It's going to be big, that's for sure. Unless we come across any critical bugs for R3.3.1, the next release will be R4. We can't commit to a release date just yet. Development is going swift and steady, but there's too many unknowns to give an indication. We're talking months rather than days or weeks here.
It's going to be the same overall interface as R3, so it's going to be familiar to work with. Big hitter features we are working on are clip sequencing and crazy projection mapping options.
Just a question: what model are you going to use regarding pricing and branching for R4 (vs R3)?
I mean: I just logged in 10 minutes ago, well decided to buy R3 after evaluation, but hoping for a few upcoming enhancements that have been long discussed around here, for instance:
- "Updating clip thumbnails to reflect trimmed clip start"
- "save the layout of the GUI inside Avenue"
- "Custom mapping curve for parameters"
- DXV quality enhancement
... this sort of things.
But I just read this post and had a look at the "Shop" page that says: "Free updates until version 4.0. (does not include 4.0)."
So, the question is: is it worth spending my money on R3 now? Would the R3 branch be terminated when R4 is out? Are you planning a "grace period" for free upgrade to R4 if R3 is bought now that you announced R4?
R3 will not be terminated once R4 is released. We won't be adding new features anymore (since those are all in R4), but just as with R2.41, we will continue offering support for it, maintaining compatibility with new operating systems or new hardware, and addressing critical bugs should they arise.
As to the question of whether or not to hold off buying software, that's a question only you can answer. Res4 is not going to be available as a public release until at least after the summer. So if you're looking for a new performance solution, and you have shows booked now, you should invest in the one that best suits your needs at the current moment. If you're dissatisfied with your old tools and are looking to replace them, you should do so. Any money you might save from holding it off can't possibly weigh up to having a bad working experience.
Of course we will have a discount for people upgrading from R3, and some sort of grace period (for instance, to this day people can get a R2.41 license for free with a R3 license if they want to). As to what the discounts will be, we don't have any clear view on the pricing of R4 itself yet, but when the time comes, you'll know about it.
I hope that explains the current state of things a bit.
