I'm confused! (Anime studio 6)

[synthsin75]

I just have to say, I am very disappointed in Smith Micro. We all sort of made an excuse for them on the last update, since they'd only recently acquired AS. Now they have MC on the payroll and they still aren't smart enough to make use of this forum first.

They go make some deal with Wal-mart and leave us to once again find out about this some other way.

Why do we bother to register again? Aren't we suppose to be getting update notifications in some way better that "happen to see it in the DAMN retail store"?

I'm convinced that people here on this forum are the only real customer relations going on. I mean, who could botch things this bad on accident?

Okay, done ranting, back to exploring.

[dazza101]

I sent a quick note about upgrade availability and pricing to SM this afternoon and there was a response in a couple of hours!

The response was:

Hello,
Anime Studio Debut and Anime Studio Pro are available to purchase through our SMSI Customer Service , Consumer Division.
Anime Studio Debut $49.99
Anime Studio Pro $199.99

Upgrade pricing.:
Anime Studio Debut Debut version 5.6 to version 6 $29.99
Anime Studio Pro versin 5.6 to version 6 $149.99

We can process the order via telephone or fax during the following hours.:
Phone: 831-768-3615
Hours of Operation:
Monday through Friday 8am to 5pm (Pacific time)
Phone number 1 831 768 3615
Fax: 831-761-6206
Fax to ATTN: Customer Service
Include your question reference number which is email reference # 090526-000582 when telephoning or faxing to SMSI.
IF THIS IS AN UPGRADE PLEASE PROVIDE YOUR EXISTING VERSION SERIAL NUMBER
Full Name
Billing address
Phone number
Credit Card information (including expiration date)
American Express, MasterCard, or Visa can be processed.

An invoice copy can be emailed to you after the order has been processed.

Regards,
Customer Service , Consumer Division
Pacific Time Mondays through Fridays 8 to 5
direct: +1 831 768 3615 | fax: +1 831 761 6206
Smith Micro Software, Inc. | www.smithmicro.com

No mention of when it will be available for download or any other info about the new version. I have sent a follow-up request to them to try and get some more details about the features of AS Pro v6 ....

[synthsin75]

Exclude stroke check box for masking.

The Debut video tracking can be used to track a layer to the rotation and scaling between two tracking targets.

There's also buttons on the timeline window for audio level and to repeat the audio track from the current frame.

[slice11217]

Upgrade pricing.:
Anime Studio Debut Debut version 5.6 to version 6 $29.99
Anime Studio Pro versin 5.6 to version 6 $149.99

You know, I realize that we all answered a poll about how much we'd pay for an upgrade of Anime Studio, but I really think that this is ridiculous -only $50 less that buying it outright? Come on!

Gee, what a privilege to be part of the Smith Micro customer club! Do I feel special!

I mean, I the previous licensor of Anime Studio honored the claim of not having to pay for upgrades, now these clowns not only keep us out of the loop but force us to PAY to be out of the loop?

What a public relations nightmare....





I'll still buy it though.

[madrobot]

Exclude stroke check box for masking.

Might be too early for you to be able to answer, but

Does this mean that you can set a mask to use only the fills
of the masking layer? And ignore outlines?

edit: Hmm, that doesn't really fix that issue
When you mask for example the mouth shape to show
the inside of the mouth, and you have to put an outline
over the top for the lips/mouth outline (usually a meshinstance
of the mask shape the way I did it anyway in tests.)

The only way to skip the outline over the top would be
an elaborate mask option which took the fill minus
the outline. And I don't think AS will crawl that far up itself.

[synthsin75]

Yes Adrian, mask with only the fills.


Video tracking mo-cap can be done in Debut. You can only do one bone at a time, and apparently bone parenting is no good for mo-cap.

[synthsin75]

Actually with the much improved gradients, strokes make very nice lips. So the interior fill can add the teeth, tongue, and back, and the stroke for the lips doesn't add to the mask.

[madrobot]

Improved gradients sound promising. Might be able to get some decent shading happening more easily.

The new features info re: scripting sounds like it's from v5, tools were already LUA right? Is there any other script-related news? Opened up at all, or too soon to tell until we get our mitts on 6 Pro?

[Rudiger]

This is so totally exciting. Thanks so much, synthsin75, for buying the debut version and giving us this little taste of what's in store.

It seems bizarre that we were kept out of the loop on this yet again, especially since it seems that a lot of our suggested features have been implemented in the new version. It would have been a nice little thank you from SM to let us know when the update was coming. I'm sure Mike would have loved to tell us that he had finished the new version and what features he had implemented, but would obviously have been in breach of his contract if he had.

As for the pricing, I'm happy to pay the $150, since I bought Moho for $100 many years ago. However, I feel sorry for the poor bastards who bought ASPro less than a year ago. How ripped off would they feel! Hopefully, SM will set up some sort of voucher or rebate system to give them some sort of discount.

[synthsin75]

Holy cow!! You can used as many colors as you can fit in a gradient!!!!



It only had two of those little boxes, and then I accidentally clicked beside one and a third appeared.

[madrobot]

Thanks Wes for picking this up and letting us know what's news.

[synthsin75]

Hey, people need to know. Anyway, my bedtime....zzz...zzz...zzz

[bRiMaTiOn]

What does debut mean? As in for the software.

[madrobot]

I think it just means the "Lite" version
You know, like AS and AS Pro

[chucky]

weeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!


Why, SM? There's no Walmart in OZ, download pro version please.....
NOW?