My Flash Topic

[TheSuburbanLetdown]

People'd use it over photoshop since it's free. And people seem to like it, so maybe you're not using it correctly.

[Faub]

speaking of Linux, Faub... I'm looking for some good soft synth software for Linux.. commercial or otherwise.. know any good sites I can research on that. as I'm trying to remain mostly on Linux these days but all my music software is windows based. so looking for alternatives.

Have you tried Wine? http://www.winehq.org/

It allows you to run Windows applications under Linux. If you own it anyway, it might be worth your time trying to use it in Wine. If that doesn't work, I've never looked, but a quick google search brought up some interesting stuff:

http://www.linuxjournal.com/article/6320 <-- linux and softsynth
http://www.synthzone.com/softsyn.htm <-- a list of programs

Would anyone pick Gimp over photoshop? 'Cause I use photoshop exclusively at the moment, but I have Gimp as well. I tried using Gimp once for about 5 minutes, then switched back because I didn't think Gimp did anything. Maybe I just don't know how to use it?

I would.

Problem is, I've tried using Photoshop (old versions and new versions) and I hate it. I can't make it do anything useful. It keeps trying to tell me how I'm supposed to do what I want it to do. GIMP is SO much more user friendly. I can move between windows with the mouse and don't have to worry about which one has focus. The drawing pad works in GIMP but not Photoshop.

Basically, what I'm saying is that I've used GIMP more than Photoshop. It does what I want it to do and I know how to make it work. When I switch to Photoshop, I can't find anything because the menus are different and I spend all my time searching for the tools I want. That's probably what you're seeing with GIMP. You know how Photoshop works and you spend all your time looking for the same functionality in GIMP. When you don't find it, GIMP becomes worthless to you. Maybe GIMP actually does what you want, but if you can't find it, what's the point in using it?

GIMP doesn't handle CYMK.
GIMP doesn't import or save to layered PDFs or PSDs. It uses its own format.
GIMP's vectors aren't the same or aren't as powerful as Photoshop's.
GIMP's text tool doesn't allow different fonts or sizes within the same text object.
GIMP can't use photoshop brushes or patterns. It uses its own formats.
Some of photoshop's features are cleaner, faster or just different.
GIMP is free and you can tinker with the code if you're so inclined.
GIMP can be made to partly or mostly work alike photoshop.
I don't know enough photoshop to say much more than that.

[Phact0rri]

Have you tried Wine? http://www.winehq.org/

No but its on the list, of things, to experiment. Right now I'm just using Windows most my art type stuff, graphics and music as well as games, but I'm moving to experiment a bit.

http://www.linuxjournal.com/article/6320 <-- linux and softsynth
http://www.synthzone.com/softsyn.htm <-- a list of programs

I have been to synthzone.com a lot in the past, the Linux Journal article was really interesting though. thanks for the link. I'm gonna continue to experiment and I'm sure I'll find something soon. The main issue, is finding a decent program that supports the Yamaha usb to midi devices. so I might have to check out Wine, if nothing else. But a neat article never the less.

[Tyler C. Hendrix]

Wow. I didn't expect anybody to actually reply. Now to say a few things.

I'm quite sure the way I got this was perfectly legal. If not, then at least semi-legal. I borrowed the install disc from my Tech Apps teacher.

I would buy it, but that's a lot of money, and my mom's family is lower middle class, so she won't be giving me money for it or anything any time soon. I also don't feel like waiting a few months to save up enough to buy it.

Also, sorry for the 1337 speak, but I do that sometimes when I'm giddy, AND BOY AM I GIDDY. Hope nobody thought I was being stuck up or anything. Wow, do I blather. Anyways, yeah. I'm now working on a flash that will be a cheap attempt at humor with horrible touch-pad mouse drawings.

[McDuffies]

Basically, what I'm saying is that I've used GIMP more than Photoshop. It does what I want it to do and I know how to make it work. When I switch to Photoshop, I can't find anything because the menus are different and I spend all my time searching for the tools I want. That's probably what you're seeing with GIMP. You know how Photoshop works and you spend all your time looking for the same functionality in GIMP. When you don't find it, GIMP becomes worthless to you. Maybe GIMP actually does what you want, but if you can't find it, what's the point in using it?

That's what happened to me.

[Tyler C. Hendrix]

I'm back. I left the vengeance in my other pants. Some friend of mine and myself have decided to try our hands at a weekly webseries based on characters from a story we wrote. A trailer that has absolutely nothing to do with the actual story has been made rather quickly, and been placed on our freewebs. Linked here.

http://www.freewebs.com/rumoredgames/PA ... ailer.html

Tell me what you think.

[Laemkral]

I'm back. I left the vengeance in my other pants. Some friend of mine and myself have decided to try our hands at a weekly webseries based on characters from a story we wrote. A trailer that has absolutely nothing to do with the actual story has been made rather quickly, and been placed on our freewebs. Linked here.

http://www.freewebs.com/rumoredgames/PA ... railer.swf

Tell me what you think.

*smack*

No. Pirates are normally cool, unless they're software pirates. You fail.

[Kisai]

I'm back. I left the vengeance in my other pants. Some friend of mine and myself have decided to try our hands at a weekly webseries based on characters from a story we wrote. A trailer that has absolutely nothing to do with the actual story has been made rather quickly, and been placed on our freewebs. Linked here.

http://www.freewebs.com/rumoredgames/PA ... railer.swf

Tell me what you think.

Moves to slow, tells us nothing.

and the link doesn't work, c&p into the browser bar.

I'm not singling you out for this rant, I've seen it dozens of times...

The problem when people do flash cartoons is that they don't know anything about flash, animation, or even drawing in some cases. I've been studying different animation styles for months. Flash breaks down into two animation styles and a few sub-genres.

Oh and intense sarcasm warning.

The two styles:
Frame-By-Frame - Like traditional animation, each frame is drawn, gives the illusion of smooth animation with a lot of work
Tweens - Where most of the frames are tweened together in limited animation to give a smooth look to the animation, comes at the expense of professionalism, since an animation could simply be a ball with two smaller balls and someone can go "look it's a face!"

The Genres:
a) crap - Yes, there is literately a style of "this is random crap I drew in 30 minutes" , this is roughly 90% of newgrounds.
b) sprite-rip - On no not another mario kills sonic kills megaman cartoon x_x
c) music video - oh how many flash cartoons are going to use the lord of the rings or star wars, or DDR or eurobeat music... ugh too many.
d) one-shot series - Someone does a pilot, and then does no more
e) multi-shot series type I - A series that lasts more than one episode, but all the following episodes are worse than the pilot
f) multi-shot series type II - A series that gets a fan gathering who then pesters the author to draw more till they go insane and tell them to goto hell.
g) multi-shot series type III - A series that gets a few episodes out and then the author mysteriously dies of internet hiatus disease. No seriously, these are the take the money and run types.
h) diliberate rip of some movie, game, anime etc - Ooh, starwars with peeps, harry potter with lego... what the crap... boring boring
i) original stick-up-their-bum animation - Could be classified as two talking heads talk crap about some recent news headline or press release. It's, been done, die now.
j) original "so and so answers email" - It was cute the first two or three times, but for crap sakes, people please stop turning your emojournal entries into 4 frame flash animations. *head*desk*head*desk


I'll stop there.

If you are proposing a flash series, flesh out the characters, story, tease the audience with a trailer and post a pilot. If people like your stuff, they will come back for more, if they hate it, you have exactly 10 seconds of attention, don't waste it.

To be more brutally honest, upload the flash to newgrounds, if it doesn't last 20 minutes on that site, nobody will watch.

[Joel Fagin]

To be more brutally honest, upload the flash to newgrounds, if it doesn't last 20 minutes on that site, nobody will watch.

Yeah, if it lasts that short a time, it's basically been panned.

Heh, heh. A flash in the pan. Heh, heh, heh.

Don't mind me. Just dropping off a pun.

- Joel Fagin

[McDuffies]

Hm, I like that animation style I've seen on Brittish tv, like Monkey Dust. It's all jerky and jumpy, but it somehow looks natural.

I guess I never like things that go too smooth.

[Tyler C. Hendrix]

Well, I'm glad that people are at least paying attention. Now a few more things to say.

First, I will repeat that I DID NOT PIRATE THE SOFTWARE. My Tech Apps teacher gave me the install disc. That's not pirating. If a friend gives you a copy of a PS2 game, does that make it pirated? NO.

Second, thanks, McDuffies for your compliment.

And Third, Kisai, thanks for the brutal honesty. I enjoy that much more than people who just throw out random insults with no real attempt at advice or anything of the sort. I'll also consider putting the pilot on Newgrounds. Thanks. The story and characters are all fleshed out already. It's based off of a collab story I did with a few of my friends. In fact the whole joke of the trailer was that it had nothing to do with the series (the exception being that one guy at the end that attempts to say something. He's the MAIN main character, if you can call him that.)

[Jackhass]

*Ahem*...

...I've got some "free" software on my computer too, so you PWN NOTHING.

[Tyler C. Hendrix]

Geez, do I have to change the title of the topic for people to stop commenting on that? Listen. I don't care if you believe me or not. This stuff isn't pirated. I didn't mean the whole PWN thing and all literally, I was just so darn giddy to have it that I typed that as the topic. Do you not gloat when something really awesome happens to YOU? Most people do. But anyways, I'm off to change the topic title if possible...

[Guildmaster Van]

Why do you care if people think you pirated it?

[McDuffies]

Second, thanks, McDuffies for your compliment.

I made a compliment?

[Laemkral]

Well, I'm glad that people are at least paying attention. Now a few more things to say.

First, I will repeat that I DID NOT PIRATE THE SOFTWARE. My Tech Apps teacher gave me the install disc. That's not pirating. If a friend gives you a copy of a PS2 game, does that make it pirated? NO.

Yes, it can be. Common misunderstanding about computer software: you don't buy the software, you buy a license to use the software. If the license associated with the computer programs says something like: "one copy may be installed" then one and only one copy may be installed at any given time. I don't know the exact details of the license so I can't say for sure if this is pirating. I just hate software pirates.

Isn't the legal system fun?

[Linkara]

See, free versions photoshop or other types of painting programs like that don't impress me.

Give me a free look-alike of 3DS Max and I'll create a webcomic entirely based around the awesomeness that is that person.