Are Manga Studio and Anime Studio the programs for me?

[heyvern]

I am in the same boat, specifically learning how to draw with "curves" in multiple applications.

There is of course Adobe Illustrator and that type of curve. I also had to learn a different type of curve editing and drawing using Animation:Master (3D). Then I learned the curves in Anime Studio, and now I'm learning the "curve" editing of 3D shapes in Lightwave. They are all different. Oh and then add in animation channel editing and motion curves. So you have Premiere, After Effects, Anime Studio, Lightwave, etc etc. They all "animate" and have key frames but it's different in each application.

Yes, I agree it can be very frustrating to constantly learn a new way to do the same thing but there is no easy way around it. At least now it's easier to find answers and solutions with the internet. When I first started with this stuff I would have KILLED for all the free resources available on the internet today. There was no google or easy to find answers when I first started learning applications. I had to buy these huge thick books, read manuals and use trial and error.

One trick I learned with Anime Studio is to do as much as possible IN Anime Studio. If I don't absolutely have to use something else to get the effect I need, I do it in ASP.

[InfoCentral]

Next month I'm going to learn some Blender, go figure.

You can't go wrong with Blender. I started out with Carrara and Lightwave. I used to have a huge annual upgrade budget but no more. After the Lightwave core fiasco where they basically did a bate and switch I decided to find alternatives. I even stopped my upgrades on Modo. Now it is going to be 3D Coat and Blender from here on out and bank the money.

[Michael221]

Wizaerd,

Are you saying you don't use ASP at all...or you just don't use it to draw? If it's the latter, what program do you use to draw, which I'm then assuming you export into ASP to animate?

[AmigaMan]

If you want to produce animation like that in the link you gave in your very first posting I agree with Slowtiger in his original reply. All you need is Anime Studio. You could create stylised backgrounds like that quite easily in Anime Studio and it's suited to that style of animation also.
Having said that, it would be beneficial to design your backgrounds and characters either on paper or in a program like ArtRage (What I mostly use for sketching) or any other drawing package. If drawing on paper, you can scan this and load into AS or, as I have done before, simply photograph it and stick the SD card in your computer to obtain the images for use in AS.
Once you have your images in Anime Studio you trace them. Don't think of this as tracing in the usual sense. You 'track' around your lines (I use a Wacom tablet for everything but a mouse is fine) creating points. Hopefully you've already checked out Anime Studio so you have an idea what I mean. Those that say AS hasn't got good drawing tools totally misunderstand how it works in my opinion.

I show you the following clips just to, hopefully, illustrate that you only need Anime Studio and a simple drawing package for original designs. The backgrounds were created in AS as well as the animation with the exception of the space background which was created in PD Pro (because it has a great starfield generator) and the 3D animation (just the spaceship interior) was done in Hash Animation:Master.
EDIT: Oh and the shuttle was Toon rendered in Animation:Master and post effects were done in HitFilm.

https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/720 ... TestSM.mp4
https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/720 ... tSmall.mp4
https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/720 ... eSmall.mp4

Of course you may prefer to do your backgrounds in a more painterly design and therefore use a paint package but based on your original post I don't think that's the style you are after. I suppose the best thing to do, if you are going to buy Anime Studio anyway, is try it out and see what you can do with it. Remember, don't expect to be able to draw and paint like you would in Photoshop as it works differently to that and intentionally so as Heyvern has already explained.

[wizaerd]

Wizaerd,

Are you saying you don't use ASP at all...or you just don't use it to draw? If it's the latter, what program do you use to draw, which I'm then assuming you export into ASP to animate?

I use it, I get frustrated with it, I quit and do something else. Eventually I'll draw something that I'll keep and use. I tried importing, and ASP is not very friendly with standard vector formats. So I do end up drawing in ASP, but I feel like I'm just fumbling around everytime I do. I also feel that the results from drawing in ASP, because of my fumbling around, look very basic and primitive. I know a lot of people have done some truly great things with ASP, but I fear I am not one of them. But I still plug away at it from time to time. I do so like the animation in it...

[InfoCentral]

I use it, I get frustrated with it, I quit and do something else.

I thought you were using CrazyTalk Animator?

[wizaerd]

I use it, I get frustrated with it, I quit and do something else.

I thought you were using CrazyTalk Animator?

I use quite a lot of different things. I have Anime Studio Pro 9, ToonBoom Animate Pro 3, and CrazyTalk Animator (as well as the base CrazyTalk Pro 7). Not to mention a whole lot of spriting animation applications as well. They all have their pros & cons.

[gso125]

Hi Wizaerd I was looking at toon boom pro3 or harmony I'm loving anime pro 9.2 and was wondering how you or anyone else like toon boom. Im Just a hobbyist at this time and learning day by day and would like the ability to do the frame by frame so was thinking pro 3. I called about harmony a bit pricey even on sale. Thanks Gerry

[wizaerd]

Animate Pro 3 is also a bit pricey, and has a much steeper learning curve. The "Pro" version, for whatever reason, contains the additional cutout capabilities, although it too will do FbF as well. I will say this much for it though, I really enjoy drawing in it. It now contains many more brushes, including dry media brushes/tools.

[slowtiger]

Well, TB Animate Pro is 1200 $. AS is 200 $. Guess what I choose.

[GCharb]

As a hobbyist I suggest you stick to Anime Studio, as it is allot cheaper, and it is also allot easier to learn.

Also, the AS community is much more active then the Animate community, at least it was the last time I checked, plus, there are tools that AS has that makes it unique, like point animation, smart bones, the ability to make complex rigs, and tons more!

So, unless You are planning to work for a 2D animation studio and use pretty much all the 2D animation conventions that came from the 30s, AS is the best choice, in my opinion, which is why I use it!

As for Manga Studio, great application, much better drawing tools, I mean, You could replace Photoshop with it, but for allot less money, it is dedicated to the making of comics, but no animation, so, if this is what You are planning to do, then it might be good for You!

Also, if You want to make motion comics, Motion Artist is worth a look, a glanced at it, looks very solid.

Really depends on what You want to do, but any Smith Micro product will get You there, especially if You are a hobbyist!

[gso125]

Thanks for the all the replies I will stay with anime pro for now. Some day if I have extra money I might try toon boom but for now I'm very happy with anime pro. I have adobe cs6 production premium and it has flash so I could try that as I only use photoshop and premier now. Thanks Gerry

[InfoCentral]

I have adobe cs6 production premium and it has flash so I could try that as I only use photoshop and premier now.

I haven't tried it yet, I have CS6 Master Suite, but I have see some really nice animation done with After Effects. I'm sure its a lot harder to get up to speed using it then ASP.

[InfoCentral]

I use quite a lot of different things. They all have their pros & cons.

Yeah, I noticed that Crazy Talk Animator hasn't been upgraded. Its still in version 1 some 3 years later.