Is the Black Friday sales of Toon Boom Animate Pro2 (NOT) a full version?

Retired Products Animate Support and Troubleshooting
1

I have posted each of the issues below as a separate question here in tech Support forum in the past but never got a reply.

The issue is as follows;
I bought my copy of Toon Boom Animate Pro 2 in your ‘black friday’ sales of December 2012.

Before buying that, I tested the software and saw some features which made me make this decision to BUY the product.

However, I am having a series of issues with this bought version. One of them being that some of these features (very decisive) which I saw in the test version are not visible to me in my purchased version. Here are two very annoying examples

  1. When I tested the software, to the best of my knowledge, there was an option of LINKING to an external image (as a BG or whatever) which has the advantage that the image gets automatically updated; a VERY IMPORTANT aspect of MY workflow. Now in the version I bought this option is NOT there

  2. Due to this and other strange issues I was having, I sent someone who works with Toon Boom Animate pro2 a scene and asked him/her to “work on it”. On reopening the file sent back to me in my system, Toon Boom says the file was edited with a DIFFERENT PRODUCT and saving it with mine will mean that it cannot be opened with the other product. To that I have two simple questions:

  3. Are there DIFFERENT versions of Toon Boom Animate Pro2?

  4. Is the ‘Black Friday’ sales of Toon Boom Animate Pro2 (NOT) a full version?

If on the other hand these features are dependent on other methods of installation aside what was documented in the software, I wish to be informed of these so as to be able to have a full use of the software. I have two projects hanging on deadlines and not coming forward with the software I have chosen is not only contra-productive but bordering on something akin to self-destruction.

This is an excerpt of a strong-worded mail which I am sending to Toon Boom support through e-mail since i am being ignored here. If the technical support forum is here for such questions, they SHOULD reply posts placed here, even if it is to say “We have no clue” Ignoring posts or deleting them is not the right attitude.

Thanks Toon Boom Tech Support.

2

I’m sorry to hear that your questions have not been answered yet. I know that sometimes, for whatever reason, tech support fails to receive some e-mails.

At any rate, I thought I would mention that I believe the External module is what you are looking for in order to link to another program for editing. Take a look at it in the user manual and give it a shot.

Regarding different versions of Animate Pro 2, there are two: the PLE/trial version and the full version. What can be a bit confusing is that anything you create in the PLE version will not open in the full version. Comparing files created in both versions you will see the .ple versus .anim filename extensions indicating their incompatibilty with each other. I have no doubt that you purchased the full version.

You don’t really specify who worked on your scene and returned it to you. It’s possible that this person had an earlier version of Animate Pro or the PLE version. My guess is that it’s an earlier version of Animate Pro, as I too have gotten this message when opening an older file.

I hope you find this helpful.

3

Thanks Guitarist for your response. I appreciate it.

As concerning Toon Boom Tech support, this should be the foremost functioning aspect of a firm which SELLS a product. Imagine I LEASED the software and keep ignoring or throwing away letters prompting me to pay for my lease. Sure Toon Boom will not condone that from me…or will they?

As for the module;
I am not talking about an external programme.
In the trial version, there was an interface that goes I clicked on File>Import>Images (under which another option says “Link to external”
I used this function and referenced my background images so that whenever I refined my BG images, it was AUTOMATICALLY updated in Toon Boom whenever I opened the scene.

You mentioned that it could be a PLE that gave me the option;
So why should there be DIFFERENT functions in a software that bears the same name. That is what I do not understand. Essentially one can say that I was MISLED to buy the software because what I was given while evaluating is not what i was given. There should be ABSOLUTELY no difference.
When I read Restaurant Menus and see/order a Mutton Steak (no I am not vegetarian and love it!) I am always served a mutton steak NOT Pork.
I am not sure if I have expressed myself clear enough.

As at now, I am still waiting for Tech Support to reply my mail. We all know, in today’s era of social media that it is a VERY bad attitude. Things have changed in the world. Power has TRULY been given to the people…most of all the consumer.

Thanks all the same AND i am still waiting to understand why I am sold a software different from what i TESTED. I am taking it VERY seriously because I worked HARD for my money!

Now about the warning that it was done with a different product: I guess I can connect to one thing you said; It could be that the person has an older version of Toon Boom.
I advertised for in-betweeners online and a lot of people got in touch and got the contract. Hence I am not in the position to say WHO it was.

Thanks again for replying and regards
Ebele

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Re: Toon Boom Animate PLE version, I am sorry if I gave the impression that it offered the “Link to external” option you are looking for. I was simply saying that the file formats differ between Toon Boom Animate Pro and Toon Boom Animate PLE.

Please note that I have both Animate Pro and Animate Pro PLE on two of my Mac computers and I can tell you that neither one of them offers the “Link to external” option under File>Import>Images. Actually, stevemasson just confirmed in your other post that this feature is only in Harmony, not Animate or Animate Pro.