Initial thoughts on ASP 6

[ruibjr]

I love ASP.
And I am very grateful to Mike, for creating it and pushing the envelope, making it excel at every little aspect.
He is trying to do that a few steps at a time, and I like that.

I have been following ASP for a couple of years now.
I have seen it improve consistently over the time.
Version 6 is amazing.
It does not have all the changes that I, personally, would like it to have, but considering the progress I have seen so far, I believe all the changes will be in place, it is just a matter of time.

There ARE, two things I don't feel very comfortable about, thou.
These are minor, but still, I would like to speak out, so that these *may* be taken into consideration.

1. I believe there should be a minor release every, say, 6 months or so.
2. I believe Mike should try to have his name less and less related to the software.

Number 1, I can live without.

But number 2, I believe is vital to get teh software to feel more professional and appeal to a broader audience.
Don't get me wrong... we all love Mike.
But I believe most of us would like to see the software as separated from the person. It will feel less like a "pet-project" (for the lack of a better word), and more like a pro tool.
It is like: how nice! I have this cool software that Mike created!, when it should be: how nice! I have this cool software (that will exist forever and there will always be someone supporting it and it will never stop evolving).
You see, it is just a feeling, but a very weird one.
Hm, it is like the Uncanny Valley, in a way. Sort of: it looks right, but there is something weird about it, which I can't spot what it is...

Just my two cents.

Cheers, everyone!

[heyvern]

Mike, it has ziltch to do with open source and you know it: They are all backed by the companies which own them, companies staffed by up to 20 guys working on coding the apps. Their future is a damn sight more secure than ASP, which is owned as a commercial asset by Smith Micro

Uh... makes no sense. Literally. This doesn't make any sense. According to that argument there can't be small profit based software companies that sell commercial software unless they have "20" programmers... or... is it 10? Would 10 be enough? 5? 2?

Adobe started out with two guys. That's it. Two guys. So they should have made Postscript open source, given it away for free. Where would they be now if that happened?

-vern

[Rhoel]

This doesn't make any sense.

It does if you understand the difference between Adobe and SM. Adobe retained their product in-house and expanded with additional programmers, refined and developed. SM produce under license, (as does Serif and a number of other software packaging houses) and Mike is the copyright holder, licensor and employee of the company.

Be of no doubt whatsoever if ASP 6 does badly, SM as licensee is able to walk.

Just to put it into perspective, I employ more programmers here than are currently working on ASP development. There is mention somewhere here that Mike and Steve are basically "it". For the size and complexity of the program, that is just too small - code maintenance alone is a full time job. Mike has done an astonish job on the program and full credit for that.

But for ASP to be taken seriously as an Industry tool, it needs more resources; I doubt Mike is even sleeping at the moment, trying to get the final release out. That is not good for the program longtime - its called fatigue and it destroys creativity.

My arguments is with more programming support, Mike will be able to achieve much more, enabling him to look at the bigger picture. He doesn't need to code every fart in the code, that is for assistants. Adobe and Maya may have started small garage outfits but became giants only when larger programming teams joined on it: It's a bog-standard man-hour production equation.

Currently, I have lost total confidence in the ability of SM to properly support Mike's efforts. The release has been unprofessional and a shambles. I am sure there is much not reported here and there are confidentiality and NDa issue surrounding that.. ASP is well conceived and as a single handed effort, its simply amazing.

But the reality is to lift ASP out of the hobbyist perception rut its in (and one it doesn't deserve), to get it to the pro-market needs resources and better management.

Unfortunately, I lack the confidence in SM to be able to provide that level of resources and even less in their ability to manage.

It would be wonderful to be proved wrong.


Rhoel

[heyvern]

Rhoel,

I don't mean to be skeptical, but do you have anything to back up these ideas about SM? Do you know any of this for a fact? Or are you "guessing"? What you are saying sounds like you work for SM or have inside information that couldn't be found out even using the freedom of information act.

-vern

[synthsin75]

Come on guys, let's not start this again.

Like it or not, there are quite a few here who haven't seen anything positive come out of SM (and for me personally, that includes the new CP store). Let's even agree that the 5.6 release wasn't their doing and a great portion of the current fiasco is Walmart's fault. I'll buy that. But we can't find others to blame forever. Eventually the company most in charge has to own up. Unless we wish to subscribe to the notion that everyone is at the complete mercy of fate.

SM could get out in front of all of this in a heartbeat. It wouldn't be hard at all. It's just a matter of balancing the perspective. There's just not enough good coming from that front. Most of us credit Mike with the innovations of AS, and only have the handling of the release to judge SM on.

It might not be fair, but that's how public relations go. You don't have to know any inside info to compare companies. SM just isn't an island.

I'm not trying to rabble rouse here, just provide some perspective.

Also, most open source projects from a once commercial work are purchased outright, not given away. The source of Blender was purchased by a very loyal fan base for, I'm sure, a very amiable price to the owner of the code. No one expects philanthropy from a business.

Okay, obviously I come in one one side or the other of all this. My point is that there is a less extreme view to take.

[windstormer]

Ok, I'm hooked on the product and know it is only going to get better. I feel that If you can find something better, get it. As far as I'm concerned, with the new abilities, the price, and the dedication shown to the product from Mike, Vern, SM, Agent Smith, and all others, it is the best. From what I see, everyone involved is working as hard as possible to get the product going. Great Job!

In my opinion, companies, like Macromedia, and efrontier have software that goes from their hands to another all the time. We can't expect the software to always stay around, just hope that the companies make the best choice to improve on it and continue. Freehand is an example of a software dropped from a big company, Adobe. Sure they already had Illustrator, so it made sense. Right now, from what I can see, all they need is Mike and Steve to make the product do what it does and improve on it. I don't think that the product would be lost if Steve were step out of the picture (hopefully that wouldn't happen), but if the company really wants to keep the product they'll find a way to keep it going. Of course I'm speculating, but with the economy not in the best of health, I'm sure SM wants to keep its expenses down and not pay for a lot of unneeded programmers. Mike is the chief programmer. You gotta have one. From what I see, SM doesn't plan to let AS go away anytime soon. WIth the improvements, it looks as though the product will only be gaining momentum. Right now Anime Studio is #2 on a google search for "2d animation software".

Now the important question. I know that I have asked this before, but with no response. Is there a time frame, an about date, when Anime Studio Pro 6 will be released?

I really want to get going on this and have a project that would work perfect for it. I have Anime Studio Pro 5.6, but find that 6 will really do wonders for the project.

[b15fliptop]

Now the important question. I know that I have asked this before, but with no response. Is there a time frame, an about date, when Anime Studio Pro 6 will be released?

I really want to get going on this and have a project that would work perfect for it. I have Anime Studio Pro 5.6, but find that 6 will really do wonders for the project.

viewtopic.php?t=13531

[windstormer]

Ah, thanks! I've been at work all day and missed that one. Good deal!

[The400th]

Right now Anime Studio is #2 on a google search for "2d animation software".

Google is a fickle mistress. I just checked and AS is on page 2.

Plastic Animation Paper is #2, whatever that is.

[The400th]

But it's #2 if you search for "amazing 2d animation software"!

We have our niche, ladies and gentlemen!

[sfb]

If you tell us ONE MORE FREAKING TIME how many dagnab freaking god awful years of freaking experience you have.... I will have an aneurysm. Blood gushing out my ears and nose... veins on my head throbbing... my head will explode like a "Scanners" movie...
-vern

Hey Vern...

Please animate this so we can see what you mean

[InfoCentral]

I was sooooo excited about version 6 that I ran out and bought ASD6 off the shelf. I was thrilled, overjoyed, positively out of my mind.

And then I find out that I didn't have the final version. Okay, that's a bit hard to swallow, and completely outside of my experience or expectation of any software company. So I wait two days, and Steve posts the 'final' version to download. Fine, great, I'm getting what I paid for.

So please excuse my outbursts. They were, and are, being fueled by my initial excitement and subsequent frustration.

If this isn't the final version of the program then what is Walmart selling a boxed version of?

[mkelley]

Let's not get into that again.

The Wal-Mart software is... well, let's call it the "Wally World Special" (kind of like a Saturday night special, it's a cheap product that can only cause harm). It is NOT the final release of anything, other than what was shipped to them (probably to meet some contractual deadline).

This week ought to see the "official" release of both Debut and Pro (I hope).

[Rhoel]

Let's not get into that again.

Again? I hadn't realized we'd stopped.

[mkelley]

I'm trying to be good.