Anime Studio 8 Questions and Answers

[Diana Kennedy]

I just noticed in ASP8 that the the Z-depth of layers does not behave as in the previous versions: Layer A that is under another layer, (layer B) in the layer list and deeper in Z-depth than Layer B will still display in front of layer B...
Why? Did I miss a new feature that I have to turn offf or on in order to have the layers sorted correctly?

[mkelley]

Please tell me this isn't so -- in version 8 the timeline now retains focus when you move the arrow. This means you need to first click back into the main window before it will respond to movement on any layer (bone, vector, switch).

Mike, I'm at home right now and only have access to a Mac, where it seems to work fine. I'll have to check on Windows in the morning back in the office, but right now no changes to keyboard events come to mind.

Are you running version 7 and 8 on the same computer and you see this difference? What version of Windows?

Windows 7, and yes I'm running all three version (6, 7 and on the same computer and see the difference (6 and 7 behave as expected and needed, 8 has the undocked pallet having focus even when on the main window without another click).

If I move all the undocked pallets to the *same* monitor it works fine -- it's only when the main window is on one monitor and a pallet on the other that this undesirable behavior occurs (and, of course, this is exactly how any animator would use dual monitors).

[Rai López]

Is there any way to get rid of the "Character Wizard" button that now exists in the toolbar?

Unfortunately, the loss of this real estate now invalidates every single one of my scripts...

Well, I'd lie if I'd say it didn't immediately upset to me too, you know, I'm eager for every pixel of that (OUR! ) toolbar ...BUT! Fortunately it was possible to make work the old "strings" workaround in ASP8 too, so...




...problem minimized . If you are interested, you can download and copy the String.EN.txt file inside the "C:\Program Files\Smith Micro\Anime Studio Pro 8\Resources\Strings" folder, that should be all... but please! Don't overwrite any existing file there; if that is the case (that I'd bet not, but I'm not totally sure right now) you should open your existing "String.EN.txt" file instead and replace or modify ONLY the concerning lines, i.e., like follows:

Code: Select all

/Windows/MainLayer/CharacterWizard=CW
/Windows/MainLayer/Library=L

Anyway, I'd bet for another location for such a buttons if possible, something like this:




To avoid they interfere with user scripts, but being equally accessible and visible... Hmmm, really, now that I have the "fakes", I think I'll make the corresponding FR and maintain my fingers crossed .


Greetings! And hope it helps...
Ramón López.


PD: BTW, happy to see so much activity here! I'm sad for the Sarina's departure, of course ...but, definitely, that "Tori" thing seems to me like the perfect ASP 8 extra hidden feature

EDIT: To uddhava (bellow). Sorry, not the best place to talk about that... I'll PM you the link of the original post. Thanks tho!

[uddhava]

Hi,

For Mike,
can I set ASP 8 to open the last file I worked on when I start it up?

And Ramon,

Is there any way to get rid of the "Character Wizard" button that now exists in the toolbar?

Unfortunately, the loss of this real estate now invalidates every single one of my scripts...

Well, I'd lie if I'd say it didn't immediately upset to me too, you know, I'm eager for every pixel of that (OUR! ) toolbar ...BUT! Fortunately it was possible to make work the old "strings" workaround in ASP8 too, so...




Greetings! And hope it helps...
Ramón López.

Interesting looking tool bar. I am using your Lost layer tool, but this looks different. What is it, if you don't mind saying, and is it available for public downloading?

udd

[Lost Marble]

can I set ASP 8 to open the last file I worked on when I start it up?

Kind of. In the preferences dialog you can specify the startup file. You can choose a blank document, or you can choose any files on your disk. If you plan to be working on one file for a long time, this could be useful.

Of course, the other quick way to do this is to just select the top entry in the "Open Recent" menu.

[Lost Marble]

I just noticed in ASP8 that the the Z-depth of layers does not behave as in the previous versions: Layer A that is under another layer, (layer B) in the layer list and deeper in Z-depth than Layer B will still display in front of layer B...
Why? Did I miss a new feature that I have to turn offf or on in order to have the layers sorted correctly?

I'm not sure of your exact layer setup, so I'm not sure yet how to answer this. I'm sending you an email to get more information.

[mkelley]

...problem minimized . If you are interested, you can download and copy the String.EN.txt file inside the "C:\Program Files\Smith Micro\Anime Studio Pro 8\Resources\Strings" folder, that should be all... but please! Don't overwrite any existing file there; if that is the case (that I'd bet not, but I'm not totally sure right now) you should open your existing "String.EN.txt" file instead and replace or modify ONLY the concerning lines, i.e., like follows:

Code: Select all

/Windows/MainLayer/CharacterWizard=CW
/Windows/MainLayer/Library=L

Greetings! And hope it helps...
Ramón López.

Thanks, Ramon -- that would be a decent workaround (assuming it works) but since I'm not hearing anything about my far more pressing problem of multiple monitors not working in my setup with AS, it may be moot.

[mkelley]

Mike,

I discovered the exact culprit, although I still don't have a fix for it. When you have the Library window undocked and open that's when the bad multiple monitor behavior occurs. Without that window open, all is well.

Since I always have it open this is unacceptable (this happens whether you use the old or new library style).

[Víctor Paredes]

Thanks, Ramon -- that would be a decent workaround (assuming it works).

It works perfect here. Thank you very much, Ramón, you are very clever.

[Lost Marble]

I discovered the exact culprit, although I still don't have a fix for it. When you have the Library window undocked and open that's when the bad multiple monitor behavior occurs. Without that window open, all is well.

This is strange. We've been trying different configurations here this morning and can't reproduce this bug. Here's what I've got:

I have a Windows 7 system with Anime Studio Pro 8 installed. I put the main Anime window on the main monitor, and the timeline and library windows on a second monitor. I click around in the timeline with my mouse for a while, then I use the left and right arrow keys to change frame a bit. Finally, I use the up and down arrow keys and they work correctly to select different bones in the hierarchy of a character I have open. The up and down arrow keys work just fine on this computer. I've tried it with different combinations of NumLock and ScrollLock, and it all seems OK. There must be some other variable that we haven't figured out.

Mike, you're welcome to follow up with me by email, but I think what's going on is too subtle to work out right here.

-Mike

[ponysmasher]

I get the same thing if the library is open. I scrub the timeline and then when I'm going to move something in the main window I first have to click the window to make it active before I can make any changes. If I change frames with the arrow keys it works, it only happens after the mouse has been on the timeline.

EDIT: The program doesn't seem to like when you have two monitors and you go back and forth between palettes on one monitor and the main window on another (Win 7 64bit)

Some crashes:

• -A couple of times when I've had the timeline on monitor 2 and I go back and fort between it and the main window on monitor 1.
  -Once when clicking the new layer button (monitor 2) after having been clicking in the main window (monitor 1)
  -Once when selecting the translate layer tool (monitor 1) after selecting a layer (monitor 2)
  -Once when selecting a layer (monitor 2) after having been working in the main window (monitor 1)

[mkelley]

I discovered the exact culprit, although I still don't have a fix for it. When you have the Library window undocked and open that's when the bad multiple monitor behavior occurs. Without that window open, all is well.

This is strange. We've been trying different configurations here this morning and can't reproduce this bug. Here's what I've got:

I have a Windows 7 system with Anime Studio Pro 8 installed. I put the main Anime window on the main monitor, and the timeline and library windows on a second monitor. I click around in the timeline with my mouse for a while, then I use the left and right arrow keys to change frame a bit. Finally, I use the up and down arrow keys and they work correctly to select different bones in the hierarchy of a character I have open. The up and down arrow keys work just fine on this computer. I've tried it with different combinations of NumLock and ScrollLock, and it all seems OK. There must be some other variable that we haven't figured out.

Mike, you're welcome to follow up with me by email, but I think what's going on is too subtle to work out right here.

-Mike

Mike,

Maybe your workflow isn't quite right -- try this;

with the mouse click on the timeline and move to frame x. Take the mouse, move over to the main window and animate something (with a T move a vector, with an R in a bone window rotate a bone, whatever). Now, not pressing anything on the keyboard, move the timeline to another frame with the mouse and then move the mouse back to the main window and attempt to animate.

You shouldn't be able to do so without first clicking again in that window. IOW, without the library window unopened the main window still has focus and you can move the timeline with the mouse and go back and forth without problems, but as soon as the library window is undocked you will have to click again with the mouse in the main window any time you move the timeline with the mouse.

If you can't duplicate this let me know and we can email (but I have at least two testers not including me on this end that can reproduce this).

[Patmals]

I can't seem to find an old "strings.en" in my folder.... Only FR and DE
I want to find the shortcut to the "simplify curve" which i am finding most useful now when using the freehand tool....;(

Has this been changed ?

[Víctor Paredes]

I can't seem to find an old "strings.en" in my folder.... Only FR and DE
I want to find the shortcut to the "simplify curve" which i am finding most useful now when using the freehand tool....;(

Has this been changed ?

Simplify curve is a script, so it's not listed on the strings, so you can't add a shortcut that way. However, you can copy the script and install it as a button. This way you could add a keyboard shortcut to it.


In the same aspect, Mike. Now with the new way tools are hidden from the tool palette when are not needed, is it possible to have tools which never be showed, but still having the shortcut?
Maybe a little code to add in the script we could want to hidde?

[Lost Marble]

Maybe your workflow isn't quite right -- try this...

Ah, OK, now I see it. I'm seeing it on a single monitor setup as well. I see that it's definitely tied to the library window being open. I'm going to send you an email in a couple minutes with some more info.