Bad install experience

Hi,
I just recently installed the latest available free version and the install procedure was disappointing.

1. I didn't find any option to select a custom location although previous versions had it. I know because I always (try to) install applications to custom location - I have my own directory structure and there's a place for every kind of applications in it. My computer, my rules. I simply do not use any application that unable to provide this very, very basic customization for its users.
So please bring back the option to install to custom location.

2. The install removed the previous version. Why? I don't think there's an adjustable answer to that so please don't do that by default instead let the user decide what to do with previous installs.

Thanks in advance,
M

You need to Click Advanced on the second page of the wizard.
Please see the image attached.

You need to Click Advanced on the second page of the wizard.
Please see the image attached.

Nope.

http://www.steakunderwater.com/wesuckle ... 2829#p2829

That's actually sad Edit: unexpected.

Hey Rony, how can this behavior of the "installer" be justified in production?
Is there anything new that requires Fusion to live as singleton installation? What is it? Wouldn't it be better to finally split the default profiles and Fusion Registry Entry instead based on the major Version?
All other VFX packages can't be wrong (Maya, Houdini, ...)

I do understand that it is easier to support an application that has the same version throughout all customers, but enforcing it is the wrong approach, especially since we are dealing with professional software and not mobile apps.

As a customer I can live with "you need to update to the latest greatest to be able to take advantage of a new feature or even bugfix". But I can not live with changing a app during production that possibly breaks the show, or not being able to open older projects because the installer killed the old app. This may be ok to change versions on a machine. Now think of a cluster of workstations in a studio or a renderfarm ...


Short answer to the initial question is: Rename your initial Fusion folder before running the installer. This will not take care of anything like Links, Registry Entries etc.

Long answer:
The install logs reveal that it actually looks inside the usual internal installer database for the product code and former install location and then removes the old version in a custom Action which for whatever reason is called: InstallFinalize. So there is no way to prevent this with the usual uninstall entry in the registry.
There are ways to manipulate the installer in a way to skip this action, but it would probably be against the EULA so I do not recommend this over the renaming.

Instead please make voice to at least have an option to not uninstall former versions.

I agree. This can't be good practice.
No changelogs, and deleting old versions as you go is just not good at all for any type of studio work. 1 or two man shop maybe (but not recommended)...but not when your dealing with a bigger studio, with render farms, etc...

Completely agree.

When I install a new version even to a different directory, it removes all the old versions. This is unacceptable to me in a professional environment.

Hope this issue gets resolved soon.

Stephanein