Updates & upgrades thick and fast. How long before the n

heyvern · Post by **heyvern** » Sun Jun 13, 2010 6:36 pm

Yes, Chucky, break down some walls!

A goal for this thing was an internet based project management. My "alpha" can open and convert an AS file to XML (I wanted to create a converter from 6 to 5). This means that all of the elements can be accessed separately.

For example, if you only changed the color in the styles of a character, you could update just those elements in one "master" character file and then all other linked files with that character could be updated. Bone and point animation would not change because they are separate elements in the AS file format.

I would either have to create my own "file format" to store linkage data between projects and files since there is no place to store that data inside the AS file format. or I could add this data to the XML conversion. Then it would use that linkage data to "write" the AS file format.

I did a lot of work on this thing, but I was using an expensive programming application (3 times the cost of AS) in a trial mode. All the work I did was during a 2 month trial. I would have to buy the application now to continue working on it. I plan to as soon as I get the cash.

chucky · Post by **chucky** » Sun Jun 13, 2010 9:46 pm

Using xml I'm sure layer animation and camera data, maybe even more could be exported as xml with photoshop layers.
Open them in comping apps like AEFX or whatever, and rebuild for advanced fx .

rogermate · Post by **rogermate** » Sun Jun 13, 2010 10:15 pm

heyvern wrote: I did a lot of work on this thing, but I was using an expensive programming application (3 times the cost of AS) in a trial mode. All the work I did was during a 2 month trial. I would have to buy the application now to continue working on it. I plan to as soon as I get the cash.

There is a tremendous amount of free development software for xml conversion, parsing, transformations, etc.

While I can understand paying for a development environment in certain situations, the wide availability of XML services / libraries for nearly every dev language combined with the functionality being a natural fit for as a black box "slap on" addition would have me taking a serious look at what's available outside the proprietary / closed source offerings. At this point, open source software seems to have superior longevity to closed door software.

http://vtd-xml.sourceforge.net/

http://sourceforge.net/search/?type_of_ ... &words=xml

heyvern · Post by **heyvern** » Sun Jun 13, 2010 11:32 pm

Well, my intention was to build both a "standalone" and web based project manager specifically for Anime Studio.

This is pie in the sky down the road kind of thing. The problem with using off the shelf preexisting project management would be the specific issues involved with AS files. My "conversion" would be XML format but then it would need to be converted BACK to AS format. So an off the shelf package might not work well in that environment.

--------------------

I have scaled back any intentions of "rendering" vector data. I can convert and "draw" the vector point data to the screen but it's primitive at best. The issue is related to how AS handles "shapes" and how SVGA and other point to point drawing methods work.

AS can have shared edges for two filled shapes. SVGA can't. You need a unique closed shape to fill it. There is probably a way around this of course.

Rendering realistic versions of AS files is "off my list" for now. It's just too much effort. I want to avoid "reinventing the wheel" as much as possible. I don't want to replace AS I want to supplement it. AS renders files perfectly. I would only convert basic shapes for thumbnails. They wouldn't be "accurate".

I could maybe, convert bone animation to simple "stick figures". You could preview simple animations for loading into similar bone rigs.

All of this waaaaayyy in the future.

-vern

rogermate · Post by **rogermate** » Mon Jun 14, 2010 3:39 am

heyvern wrote:Well, my intention was to build both a "standalone" and web based project manager specifically for Anime Studio.

Your goal is obviously more functionality and resource sharing, but there was a free utility Scene Selector created by Vicente Avilés-Quiñones for Anime Studio that creates thumbnails for each scene (.anme file) and let you launch AS based by selecting the thumbnail.

heyvern · Post by **heyvern** » Mon Jun 14, 2010 4:53 am

rogermate wrote:Your goal is obviously more functionality and resource sharing, but there was a free utility Scene Selector created by Vicente Avilés-Quiñones for Anime Studio that creates thumbnails for each scene (.anme file) and let you launch AS based by selecting the thumbnail.

Yes I looked at that application. The thumbnails generated used Anime Studio to render them. It launched it using the command line I believe to render the thumbnails. It also required a windows only kind of system programming engine to run so it isn't available for the Mac. My planed application is already being developed to be a standalone cross platform application. I plan to "render" the thumbnails from the actual files without using Anime Studio from the command line. I am planning for it to do more than open files from a list but to actually be able to link files within files, drag character layers into other project files, link images, audio, track what files use them etc etc.

Big ambitions. Easier said than done of course.

-vern

Rhoel · Post by **Rhoel** » Mon Jun 14, 2010 5:28 am

heyvern wrote:A goal for this thing was an internet based project management.

I looked at the same idea: Correct me if I'm wrong but doesn't this need a user defined field in the .anme file? Was such a layer introduced into the ASP7 file format? Be very useful if it was.

Rhoel

heyvern · Post by **heyvern** » Mon Jun 14, 2010 6:03 am

No, the file format is still locked. However, since I convert the file format to XML I can put any info in there I want. Or more simply the linkage data would be stored in the project file itself and only edit linked files based on changes made.

rogermate · Post by **rogermate** » Mon Jun 14, 2010 7:49 pm

heyvern wrote:No, the file format is still locked. However, since I convert the file format to XML I can put any info in there I want. Or more simply the linkage data would be stored in the project file itself and only edit linked files based on changes made.

This is clearly sounding like a tool that pro studios would pay for. One would assume that Smith Micro would want to acquire it from you, or at least support your efforts with some inside tech info.

One delicate issue is that at some point a corporate non-animator bean worshiper could decide that the "Pro Workflow" tools are going to be AS proprietary and it could be easy for them to throw in file structure changes that grind things to a halt.

Good luck with it.

shoepie · Post by **shoepie** » Tue Jun 15, 2010 12:07 pm

I'm a little put off having paid $120 for v6 less than six months ago and now having to fork out another $120. I wish I hadn't upgraded now and I'm in no rush to make the same mistake.

neeters_guy · Post by **neeters_guy** » Tue Jun 15, 2010 2:54 pm

shoepie wrote:I'm a little put off having paid $120 for v6 less than six months ago and now having to fork out another $120. I wish I hadn't upgraded now and I'm in no rush to make the same mistake.

Join the club.

Seriously, you bought software to make some wonderfully funny cartoons. That's all. That an upgrade comes out and you choose not to upgrade does not make that decision a "mistake". You are certainly not any less of an animator because you don't have the latest version.

InfoCentral · Post by **InfoCentral** » Tue Jun 15, 2010 4:20 pm

shoepie wrote:I'm a little put off having paid $120 for v6 less than six months ago and now having to fork out another $120. I wish I hadn't upgraded now and I'm in no rush to make the same mistake.

This all started with the last upgrade deal offered us by SM. There was a huge outrage and they started deleting and locking discussion threads that contained posts from the user base blasting the upgrade pricing. Like I said last time the relative high upgrade % price is geared for fan boys. The dedicated user base always get screwed over first. Then down the road the price will drop once they capture all that revenue. I said this last time and I waited and sure enough wound up paying $64.99 for my AS6 Pro upgrade!

I'm in no hurry and I can surely wait til the upgrade price becomes more reasonable. It will...

Imago · Post by **Imago** » Tue Jun 15, 2010 4:45 pm

About updates: Someone can guess when Smith Micro will release a Patch for ASP 7?
The Switch layer bug are slowing me down so much.

neeters_guy · Post by **neeters_guy** » Tue Jun 15, 2010 4:46 pm

InfoCentral wrote:I'm in no hurry and I can surely wait til the upgrade price becomes more reasonable. It will...

You're a smart and frugal consumer. I do the same thing, whether it's laptops, cameras, or video games. Unless early adoption is so poor that development ceases, technology always comes down. Those who can afford the higher price will buy and help fund future development. Not all consumers are the same nor should they. I don't resent my neighbor because he can afford an iPhone and I can't.

It's too bad that upgrades cause such negative behaviors that lead to members quitting. It seems so unnecessary. It's just software after all and we are all humans first. Can't we all just get along?

InfoCentral · Post by **InfoCentral** » Wed Jun 16, 2010 4:00 pm

neeters_guy wrote:Those who can afford the higher price will buy and help fund future development.

Absolutely, that is why I now encourage those fan boys to buy now! Pump in some good money for SM and down the road we buy in on the half off sale. By then the major bugs should have been reported and SR1 or SR 2 released. Most of the time I wait til SR2 is released before I even consider purchasing a new Poser upgrade.