Comic Genesis Forums

There has to be a vector animation freeware program out there. I mean, every other liscensed graphics software has a fairly comparable freeware counterpart, so why not Flash?

The question is, Kris X, don't you already have enough to do right now?

wp wrote:The question is, Kris X, don't you already have enough to do right now?

Seems to be the usual question.

Sam_Charette wrote: Macromedia Flash (MX 2004 is the latest). And it only costs $500 US!

Kris, I got Macromedia Studio MX with Flash, Dreamweaver, the whole works for $199 thanks to a student discount. Check out your local campus bookstore and you'll be amazed at what you can find. Macromedia includes some great tutorials built into the software to help you along. Good luck.

steverules wrote:

Sam_Charette wrote: Macromedia Flash (MX 2004 is the latest). And it only costs $500 US!

Kris, I got Macromedia Studio MX with Flash, Dreamweaver, the whole works for $199 thanks to a student discount. Check out your local campus bookstore and you'll be amazed at what you can find. Macromedia includes some great tutorials built into the software to help you along. Good luck.

That's a pretty good discount. Just remember that you're not actually allowed to publish anything, even for free, under the student licenses. It's for learning purposes only.

As far as Macromedia is concerned, if you're using a student license to publish something (even for free) you may as well be a pirate.


(edited for spelling )

Are you saying that you might as well save the $200 and just rip it off in the first place?

Sam_Charette wrote: That's a pretty good discount. Just remember that you're not actually allowed to publish anything, even for free, under the student licenses. It's for learning purposes only.
As far as Macromedia is concerned, if you're using a student license to publish something (even for free) you may as wel be a pirate.

Sam, doesn't that apply if you are using it for profit? Dreamweaver would be useless if you didn't use it to build a website. If I use it to build a website on Keenspace (which I'm not) and am not doing so to make money isn't that alright. My understanding with the student versions (I have the Adobe box set as well) is that you can't use it professionally.

Warren wrote:Are you saying that you might as well save the $200 and just rip it off in the first place?

I wouldn't say that at all, since I'm against piracty.


But you may draw your own conclusions from it.

steverules wrote:Sam, doesn't that apply if you are using it for profit? Dreamweaver would be useless if you didn't use it to build a website. If I use it to build a website on Keenspace (which I'm not) and am not doing so to make money isn't that alright. My understanding with the student versions (I have the Adobe box set as well) is that you can't use it professionally.

Nope, even for free.

With Dreamweaver, you can still use it. You can publish to a local directory. You can publish to a school directory. You can even publish to the web. If you do so, and keep it up there, it's breach of contract (since you promised you wouldn't). You're supposed to learn from it, move on, and buy the real thing in order to make your permanent web presence with.


Essentially, the company sees any permanent work as "Professional". They don't care if you are paid for it or not. All they care about is that if you use it for more than simply learning how to do something, then they want their bigger cut.

Learn something new everyday. Guess I should really read the fine print.

steverules wrote:Learn something new everyday. Guess I should really read the fine print.

Reading the fine print is a very good idea, especially to help others out because you only get it once you've bought it. I could *technically* be wrong, since I don't have an educational version, but that's how most student versions work. Macromedia could be unlike all of the other companies and not be looking to make a buck off ya

Mr.Bob wrote:..and so ended Kris X's career in flash movies.

Somebody lock this thread.

Btw, I won't say how much I payed for my Macromedia pack, but it was buggy version so I couldn't install it. I'll have to buy another one soon - the downside of piracy, no guarantee or technical service.

Screw that technicality. It's like selling hammers to apprentice carpenters at a discount, and then saying "You better not use that to build any houses later!"

mcDuffies wrote:

Mr.Bob wrote:..and so ended Kris X's career in flash movies.

Somebody lock this thread.

Btw, I won't say how much I payed for my Macromedia pack, but it was buggy version so I couldn't install it. I'll have to buy another one soon - the downside of piracy, no guarantee or technical service.

Hey, I've got a perfectly good copy of Macromedia that I'd sell you. ***scrapes off "student version"*** Yeah, perfectly good copy.

kathleenJ wrote:Screw that technicality. It's like selling hammers to apprentice carpenters at a discount, and then saying "You better not use that to build any houses later!"

Unfortunately, legally speaking, software is nothing like hammers. A hammer is a purely physical thing, whereas software is purely a concept. When you "buy" software, you don't actually own it. Read the EULA (End-User License Agreement). It states that you are merely using it, and don't own it.

Worse still, at any time (and usually for any reason) the manufacturer may order you to uninstall it and destroy any copy of the software you bought, without refund, and legally speaking you'd be required do as instructed.

Worse still, where applicable (since some states forbid this kind of practice) they also state that they are not to be held liable for anything that can go wrong with your computer, your life or your business as a result of the software, even if they knew it would do it ahead of time and didn't warn you.

Software manufacturers are a rough crowd.


That said, the chances of them ever CATCHING you doing something like using a student version for non-learning-related exercises are slim to nil, (even though, so their site says, you need to give them copies of photo ID and proof that you are enrolled in a degree-bearing course that is applicable to the application you are buying) but if you are one to dislike the idea of piracy, then using the educational version for anything other than education typically constitutes a breach of contract and a form of piracy.

steverules wrote:

Sam_Charette wrote: Macromedia Flash (MX 2004 is the latest). And it only costs $500 US!

Kris, I got Macromedia Studio MX with Flash, Dreamweaver, the whole works for $199 thanks to a student discount. Check out your local campus bookstore and you'll be amazed at what you can find. Macromedia includes some great tutorials built into the software to help you along. Good luck.

got the full student version of XP Pro (student version asks for no registration ad can be installed on any number of computers no problem) for $12 from the bookstore when I was in college

steverules wrote:

mcDuffies wrote:

Mr.Bob wrote:..and so ended Kris X's career in flash movies.

Somebody lock this thread.

Btw, I won't say how much I payed for my Macromedia pack, but it was buggy version so I couldn't install it. I'll have to buy another one soon - the downside of piracy, no guarantee or technical service.

Hey, I've got a perfectly good copy of Macromedia that I'd sell you. ***scrapes off "student version"*** Yeah, perfectly good copy.

I wouldn't pay 100$ for it, that's sure.

Warren wrote:

TOXIC AVENGER! wrote: I'm sure nobody here would ever suggest using a pirate version.

Because the pirate versions (like the ones on KaZaa and LimeWire) might have viruses. And it's just wrong to copy a program. Especially one that is $500.

*cough*Bittorrent*cough* sorry, there was some toothpaste in my throat...

Teammayhem wrote:

Warren wrote:

TOXIC AVENGER! wrote: I'm sure nobody here would ever suggest using a pirate version.

Because the pirate versions (like the ones on KaZaa and LimeWire) might have viruses. And it's just wrong to copy a program. Especially one that is $500.

*cough*Bittorrent*cough* sorry, there was some toothpaste in my throat...

*cough*bittorrentwasshutdown?*cough*

Okay, no more piracy talk. IF you are producing comics or flash with pirated software, please purchase the software before releasing anything made with it. All commercial software leaves its finger prints in everything it produces. Not wise to profit from stolen software.