I've spent a lot of hours working on my first animation project in Moho. It has been so time-consuming and experimental because the documentation is poor, even as it is extensive.
I was a commercial product software developer for 20 years. I've been a technical and science writer for 40 years. My complaint is not idle or unknowing. You guys just don't know how to write software manuals.
I'd have all kinds of suggestions for improvement, if Moho developers were interested. First and foremost, there ought to be step-by-step instructions for features. (Yes, I've read the tutorial manual and gone through the examples.)
As it is, I'm considering using different software because Moho is so damned hard to figure out.
poor documentation
Moderators: Víctor Paredes, Belgarath, slowtiger
Re: poor documentation
Hi,
Welcome to Moho!
As a fairly longtime Moho user, I agree, the manual/tutorials can use an overhaul. The current documentation encompass workflows dating back to very early versions of Moho and, while the info is still relevant they don't necessarily reflect currently preferred workflows. This was the case even when I started working with Moho about 7 years ago and created my first 2D short with the program.
That said, the docs are still worth going through...they introduce you to basic concepts and you'll at least know what tools are available in the program. To really learn it requires actually using it in a project or multiple projects. For me, my first animated short with Moho (called ASP at the time) was 'Scareplane'. This project was storyboarded with a limited selection of tools in mind. My second Moho animation project, the 'Hearts Like Fists' title animation, was designed with another set of tools to try out. (As a bonus, this one was an actual job...although that certainly added a lot of pressure to get the project done in a timely manner.)
In addition to having focused 'test' projects, what really got things rolling for me was having this forum and the helpful users here as an extended resource. If you've done your homework and have the basics down (more or less,) this place is great for getting ideas and answers to questions that the official documentation doesn't cover.
Hope this info helps.
Tip for all new Moho users: if you run into a problem and have questions, please post screen caps or example projects along with detailed descriptions and steps so everybody here has a clear sense of problem. Vague text descriptions with no images aren't very helpful and can only lead to a long list of guesses, or even worse an immediate pass on the question. I'm not singling any users or specific posts, this is just something that comes up all the time.
Welcome to Moho!
As a fairly longtime Moho user, I agree, the manual/tutorials can use an overhaul. The current documentation encompass workflows dating back to very early versions of Moho and, while the info is still relevant they don't necessarily reflect currently preferred workflows. This was the case even when I started working with Moho about 7 years ago and created my first 2D short with the program.
That said, the docs are still worth going through...they introduce you to basic concepts and you'll at least know what tools are available in the program. To really learn it requires actually using it in a project or multiple projects. For me, my first animated short with Moho (called ASP at the time) was 'Scareplane'. This project was storyboarded with a limited selection of tools in mind. My second Moho animation project, the 'Hearts Like Fists' title animation, was designed with another set of tools to try out. (As a bonus, this one was an actual job...although that certainly added a lot of pressure to get the project done in a timely manner.)
In addition to having focused 'test' projects, what really got things rolling for me was having this forum and the helpful users here as an extended resource. If you've done your homework and have the basics down (more or less,) this place is great for getting ideas and answers to questions that the official documentation doesn't cover.
Hope this info helps.
Tip for all new Moho users: if you run into a problem and have questions, please post screen caps or example projects along with detailed descriptions and steps so everybody here has a clear sense of problem. Vague text descriptions with no images aren't very helpful and can only lead to a long list of guesses, or even worse an immediate pass on the question. I'm not singling any users or specific posts, this is just something that comes up all the time.
D.R. Greenlaw
Artist/Partner - Little Green Dog | Little Green Dog Channel on Vimeo | Greenlaw's Demo Reel 2020 Edtion
Artist/Partner - Little Green Dog | Little Green Dog Channel on Vimeo | Greenlaw's Demo Reel 2020 Edtion