From AWN:
The article mentions that ToonBoom will hold a press conference at MIFA on Wednesday to “…present the new solutions.” As I might find it a little difficult to get there, I’d be interested to know what goes on.
I’ve used an old version of PEGS and personally found it a bit clunky with a difficult manual written in broken English, though I’m told French and Canadian studios use it to great effect. It would be great to hear exactly what this means for the future for TB customers and software. Will the packages offered get bigger? More diverse? Broken into smaller modules? More plugins? Cheaper price? Or will things get more expensive?
Would love any insight that the forum might have!
Cheers-
Burton.
Hi Stickybullseye,
In a short term, PEGS will continu to exist and please who ever is using it. All employees from the France office are still working at supporting PEGS.
In a medium & long term, we are looking at hearing what the clients want and need (from both PEGS and Harmony clients) and start to build on top of that.
Toon Boom does not exlcude any possibilities. We might end up keeping them seperate or mixing both technologies, making pluings or a super duper software that does all. We don’t know yet.
As the TBS product manager, I’m very interested in hearing what you guys have to say about what are your needs and what would you like to have as a solution.
Cheers,
Since reading this post I’ve been thinking about what I’d like to see in the next ToonBoom Studio or what things would be helpful to TBStudio users.
I tried to determine what features PEGS offers. The list I found seems similar to features of Solo, Harmony, etc. Without delving into the software I don’t know what features PEGS offers that would be nice to add to Studio. However I do have some ideas on new Studio features.
Here are some thoughts:
First I like the idea of story boarding tools for TBStudio. The new Storyboard app has introduced a complete tool set for “professional” studios using Harmony, Solo etc. How about a Plug-in/add on for Studio, with many of the features of the new pro Storyboarding App.
How about a “Blue Line” feature where a rough sketch can be made using a “blue pencil”. Then a cleanup function can be used across several frames to create a “CLEAN” drawing on a new layer. This cleanup function would determine a single line solution to a sketch drawing and use a “Morph” across several frames to create a drawing solution for a frame. I’m thinking the algorithm for this is MUCH, MUCH more complex then how I’ve stated, hopefully not and hopefully you get the idea.
Most of the features I’d like to see added to Studio are in “Solo”. Perhaps some of these can be integrated into Studio like Morphing, image blur, depth of field and something I’d like to see is constant line thickness when a drawing is moved along the “Z” access or Scaled using a peg.
Perhaps TB could create an inexpensive, less costly, OK “CHEAP” crossgrade path to move from Studio to Solo. Hobbyists, like myself can’t afford Studio at it’s current cost, but would love to add the “Solo” feature set expanding our possibilities.
Hi JavaJoe,
Love the ideas, that’s exactly what I’m thinking too. I know we need a tool between Solo and Studio (a studio pro maybe) and a comsumer storyboard product.
I think I will start a new thread to try to have more ideas and to get an fell of how many of you would be interested in shuch products.
Thanks for the feedback.
Hi Mathieu,
I couldn’t find the new item you had talked about so I’m entering some additional ideas here (hope that’s OK).
Here are some other features I think would be nice to have in TBStudio/ TBSPro:
How about the addition of some 3D effects like After effects and Moho have. Being able to move the camera in and around objects, keeping some of the flat drawings parallel to the camera. And importing some 3D objects to interact with like “Moho” does.
If I place multiple cameras in a scene, I’d like to be able to render the scene from any or ALL of the cameras, simultaneously OK first one then the other, then the next etc.
Duplicate scene function. Right now if I want to recreate a scene I have to make a copy of it in the library, create a new scene then place the saved library elements into the new scene. How about a single “duplicate button” in the scene editor that does all this automatically.
“Tail bone Spline morpher”, OK so I made the word up, but here’s the idea. First add morphing/bones to “TBS Pro”, then add a new kind of bone, a “Tail Bone”. The idea would be to use this single bone for tails or for “snake” like drawings or whatever. The procedure would go like this; an animator would create a spline (curvy line), with multiple points. This would then be attached to a drawing just like regular bones are. When attached, the spline could be animated over time, thus animating the attached drawing. Again relatively easy to explain, perhaps hard to implement. Now to perfect this “Tail Bone”; when the tail bone spline shape is adjusted, the length of the spline would remain CONSTANT! WoW. Now an animation could be produced where the tail or drawing moves with an undulating motion but the length of the drawing remains the same, sort of like the real world! A snake moves to different shapes but the snakes body length doesn’t change. This would be a kick butt tool for snakes, lizards, and octa-squids etc., etc., etc.,.
More ideas later…
Perhaps the most productive additions to TBS are training aides and tutorials that assist users in learning to master 2D animation and TBS as a production environment. New software features are important, but there is so much that can be done with the existing product that isn’t, because most users don’t know how to take advantage of what is already possible. So I want to encourage your team to continue the recent trend in that area.
Too many software companies focus on features and functionality spec sheets as a sales tool and lose sight of the fact that there is a significant drop out rate of customers who fail to be successful using the product. Success at each level of usage promotes upward migration and expansion.
Also, in the area of segmentation, I find that bundling is far less attractive VS modularization. Whether as individuals or studios most users, in my opinion, prefer to buy as their needs grow an don’t like being forced to pay for unneeded features. Adobe Flash has been moving into greater bundling and thus driven their per seat price to a painfully high level which is perhaps a good short term result but will hurt them in the long term by forcing potential buyers to seek lower priced alternatives that aren’t bloated with unneeded features. So please consider modularization in your design plans. The customizable building block approach coupled with increased focus on learning aides will build a stronger more loyal foundation. -JK
I do like the idea of tutorials and perhaps even a comprehensive book with a CD of tutorials.
However, another way to get more people to use the software is to SIMPLIFY how the software works. If there are easier methods built into the software to produce the same results users will be able to use the software. If you look at most of the suggestions I’ve made thus far they make animating objects easier. Using morphs requires far less drawings, Same thing with Bones, ditto with one button to duplicate a scene.
A couple of my suggestions would add features to the software, the 3D fly through etc.
If you look at the competition and they have a feature your software doesn’t, realize users may and will move to the other software for those features.
Once I was in the modularization camp until I actually counted how much it cost. New features that should be part of the software were made into modules that where over priced. When you wanted a new feature you had to buy it. Very soon a $400 software package jumped to $1000 as new parts were added. This was unanticipated and is an unacceptable way to gouge the user base for money.
I do like the idea of a product somewhere between studio and solo, “Studio Pro”. As long as there is a reasonable way to move up to the new software (read not too costly).
As to product bloat you can see that with just about every piece of software MS makes. 90% of the users use 10% of the features and while they have added new features they have allowed the most used features to remain difficult to use, page numbering, headers, image imports etc., etc.
Just because a user base has used a function for 10 years doesn’t mean you can’t simplify how to implement the function. Always strive to make it simpler to use.
Remember, if software is EASY to use, you don’t need tutorials and books and struggling, unhappy users.
Hi guys,
Once again, great Ideas.
JK, I’m working on more video tutorials. For the next version I will create the 7 QuickStart Tutorials with new material and a video format. Then I will focus on more advanced content. There is also the online article section that explains some simple techniques like transitions. Visit the new elearning section for more info.
The next one (coming out soon) is on shading and lightning effects.
I’m also looking for users who might like to contribute to this online Tips and Tricks section. I’ll let you guys know when we have the system in place.
Just to say, training is definitely in our mind.
Thanks,
Hey Chilekle - if you’re interested, there are layout composition tips according to Hanna-Barbera, Spumco, and Brad Bird over at Animation Meat along with the character stuff you mentioned and a bunch of other indispensible bits of info if you haven’t seen them already. There’s heaps of layout stuff around via a search engine.
And if I can add my two cents to the input for future editions, all I need from TBStudio is blur edge control on vector shapes. Shadows and effects could look amazing if the feature was included. Not many animation packages offer vector images with a blur option at Studio’s price point, you never know, it could be good business…
Mathieu- were TB’s “new solutions” that were presented at MIFA just what has been said here?
Cheers,
Burton.
Hi Aaron,
I appreciate the input, thank you. The soften edges is on my wish list too, that would be a great feature but it’s quite a big one. We’ll keep looking into that.
The new Toon Boom solutions are the story board application that we officially launched at MIFA and the latest version of Pegs.
nice website btw, like your work.
Cheers,
Yes! yes! Storyboard !!!
But the price? expensive, very expensive? ???
Storyboard interests me…
GHi Thierry,
I know, but it’s a professional storyboard app with a lot of cool features. I will eventualy look into how we can make a consumer storyboard app.
Thanks,
Yes Mathieu, I think that it is an excellent idea.
Would many users be interested not?
Hi all, I´m new with TBS ( used about month). That was easiest and best feature/price rate, which animation softwares i tested. But i´d too noticed few feature lacks.
I also think that “duplicate scene” would be easy. I had use bitmaps, and cameramoves , so scene comes pretty big. That because i want split scene example on to two scenes. Then i don´t need to scroll timeline and search right place.
(sorry bad english 
, hope you got a point)