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[godzilla_is_here]

hiya all,
i had a quick search of the forums and couldn't find anything about Open LGX, has anyone in here been beta testing?? is it as good as everything i've been hearing about it?
and how long if it gets realeased on july 1 do you think it will take macromedia to swallow up or stop the guys that are creating this piece of software?
i can't imagine that they're too happy about it especially having the ability to directly import 3ds files.
i'd be interested to hear what you guys think.
if your not sure what it is i'm talking about go to
http://www.openlgx.org/

[DaPurno]

Pretty cool looking piece of software, get wait to try it out...!

[Trakko]

openlgx.org is not going anywhere. We have all our own techniques and code and offer our source to any company who thinks otherwise. we also have legal support now and have really been good about protecting our code while keeping it open. The flash community deserves this tool and we will deliver it. Special thanks to our linux alpha testers, i'll have the windows version real soon.

Arthur Stevens
openlgx.org team leader

[wouter999]

Originally posted by Trakko
openlgx.org is not going anywhere. We have all our own techniques and code and offer our source to any company who thinks otherwise. we also have legal support now and have really been good about protecting our code while keeping it open. The flash community deserves this tool and we will deliver it. Special thanks to our linux alpha testers, i'll have the windows version real soon.

Arthur Stevens
openlgx.org team leader

Good.

I can't wait to test it, will there be just as cool actions just like flash?

[DNA of FLASH]

When I looked at screen shots it looked - boring (just like Photoshop) all black and white! I love Flash because it is easy in use and not just black and white!

[Trakko]

Originally posted by DNA of FLASH
When I looked at screen shots it looked - boring (just like Photoshop) all black and white! I love Flash because it is easy in use and not just black and white!

Funny to see how people are focusing on the little crap like b&w menu's. We are in Alpha, we will have pretty toolbars later this week but have been focusing on the serious stuff, like a z-axis, real xml tools, an open source player, and advanced audio tracking. The end product will be skinnable so you can make it look as colorful as you like or leave it simple and focus the creativity in your work, not depend on your toolbars for color. This kind of comment just cracks me up.

Oh and of course we have scripting, and not just the actionscript (which is really bastardized javascript) but also python and perl support. We also have our own programming syntax we are introducing. This is what we have beenworking on, not the toolbar. Anyone who knows application development knows how easy it is to give an application a facelift, especially a modular menu.

[enemem]

that really does sound excellent!
shame I don't have a linux box flying around to test on!!

built-in support for 3ds and avi? that is great too. and it has generator style capabilities!

would be great to have a Windows GUI though with little icons and things...

can't wait - n.

[DaPurno]

I think its more important how a tool works (and IF it works ) rather then how it looks..Or isn't that true ?

[JabezStone]

Originally posted by DaPurno
I think its more important how a tool works (and IF it works ) rather then how it looks..Or isn't that true ?

No, that's only partly true. While it IS important that a tool works, if you can't easily identify the particular components of the tool, its usability is greatly diminished.

A great example... a Technical Illustration tool called "AutoTrol Tech Illustrator" was absolutely the most advanced, powerful tool in its arena. Its price was even competetive in the market. However, because their interface was nothing but buttons with descriptive words on them, people found it clumsy to use and didn't want to take the time to learn. Not only this, but people had to be able to read/speak english in order to use the tool.
AutoTrol realized they were losing much of the market, and soon re-designed their Unux-based software into a Windows-based interface. This new program included Icons instead of "text buttons", which enhanced usability for non-English majors, and also provided quick familiarity with "graphical" navigation. Suddenly, AutoTrol's leading software actually became profitable and is now the best in its field.

If OpenLGX hopes to take part in this motion-graphics revolution, they really need to change their Interface. If not, it'll just be a nice idea that "could-have-been".
[Edited by JabezStone on 06-18-2001 at 03:14 PM]

[Trakko]

Originally posted by JabezStone

Originally posted by DaPurno
I think its more important how a tool works (and IF it works ) rather then how it looks..Or isn't that true ?

No, that's only partly true. While it IS important that a tool works, if you can't easily identify the particular components of the tool, its usability is greatly diminished.

A great example... a Technical Illustration tool called "AutoTrol Tech Illustrator" was absolutely the most advanced, powerful tool in its arena. Its price was even competetive in the market. However, because their interface was nothing but buttons with descriptive words on them, people found it clumsy to use and didn't want to take the time to learn. Not only this, but people had to be able to read/speak english in order to use the tool.
AutoTrol realized they were losing much of the market, and soon re-designed their Unux-based software into a Windows-based interface. This new program included Icons instead of "text buttons", which enhanced usability for non-English majors, and also provided quick familiarity with "graphical" navigation. Suddenly, AutoTrol's leading software actually became profitable and is now the best in its field.

If OpenLGX hopes to take part in this motion-graphics revolution, they really need to change their Interface. If not, it'll just be a nice idea that "could-have-been".
[Edited by JabezStone on 06-18-2001 at 03:14 PM]

What part of the 'it IS skinnable' part do people not understand? hehehe I give up. OpenLGX will let you edit the UI from within itself, skinnable means you can change the appearance of the application to suite your needs. Once we are in production, users will be able to send their skins in and share them. Most people look at their development tools all day, we feel they should be able to tweak them. We even give you the source so you can tweak how the toolbars work, not just look.

A major thing to remember here is it IS an open soource project, and it is free. I'm not here to buy another BMW, i'm happy with my Volvo , i'm not here to hurt Macromedias market, I am here however to put togeather a tool with the features people have been asking for, and I am here to give it away for free.

As for multilingual, we have 6 languages planned and more when we get the support. We will support any language where we can find someone to help with the translations. we will however only have an english available at first. Gotta walk before we can fly...

Thanks for all the support and input.

Arthur
OpenLGX.org code slave

[JabezStone]

Chill out, kiddo! Just trying to offer a little advice here!
I haven't said anything degrading about your project(product)!
You guys have way more programming knowledge than I'll ever hope to have (or care to have), and you're doing a great job! More power to ya! Seriously!

Looking forward to the Windows version...

Regards,

Jabez

[Subway]

Sounds all great.

Three Questions:

1. Is a Mac version planed and when?
2. How do you make money out of it?
3. There's no new plug needed, yes?

Can't wait to test it, Fredi

[johnie]

Ha- Just the other day I said, Gee there needs to be a Linux SWF creation tool and lol and behol;d there it is.


Couple of Questions....

1. Did you Use the Open SWF SDK or write your own?

2. I assume that you will port it to other OS's. what is the ETA on those ports?

3. Is this program going to go into any of the other Linux Distributions? That would be cool to get this with lets say... Red Hat or Mandrake?

[Trakko]

Originally posted by Subway
Sounds all great.

Three Questions:

1. Is a Mac version planed and when?
2. How do you make money out of it?
3. There's no new plug needed, yes?

Can't wait to test it, Fredi

1) yes, it is in the works, eta August.
2) Who cares about money, we all have plenty already, lets do smething fun :)
3) you can export a swf and use the existing flash player, or you can export a lgx that requires the new player we have developed. The new player has several enhanced features that improve xml, security, scripting, etc, as well as being open source and fully modular (you can add features we haven't even thought up yet. Be limited by your imagination, not our player.

[Trakko]

Originally posted by JabezStone
Chill out, kiddo! Just trying to offer a little advice here!
I haven't said anything degrading about your project(product)!
You guys have way more programming knowledge than I'll ever hope to have (or care to have), and you're doing a great job! More power to ya! Seriously!

Looking forward to the Windows version...

Regards,

Jabez

Sorry mate, just a bit twitchy on the ui complaints. I guess i need to put a disclaimer up about it. No worries

[Trakko]

Originally posted by johnie
Ha- Just the other day I said, Gee there needs to be a Linux SWF creation tool and lol and behol;d there it is.


Couple of Questions....

1. Did you Use the Open SWF SDK or write your own?

2. I assume that you will port it to other OS's. what is the ETA on those ports?

3. Is this program going to go into any of the other Linux Distributions? That would be cool to get this with lets say... Red Hat or Mandrake?

1) Grown fresh in our organic gardens We will be making it available shortly.

2) Windows July 2001, Mac August 2001, Java October 2001

3) We have talked to a couple and will offer packages to any distro that ask (as long as they offer a downloadable version of their distro - sorry SuSE). We run Gravity/OS, SlackWare, and Mandrake on our development test machines so you should at least be able to find RPM's and .tgz's of what you need off the site itself, but yes hopefully it will be included in the future linux distro's if we can help it. We are here to empower, and whats more empowering than having high end multimedia development abilities included with your distro? Would be a great boost for Linux as I hear everyday that Flash is all that ties alot of people to windows. hehe

Take care..

[devoto]

Trakko,

1) Damn openlgx looks good!
2) I do not care about the GUI being b/w (not one bit).
3) Keep up the good work
4) Damn openlgx looks good!

Later

Devoto

[JabezStone]

Trakko,
Have you (I'm sure you have) given thought to creating a versatile standalone projector for the LGX format?

CDrom creation is a very large part of my line of work, and I could see the scalability of LGX being a tremendous competitor to some of the larger CD authoring tools that exist <*cough*director*cough*>.

The macromedia flash projector is very limited with its FSCommand capabilities, and has forced its developers to use other 3rd party options, such as Northcode.com 's SWFstudio and such. While Northcode is doing a <i>tremendous</i> job developing and supporting his program, I would love to see that versatility native in an authoring environment.

Just a wee suggestion! <g>

[Trakko]

Originally posted by JabezStone
Trakko,
Have you (I'm sure you have) given thought to creating a versatile standalone projector for the LGX format?

CDrom creation is a very large part of my line of work, and I could see the scalability of LGX being a tremendous competitor to some of the larger CD authoring tools that exist <*cough*director*cough*>.

The macromedia flash projector is very limited with its FSCommand capabilities, and has forced its developers to use other 3rd party options, such as Northcode.com 's SWFstudio and such. While Northcode is doing a <i>tremendous</i> job developing and supporting his program, I would love to see that versatility native in an authoring environment.

Just a wee suggestion! <g>

Our stand-alone generator (projector creator) will have more advanced functionality than Flash and other tools since our player is modular, you can export say advanced scripting, or take advantage of our built in p2p support. You could also have a real advanced powerful search engine on rom, or a game, or a spreadsheet application, etc. We wanted to also fill the opening that was never truely fulfilled by Java. So because of these features, you could ship say a full groupware suite and even a file server that boots off a cd or the web. We have lots of plans, including a VB style application builder scheduled for the end of the year so business apps become a reality, not just a novelty.

Thanks so much for the input, i'll be staying up yet another night debugging, heheh

[enemem]

Maybe we should have an openLgx section here at flashkit? Sounds too great not to be here surely??

I went over to motiongraphics.com or wherever it was that the openLGX forum lives and it is a very new forum, about 10 posts total in 20 or so internet tech related subject groups. I would think anybody who's interested in flash would stop off here from time to time at least and this subject has already caused lots and lots of interest, so...

flashkit bods - how about it?
trakko - would you mind? maybe you have some sort of agreement with the motion graphics people?

just a thought - n.