#Why Buy Animator Pro ?
6 messages in this thread
#Why Buy Animator Pro ? — declared parent_msg_num=(none), resolved parent_id points to #(none)
I have just been given the job of editing a few .FLC files. I said we should
buy Animator Pro, the boss said we should use our existing tools.
Can anybody help me point out that Animator Pro is worth buying. What does it
offer to .FLC files that 3DS can't do. Unfornatually I don't have the original
project files to these animations.
We have VFD and 3DS4.
Thanks for your reply's
Geoff Coope
#194879-Why Buy Animator Pro ? — declared parent_msg_num=194879, resolved parent_id points to #194879
>> Can anybody help me point out that Animator Pro is worth buying. What does
it offer to .FLC files that 3DS can't do. Unfornatually I don't have the
original project files to these animations. <<
Anipro and 3D Studio are apples and oranges. if your boss thinks one will do
what the other does, your boss doesn't know one of them.
for years these two packages have complimented each other.
Animator Pro is a 2 1/2 D pixel-editing program. it deals with the output 3DS
can generate. it also has the potential to expand 3DS's potential (such as
through its ability to generate any of the map types). some (including me) see
AniPro as a giant map-generating IPAS routine. <gg>
AniPro is programmable (C-language). it is also a powerful scriptable playback
utility which can exploit all system resources. it gives complete control over
the palette of frames, and can help reduce your rendering times down to 1% of
their original time on certain types of animation.
the drawback/problem with AniPro (as it has been forever it seems) is that it
works only with 8-bit images and animations. while these are sufficient for
many applications, much the bulk work of 3D Studio output is truecolor (series
of 24-bit TGA images).
if you are using 3DS to primarily generate FLCs though (8-bit), AniPro is a
must. the time it can save you, its ability to expand 3D Studio's capabilities,
and the control it gives you over every frame's palette are invaluable.
-dave
#194879-#Why Buy Animator Pro ? — declared parent_msg_num=194879, resolved parent_id points to #194879
Get the dos (8bit) animator pro…the windows one is crap ..IMHO
Simple things like reversing a flic file in the old dos anipro take seconds on
a p75 with 24mb….under windows…minutes and you have to pingpong it then
delete the original frames…..awful!!!
For using stuff from studio…dos version is better also because you can spawn
it from the shell. What I mean is …that you can add anipro to the function
keys in studio and drop in and out as you need…..it is great for 256 flc
files!!!!!
Windows….why bother….
Louis
#196395-Why Buy Animator Pro ? — declared parent_msg_num=196395, resolved parent_id points to #196395
>> Simple things like reversing a flic file in the old dos anipro take seconds
on a p75 with 24mb….under windows…minutes and you have to pingpong it then
delete the original frames…..awful!!! <<
hi Louis. while i am a major AniProhead <g>… the issue is not that simple. if
we start comparing times, then we need to also compare task and data.
24-bit images are typically a bit larger than 8-bit images… so it reasonable
to assume that editing 24-bit movies will take longer than editing 8-bit flics
on the same system. also, depending on the flavor of Windows, you may be seeing
dramatic performance hits. finally, depending on the content of the movie,
AniPro may or may not be suitable simply because of the movie's content. if an
artist is trying to create effects using varying degrees of opacity with
images, for example, it's a moot point. GLASS ink only goes so far. there are
just as many cases where AniPro is by far the more practical tool than
AniStudio. they are very different products.
to apply this simple theme of apples and oranges to your example… AniPro is
fast (no doubt), but it cannot handle (at this time) reversing a 24-bit AVI
file. so perhaps we could ask Geoff what pixel depth he needs to use before we
suggest AniPro over AniStudio. yes?
of course you're entitled to your opinion, and Animator Studio did have a rocky
beginning… but we're 5 months into the product at this point on its 3rd round
for release 1 and it's really getting powerful and stable.
when someone asks me what program to use.. the first thing i say is "tell me
what you're planning to do." 🙂 qualify the task… then pick the tools. to say
a hammer is a piece of crap and a screwdriver is way better (when pounding
nails may be what's needed) is a bit skewed. IMHO.
-dave
#196424-#Why Buy Animator Pro ? — declared parent_msg_num=196424, resolved parent_id points to #196424
True enough….and you know how hard it is to admit your mistakes 🙂
Your right on all counts…ask what colour depth 1st etc..
I would however still suggest to the guy that if he is using 3D studios .flc
files for playback on PC that he uses 256 files and anipro for editing, if he
needs to edit 24 bit stuff sure use anistudio but make sure it is a killer PC.
BTW…how many people actually play around with 24 bit avi's etc….and what in
your opinion is a groovy graphics card good for this kind of stuff. We use
Matrox 4mb pci mga cards (impressions)…and find them to still be awful, and
almost impossible to give to other people to playback…talking about 320×200's
mainly.
Louis
#197287-Why Buy Animator Pro ? — declared parent_msg_num=197287, resolved parent_id points to #197287
>> needs to edit 24 bit stuff sure use anistudio but make sure it is a killer
PC. <<
i agree. folks handling vast amounts of work files (image files and animations
in this case) really need to look into Pentiums or better with plenty of
resources.
>> BTW…how many people actually play around with 24 bit avi's etc….and what
in your opinion is a groovy graphics card good for this kind of stuff. <<
well, it depends what one is doing withe images. my first "introductory
station" had a Diamond Speedstar Pro 24-bit card, a Targa 32+ for outputting to
video and an Intel Personal Video Recorder for recording 320×240 digital
videos.
-dave