Finally decided to buy it!

[TheEYE]

After revisiting the ToonBoom site today I have finally decided to take the plunge and buy Studio! They have a helluva deal until the end of the month, Studio and a free Graphire 3 for $399.00 US! Considering I'm still using my beat up 'ol Graphire 2 and was going to buy a new one anyhow, this basically makes the software 1/3 off for me!
I used ToonBoom a few years back, and well it was time consuming to learn it was bloody awesome! The camera abilities alone make it worth the cost! Not to mention how perfectley it meshes with Flash MX 2004!

So I think I will not bother updating to Flash 8 just yet, and get the extra support I need to finally get the short I want to make underway!

If you really want to pee yourself, check out the newest releast by ToonBoom - Solo!! Bloody awesome! Full IK!! :blink:
But $3000.00!! :eek:

[kayoto]

Hi TheEYE, If it wasn't for your new graphire I wouldn't recommend you to get it, but it's a damn good deal !
:Blahblahb
and I'm a big fan of TBS, we are update to Flash 8 as one of our tools, (witch if you didn't notice on other threat, I don't like the drawing tools LOL !)
we are also conceder these days from other Paperless Animation softwares such as Opus, Harmony, Stylos or even Mirage (I personaly love vectors when it comes to animation, Pixels when drawing backgrounds).

as I always say: TBS have the best Drawing tools when it comes to Vector animation !


:D Hahahah !!! I Just had this feeling... I knew it ! :)
I knew that Toon Boom won't be silence with the NEW RELEASE of FLASH 8... it didn't make any sense since TBS 3 wasn't much better then 2.5 just few more improves.

TB-Solo cost only 2,000 $ !!!! (I said only, because if you don't notice they put there parts from modules from Harmony and Opus !!! those software’s for full department animation costs x10 more then Solo... that's why "ONLY" not say it's cheap... because it's NOT ! LOL !) :D


and now with Toon Boom Solo (I just still reading about it) they gonna Kick some (_|_) ...those features took from their Highest productions means that Toon Boom are just AWSOME ! They remind me what Alias did few years ago, if you don't know MAYA used to cost more then 25,000$ and these days almost every freelance can purchase it.
I can see the same story of success is about to happen here !

Toon Boom ROCKS !

Good luck man, and show us some TBS animations ! :)



*sorry about my bad English

[NOOB!]

nice move TheEye i haven't got a clue where i wanna go,but i certainly don't have enough money for toonboom.

i hope to buy them all one day,i've used the trial version,and i didn't really find much difference between the drawing tools in flash:p kayoto.

but i'm looking to head back to traditional anyway....

[kayoto]

LOL ! you didn't found any different !!? that's weird.

When I used TBS 2, I had a Wacom Intuos 2 and I felt like I'm in heaven.
there is a huge difference, don't know how you didn't notice.. it's something hard to ignore...

Anyway, try the New Toon Boom Solo it have some HOT modules from the BIG MOTHERSHIPS of Toon Boom... I will do that tonight... and I can't wait, I was disappointed that Toon Boom 3 had small updates, and now... I'm really curious about SOLO, because it has some neat stuff effects and even composite.... (it works with Flash when you want to add interactive, so it's gonna be awesome)

Give it a try, who knows maybe you'll like it (I guess you hate Xsheet LOL !)

update me what do you think, I didn't even try it myself yet...

[kayoto]

Hi Noob, Just a recommended I think you gonna like:

Remember that Shade/Highlight way I try to do within Flash ?
witch I explain it's hell and stuff when you do more broadcasting quality.

Now within TBS you do stuff like Shade Highlight (in few clicks away)
What you get is AMAZING rendering results, you gotta download the document and read about the effects and you may fall in Love !

it's on page 499 on the User's Guide, I wonder what do you think about it compare to the tools we all knew as flash and other programs.

if you thought FLASH had cool effects.... you gotta check it out.
I don't know how they did it, it's Genius, they took the most complicated program (OPUS and some from Harmony) and they made ALL THE MODULES into one simple interface !

:Blahblahb

[NOOB!]

i'll get toon boom when i wanna work on none web based stuff ;)

[TheEYE]

Thanks for the info Kayoto, I played with TBS when it was version 2, and agree about the vector tools-outstanding!
But out of anything the multiplane camera is what really has my main interest! Having to do multiple tweens in flash, with the combination of Sham's V-Cam is just too time consuming when it can be done so easily in TBS, without any export problems due to using action script!

Ive played with a few high end products, and as far as Im concerned TBS is one of the best going.... and the price cant be beat! I'd love to get Solo, but like I said... that price point just hurts too much for my 'lil studio! :(

Noob... using TBS is a GREAT way to learn about Traditional use of dope sheets (X-sheets) as TBS is structured around the exact same reading methods a traditional animator would use when using x-sheets!

Kayoto... Have you ever played with CTP-Pro at all? Its another studio end software package, I have had the oppurtunity to get ahold of the thing as a company I work with is a distributor. They wanted me to basically "master" it so I could in turn teach it to others.... but it was damn confusing to me! :eek:

[NOOB!]

I need some animation paper *12 field

a 12 field disc,and a lightbox b4 i can even touch the program shayne. :p

[TheEYE]

I need some animation paper *12 field

a 12 field disc,and a lightbox b4 i can even touch the program shayne. :p

Nah ya dont Nubs! You are far better off getting a three hole pegbar, and using normal paper and a three hole punch to play with trad animation. Stay as cheap as possible to play around.... it will hurt alot less if you decide that trad paper animation isnt for you! ;)
And like I said about TBS, (And most high end studio programs), its a great way to learn how x-sheets work, and how to read and write them! Ive been planning to do a tutorial on dope sheets forever and a day now.... just havent had the damn time! So much work... so few hours in the day!! :(
And on that note, Im putting off my workload for the afternoon and going to play with my airbrush! :cool:

[NOOB!]

if you decide that trad paper animation isnt for you! ;)


u telling me,NOOB! illustration extraordinare that traditional paper animation isn't for me???? :eek: lol

i have already experimented,and i loves it,unfortunately ,i have no money for anything either,so yeh,life sucks :rolleyes:

[kayoto]

" Sooo.. This is how Disney did it !!! " ...that's what most of the paperless animators will say when understand how Toon Boom SOLO works. (Opus/Harmony based, it may not be easy for somebody who used to flash or adobe products, it is totally different and most complicated 2D application that you may ever use so if you’re looking for an easy application, go play with flash.

5 minutes of Experiment with Solo...
if I wouldn't experiment by myself I would never guess that it's made with vectors...
BTW - I put the Glow on both examples to show the contour and tone/highlight compare to what we know as regular vectors look, into post production look).

First I draw a fast shape with a huge contour (outline) jump or something.
Then I draw the markers of the Highlight, and the Tone I real rough, the cool thing is that SOLO works like cell animation in a way - if you familiar with some of the old techniques Animators used to draw outlines on 1 side of the cell, and paint when flip the other side of that cell.
SOLO do the same, it separate from outline to fill, so you will never do mistakes and you won’t even need to delete your markers.
(that remind me a similar pipeline that “Cartoon Television Pro” used to work - TheEYE ;) but much more powerful because CTP used Pixels, and SOLO use dynamic vectors into pixels.
Anyway, after draw animate and paint in about 2 minutes, I decided that I want a very thin contour that will be barely noticeable.

Before & After:

http://www.krazykartoons.com//images/WIP/tbs/Jellow-1.swf


The best 5 minutes look of Slime-Ball or whatever it is.... that I could make with a vector program and get post production quality.
And the drawing tools !? Amazing.. Finally I use my Cintiq real power.

...Now I need to wait and hope that we (the studio) can purchase it... because it will back to original price at the end of the month.
I hope that we will.... (Then I will be happy to put a full review about it some day….)


Sorry about my bad English.

[NOOB!]

this is toon boom solo? looks pretty nice.

[kayoto]

Yup... I'm annoying today - another experiment:
Few days ago I draw something in Mirage (really awesome painting tools) and since coloring in Mirage is like... try to drive in a car ! ...with no engine
Anyway, I saved a PNG of that image, imported into TB-SOLO and Vectorize it, then shaded it in few minutes using the markers... I can be even faster but I just tested few more modules LOL...


Anyway here is the Mirage picture:

http://www.krazykartoons.com/images/WIP/mirage/Mirage-Mad.jpg


and some painting within Solo:

http://www.krazykartoons.com//images/WIP/tbs/M-TBS1.JPG

[NOOB!]

i wouldn't recommened anyone buying solo unless u have a fully fledged studio and your really seriously gunna make movies.

cos goddamn thats expensive!

ur on trial right kayoto?

[kayoto]

I agree with you Noob, it is very expensive for a freelance use.

yes, what you saw is from the Trial demo version (that's why the OPUS logo is all over the place, it came as watermark randomly).

the demo is good to see if it match to my needs, as main animator I am the one who know best what are the tools we need, since we are a new studio (very small one, not empire...) we still look around and test stuff before we purchase/upgrade. we also don't have much money these days are though and we are working hard on a pilot, still pre-production so I hope we will decide to get TB-SOLO ...really hope so.

[TheEYE]

ToonBoom is actually marketing Solo for full fledged Studios, they admit up front that it isnt the tool for the freelancer. Thst where TBS comes in, far more affordable with a helluva lot easier learning curve to it.
Solo is the first program I have seen however that actually uses inverse kinetics for 2D animation, and because of that the Solo program will without a doubt revolutionize the way future upgrades of other animation programs are created. I would kill for IK in flash or ctp-pro! Anyone want to make a 'lil wager that Flash 9 will have IK and an improved camera system? :cool: