Smith Micro Software has released a new version of its comic software, Manga Studio, which now includes frame-by-frame animation features and a rebrand to Clip Studio Paint.
The new release — compatible with Mac OS X 10.6 and higher — enables digital artists to create classical animations from their designs using a sequence of drawings that flow automatically to create the illusion of movement. Smith Micro is offering special pricing of $20 (55% off of retail) for the standard version, Clip Studio Paint Pro, through March 21. New features of the upgrade include:
° Cel animation Also known as frame-by-frame or traditional animation, this technique makes an object or character appear to move on its own. The artist can draw individual cels (frames), which act as transparent sheets that can be layered, and create the illusion of movement when the series of cels is played as a continuous sequence.
° Animation timeline This feature provides granular control over timing and display adjustments to create fluid movement of the animations.
° Light table function The light table illuminates pages, rendering them semi-transparent and making it easier to use multiple layers for reference, which is ideal for creating in-betweens (transitions between cels), and clean-line art for cels and illustrations.
° Onion skin display Onion skinning is a technique used in creating animated cartoons and editing movies to see several cels at once, allowing the animator or editor to determine how to create or adjust an image based on the previous image in the sequence.
° Multiple export options Drawings and animations can be exported as sequential images, GIFs, and movie formats.
Existing Manga Studio customers will receive the new version of Clip Studio Paint free of charge. New customers can purchase Clip Studio Paint online (http://tinyurl.com/hlshl5w).