I was at Fry's Electronics today and saw the boxed version of Anime Studio 5 (standard and Pro versions). I had hoped to order the boxed version from Content Paradise or E-Frontier but had to settle for the download version instead to get the crossgrade price.
However, after picking up the box and shaking it, I realized that I probably wasn't missing much as the box was very light and sounded like it only contained a CD in a jewel case with very little or no physical documentation.
Has anyone out there purchased the boxed version yet?
I am curious to know if it comes with a manual (not that I plan to rebuy it or anything).
Beg your pardon, but the documentation is far from excellent IMO. It's not bad, especially with the knowledge that it was written by the developer himself. But it hasn't been updated even where the description don't fit the actual version any more, and lots of stuff is left out - that's the stuff you'll only find here in the forum.
j0llyr0ger wrote:I am just guessing, but I would say no considering the excellent HTML documentation that comes with AS Pro which is the same that came with Moho.
My advice is go through all the tutorials. They are basic, but they cover just about every aspect of the program.
I'm not discounting the html documentation. It is pretty good.
I just prefer a printed manual. It makes it easier to read and work at the same time.
I like to hold a book in hand while working with a program versus having to switch back and forth from online documentation and the program.
I believe hardly any boxed program comes with fully printed documentation nowadays. It seems to be a way to cut costs for the manufacturers (or "optimize" profit if you view it from another perspective).
Well, i also prefer printed manuals, so what i did is print all the HTML docs (almost all) & bound them in two separate 'books': one for the Tutorials and the other for the Using Anime Studio Pro part.
Of course, it would also be easier if you could only print a single PDF instead of going through all the links.
Printed documentation is not very popular now, but usually software companies offer free PDF downloads and sometimes, printed documentation for extra cost.
Rasheed wrote:I believe hardly any boxed program comes with fully printed documentation nowadays. It seems to be a way to cut costs for the manufacturers (or "optimize" profit if you view it from another perspective).
That is true. I noticed that some companies sell the printed manual to their software separately for an additional charge.
Carrara 5 from Daz comes to mind....
pwyskowski wrote:That is true. I noticed that some companies sell the printed manual to their software separately for an additional charge.
Carrara 5 from Daz comes to mind....
Lightwave 3D does this too...the printed manual is another $100. Nowhere near worth it IMO. Not to mention the PDF manual is much faster to search through and if you have dual monitors (which I do) you can have the program open in one monitor and the manual open on the other.
One of the most accessed parts of my personal library at home is the shelf with the manuals. Heavyweight, dead tree, space-comsuming - but nothing beats the cozy feeling of a well-written manual in your lap while you try to figure out some software.
A good manual is worth at least half the price of the complete software package. Selling software without a manual is a crime, and sales managers who decide to do this should be forced to re-install Windows in all eternity.
Reading a manual on paper is much better than on screen. Sure, there's no search function in the manual besides the index, which needs to be edited by hand if it should do any good. But one can't scribble comments into an on-screen manual, one can't put bookmarks into it, you can't take it with you to have a concentrated read.
