Claytonious22

Yes, I've no doubt that I could dig just a little deeper and get access. I didn't claim it was prohibitively difficult to eventually get setup or that I couldn't do it; I'm objecting to the need to "get an autodesk id" in the first place and the entire culture that is wrapped around that need.

Yes. Have you tried the link?

Yes, I can't count the number of times I've watched indie game devs pretend to be students in order to get access to some Autodesk tools. Having to go through that charade compared with most much more open software (either truly open, or simply affordable so the charade isn't needed), is what I dislike.

I don't expect any company to be obligated to act as a charity or to offer its products for free. I also don't expect anything from Autodesk. I dislike their proprietary approach to things, which is fine because there are lots of other choices. For many, it's worth it. I'm just expressing my own distaste in their approach.

Attempting to register for access takes you to a form that requires you to have an "Autodesk ID" without any obvious way to obtain one - it does say that existing Gameware customers can get access. Thus continues the very trend that makes me dislike Autodesk: a highly corporate, private, limited-access, secretive suite of tools that are only available to a closed club of very high paying, deeply invested customers who are locked in to a pipeline comprised of only Autodesk tools. It just feels so proprietary and exclusionary. I still remember my parallel port dongle for 3D Studio Max back when I was locked into that tool set and the many times I had to fight to make it work to earn the privilege of using tools I had already paid thousands of dollars for.

Yuck.