One of my favourite modelling software, release 2.3 is a bugfix release and also introducing a linux version of the software.
Big news today: Silo 2.3 is out and ready for you at http://nevercenter.com/silo. Biggest news in the update? Silo on Linux. Free update for all v2.x license holders.
Note: This update focuses mostly on Silo for Linux (our most-requested update), plus small bug fixes and internal optimizations that should benefit all users. We’ve also added .stl import and an updated windowing system. Much of this update is internal code optimization to pave the way for future updates. (So even though we’ve added support for a whole new operating system, we’ve kept the version increase small–just 2.2 to 2.3.)
Bizarre. They were burnt out and tired before. Went away and played with their earnings. Toyed with camera bag. Now they’re bored and itching to do something different again and “Heh,… Silo looks shiny again. Lets dust it off. Might be worthwhile.”
I’d go back to using Silo again, if … they could lever around heavy polygon meshes comfortably. I left Silo for Blender when I found Blender had shifted the UI and work window and it was more intuitive. And on occasions, I still use Silo to clean up a troublesome mesh that wont import or export properly.
Hehe, wonder if they dare reopen their Silo forum now Seriously though, Silo was a top notch modeller back in the day and then suddenly Nevercenter just stopped updating it, in spite of bugs that would constantly crash the app for inexplicable reasons. Do hope they are serious about updates this time around, competition can never be bad.
SIlo was/is nice and good news on a linux version, though IIRC it did work very well under wine…
I doubt I’d ever go back now, but there is something very nice about a small dedicated modelling package without all the clutter of everything else.
UV handling and poor sculpt performance were the big problems, as well as complications and chunkiness when not working on a single asset at a time and trying to do a scene instead…
Wow! I would have been less surprised if someone told me they finally went out of business… a new release! To good to be true. (What’s next… will PMG acctually release a new version of Messiah? Be still my lil heart!)
Silo remains my all time favorite App.
If I were just doing polygon modelling, it is still the thing I reach for… I can do that faster in Silo – still to this day – than any application. It is so elegant. The UI never gets in your way… If this actually led to some more updates, it would be very good news indeed!
MarkJoe160, Holy moly! You got me to shift to Blender as an alternative from Silo. Hardly ever looked back. However, Silo does have tight, locked on orbiting when you’re working on a mesh.
Be interesting to see what improvements have been made.
Is he not working at Solid Angle anymore or is this more of a side job?
Good news for Silo users then, but Nevercenter will still need to work to regain users’ trust and ensure that they won’t abruptly stop development again a year or two from now.
I still find it hard to believe actually. A while ago it seemed that development was completely dead and now a Linux version pops out of the blue
I do hope that they will iron out the bugs over the next few releases though and that they actually continue updating the software. It is incredible that they are back to updating Silo but to be honest they have much work to do if they want to stay in the loop.
They actually did that a while ago. Though I must say that their support is absolutely terrible. I bought the upgrade over a month ago and I still haven’t received my license yet…
Whaaaaaaat?!
That was a sweet app. Considering when the last update came out (before this one), and hardly anything could stand up to it.
Been using blender more as of late for poly modeling, but depending on the task I still reach for Silo. Just so damn ergonomic. Off to try the update!
Well, it’s not like I am suggesting deleting Blender off of your hard drive now or anything… Blender’s UI changes did a lot to make Silo less critical. And I have actually found that little 3D Cursor VERY useful more than once… But there is still something about the way you can work with Silo, isn’t there?
I hope this is the first of many updates… I kind of doubt it tho. Nevercenter burned my trust years ago. I can’t imagine me going back now.
Yep. A clean work window, and very responsive tracking, and zooming. I rarely have problems in Silo with the work window constantly switching from othographic to user perspective view. That happens in Blender 2.70 every time I shift from camera view.
Also, I liked when using proportional editing, the verts indicating the range of influence with corresponding colors. Red fading away to orange and yellow. THAT … was great. I know there is Blender development on a similar adaptation but haven’t seen it yet.
Agreed. I used to hate modelling with other packages(Blender, Max, Maya etc) but Silo made it a pleasure. With Silo I stopped fighting my tools and gave more time to learning the modelling process.
Saying that, I do wish Silo had a right-click cancel like Blender and Max have. Even for an excellent package like Silo, it can always take a leaf out of another package’s book…
Seriously though, Silo was a top notch modeller back in the day and then suddenly Nevercenter just stopped updating it, in spite of bugs that would constantly crash the app for inexplicable reasons. Do hope they are serious about updates this time around, competition can never be bad.