I really need is to export vector images. Why can't I do this? I've tried tracing an exported png in Illustrator but when viewed up close, they have many defects. Can you please add SWF or PDF to the list of export image formats. I really need this feature.

While I agree that a SWF export would be a welcome addition, I'm curious as to why you need frames exported as vectors? Typically, I know of no animation application that would export an animation as individual vector images, like it would with a PNG image sequence. What would you be using these for? (just out of curiosity... because I cannot come up with any real reason for a sequence of vectors)

I need it for Prezi, I design presentations professionally. Vector images load quicker and remain clear when zooming. This is an example of my work in Prezi - http://youtu.be/7bHyW6un-Kc

But what are you going to do? Export a 1600 frame animation as 1600 individual vector images to import into some obscure (and by obscure I mean non-standard) presentation application?

CTA is first and foremost an animation application, and as such will export animations. Whether that be a video, an animated gif (image), or as an image sequence. Again, many people do want SWF export, and if we ever do get that it will be the full animation within a single SWF file.

I'm not sure we'll ever get the SWF export back that CTA version 1 had in it. and I would not hold my breath on getting individual vector images per frame of an animation. And truthfully, I wouldn't want RL to waste development resources on such a feature given that there is so much more useful things the devs could be working on.

No, I just need one (current) frame export. Why would anyone need to export 1600 frames, even if they were png or the like? If they could export as a SWF video then they can export as a single frame too, it's not too far fetched.

Why use an animation program to export 1 frame? Why would anyone export 1600 frames? Because it's an animation program. And many people would export animations as image sequences for importing into a video editor for additional post-processing work. It seems that you want to use an animation program to create a single image? So why not use software that creates a single image? There are several "character" solutions for graphics software, as opposed to animation software, that would give you the same posing capability. Import the character model into Photoshop or Illustrator, "pose" the character, and export. It's extremely and entirely far-fetched to expect an animation program, made to render animation videos, to export into a vector format.

I'm not saying you can't or shouldn't use this program in this fashion, but it really seems in-efficient use of an animation application. But to each their own...

The introduction video has an entire chapter on using CTA for scene building and print purposes (http://youtu.be/Ef69KITHUSs -> 1:46 min). I saw it as a great alternative to searching through expensive stock images that lack consistency. Plus, I could animate them too.
Unfortunately, none of the G1 content is available for mac version and the interface is overly complex and cumbersome, nothing like they show how it is in the video. It looked super simple to build and pose characters but the reality is quite different. If there is a better way of designing consistent scenes and characters, what is it? The only one I've seen is Cartoon Solutions but thats it.

Can you explain what you have seen in the videos that isn't in your version of CTA2? Apart from the differences between versions (See HERE) everything shown in the videos should be available.

Thanks.

                                                                

Peter
Forum Administrator

www.reallusion.com

In the video, to pose a character was as simple as clicking on any body part and moving it around (1:59). In reality, you have to open a side editor and edit the character's pose indirectly using a tiny 3D model. It looked really simple and easy to change a character's look but the UI is actually this complicated conventional tabbed folder panel with tiny icons. Also the choosing expressions looked simple (3:38) but the actual UI has all of these different faces and it's really difficult to see what the expressions are. These are just a few examples.

Basically the UI in the video seemed really clean and intuitive but the actual UI is very old school and cumbersome. Your UI could be much better and should more closely resemble how it looks in the video. Your UI is designed according to functions (render, compose, layers ...). This is kind of backwards in terms of UI design. It should be designed according to the objects (character, props, scenes), where it would adapt according to the object selected. Right now, all that happens is icons on the side panel grey out. Have a look at the UI for Bitstrips and Goanimate and you will see what I mean.

Also, how did you make that video, with all of the cut scenes, did you have to use an additional video editor? What about vector image export, are you considering including this?

I also would like to have a vector export option.



The great thing about a great application, particularly one used for artistic works, is that it gives us the ability to use it in creative ways the developers never envisioned.


It may be an but I can also use it as a posing application. I can create a character, pose it and then export it, and use it in a whiteboard or other video application. In that context it is a very efficient use of my time to hijack an application created for animation and save myself (and others) from hundreds of hours doing the same thing manually.

Having the bone structure makes posing a character enormously easier then drawing/cutting/copying/pasting and transforming a single character, no less dozens of characters and then if I need dozens of poses per character it's an even more difficult exercise.

If exporting a png is an option then exporting a svg may not be such a huge development effort.



Would this not also be true of the same program exporting a png?

Just my 2 cents