KoolMoves or Swish

[Designer Bill]

If you're watching your pennies, which gives a bigger bang for the buck; KM or Swish?

I realize that having both is ideal. But I'm wondering about which one to start with if you don't buy both.

Thanks for any input!

-bill

[necromanthus]

KoolMoves or Swish ???
answer: Porsche or Ford ?

[Designer Bill]

Originally posted by necromanthus
KoolMoves or Swish ???
answer: Porsche or Ford ?

Gotcha. So it depends on your driving style. Although in this case the Ford costs more than the Porsche, doesn't it?

Thanks.

[johnie]

3DFA used to have a feature by Feature comparison of KM, SWiSH, Firestarter, Live Motion 2, and Flash MX.

If you want to compare feature to feature KoolMoves has more features and less price than SWiSH.

Likewise as of this writting SWiSH is minus one Flash 6 action scripting feature, Dynamic Text Feature, Onion Skinning, Some of the Import File Types as KM (Like Transparent PNG, TIFF, and others), and Morphing /shape tweening Feature. Although I understand the next version of SWiSH is to support those features. KM is minus GIF Import, SWF Import, and AVI export. SWF Import is due out in the next version of KoolMoves. GIF Import will be included later this year into KM, this summer, after the LZW Patent expires.

So to break it down, basically as of this writing (Between Flash MX, Nione IMP, KM, LM2, 3DFA, and SWiSH);

If you want to do Flash Forms...

KM LM2 NioneImp 3DFA

If you want Action Script...

KM LM2 NioneIMp 3DFA FlashMX

If you want to connect to a database...

KM LM2 3DFA FlashMX

If you want shape tweening/morphing...

KM LM2 3DFA FlashMX

If you want to Import GIF...

LM2 3DFA SWiSH FlashMX

If you want to Import AVI...

SWiSH FlashMX

If you want to export AVI

LM2 SWiSH FlashMX

If you want to export as Image sequence PNG, TIFF...

KM LM2 FlashMX

If You Want Motion Scripts or the equivalant...

KM LM2 FlashMX

Text Effect Engine that allows you to use native files...

SWiSH KM

If you want a Wizard to produce Text Boxes with sliders, import Movie Wizards, ECT...

KM 3DFA FlashMX

If you want enhanced HTML Support that supports HTML Tables...

3DFA

If you want 2 1/2 D animation tools...

LM2 KM FlashMX

If You want a 3D Engine...

3DFA

If You want Flash 6 (MX) Scripting...

3DFA KM FlashMX

If you want Frame based Tools...

KM FlashMX NioneIMP

If You want a Frame By Frame animation tool that auto morphs between frames- Kinda Like a Line test...

KM

If you want Timeline/Score Based tools...

3DFA FlashMX LM2 NionIMP

If You want a ClickNRun/GameMaker event like tools...

3DFA

If you want to be able to edit Images in whatever Image tool (Photoshop, Ulead, the GIMP, ECT) you have and sounds in whatever sound tool (GoldWave, Audacity, MSSR, ECT) you want...

KM

Built in Image Tools beyond basics such as rotate, scale, transparancy ECT...

3DFA FlashMX LM2


Okay- That is the Objective comp.

Now if you want to get into subjective things like ease of use ... Well I'm sure each is biased towards what they are most use to.

basically Feature for Price KoolMoves and 3DFA are the best of the lot. The two have completly different interfaces and take two very different aproaches to workflow besides the slight differences in features. Likewise the SWiSH interface is more like the Flash Interface so if that is important to you where as the 3DFA Interface is very Unique and KM interface is very much like more mature animation tools such as EVA Animator and others.


Likewise if you use a lot of Adobe Tools then LM2 would probably be more up your alley except that LM2 is only $100 less than Flash ($399) where as the rest of the tools (Besides Flash MX) are priced under $50!!

[johnie]

Originally posted by Designer Bill
Gotcha. So it depends on your driving style. Although in this case the Ford costs more than the Porsche, doesn't it?

Thanks.

Not really- KoolMoves and SWiSh have always been priced about the same with KoolMoves being a few dollars cheaper. Likewise KoolMoves has always had a few more features than SWiSH.

[Designer Bill]

Excellent rundown!

Thanks very much!

[necromanthus]

Originally posted by johnie

If you want to compare feature to feature KoolMoves has more features and less price than SWiSH.

That's true !
But it seems that 3DFA has a new fan: JOHNIE
When you wanna use any kind of program,you must define your level of knowledges.
If you're looking about the best "performances / price" result,the answer is simple: KoolMoves (excellent features and low cost).
You can't compare Flash MX with Swish or 3DFA (because you can't compare a "great father" with some "distorted childs").
So ...
KoolMoves is the best choice for anyone !

allways your friend,Johnie

[Bob Hartzell]

I am definitely saving the url to this thread. Occasionally I am asked this question and I don't know what to say.

Johnie, I am curious why you put 3DFA ahead of KM for action scripting.

[johnie]

Originally posted by Bob Hartzell
I am definitely saving the url to this thread. Occasionally I am asked this question and I don't know what to say.

Johnie, I am curious why you put 3DFA ahead of KM for action scripting.

3DFA and KM are actually exactly the same as far as AS goes. I wasn't aware that I put 3DFA ahead of KM in AS as they are both at Flash 6?

The Feature listings weren't in any order but rather just what tools support it.

[johnie]

Originally posted by necromanthus
That's true !
But it seems that 3DFA has a new fan: JOHNIE
When you wanna use any kind of program,you must define your level of knowledges.
If you're looking about the best "performances / price" result,the answer is simple: KoolMoves (excellent features and low cost).
You can't compare Flash MX with Swish or 3DFA (because you can't compare a "great father" with some "distorted childs").
So ...
KoolMoves is the best choice for anyone !

allways your friend,Johnie

Like I said I only stayed on an objective feature by feature comparison leaving out subjective preferences. If you asked me my subjective preference I'd say burn all the timeline dependant tools then get Kool Moves and MMB/Runtime Rev then don't bother learning FlashMX or that MM Director thing. I didn't want it to turn into a My Tool is better than your tool type thing.

I've always been intriuged by Mofosoft's tool. The concept is quite unique, Develop a ClckNRun/Game Maker like tool that Outputs as Flash. Wayback in the day it was called Insane Flash Animator and IMO it has its good points and its not so good points. The idea is sound and interesting at least. They tossed in 3D then changed its name to 3DFA.

Like I said as far as preferences on interfaces... Its all relative. Some people prefer the way that some tools work over others.

[Designer Bill]

It seems that one of the reasons to learn MM Flash, is so you can get a job at firms that require it. Am I correct?

[metalmovie]

I have used KoolMoves 4 jears, beginned by the demo. I don't think that there's a better program by I-can't-programming users. I have maded a website and i'm think that it's perfect for anyone who haves KoolMoves a little four years... <- "it's perfect"

[necromanthus]

OK Johnie,
Here're few points of reflection for BOB:

1)Action Script:
FlashMX , KM

2)Database connection:
KM , FlashMX

3)tweening/morphing:
KM , FlashMX

4) GIF import:
FlashMX , ?

5) AVI import/export:
FlashMX , ?

6)Image sequences export:
KM , FlashMX

7)Motion Scripts:
KM , FlashMX

8)Text Effect Engine:
KM , ?

9)Flash 6 Scripting:
FlashMX , KM

10)Movie Library (very important feature):
FlashMX , ?

11)Streaming preview (amazing feature):
FlashMX , ?

Enough ?

[johnie]

Originally posted by Designer Bill
It seems that one of the reasons to learn MM Flash, is so you can get a job at firms that require it. Am I correct?

One of the most important, and hardest things along with most desired, to learn in Flash is Action Script. The scripting language inside KoolMoves will work in Flash.

So if you learn how to script in KM you know how to script in Flash 5 or higher.

[Designer Bill]

Originally posted by johnie
. . . So if you learn how to script in KM you know how to script in Flash 5 or higher.

Hhhmmmmm!

Thanks for that insight.

[David Michie]

People must be very paranoid here at the KoolMoves forum. Why did you delete my thread about testing SWiSH 3.0? You could post a hundred times at the SWiSH forum about testing KoolMoves and I wouldn't delete it.

Anyway, regarding this thread:
There is a reason why there are 4,600 posts in the 3DFA forum, 9,000 in the KoolMoves forum, and more than 170,000 posts in the SWiSH forums, and it has absolutely nothing to do with feature-by-feature comparison lists!

(I wonder how long this post will last?)

Cheers, David.

[Inapropriate portions edited out]

[The Action Scripter]

Innapropriate parts! Jerry jerry jerry jerry!

Anyway, I would still say KoolMoves is better than SWiSH, but that's just my opinion. I'm sure people would say otherwise.

In a slightly different topic, about 35% of the people who own Flash MX downloaded it off of "Kaaza", or "WinMX," and got it completely for free. Now if we don't make money off of that, that actually isn't illegal. Some people in fact though, are making money off of it.

Eh, Macromedia is probably so rich they don't care. Here's and example of people cracking MX, and basically any other program. (Such as the $3,000+ Discreet 3ds Max.)

[links removed read TOS agreement. Please do not link to cracks of anysoftware or requests for such]

I have no idea why I brought this up. But can I ask this :

Can I just download Flash MX?

[David Michie]

First you delete my thread and now you edit my posts! BIZARRE.
Believe me, David Petley would not take offense to being called a...

Regarding cracks on Kazaa:
Most software is cracked, in fact, there's only one thing worse than
being cracked, and that's not being cracked. If your software hasn't
been cracked its not because of your amazingly sophisticated anti-
crack technology, its because the crackers can't be bothered.

BTW, if anything is inapproprite here, its posting links to cracks,
or forums describing how to get cracks.

Cheers, David.

[necromanthus]

Originally posted by David Michie
People must be very paranoid here at the KoolMoves forum. Why did you delete my thread about testing SWiSH 3.0?

Are you a SWISH fan David ?
I'm not !
What's the connection between OpenSWF,KoolMoves and Swish ?
I can find a single one: the SWF exported file !
In rest ... paranoic peoples.
ha ha ha
cheers

[David Michie]

Are you a SWISH fan David ?

Is the Pope Catholic?
Is Bob Hartzell a KoolMoves fan?

Regardless of whether you love or hate SWiSH I'd still like you to try SWiSH 3.0. In fact, SWiSH-haters are probably a better test ... we get better feedback that way!

Cheers, David.