CompuServe Thread

#astudio manual

6 messages in this thread
#170822From: EDWARD HARVEYMay 18, 1995 6:31 PM
Im a 3ds user who is thinking about Animator studio, reading the traffic to see what the problems are. The lack of a manual is critical. I wouldnt consider the software without it. I gave away a black belt morph program for the same reason. The vast swap files required is another concern 3ds will require a migration to nt so an nt version of astudio seems sensible Ed
#171023From: May 20, 1995 12:32 AM
Ed: >> [Animator Studio's] lack of a manual is critical. I wouldnt consider the >> software without it. ????? I have Animator Studio, it comes with a manual! Is someone spreading rumors? Greg Pyros
#171029From: EDWARD HARVEYMay 20, 1995 2:22 AM
well Ive been reading messages that seem to indicate that there is a lot of on line help material that is not found in the manual. I find it very much easier to work with a printed material rather than interupting the flow of what Im doing in the program by using on line help. If this is not the case then Im glad to hear it. Then I can worry about those 150mb swap files that some users seem to find necessary. I was looking foward to Astudio because Im dissatisfied with the speed and limitations of the Painter animation features. The problems some users are having have made me a little hesitant. On the other hand people who love the product might not feel the need to write forum messages. A question. Is a vast swap file ( windows virtual ) necessary? Right now mine is about 25mb which works fine for the other apps Im using. I cant really afford to permenantly set aside 100+ mb. Thanks Ed
#171798From: Peter NowellMay 25, 1995 2:22 AM
Dear Ed, Piggybacking on what you said to Greg Pyros concerning manuals for Animator Studio.. Let's be clear: Animator Studio has the equivalent of the Tutorials manual in Animator Pro plus an introduction to animation concepts. It DOES NOT have the Anim Pro equivalent of a Reference manual. The idea – as I guessed it and Autodesk seems to have confirmed in some messages on this board – is that the great on-line help is meant to replace the old Reference manual. While I think the on-line help is GREAT – maybe the best on-line help I've ever seen – I am one of many here who like complete reference materials in book form. I think we need BOTH this excellent on-line help and a Reference manual. Why? Because – unless you like reading from the screen of a portable computer – you can't read on-line help while sitting at a coffee shop, in a restroom, reading a couple of pages before falling off to sleep, on planes and all the other places where good old books come shining through. I know that Autodesk is looking to see how this new idea flies so I want to give them feedback. I have long felt that the printed documentation for both Animator and 3D Studio were the best in all the land. I remember several people lined up at a 3DS user group meeting to thank the writer! I can't think of any other software products where people were not only pleased with the documentation but felt it was worthy of special commendation Usually documentation is the weakest link of a software product. So, YES, I miss having a book that shows EVERY command, what it does, and examples of using it. It is a strength of your products. Please don't give it up! I would pay an additional $50 for this feature and I'm not rich :- Sincerely, Peter Nowell Synergy Productions
#171799From: EDWARD HARVEYMay 25, 1995 2:37 AM
<<It is a strength of your products. Please don't give it up! I agree completely! Ed
#172126From: will taitMay 27, 1995 12:45 AM
Piggybacking on yours. I agree wholeheartedly. I too think the online help in Studio is the nicest I have seen and could be profitably emulated by other companies. However, there is nothing like a good manual when working on screen and as you say (planes, trains, or wherever books can't be replaced).