I'm confused! (Anime studio 6)

Manu · Post by **Manu** » Tue May 26, 2009 8:40 pm

So... any idea about the new features?

Post by **Víctor Paredes** » Tue May 26, 2009 9:16 pm

thank you vern!
can you tell us what you saw? any new feature? have you a picture for the people on this hemisphere?

heyvern · Post by **heyvern** » Tue May 26, 2009 9:27 pm

It was locked inside a plastic security box. I didn't see much... I was distracted by the attractive clerk who I think WAS flirting with me after all. I should go back...

-vern

synthsin75 · Post by **synthsin75** » Tue May 26, 2009 10:30 pm

Smith Micro sucks assssssssss!

I couldn't help it, I had to buy it.

I've just installed it, but WHOA!, this is big (even for just "Debut"). NLE features, a PDF user manual, FULL gradient control (don't know if it animated yet).

Some of the new features still don't seem to be documented though. I'll add more as I play.

synthsin75 · Post by **synthsin75** » Tue May 26, 2009 10:33 pm

AUDIO TRACKS ADDED AS LAYERS!!!!!!

Post by **Víctor Paredes** » Tue May 26, 2009 10:35 pm

synthsin75 wrote:Smith Micro sucks assssssssss!

I couldn't help it, I had to buy it.

I've just installed it, but WHOA!, this is big (even for just "Debut"). NLE features, a PDF user manual, FULL gradient control (don't know if it animated yet).

Screenshots screenshots!!!

Manu · Post by **Manu** » Tue May 26, 2009 10:43 pm

Is there a "What's new" section in the pdf? If so, could you copy and paste that?

synthsin75 · Post by **synthsin75** » Tue May 26, 2009 10:56 pm

What’s New: New Features in Anime
Studio 6
The following is not a comprehensive list of new features, but it covers most of
the major changes in version 5 that might be of interest to experienced Anime
Studio users. Most of the version 5 changes have been made in response to
users' requests, so hopefully you'll find more than a few things in this list to be
happy about.
User Interface
• more attractive
• multiple windows
• multiple viewport option
• customizable UI colors
• editing view improvements
• adjustable display quality options
• option for live display of layer masking and transparency effects
• timeline improvements
• channel cycling as a new interpolation type
• soundtrack waveform displays in timeline
• cycling and actions are visible in the timeline
• channels can be selectively shown/hidden
• layer visibility is readily apparent in the timeline
Scripting
• all the tools in Anime Studio are now written in the Lua scripting
language
• you can write your own tools if you wish
• the scripting menu contains "plugins" that are also written in Lua
• scripts can access audio data to create animation based on sound
Tool Improvements
• new tools: magnet, bone strength, arrow, hide edges, bending,...
• hide edge tool - allows you to easily create a partial outline around a fill
• auto-welding for certain tools
• select shape tool can pick shapes below the top one
• ability to create complex shapes without making a separate fill and
outline - in fact, the fill and outline tools have been combined into one
Improved SWF Export
• better line quality, smaller files, optimizations to reduce file size
• image layers can be exported, as long as they're PNG or JPEG, and don't
have "complex" movements
• gradient fill effect can be exported
• variable-width lines can be exported
• soundtrack can be exported if it's in MP3 format
New Layer Types
• note layers ("sticky notes")
• 3D layers
• import 3D OBJ files, or use scripts to create new 3D objects
• toon-rendered edges
• texture maps are supported
• can be warped using bone layers
Actions
• create animation clips for a character, and re-use them as much as you
want
• walk cycles, facial expressions, spoken dialog, etc.
Styles
• create styles that can be applied to multiple shapes
• just change the style to change the color/line width/brush/etc. of all the
affected shapes
Bone Improvements
• adjustable regions of bone influence
• bone dynamics - automatic rubbery bone movement
• switch layers are now a sub-type of bone layers
• new techniques for bone binding - bone setup is now much quicker and
easier
Rendering Improvements
• ability to apply brush strokes to shape outlines
• improved layer masking - more powerful and flexible
• NTSC color-safe rendering option
• layer blending modes
• improved AVI import and export (Windows)
• red/blue stereo rendering option
• maximum blur radius has been increased (this affects blur, shadows,
shading, soft edge effect, etc.) plus, the blur algorithm is really fast now,
so feel free to use blurs of up to 256 pixels

Manu · Post by **Manu** » Tue May 26, 2009 11:06 pm

Cool. Although the new features list is for version 5, not 6. I wonder what the sequencer is for.

synthsin75 · Post by **synthsin75** » Tue May 26, 2009 11:13 pm

Since audio tracks are now layers, the sequencer allows you to move them (and any other layer) along the timeline to anywhere you want.

If you want to do the auto lip-sync you have to select an already imported audio layer.

It doesn't look like that or a mysterious "Blend poses..." menu entry are documented at all.

Post by **Víctor Paredes** » Tue May 26, 2009 11:22 pm

Thank you synth, this is very exciting. Please keep us, the people who lives away wal mart, informed.

With the sequencer you can move any layer in time? even bone layers with lots of animation? can you explain a little more this feature? thanks

bRiMaTiOn · Post by **bRiMaTiOn** » Tue May 26, 2009 11:29 pm

Hey guys!
Whew, glad that worked out. Thanks for the verification Vern. You guys aren't mad it's not a pro version right? I don't know. What's everyone think?

edit: right, I guess I'll kinda sit out and watch the discussion from here on out. That interface is like I said it was but I kind of like how the default had a bunch of floating windows. It made it seem super easy customizable. Cheap looking too!

But yeah I liked it that way. Also I still wish bones became super easy too. I love everything else though. Possibly easier frame by frame. That's all the opinions... unless a head turn becomes amazingly easier.

Show the box!!!

Post by **Víctor Paredes** » Tue May 26, 2009 11:34 pm

bRiMaTiOn wrote:Whew, glad that worked out. Thanks for the verification Vern. You guys aren't mad it's not a pro version right? I don't know. What's everyone think?

It's not pro, look at the camera and space tools, there are no 3d tools at all. There is not particle tool and scripts menu neither.
Thank you for your info, brimation, if you wouldn't post here maybe there would be weeks with no info here.

sorry Synth, I have so many questions
Is that a new text tool? works like the previous or is modified?
thanks

aleXean · Post by **aleXean** » Wed May 27, 2009 12:27 am

God ****** I just learned ASP 5. What are the differences? Should I buy it? Is it that big a deal?

synthsin75 · Post by **synthsin75** » Wed May 27, 2009 1:06 am

Okay, here's what I've learned so far.

All windows are undockable, but it looks like you have to undock to close one entirely. The windows hiding shortcuts now toggle docking.

The sequencer allows for the coveted easy way to shift keyframes. If you shift a bone layer, it drags along all of its sublayers. You can now select multiple layers in the layer window, for animating layer order by moving many layers at once and moving however you want on frame zero.

There's a frame zero lock for drawing tools in the preferences.

Two audio layers are allowed (hopefully more in Pro). Still, the sequencer allows you to move the audio tracks to where you want them to start.

Three video tracking targets, but I don't know what they can be used for yet. There's a grayed-out "track bone to video" bone menu entry, so I'm guessing mo-cap in Pro. The tracking seems to work pretty well.

Layer effect- auto shading radius. Like layer shading, but radial.

Gradients- linear, radial, reflected, angle. All using a slider to set how quickly each color (still only two) fades.

No change to the insert text.

OMG! I had to look at the tool script to figure it out, but the new scatter brush tool uses any copied vector shapes as a brush! Well the status bar says "Click and drag to create semi-random symbols".

Draw shape tool just combines square, oval, star, triangle, arrow, spiral into one tool.

Open recent in the file menu. Looks like the last four.

Mute button for sound, and keyframed audio level.

Timeline channels only show up if you've set a key on them. Preference to consolidate channels, so all can be moved as one within the layer.

I'll let you know if I find other goodies.