I AM HOPING THIS IS DUMB QUESTION. Will we be able to use characters we create in other programs: {PHOTOSHOP} IN CTA2. I would like to create a 2d character from my own artwork and use it in the new Crazytalk Animator. If this is the case there really is no limit to what you can create with the PIPELINE version of the update. I thank you in advance for any answers you can give.

Yes, you can. You can bring in character / Body Parts from Programmes like Flash / Photoshop and compose them inside CTA1/CTA2.

thank you for your answer. If you don't mind i'd like to add a follow up. for my artwork to take full advantage of the CTA2 improvements i will need to use the PIPELINE version of CTA?

IT almost seems to good to be true. Almost all the benefits of 3d animation without the century long render times.
I've really got to study this. I don't believe in magic... adding 3d motions...
multi-dimensional character creation... THIS SEEMS LIKE MAGIC. Thank you again for your help

I guess both have their own strength. Infact both are "inching" towards each other. 2D animation programmes are trying to use 3D methods to reduce the number of drawings to be used and 3D programmes are trying to use FLAT COLOUR and Strong Variable Line widths to give the much loved 2D Toon Look.

Actually companies have realized animations interest people beyond traditional artists. So they are trying every possible trick to attract this large crowd base. In the process, the traditional artists are getting improved technical tools to help them.

In CTA1, I identified a weak spot about Hand Grip. The characters could sing, dance, walk, talk naturally but couldn't hold an object naturally. Recently one artist came up with Hand grip drawings as a part of his CTA character offering. So I guess things are truly improving fast. For old timers who struggled with frame by frame cell animation, it's definitely a boon ! Or, magic as you just mentioned. It will definitely inspire a whole new generation.

Just my 2 cents about magic in CTA2:
1. cent: surely, it is magic and almost revolutionary. Just, don't be so sure CTA2 will automatically make rest of 9 angles of your character... Maybe with simple shapes of the bodies, with flat colors, non textured. But if you import your own textured parts of character, I'm sure you will have to prepare your character in all 10 versions of angles.
CTA2 will then automatically USE these angles for rigging and repositioning in 3D space. And this is magically enough.

2. cent: problem with CTA was -as opposed to AnimeStudio - that body parts wasn't able to morphs in joints (elbows, for example), they stay in the original shape all the time, just cutted. I don't know how will CTA2 will handle that.

Will see how it goes, but I agree it is close to magic.

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1) I am definitely speculating. CTA2 may create simple 3D character from from 3 drawings i.e. front back and 3/4 and may allow a bit of pinching/pulling and pushing for customisation. If it does not have this feature it may take up envelop based deformation !

It talked about Batch import of 10 drawings for a proper character building.

2) AnimeStudio solved the arm bend issue in ver 6 or 7. I am sure CTA will do it sooner.

Yea, you are probably right on both account. I just think that people will expect - like always, like in any software - that CTA2 solve everything animagically for them.
Well, yes, but not everything. It will be lot's of manual work to have decent 10 angles of imported character but far, far less than before. Even in AnimeStudio. (what is not fair comparison from my side in the first place - AnimeStudio is professional tool.)
Magic, never the less.

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AnimeStudio has been able to bend/morph joints since it's very beginning, before it was even AnimeStudio and was still known as Moho...

It's not about just bending. It was really about handling the intersecting lines at the bend. It got resolved most probably with ver 6.0. It's been long time since I dabbled with AnimeStudio. But most probably it was ver 6.0 only.