the team is looking forward to talking more to the Pro users
This is really good news since I'm one of them, and I have the feeling that I've found some limits of AS during my work.
1. Rendering time: in a recent project I had up to 100 images layers, all scaled smaller because I needed to zoom in a lot. AS did its best, but rendering times were awfully long. It showed that there was no intelligent preparation before rendering, i.e. frames without changes took as long as frames with changes.
Wishes:
- use all cores in rendering
- find some way of "pre-composition" (like in AF)
- avoid slow-down when using hundreds of images
OTOH it is amazing what this little piece of software is able to do: juggle with dozens of Quicktime files in HD, plus images, and render all of it maybe slow, but reliable, without crashing!
2. Interface issues: for me it's all about speed of usage. Most of my time in a project I seem to waste with just selecting the object I want to manipulate: that is, searching for it in an endless list of layers, or stepping through layer tabs again and again. Any additional click is a nightmare for me. That's why I repeat my mantra since v6:
- put the default interpolation right into the top of the timeline
- allow multiple layer editing in one go
- find a way to select layers by clicking right into the project window
- allow "click and drag" select of layers
- accept both "." and "," as decimal point in numbers (be more international!)
- find a way to make selection of keys easier in reduced timeline view (I have a concept for doing so which I sold a client for a Flash application)
- allow to select "this key and all following" in timeline (like Finalcut)
- the many options behind the layer tab need to be more accessible
- some options only create a key with a value different from the default (like opacity). Make "opacity" a button which, when clicked, creates a key with the default / recent value. This would not only save time but be also more intuitive.
Some would argue that these are all minor issues, but anyone who ever worked on more complex projects will know what I mean: that any unnecessary step multiplies by thousands in the long run.
3. Bugfixing. Seriously. Any bug which survives a whole version is an insult.
(AS has relatively few bugs, compared with other stuff I use. And it's damn stable.)
4. Referencing / Teamwork abilities: This is where expensive studio packages score, and it's the main reason to buy/not buy AS for a professional studio. I'm nearly always work alone, but even I would appreciate any improvements in organizing bigger projects.
This is a feature which would only benefit heavy users like me, but be of little interest for amateurs and beginners. And I'm not really convinced if this should be included into AS at all - because AS isn't my only animation software, and other programs lack that feature as well. If there were an asset library / version control system outside which only needed an interface to AS (and other software), that would be my preferred way to go. Ah, dreaming ...
5. Character wizard: I haven't seen it in action (need to wait for a new computer before I could upgrade), and Mike's explanation as to why it can't accept our own rigs is reasonable. But maybe it could be possible to create a "create rig for character wizard wizard" for the real hardcore pro user? Again this could be something which convinces a studio to use AS. I just imagine being able to re-use good skeletons with new images in a minute, creating jib-jab style political commentary just in a day ...
6. Drawing tools: Contrary to some others I quite like them. Having round outline ends now is a dream come true. The only thing I'd like to improve would be custom brushes: right now they distribute the same number of brush copies between two points, regardless of distance. If this could be made adjustable (from "like now" to "always equal distance x"), it would be great.
This is my point of view. It's mostly about speeding up workflow, not introducing new features (which of course is always nice). And I think that some issues from my list would totally justify the full 129$ for an upgrade. Hell, maybe points 4 and 5 would even justify paying for an additional package. (Don't beat me up, boys!)
Tori/Mike: feel free to contact me for more details, or example video files.
Unfortunately, I don't know the time line for that, so to be safe, if you're really unhappy with your purchase, make sure to return it within 30 days. I don't want anyone with a product they don't need or want. (Also a quick note to say that while we try and make a compelling reason to upgrade every time, I understand that sometimes, especially as a hobbyist, you're happy creating with the tools you have, and I can't be sad about that and am still very happy to have those people in the community.)
