Pc Neon anyone ?

[nyarla]

I dunno if that's true or not Rod_S, it could be in general... but im just wanting to note that, if so, there are exceptions! I haven't played with Neon yet of course (not even the 360 version) but I already see it as a full creative application, type thing, which I plan to pay for and use as such

I use a PC cos that's what I have... I've used PCs for years, so when I got my latest computer I got a PC because the software I use the most is windows only, and I know my way around PCs enough to generally be able to fix any problem that comes up...

I must admit if I could afford another computer it'd be a macbook though But..yeah... computers are a creative tool for me. It might be true that more creative types use macs than PCs, but personally the only difference between them I see is that OSX has a nicer vibe.. it does sort of feel more "creative"..whereas Windows feels "commercial" and tacky. But in the end, the platform doesn't matter to me at all. (yeah yeah, when I get a mac one day I'll probably be an instant macwanker, but still!)

[gilesgoat]

I "officially declare" that "there won't be further talkings on Neon PC/Mac".

We'll do the best, "when it's out ? When it will be ready".

End.

[piku]

Wouldn't it be nice if, when writing software, the main motivation for supporting platform "X" wasn't "It'll make us the most amount of money".

I read recently (in Wired I think) that Mac shareware developers see a significantly higher number of legit registrations than their PC counterparts, the point being that developing shareware for Windows doesn't necessarily equate to a higher income, just more pirated serial numbers and bent copies. I also remember reading something similar in an Adobe newsletter years ago.

That makes some sort of sense... who here has actually bothered to register Winzip?. Shareware's a bit like free software in Linux - if it doesn't work properly, or demands payment then unless the software is absolutely amazing, there'll be 10,000 variations on the same theme out there.

For shareware to make people money, the software they release actually has to be good. Or it needs to be 1985 again

Would be very interesting to see the sales statistics if a Neon version of OSX was developed.

A Neon version of OSX? I'd pay to see that I bet the dock would look quite interesting.

The arrival of PCs has kind of buggered up the computing industry, hasn't it. Back in ye olde days when 8bit and 16bit machines existed there didn't seem to be much of an issue over supporting the different computers - I could buy a crap movie tie-in for my spectrum, and also see it on sale for the C64. It was normal for a game to come out on the ST and the Amiga.

Then, as soon as the PC became good enough to do nice graphics and sound it kind of trampled on everyone else and now we've got this hideously bodged PC architecture, or the Mac (which is becoming more and more like a PC every time it's recreated.... Macs running Windows, with Intel processors?).

[Tepic]

That makes some sort of sense... who here has actually bothered to register Winzip?.

Umm. I did.

[arron]

Pfah. Getting a bit fed up of this to be honest. Spyware gets onto a machine with little effort, why should an desired application be any different?

Compile a personal copy with my name embedded on the title screen to prevent copying.
Stick a copy on CD.
Sign CD to make it a collectors item.
I send you a cheque for thirty quid + P&P.
You send me the CD when cheque clears.
Job done.

Repeat with other people..software sold.

[piku]

Pfah. Getting a bit fed up of this to be honest. Spyware gets onto a machine with little effort, why should an desired application be any different?

Compile a personal copy with my name embedded on the title screen to prevent copying.

Nah, you can get around that fairly easily. I used to alter the text in my programs all the time back in DOS using a hex editor. If you embed it as an image, people will just rip the image out or deface it.

Also, your average pirate wouldn't care if his software was registered to "Bob Smith". Bob Smith might, but could always claim he had his disk stolen.

Online registration and constant verification might be harder to crack. Licence keys are stupid inventions, I never saw the point.

[Bog]

I "officially declare" that "there won't be further talkings on Neon PC/Mac".

We'll do the best, "when it's out ? When it will be ready".

End.

But Giles! This is the Internet! Everyone's got a right to tell you how to do your job!

[arron]

Pfah. Getting a bit fed up of this to be honest. Spyware gets onto a machine with little effort, why should an desired application be any different?

Compile a personal copy with my name embedded on the title screen to prevent copying.

Nah, you can get around that fairly easily. I used to alter the text in my programs all the time back in DOS using a hex editor. If you embed it as an image, people will just rip the image out or deface it.

I've got a Llamasoft special edition numbered collectors item..that was the point. Until this distribution rubbish is sorted, you could do just that and start earning some money. You could put stuff into the binary (constant variables that are not changed in the code) that was non-intuitive to make it readily identifiable to the developer, but not the user. So if a copy gets into the wild, then you know whose it is.

[Rod_S]

Just out of interest - would it be possible to develop a version of Neon that worked as a plug-in, say for After Effects or Final Cut Pro? This isn't a demand or anything, I'm just wondering if it would be possible.

[Bog]

Just out of interest - would it be possible to develop a version of Neon that worked as a plug-in, say for After Effects or Final Cut Pro? This isn't a demand or anything, I'm just wondering if it would be possible.

That would, indeed, be very damned cool. Much cooler than just looping the output from a lightsynth back into the capture card.

[gilesgoat]

Just out of interest - would it be possible to develop a version of Neon that worked as a plug-in, say for After Effects or Final Cut Pro? This isn't a demand or anything, I'm just wondering if it would be possible.

All is possible technically, if the documentation supplied is enough.

[Rod_S]

Just out of interest - would it be possible to develop a version of Neon that worked as a plug-in, say for After Effects or Final Cut Pro? This isn't a demand or anything, I'm just wondering if it would be possible.

All is possible technically, if the documentation supplied is enough.

Maybe it's something worth considering when time allows. FWIW, here's the After Effects SDK.

http://partners.adobe.com/public/develo ... pic_7.html

[oddbob0]

Just out of interest - would it be possible to develop a version of Neon that worked as a plug-in, say for After Effects or Final Cut Pro? This isn't a demand or anything, I'm just wondering if it would be possible.

Considering just how powerful an art tool Neon is, I think I'd probably shoot my load over that

[zip accident]

Rod_S wrote:

Maybe it's something worth considering when time allows.

I don't know what the heck you're talking about, but I suspect Giles just said it's in the current version of Neon PC.

[Bog]

I don't know what the heck you're talking about, but I suspect Giles just said it's in the current version of Neon PC.

After Effects is a compositing and digital effects package for PC and Mac. It's heavily used in broadcast and fillum work - think "photoshop with keyframes" and you're not far off most of it's abilities (that's understating the case though, IMHO it's Adobe's single best bit of software).

What Rod's suggesting is being able to use Neon as an effects filter in AE, which would be really cool all the way up the left and all the way down the right. Also, as you'd be flogging it to professional graphics kids, Llamasoft would be entirely within it's rights to charge more for the pluginized (ahaha) version as a pro art tool.

Which would, y'know, rawk.

Where it would fall over, if I read things right, would be the live-performance side of things, of having four people jamming along with their controllers to fly the camera and effects layers in Neon. That said, I guess there's nowt stopping someone from plugging a passel of analogue controllers into their AE rig and doing a bit of preflight, as it were.

Eeeenteresting idea, Rod.