Need advice on which software to use

[NealF]

Thanks.

Means a lot. That was one of my more adventurous animations. I think for the most part it worked.
But, of course, the message/music was the main thing there.

This next project could take a year to finish. It's from a musical I wrote 25 years ago called, "Meat Street." it was performed near Orlando for a couple of weeks. Ending right before 9/11.

Been sitting on the project for this long and finally re-imagined it as a film/animation. Much cheaper than getting actors.
The new title is, "Dr. Frick's Home for the Mentally Unique."

[NealF]

one approach I use for audio sync especially if it's a long track / multiple tracks that will entail multiple moho files is:

load the audio into moho and create a switch layer with vectors for each planned shot -- the vectors might have a "clapperboard" which shows which shot I want and then a "pulse" / "beat indicator" for action such as a foot stamping. Then export that as multiple short videos to use as sync ref tracks -- and import those into the actual animation moho files. IMO a whole lot easier than scrubbing the music track with "heavy" animation going on....

I'm going to try that. Sounds like it might work for me.

I tried making a reference lip sync in Moho to the audio file. Then I exported as a video to import into Clip Studio to see if I could then, using the ref video, animate to it.

Unfortunately, after much frustration I found out that Clip Studio doesn't import the audio from the video file.
So I'd have to then take the original audio file, import it and use both the video and seperate audio to animate to.
Too many steps. So I abandoned the idea.

But yours might be the ticket. Thanks.

[NealF]

Here are a couple of short episodes of a series called, "Hat." It's about a man having conversations with his hat. Takes place in Paris.

I did it a few years ago. Very happy with the way it turned out. I also did the music and voices.

Very simple animation but it'll give you an idea of my skill level. Not bad for then but I need to raise my skills for this new project.

HAT - Episode 1 "The Awakening." https://youtu.be/gNR78PZ0F4c
Episode 2 "Sex." https://youtu.be/NWTmuCQp2m0

[slowtiger]

Aside from the walk cycle which seems a bit off, everything is simple but effective. I like the style, especially the photograph BGs (a bit like the "Eleanor Rigby" sequence in Yellow Submarine).

(Do you know L'homme au chapeau mou (1979–1982) by Tartempion (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Claude_Lacroix)? I think it was never translated to english, it would be "The man with the soft hat", a comic where the hat does all the thinking which usually is revealed in the last panel. Very surreal, very nice clean drawings.)

[NealF]

Thanks.

Yeah. Walk cycles are still something to learn. I like the South Park way, though. (joke)
Haven't seen that comic. I'll check it out. But I bet his hat doesn't have a Brooklyn accent.

[Abulaycan]

Choosing the right software can be a tough decision. Personally, I've worked with both CSP and Moho, and I agree they each have their strengths. It's a bummer that Moho 13 is not an option for you. As for Opentoonz and Tahoma2D, I haven't used them myself, but I've heard good things about Opentoonz for audio scrubbing. It might have a learning curve, but it could be worth exploring. If you're up for it, why not try combining different software for your project? Maybe you can use CSP for the drawing part and then import it into Opentoonz for audio syncing. And hey, if you ever need a break from animation, consider trying out professional scrum certification to level up your skills! It's always good to have a diverse skillset.

[NealF]

Yeah.
My computer is 13 years old. It's still serving me well. got 9 hardrives running on it.
But lately more and more plugins and updates aren't working for me.

I'll have to bite the bullet one day.