Does this software have a support group that can answer questions when new users have them? Is this the only place to ask questions? Where can users go after they've posted a question and can't get an answer after a few days? Is there a second tier of support somewhere?  

Hi...

What kind of Support do you need?

If you have Technical Issues with the software then please contact our Technical Support department using the link below.

https://www.reallusion.com/CustomerSupport/UserEx/QForm.html

If you have encountered minor issues or bugs you can report these on the Feedback Tracker and the CTA4 team will investigate.

https://www.reallusion.com/FeedBackTracker/

And for "How do I" type questions then you can ask these here on the forum. Generally though if you want to learn how to use the software you should spend some time with our many tutorials or refer to the Online Manual that can be accessed at any time within Cartoon Animator 4 by pressing F1.

https://www.reallusion.com/cartoon-animator/tutorial.html

                                                                

Peter
Forum Administrator

www.reallusion.com

This is a user forum, so not really official RL support. To get that go here: https://www.reallusion.com/CustomerSupport/UserEx/QForm.html.

However, the forum has many clever members, who voluntarily answer questions. There is no guarantee as to turnaround.

If asking a system-related question, it is helpful to provide the full system specs, including graphics card.

EDIT: Peter beat me to it...

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There's a FaceBook user group with more than 3000 members: https://www.facebook.com/groups/CartoonAnimatorUsers

Most members are very helpful so long as you don't bombard the group with questions that could easily be answered with a quick glance at the online manual or one of the many free video tutorials.



- TET
Animation and Video Life
The Lazy Animator - Tutorials for Cartoon Animator

As a point of fact, I've spent hours in the manual and on youtube tutorials. I'm not just asking because I'm lazy and can't find an answer, which is your implication. Thanks for that. 

As a professional technical writer, I can assure you that online manual is poorly written. I've spent hours in it dragging details out of it. Maybe I'm dumb. Maybe someone can point me to the right location in the manual that explains to me details of using the Layer Editor, and why it doesn't activate in some situations? It's not always available. If someone who is very familiar with the software, and who put the manual together, maybe that person has the hint to tell me "Well, when you make a free bone character, if you do this (x action) then the layer editor won't let you switch layers."

Yeah, it's real frustrating not being able to find the information after you've spent hours learning the rest of the package, making animations, and run into small problems that turn into very frustrating issues. Problems that very well might be called out clearly somewhere. I haven't been able to find them in this case. And I write manuals. 

What am I doing wrong, when I create a simple free bone character, the could prevent the layer editor button from turning on? Everything depends on that button being turned on. It's always greyed out. This has happened with multiple free bone characters (spine, two legs, that's it). If someone can point me in the right direction without saying "go back to the manual" which I've pored over already, and just SAY what I could be doing wrong. 

Hey, it's real frustrating.

Here, right? 
https://manual.reallusion.com/Cartoon_Animator_4/ENU/Pipeline/Content/Resources/ENU/08_Animation/Setting_Layer_Keys_for_Characters.htm?Highlight=%22layer%20editor%22

Doesn't work for me. I made the rig for the GUI. LAYER EDITOR BUTTON DOES NOT TURN "ON." 

What could be wrong? What things can prevent the layer editor button from turning on? Is the answer hidden in one of those other offerings, like 

Is the answer buried here somewhere? https://manual.reallusion.com/Cartoon_Animator_4/ENU/Pipeline/Content/Resources/ENU/09_Timeline/Motion_Tracks_for_G3_Characters.htm?Highlight=%22layer%20editor%22

No, that refers me to here again https://manual.reallusion.com/Cartoon_Animator_4/ENU/Pipeline/Content/Resources/ENU/08_Animation/Setting_Layer_Keys_for_Characters.htm

I'm more than willing to do the heavy lifting be jeez....

I'm sorry I didn't get back to this thread sooner... as you noted earlier the official forum (i.e. here isn't the best for active participation). Anyhow, I assume this quote was directed at my comment, which wasn't specifically implying you maybe being lazy as such. The group often gets a run of new members who are also new to Cartoon Animator, that start asking the most basic of questions that the manual could easily answer just by looking at the chapter headings.

Rather than demonstrating how poorly the manual is written, you could have provided more detailed information about your issue.

You mentioned you created a simple freebone character... How simple? If the character is made up of one whole image sprite then it won't have layers and the layer editor will be greyed out. The layer editor works on image layers not bones. You need at least two sprites to have the image layer editor become active.



- TET
Animation and Video Life
The Lazy Animator - Tutorials for Cartoon Animator