Request for top 10 Anime Studio Pro Version 6 Features

J. Baker · Post by **J. Baker** » Tue Feb 03, 2009 7:07 pm

I would like to add one more to my list...

Being able to change the colors of stereo rendering.

mkelley · Post by **mkelley** » Tue Feb 03, 2009 8:39 pm

Being able to directly embed references into actions.

You can work around this by adding your reference to the main timeline and then copying it into the action, but it would be useful not to have to resort to this trick (and adding a reference INTO an action is incredibly useful and powerful).

synthsin75 · Post by **synthsin75** » Tue Feb 03, 2009 11:18 pm

Nice request and workaround, Mike. I agree. Action references in other actions is useful.

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The more like afx anime studio becomes,...

Speaking as a hobbyist, I would be concerned about the AS UI becoming as cluttered and confusing as AAE. While it's great to hear AS being used professionally, I think more of its customers are still hobbyist/amateurs. I think the simplicity of the current UI should be saved if possible, but that's not to say that things couldn't be improved.

Also with more professional level support comes a professional level price tag. You'd very soon need a third and fourth version so as not to lose your amateur customers (whose pockets are usually much more shallow).

Just saying.

Rudiger · Post by **Rudiger** » Wed Feb 04, 2009 3:50 am

The Modax Jago, you say you love AS because "its simple, fast, and easy to learn/train". I agree, so why throw all that away because more people are used to the AfterEffects UI? If AS became more and more like AfterEffects it would just be becoming more and more obsolete. All Adobe would have to do is transfer the bones system from Flash CS4 and it's adios!

When suggesting new features for a product, I think it's more productive to keep the design philosophy of the original product in mind instead of just copying someone else's product.

heyvern · Post by **heyvern** » Wed Feb 04, 2009 8:05 am

I agree about the simple user interface in AS. I love it's simplicity. Why does a professional program have to be "complicated"? Is it to justify the cost? Whether a hobby or a profession, "simple" is always good.

... meanwhile I scheme to make the script interface even more "complex".

-vern

Patmals · Post by **Patmals** » Wed Feb 04, 2009 9:47 am

Did you guys get the email from Smith Micros regarding the Anime Studio survey?

I found mine in my Spam mail

It is dated the 3rd of February.

synthsin75 · Post by **synthsin75** » Wed Feb 04, 2009 1:36 pm

I got one through Content Paradise, Patmals. It seemed to be focused mostly on retaining new users.

banjar · Post by **banjar** » Wed Feb 04, 2009 8:57 pm

As much as I like Anime Studio, I have really, really, really been trying to use Toon Boom for one simple reason. Toon Boom imports such a variety of formats that AS doesn't even touch, that it seems to be a better choice. I have spent weeks and weeks and weeks learning Toon Boom but it just isn't a better animation software than Anime Studio. However, it imports Illustrator and Flash swf files giving vector editing to those files.

But all in all, Toon Boom just isn't a better animation software.

Those of you who say that getting used to the rather odd drawing tools in AS is worth the time, well, okay, you have convinced me that you are right simply because of your expertise and experience. But I have years and years worth of Flash drawings that I just cannot and will not put the time into re-drawing in AS. Being able to import Flash vector art into AS without having to re-draw everything, is a major concern of mine. So, I have decided to upgrade to Flash CS4 just to do better animations with the content that I have already created in Flash. The CS3 suite does all that I need and I really didn't want to spend any more money on Adobe software. But once you are on the software upgrade-merry-go-round there's no getting off, I suppose.

So, I am buying the Flash CS4 just so I can better animate my old stuff. And I am learning to create new content with the AS tools, so I can make better animations in my next projects.

What a disappointment! The bright, shiny Anime Studio software effusively floating like a wisp of pixie dust just outside of my grasp. But it just doesn't quite do what I need it to do to import my Flash content.

So, I want to edit my wish list a bit and put in the number one spot:
1. Flawless import of vector formats from Flash and Illustrator.
2. A more industry-standard drawing tools set in second.
3. More efficient Styles palette in third (too many mouse clicks in the present set-up).
4. And a Toon Titan color picker.

I don't need ten changes. Just those four would be very nice. Anime Studio is a great piece of software. Better than Toon Boom in many ways, but still in need of tweeking its potential.

synthsin75 · Post by **synthsin75** » Thu Feb 05, 2009 12:19 am

2. A more industry-standard drawing tools set in second.

Industry standard delivers what the rest of the industry already has. I assume there is a reason you're trying to get away from the other apps.

I, for one, would have a big problem if the AS drawing tools were altered dramatically. They are part of what sets AS above the fray. Now if MC wanted to add raster drawing tools to use on image layers, additions are never shunned.

Take the plunge man. Anything can be used in AS as an image, so I'd suggest handling to old stuff that way.

I totally agree with 3&4. If the next version hasn't helped that, I plan to script many of those settings into a tool option at the top of the workspace.

mkelley · Post by **mkelley** » Thu Feb 05, 2009 12:32 am

AS will never do "flawless imports" of Illustrator files for the simple reason that Illustrator files aren't optimized for animation and AS vectors are. That may be a big reason why you like animating in AS versus other programs. There's no getting around the fact that simplified vector images are the way to go when it comes to animating them. I don't know about Flash (don't care, either).

Like Wes, I rely upon the way AS tools work. If Mike wants to add some functionality so that users like yourself can also be happy that doesn't bother me as long as it's not at the expense of things we REALLY need (like maintaining joint volume, for example).

More than anything else, though, you really, really need to spend the time to learn the existing tools. For one thing, it will help you to define what tools you really want changed/added. You might, just might, find that you no longer want #2 if you spend the time doing this. I know after more than a decade with Illustrator I sure saw the light in this respect.

banjar · Post by **banjar** » Thu Feb 05, 2009 1:28 am

As I wrote in regard to the drawing tools: "you have convinced me that you are right simply because of your expertise and experience". So, okay, learning the AS drawing tools is not so difficult.

And I can see that the drawing tools were designed as they are so as to create the fewest possible points. (Let's see, when were they designed? 1842 AD, wasn't it, or sometime in the last century?)

But come on! Just a brush tool with pen tablet variability!!! You know, for a more hand-drawn look!? This is the 21st century. Why is that so impossibly complicated? Never mind telling me that a "hand-drawn look" can be achieved by tweeking the lines later. I don't have time for tweeking every pencil line to make it look like a brush or variable nibbed pen.

As for Illustrator and Flash vectors, cutting the graphics up in those programs. flattening them out and then importing them all flattened out as editable, one-layer vectors into AS, what's so impossible about that? Toon Boom can do this, but I am already spoiled rotten with Anime Studio's elegant animation methods. So, I will continue working in Flash while I improve my skills with ASPro and wait for the next upgrade.

And who needs layered Illustrator or Flash graphics in 2D anyway since the parts and pieces can all be put on their own layers in the ASPro application. Is that asking for too much? If so, then sorry for asking .... but you are supposed to humor little babies ... "Waah! Waah! gimme what I want. And I want it now. Waah!"

synthsin75 · Post by **synthsin75** » Thu Feb 05, 2009 1:50 am

Uh,...the freehand tool does have pressure sensitive variable line width.

I just don't quite see AS becoming the do-all post production software for all of its competitors. It just seem like you'd be better off asking Flash to export to AS, as it is the failings of Flash that makes you want to migrate to AS anyway.

Sorry to sound so harsh, but to those of us who love the AS drawing tools, it's just really hard to swallow some one who hasn't learned them griping. Just take all this as testimonials to the AS drawing tools. They are a large part of that 'elegant' AS animation.

Rudiger · Post by **Rudiger** » Thu Feb 05, 2009 2:03 am

I'm not sure what the exact problem with AnimeStudio's .ai importer is, as I stopped using the Illustrator the day I started using Moho. What I did notice is that I had to draw more points with AS's type of curves than I was used to with bezier ones. Perhaps all that is required is an option to insert intermediate points along the curve when importing, to better preserve the shape of traditional bezier curves.

mkelley · Post by **mkelley** » Thu Feb 05, 2009 3:26 am

AS imports Illustrator files correctly for the most part -- now, they do end up with exactly twice the points due to the way Mike interprets the curves, but they can be very accurate.

But some things don't import well or at all. AS won't do AI fills or other fancy tricks. I think Text needs to be converted before import, a few other things -- I don't remember well now (I used Illustrator for over a decade before I came to AS and my first few months were wasted trying to import a lot of AI files until I learned the drawing tools and realized I was being stupid).

For sure people need to look at what they are trying to import and be smart about it -- if they save to AI 8 format and convert things to text and don't do anything "fancy" they ought to be able to import most stuff without any problems. Fancier stuff wouldn't animate anyway (or at least not like you'd like it to -- for that you might as well convert to bitmap and animate that way).

banjar · Post by **banjar** » Thu Feb 05, 2009 4:37 am

AS trashes my Illustrator files. They come in looking like a pile of spagetti. And forget vector imports of Flash files.

I am bringing my Flash stuff into ASPro as PNG files for cut-out animation. Not the best choice, but it works pretty well and allows for color and shading in Photoshop. In fact, it looks pretty darned good. ASPro rocks!

Okay, I'm a stupid cry baby. But the squeaky wheel gets the grease, right? I'm not asking for bells and whistles, just some solid tools to do the job. Anyway, the thread asked for input and that's my input. "Waah! Waah! I want it now! Waah!"

Waah! Waah! Where's the next upgrade? I want it now. Waah!