it would be a real MONSTER I think. But now DAZ will be concentrating on making CARRARA-BRYCE their do-it-all monster programs.

Sure- Vue is technically a better software- but superior marketing and user-friendly support can elevate Carrara-Bryce to much higher sales levels that will cut into Vue sales in the future...

I also think Poser 6 and Content Paradise are very WEAK in many areas- there is not alot of creativity coming out of e-frontier, I think. Just look at how successful the FREE Daz Studio is and how it is, in my opinion, stealing a hugh number of Newbie Users away from Poser!  P6 content, like Miki- is over-priced and no where near well developed as V3 with supporting stuff.

I think the day is coming- in the next couple of years, that DAZ could be the TOP DOG and buy what is left of e-frontier and e-on software- as they are being decimated by the DAZ Marketing machine.

It's a scary thought- I hope the people at E-on are able to adequately respond to this major new software colossus. I think DAZ is going to be ON the MARCH now...

It's interesting to see the posts of some here about the "DAZ machine".  DAZ's track record in my view hardly qualifies it for such a lofty title.  DAZ has proven to be an excellent CONTENT company but it has not proven to be a world-beater in SOFTWARE (e.g. Bryce).  The fact that DAZ did not acquire the French Hexagon development team as part of the Eovia acquisition sends up a major red warning flag for me.  The acquisition of Eovia by DAZ looks more like a distress sale to me.  I hope I'm wrong.

...interesting point about the Hexagon team. One has to wonder what that really means...?

Did DAZ decide NOT to aquire that unit- or did the Hexagon team decide that they didn't want to be a part of DAZ? I would bet some French Pride had a lot to do with it (heh!)  The Ray-Dream-Carrara side probably saw the old "MetaCreations" synergy strategy working for DAZ-Carrara-...

Sort of surprising for me was that Carrara seemed to be gaining an upper hand in the Propaganda Battle with E-on- a lot of vocal Vue users quiting Vue and screaming their heads off about Vue's lack of fixing technical issues--- so while seemingly STREAMING AHEAD- apparently Eovia was also RUNNING OUT OF GAS???

That's why I am also concerned about where E-on is with all of this. They have been extemely QUIET in the past six months (not counting website HOOPLA- ...ILM using Vue for matte painting, etc.)- -- The fact that we almost NEVER hear anything out of E-on ADDS to this question about what is REALLY happening- like Vue 6?, Fixing technical issues that people keep whinning about... etc.

Charles is taking over the Hexagon US unit....he is also in charge of Carara development...so I don't see why all the panic....I myself glad to see all in the US.

...heh- here's something for WILD IDLE SPECULATION...

...what if the Hexagon team were to partner up with E-on?  Suddenly E-on has a first rate modeling program...!  Now that's a Fun Idea! ----(both groups in Paris- so why not?)

That could makes sense...since Eoiva EUrope just lost Carara why not buy EON & get back into the game...

Gonna be a wild year ahead I do believe.........

DAZ has bought Hexagon and Carrera. The part they didn't buy was Amapi.

This is definitely not fortuitous news for me at all. It means that I now have 4 programs that I can't use. Nothing personal against DAZ, but my computer won't run their software. I definitely have learned the true meaning of irony LOL! I've poured lots of money into the DAZ money machine only to find myself minus 4 functioning pieces of software.

All my best to DAZ. I hope your dreams take you far!

Attached Link: http://www.eovia.com/company/releases/57.asp

heh- just wait until DAZ aquires Microsoft! Then you will either use DAZSoft- or throw your computer out...

The thought of the Hexagon 2 displacement modeling technology and a capable landscape rendering program, tied together with a complete 3D rigging and animation interface has me salivating.  And at the kind of pricing that a single artist can afford.  Are you kidding?  What's the problem?  This could be a giant slayer of a deal!  Check out what Hex2 can do:

http://www.eovia.com/products/hexagon/hexagon2.asp

Amapi is is a fine application, but the Hex2 technology is now owned by DAZ.  This is ZBrush like abilities not just to model, but to to create living natural environments, populated with people and creatures.  Carrara is a decent mid level 3D application, now  imagine this platform able to model, stage, rig, displace and render your deepest fantasy imagery!  Maybe I'm overly enthusiastic, but Maya, XSI, Max aren't capable of doing this for me the way I forsee the possibilities here, certainly not at the price point this aquisition brings.  Great news, thank you Daz for your vision here.

-"heh- just wait until DAZ aquires Microsoft! Then you will either use DAZSoft- or throw your computer out..."

Yeah, and DAZsoft Oriface3000 will have Vicky5 giving you unwanted advice instead of a stupid

talking paperclip! :laugh:

Since yesterday morning Hexagon is no longer in the Eovia product line-up or the Eovia Store at Eovia.com?.

Putting your top staff front and centre in the public gaze may seem like listening and may seem like a great CRM  (cutomer relationship marketing) strategy.  However it can blow up in your face.  What do you do if there is a serious problem and you don't want to comment.  Then everyone wants to know where you've gone.  Look at Ratners in the UK.

There are other good reasons for not taking this kind of CRM approach.  Your companies too small, your top staff may not be good in a public forum ( One big company I know of has a CEO with a serious speach impediment but they became number 3 in their highly competitive field in Europe and are one of the best brands / marketers in the business), you have a different marketing strategy or you know one of your competitors uses "attack dogs" to slur their competitors so you don't put yourself in the firing line. 

I don't know what e-on's marketing strategy is but I'm not convinced it is broken.  It doesn't appear to be as "cutting edge" as Daz are in terms of guerilla and viral techniques but that won't stop it working.  In fact it may count in its favour in some markets.  Daz seem to be taking the lowest common denominator end of the market with big sales and low profits.  E-on position themselves as a higher end company with better features and lots of pro users, more exclusive, higher prices and lower sales.  They compete.  Both make money.  Competition keeps both companies healthy.

The very presence of this thread which is barely on topic in the Vue forum demonstrates how competent Daz are at marketing.  I'll continue to enjoy watching their strategy from a distance

Did I mention I wrote an essay on Daz's use of moden marketing techniques for a course? :-)

Cheers Mark

http://impworks.blogspot.com/

Oh, it is on topic here, given that there has been considerable debate in recent months from people debating switching from Vue to Carrara.

Especially people looking for a better renderer to use than Poser. Vue has picked up a lot of custom from Bryce because it handles Poser figures better, but if Carrara handles them better still, it's tempting.

So there are two things to consider with regard to this news:

1. What does it mean for Vue users thinking of switching?
2. Will it force e-on to up their game if they want to stay in contention?

Hi, this is a little off topic but, I have both vue I and carrara. Vue has very much better/easier to make landscaping and environments. It's really user friendly, and there is no problem importing poser stuff. Vue can very easilly make amazing scenary. carrara can too but it's more difficult I find. Quite a steep learning curve for scenary stuff. I don't think carrara plants are as good as vue plants either. I think the memory management is bettter in vue than carrara. However I think the carrara renderer is very much better, and I really enjoy shopping around for all the pluggins to do this and that. I particularly like the toon pro pluggin renderer (nothing like it is available for vue on a mac - skinvue doesn't work on macs). Toon Pro has some problems but I've worked a sort of way around these. Also, I never wanted to get into modelling but architools pluggin for carrara was on sale, so now I can make buildings if I wish. Carrara is really valuable to me because of the non-photorealistic capabilities with toon pro for my comic I am trying to make. So it doesn't matter to me if the plants don't look as real because I'm only going to toonify them anyway, and I'm sure if I want otheres I could just make them in vue and export. Poser and carrara play nice together too. I also have bryce (it was on sale at daz) but I've never really got into it as vue does all of that stuff more easilly I find. Love esther

My question is this; does this point out the strength of DAZ, or the weakness of Eovia? Consider: Mimic was pretty much off the radar when DAZ obtained it. Bryce was moribund and Corel wanted shed of it. DAZ Studio core is indeed free...but the current stable of plugins totals $231 retail, and with the exception of FBX export which is something Poser lacks, is nowhere near the feature list of P6 at the current time. And most of those plugins were written by 3rd parties. From the volume of FBD, Eovia created the next best thing to white bread with the latest release of Carrara. Yet at this moment of triumph, it gets snapped up by another company. Interesting event, don't you think? It wouldn't be the first time a company developed themselves into oblivion....

If it points out the strength of Daz then wouldn't that strength only make the Eovia software stronger with backing such as Daz.

I would think the buyout makes for a stronger bond between Eovia's software and Daz's plans for the future.    Time will tell I guess. :)

Even though I don't use it I think its remarkable what Daz has done with Daz/Studio.  I don't think bryce can be written off just yet either.   It will fit well with Daz/Studio which is free and Bryce being a low priced software for those who cannot afford higher priced software.  Look in the bryce gallerys at how many people are still using bryce.

  I think there are lots of people who would like to get into the 3D field but don't have the funds that some of us luckier ones have to buy into all this software.   I think there is room for a low priced entry into the 3D world.   Daz/Studio has proven that. :)

Looks to me that Daz is going after the over all market and that is a good move I think for Daz and the future of Daz.

  I am sure all the questions will be answered in the future for all the people who are either negative with their views and for the ones who are positive as well. :)

 For a company to buy another I am sure they know what they are doing if its to be profitable for them.   More behind the scenes that we will never know about  dictates a lot of what has happened with the buyout. :)

More behind the scenes indeed!

Anybody else here get the magazine "Imagine FX", billed as for "Fantasy & Sci-Fi Digital Art"?

It's a very good magazine, and I don't intend cancelling my subscription, however It is now up to issue 4 and so far not a single mention of the Vue product line anywhere.  As far as 3D work goes, the in-magazine tutorials and workshops, the demo software on the CD - it's all Bryce, Bryce, Bryce.  Even the freebie objects are in Bryce format only.  Plus a healthy dose of DAZ|Studio & Poser of course.

I've e-mailed them to ask why the bias against Vue, but not surprisingly haven't received an answer.  Nowhere on the editorial page does it mention any link with the people at DAZ, but there is a clear and unexplained bias in that direction coming from somewhere!

Someone above said DAZ is "high volume-low profit"- - I don't think they are "low profit" if they can buy another significant software compant for millions of $$$. DAZ obviously either has a big bank account, excellent borrowing credit--and maybe some BIG HIDDEN INVESTORS that we don't know about...

I also get some Game production magazines- the places where a lot of game companies tell their inside stories, annual salaries- and place ads to hire new people- and DAZ always runs full page ads featuring V3 and DAZ Studio...-- You have to wonder-- when other companies are selling Maya facial animation tools for around $80,000-- why is DAZ running full page ads featuring a FREE 3D model and a FREE 3D Software program in a PROFESSIONAL magazine???----unless of course this is PAYING OFF for them in other sales, contacts, etc.

This whole thread is HIGHLY RELEVANT to E-on's future, I think--if you look at the BIG PICTURE.

I fully expected DAZ and Eovia to merge even closer together on joint software projects- including DAZ getting Eovia help to fix and update Bryce- in exchange for other help- but I NEVER expected DAZ to outright BUY Eovia! I think that says A LOT about DAZ's STRENGTH and also the WEAKNESS that exists within other 3D Software companies out there now.

Hard to believe- but someday DAZ might even buy LIGHTWAVE! I think NewTek is another company ready to topple over into someone else's hands. I also think E-on has been quitely looking for another investor- partner (maybe even BUYER) and we might well see some more"surprising" news coming down the road with E-on and other companies. A partnership or merger with Eovia Europe (the Amapi group) certainly seems like a logical next step...

I also have to even suspect that E-on has had some very SERIOUS discussions with George Lucas's ILM group in San Francisco about investement into E-on. Terragen is also being "shopped around" in California for investment... More surprising news is going to happen this year, I think...

Well, you do remember the Lightwave/Vue bundle, don't you?  A sign of things to come?

Not so sure about that because e-on didn't get them xtreme first and there was a lot of mad lightwave people because of it.
  That didnt make sense to a lot of people.  I think that pardership may have been not as sweet as everyone thought.
 Guess we wait and see as what I said is just my personal observations and opinions. :)

Prediction: This is the end of Bryce.

Reason: Too much overlap with Carrara and Carrara is a more modern and well rounded application.

As for the argument, "I didn't think Daz was big enough to be buying out...". It is a common mistake for people to confuse the size of the workforce with the size of the capital a company can have....infact less people means less expenditure in wages, hardware and software, especially in something like digital content creation.

Cheers

"Someone above said DAZ is "high volume-low profit"- - I don't think they are "low profit" if they can buy another significant software compant for millions of $$$."

I would be someone I believe.  Maybe I should explain this.  High volume - low profit does not mean Daz as a whole makes a small profit.  It means each sale they make has a small profit.  Like a supermarket selling bakedbeans.  Each tin of beans has a small profit but a high volume of sales.  This results in a large profit when all the small profits are added up.  Most businesses can be divided into one of four types:

1. Low Volume / Low Profit

2. Low Volume / High Profit

3. High Volume / Low Profit

4. High Volume / High Profit

5. Is bad because it means you probably won't survive (think a car maker on the road to ruin)

6. Is good if you want exclusivity (think a sports car maker) often associated with more features, better design and exclusive brands.

7. Is good if you want to go for the mass market but your often looked down as the cheap alternative ( think of a baked bean company).

8. If you can do this you've got it made.   Very few companies ever achieve this.

Hope that clears up any confusion about what I was saying about Daz.

Cheers  Mark

http://impworks.blogspot.com/

Quote - Prediction: This is the end of Bryce.

Reason: Too much overlap with Carrara and Carrara is a more modern and well rounded application.

No, Bryce will just get positioned as a low entry-level application. Note that Daz are currently offering Bryce 5 for about $20 (!).

Impish-  Thanks for clearing up the business model DAZ uses. Very right!

But- I also think DAZ has "deep pockets" from other investors we don't know about. Of course, there is also the likelyhood that the people who owned Eovia help "structure the deal" so that while a "buy-out"- it may also have been somewhat of a MERGER- that would have lessened the need for DAZ to come up with a lot of cash. This would mean the Eovia owner(s) joined DAZ in a non-hostle take-over--- which appears the case--- so they can take advantage of DAZ's obviously better marketing system and brand name.

I also don't think DAZ will eliminate Bryce. I think there will be a Bryce 6 and it will have a number of the newer features that Carrara has with clouds, terrains, etc. Bryce still has a very loyal and diehard user base... (and DAZ can still market into that. And also really cut into Vue's intro level base- like Vue Easel.)

I think Carrara will become the actual replacement for Poser!  DAZ Studio will still be the intro level program- but Carrara could morph into a "DAZ Carrara Studio" that will try to have EVERYTHING that Poser 6 now offers- and more. ---It's pretty closer already--- so I think this is where the real battle over finishing off Poser will go-- Poser Vs. DAZ Carrara...  (And I think DAZ will win...)

I think this signals an interestering stratification within the 3D market. Autodesk now owns 3d MAX and Maya. DAZ has the Studio / Carrara / Bryce thing happening. A Poser / Vue / Lightwave merger seems like  a remote possibility, maybe even a necessity. It almost looks like 3D apps will become very standardized, with companies like Avid (Softimage) being the real iconoclasts because they are flying under the radar, so to speak.

as for lw/vue, you guys realize there´s alot more going on then partnership and alliances when you determine what application to release your plugin for first of all.

as far as i know the lw/vue bundle is still valid btw so aparently no sour grapes there, check out c3d for more information relating to the delays of the lw xStream plug and im sure you´ll find that real life can be quite simple and not always a behind the scene plot going on.

lw9 development is what caused the delay if you´re to lazy to visit c3d btw :)
Now i do not believe that e.on and newtek will merge @ the hips but it would be interesting if they did for sure :P

C3d is not I what I consider reliable guage, as they are separare from EON(more or less)....newtek.com etc would be a better gauge.C3d is a store NOT a crystal ball into the future.

Yep, we're just a store, we can't see into the future, but we are pretty quick with new announcements from E-on (as they own C3D) and we do have a few forums and the Xstream plugin is discussed there.

I would suggest that people should go there and judge our reliability for themselves.

Nick Attrell

Forum Manager

Cornucopia3D

When models are unencrypted like at other stores I will be glad to visit and give my support.  Untill that happens I will not support how the models are sold so can only be used in one version of vue at a download and can not be exported as models from other stores as Daz, Rdna and Renderosity. :)

  Also remind 3d people it is only for registered users of Vue that can visit or shop from the C3d store which is only vue models and textures to be used only in Vue.  I have not seen a notice this has changed anywhere.

 Daz, Rdna, and Renderosity will sell to anyone that has the dollars to buy without any questions asked.    I don't feel like a criminal when I can shop like that. :)

I would like to see E-on merge or get bought out and the copyprotection and encryption be done away with and run as other stores that sell 3d models.   Might be wishful thinking but hey who knows when it might come true...:)

I'm sure someone from Cornucopia can cofirm both of the following:

1. Anyone can register for C3D and buy there but a vue model won't be much use to you if you don't have a version of vue so why you'd want to buy from them if you don't have Vue I'm not sure.
2. Most models can be bought encrypted or unencrypted - you pay more for unencrypted but you can buy them that way

And who knows what a hypothetical company buying up Vue would do?  It might end up put it in a dusty corner and never fix anything or worse.

Cheers  Mark

http://impworks.blogspot.com/

As Mark says, you don't need to be a registered user to visit and use the forums, just register at the site - like here, RDNA, DAZ, oh and like at your site.

True, you need to have a registered copy of Vue before you can buy and use the content, but seeing as all users of Vue should have a registered copy, so that they can get the updates, I don't see how this is a problem. Unless you are suggesting this is a wrong thing and it's the right of warez users to get the same benefits as people who have spent their money?

C3D has has never suggested it was anything other than a Vue Content store, aiming at a specific market.

And as to the export issue, as that's really the crux of the whole encryption debate, E-on have stated their policy on that. I know that you and several other Vue users have taken offence at their position that and choose to piss on the C3D site at every opportunity because of it . But hey, that's your right and I ain't going to try and stop you.

I'm just suggesting that people should be allowed to make their own minds up.  

And to confirm Mark's second point - yes, most items are available in encypted and unencrypted versions, and brokered content may or may not be locked for export, at the brokers discretion.

Beat me to it, Nick...... ;)

nicely worded nick :)

Well- I am Pragmatic about all this- I still plan to buy Vue 6 Infinite when it comes out. Vue is still a great program and I'm not going to abandon it. I also think its technically better than Carrara...

However- If DAZ makes getting DAZ Carrara really cheap and easy- then I will most likely buy it too as a member of their Platinum Club. I bought Bryce 5 about a year or so ago when it was just $12.50 for PC members- how can you pass that up? (I use it to transfer Bryce models over to use in Vue.)

I also just bought Hexagon 2 for $1.99--how can anyone pass up that deal? (And I don't even do any modeling-  but I'm sure I can find some use for it at THAT price...)

The party that will be MOST HURT in this DAZ deal is e-frontier! I am certain that DAZ will incorporate into DAZ Studio a LOT of Carrara elements- and also position DAZ Carrara DIRECTLY AGAINST Poser- making very attractive "Cross-Grade" offers to win over the middle part of the Poser user base who is looking for a good Poser-like program to render their DAZ stuff in...