Hi All,
I am currently totally inexperienced with Vue.  However, I do have experience with several other 3D software packages (I do 3D CAD modeling and design for my "day job"). After researching several software packages, I'm most seriously interested in asking for Vue Esprit for Christmas.  I suspect that I will be able to have incredible amounts  with it!

According to e-onsoftware's site, Vue 6 Esprit is currently the most recent version available at the moment BUT they also state that Vue 7 Esprit will be available in early December, 2008.

My question is:
Is anyone here familiar with whether or not e-onsoftware is likely to offer a free (or near free) upgrade if I have my family order Vue 6 Esprit, and then Vue 7 Esprit is released soon after it is ordered?  Or does anyone know an official release date for  the new version (other than "early December 2008")?

Sorry if this has been asked before but I'm totally unfamiliar with this company, and I'm apparently having a "want to start playing now" problem.

Thanks for any advice that can be given.

Attached Link: http://www.e-onsoftware.com/about/newsletter/

Thanks a lot for your quick response!  I'll check out the link.

If you want to know more, maybe you can contact a salesrep, under "Customer Care->Contact a sales rep".

I know well that syndrome of "want to start playing now"... ;-)

You will enjoy Vue Esprit, but you may want to consider Pro Studio where you can Edit the lighting, the foliage and trees and create your own Ecosystems. It is well worth the extra you pay for it I assure you!!!

There will also be a limited Full edition called Vue 7 Complete for us 3D artists that has a bit more than Pro Studio but just short of Infinite, and should be about a $200 upgrade over Pro. 

Quote - There will also be a limited Full edition called Vue 7 Complete for us 3D artists that has a bit more than Pro Studio but just short of Infinite, and should be about a $200 upgrade over Pro. 

The upgrade path to Vue 7 Complete – Download – Vue 6 Pro Studio Sidegrade is $329 with No Discount as they did for 7 Infinite and X Stream. That's ridiculous. 

...and for those who got Vue 6 Esprit, the upgrade for that is $99, so while I play with the Pioneer and see what it is and I like what I see, I may jump to 7 Esprit unto Pro...

I further read that those who purchase Esprit 6 and Pro Studio after November 15, 2008 would get version 7 for free.

Been quite weary over the wonky V6 Esprit, so --

JB

 AFAICT, Esprit and Pro are just Pioneer with the added modules. So, you can start with Pioneer and upgrade yourself all the way past Pro to Complete if you like.

Chipp is correct Pro is Esprit with the five basic Modules integrated. 

There are some small tweaks under the hood for rendering and slightly more efficient memory handling but little else. 

Complete with the additional modules, 12 I believe in all, was going to be the do-all as I don’t need all of the bells and whistles of Infinite and don’t use Poser. But with no discount as Thelby indicates and with additional $50 shipping for boxed version makes it very expensive. 

I guess the Studios will cough-up the extra coins. I think they missed a good retail opportunity on this one. So if you want a stable package you will want Complete or Infinite, but the others are toys and have a great many problems. 

They don’t have much competition so they can go for it, but these economic times are hard on all.

Quote - There are some small tweaks under the hood for rendering and slightly more efficient memory handling but little else. 

Hmmm. Not sure we're talking about the same thing here. Pioneer is actually part of the Vue 7 family, with all  of the new features including a new radiosity renderer, completely new OpenGL implementation, ability to work with 3rd party plugins and much much more. I suggest you may wish to check out this page for Pioneer:
http://www.e-onsoftware.com/products/vue/vue_7_pioneer/?page=4

Everywhere you see the word "NEW!" in front of feature designates that feature as different from Vue 6. By my count, I find 302 different "NEW!'s". Hardly 'little else.'

Quote - Complete with the additional modules, 12 I believe in all, was going to be the do-all as I don’t need all of the bells and whistles of Infinite and don’t use Poser. But with no discount as Thelby indicates and with additional $50 shipping for boxed version makes it very expensive.

From e-on's own newsletter:
"Vue 6 users can upgrade their modules to the corresponding Vue 7 modules at a 50% discount."

Quote - I guess the Studios will cough-up the extra coins. I think they missed a good retail opportunity on this one. So if you want a stable package you will want Complete or Infinite, but the others are toys and have a great many problems. 

Let's see, by my count, the brand new Pioneer beta has been out less than 24 hours, and you're already saying it's a toy with a great many problems?

I'm pretty excited about how e-on has positioned this new line of products. Giving it away is certainly unprecedented for them, and it appears their module pricing is quite agressive. If you look at this page:
http://www.e-onsoftware.com/products/vue/vue_7_complete/?page=0
There, you can find out more about all the modules which can be added to Pioneer to upgrade it all the way to Complete.

Pro Studio 7 Chip, and it has very little to offer over the previous version, despite most of the reworked, sorry NEW.

 Hey Jan,

I really like your acrylic Kaleidoscopes. They're beautiful! Must be fun to create.

Re Vue7 Pro, there's a 'New features' page for it at:
[ http://www.e-onsoftware.com/products/vue/vue_7_pro_studio/?page=1

](http://www.e-onsoftware.com/products/vue/vue_7_pro_studio/?page=1)best,
Chipp

The Best Picture to compare is the side-by-side comparative chart
HERE
If you look closely enough you will see that many features although listed on the Vue7 Pro Studio
side are in fact features that you can only get with a Vue 7 Complete Module and Complete is what
I want, but it is way out of my price range currently. My only rant to all this is what happened to the
month long December sale they have had for a few years now? If they could run a little something off the top of Complete I might be able to squeeze it under the tree in time for the 25th.

Thanks Chip for the Link, unfortunately the link crashes IE. 

Thelby, I unfortunately agree, I am a Traditional Artist so this is not a must have and Complete would be the only sensible upgrade for me.  Pro 7 just does not have enough fire to put it on my Christmas List this year.  I will also pass up Car Pro 7 this year. 

The "piggy bank" is getting thin these days, my first priority is the granddaughter who has to have a new Blackberry.