Moho Forum

Someone mentioned this on another forum and it seems interesting.

http://www.e-frontier.com/go/mangastudio_hpa

MangaStudio is really great. I've found it to be better to do comics in than Photoshop or Painter. It really has the potential to be to comics/graphic novels what InDesign is to Magazines/books.

It's basically a BW pencilling/inking program, but it can do colors really well. Check out the User stories: http://www.e-frontier.com/article/archive/747/

It's one software purchase I really don't regret making!

@CartoonMike do you have that $49 dollar version? Also does it have any scripting interface that allows user plugins?

No scripting. I have the EX version, got a competitive cross-grade for a hundred bux. And the EX version allows you to record stuff much like Photoshop's Actions.

In the MangaStudio forums @e-frontier there's a thread about feature requests for version 4 that would be the place to ask for some form of scripting.

Can you save out images with transparent backgrounds via .png?

Always looking for stuff that i might be able to use for animation.

Can't export directly to PNG, you can export the art as a layered Photoshop file and then in Photoshop (or GIMP or any proggie that can read PS docs), you can export a PNG with an alpha channel.

If MS had a real way to export Vectors, then it would be more helpful than the bitmaps it exports now.

mike

Looks awesome! I love creating Manga and this sounds like a good program to use. I'm going to download the free trial now. Maybe I will buy it ? ?

Dan

Just wanna add, for Dan and others, that Manga Studio comes with 3D content that you can move around and pose like an art mannikin. It can also import 3D scenes and 2D content like jpgs, pngs and such.

The interface is really good too, it doesn't get in one's way. After about a hour or so I was inking away.

About the worse thing I can say about it is the way it handles text is so 1980's. I mean having to imput text into a dialog box. How cru ... um ... ah ... Moho like (joking!)...

later,

mike

Just did a survey for e-frontier and from the questions asked it appears to me that a color version is on the way!

And don't forget about Comic Book Creator for $29. You have to create in another application but it puts it together for you rather easily.

I'm strongly considering picking this one up to help suppliment some of the anime styled stuff I've been working on in Moho. I have a feeling this app would be a great way to storyboard for animation.

Bones3D wrote:I'm strongly considering picking this one up to help suppliment some of the anime styled stuff I've been working on in Moho. I have a feeling this app would be a great way to storyboard for animation.

Then there is always SketchUp for Film & Stage...

Infocentral: I filled out the same survey and the graphics did not say "Manga Studio" -- they said something else. So unless we took different surveys (and that's possible), I think they were getting opinions on packaging on a new product.

Bones3D: You can create a new template in Manga Studio to do storyboards. The numbering of pages are automagically updated when a page is added or deleted. You have "materials" which is kinda like the library in Flash or Illustrator. You can export the entire "story" as separate page files, in lots of formats. Keep in mind, though, that Manga Studio is a Comics Production application and so some things like pans and such would be very tricky to do.

Personally, if storyboarding was the only reason you would be buying Manga Studio, I would save my money and just go out and buy a few reams of copier paper, a lightboard and a scanner (if you don't have one). There's something to be said about just putting pencil to paper when doing storyboards There's a bit more work involved this way -- having to scan each individual storyboard -- but, if your storyboards are half-way finished, you'll have muscle memory to help you draw the characters in Moho.

While I agree with you on the paper and pencil approach to story boarding, in my case it'd be difficult for me to put it into actual practice, due to physical disabilities.

The thing that I find interesting with Manga Studio is that you can import objects from apps like Poser, and in some instances, modify their properties (such as a body pose) as needed. For purposes of storyboarding (which is really nothing more than creating an overly-detailed comic), Manga Studio could prove quite useful.

As for creating an animatic using Manga Studio, it'd be a bit tricky, but not impossible. I imagine a combination of jump-cutting from frame to frame of the comic with Ken Burns style effects would be enough.

Got me on the paper and pencil, but at least the computer's a good option

You know I totally forgot about the 3D import thang. Yeah, infact on Content Paradise there's a sale on an interior furniture (tables, chairs, stairs, etc) add on for Manga Studio.

And you can save layers (or layer folders/sets) as "Materials" and then all you need to do is drag and drop the layer you want to reuse into the pallette. And when this material is dragged from the material folder/pallette and dropped on the document -- it's in perfect registration compared to the "original layer.

You can export all the pages in a single story and the files are titled in a numbered sequence of files. I think that's a feature of the EX version.

You've inspired me, I'm currently doing the character sheets/model sheets in Manga studio and I'm going to do the storyboard for this short anime I'm planning on doing in Moho. Thanks!

CartoonM!ke wrote:Infocentral: I filled out the same survey and the graphics did not say "Manga Studio" -- they said something else. So unless we took different surveys (and that's possible), I think they were getting opinions on packaging on a new product.

I believe the "new" product was someting along the lines of "Anime Studio" and "Anime Pro" and "Animetion." Now I am going to go out on a limb and say that I think they are leading to color version of "Manga Studio." Since Manga is B&W I would assume the color version would be along the lines of Anime.