Cross Grade questions

Hi there,
I have been working on a demo reel in Studio, but realized that some features, like a more easily adjustable camera etc., in Animate, might justify a cross-grade. I had a few questions before taking the plunge:

1) Currently in Studio 5 I have had no problem importing PSD files from Photoshop CS(1) with preserved layers. However, when I attempt to do this in Animate PLE, the image is flattened and strangely, one or two layers are randomly stretched in the process. I have read conflicting reports about preserving layers by searching google and these forums, so can anyone provide a clear answer on this?

2) If I cross grade, can I still then later upgrade to Pro using the same license key, or would I have to buy a new full license?

3) Has anyone had issues using Lion with animate in conjunction with photoshop, if you are able to preserve layers?

Thanks for your input in advance!

I don’t have the answers to 1 or 3.

If you upgrade to standard Animate you will be eligible for the crossgrades to Pro. However unlike when you upgrad from studio if you upgrade from standard to pro you lose the old key and get a new one (so you don’t finish with 2 licences).

Does this mean i could still use both studio and animate after cross-grading?

yeah it does, or at least it used to be the case. Check before you crossgrade, don’t take my word for it!

Using Studio 5 / Import File / Preserve original layers of Photoshop files…
All layers are imported on their own element…

Using Animate 2 / Import / Images /
Checking “Create Layers based of Filenames”
Selecting “All Layer Images” from the Multilayer Import Settings, Images to Load…
Animate 2 imports all Layers into one Element on as many frames…
This is sometimes very useful…
(without those selections the layered image will be flattened during import)

Workaround:
One has to duplicate this layer as many times as layers are available…
Delete all those frames…
Then drag every single frame from the original element to the new ones…

A better Technique:
In Photoshop put every layer into a folder / name those accordingly…,
Then import this file into Animate 2, using the same selection as above…
All Layers will be imported correctly into their own element… (like in Studio)
Check out Tutorial 6.3 :Importing PSD files as separate layers:
http://beta.toonboom.com/professionals/animating/resources/video-tutorials/gathering-content

I am running Studio 5 and Animate 2 on OSX Lion without much of a problem…
http://www.toonboom.com/support/forums/animate/index.php?board=16;action=display;threadid=3449;start=msg16415#msg16415

Cross-grading from Studio 5 to Animate 2 (as I did) one keeps the Studio 5 License…
and can use it as long as one likes…
Upgrading from Studio 5 to 6 for the “upgrade prize” is not longer possible…
If you’re keen on Studio 6, you have to buy a new License…

Regards
Nolan

Thanks for that Nolan, the video was very helpful. So as you saw my other posting, I just got a new Mac to better run my software with. However, I am slowly realizing that neither TBS or Animate (which I very recently cross-graded to) are 64 bit (threaded). This wouldn’t bother me too much if it weren’t for the fact that the whole reason I felt compelled to spring for a new computer now was to get better rendering for TB, but my computer won’t get pushed to it’s max unless I move to Pro (I’m assuming from the comparison chart where Threading is checked).

I just received an offer for a large discount to move to Pro, but honestly I’ve only begun using Animate and it feels premature, except for the threading/rendering issue.
Should I spring now for Pro because of the limited offer and “grow into it” or concentrate on honing my skills in Animate? Crossgrading can be confusing…

Regarding to Adobe’s Layers Magazine Animate 2 is using already Multi-Threading…
http://layersmagazine.com/toon-boom-animate-2.html

Even Toon Boom’s own Animate 2 Feature page said it’s doing Multi-Threading…
http://beta.toonboom.com/professionals/animate/features

Not sure, why Rendering Multi-Threading for Animate 2 is unchecked
on the Comparison Chart…?

You might like and contact the Toon Boom Team and ask:
support@toonboom.com.

As far as I know, If Animate 2/Pro would be running in 64 bit kernel,
it shouldn’t give you much of an performance advantage…?
It basically controls the memory space…
32 bit Applications can only use up to 4 GB of RAM…
64 bit Applications can use as much RAM you might have available…
This might speed up some operations…?
Especially working with very large and complex projects…

The e-mail offer from this morning for Animate 2 customers, “Cross-grade to Animate Pro”,
is indeed very tempting…
I am pretty sure, one has to wait at least another year to see such an offer again…?

By next year we might see Animate 3/Pro…?

Anyway, upgrading to Animate Pro (specially for that price) would be an excellent choice…

Regards
Nolan



I cross-graded from Studio to Animate and Studio dissapeared from my “My Products page”.