Aura for Mac

[Zarathustra]

Now see, how hard could it have been to do this before by NT?

http://www.bauhaussoftware.com/

According to CGChannel:
"Mirage is based on technology formerly distributed as NewTek's Aura Video Paint."

I'm a staunch AE user, but it annoys me to see how quickly someone else can make a Mac version of a PC product that otherwise would never have made it there if it was still a NT product.

This just adds to my worries of NT's commitment/ability when it comes to Mac. <sigh>

[mbaldwin]

On the same topic,

Maxon should be applauded for their efforts. They've taken two staunch PC plug developers and managed to coax out of them Mac versions of their software: Xfrog and Shave and a Haircut.

The 'muscle' I'm talking about is cold, hard cash. Evidently Maxon sees the benifit in funding these developers to bring product to both platforms supported by Cinema 4d.

Newtek has some loyalty/retention issues playing out with Mac customers, due to recent neglect(1-2 years?). Many of the mac 3d packages now sport feature parity with lightwave, and there's more developers coming. As an armchair capitalist, I'd place a priority on shoring up the Mac section of its user base.

[Beamtracer]

Zarathustra, the fact that you use Adobe After Effects shouldn't influence your opinion about Aura / Mirage. They really are very different applications.

Mirage isn't really a compositing application in the way that AE is. The two programs are different enough that it would be a reasonable thing to own them both. Aura does 32 bit-per-channel paint, which neither AE or Photoshop are capable of.

Keep a close eye on what Mirage does. It may be worth a purchase. Also, there's a special lower-price offer (I think about a third the regular cost) right now for Lightwave users.

[Triple G]

I was reading about this discount on their site...it seems like, if you're a Mac user, you'd download the PC version now for the introductory price, and when the Mac version is ready to go in October, you would receive the full version of it then? This seems a bit strange...does anyone know what the deal is, exactly?

[Chuck]

While we eventually came to the conclusion that it was best to change our relationship with TVPaint, Inc, and to let them work out other options for marketing the standalone version of their application, the fact is that the groundwork for porting the application to the Mac was laid at our behest and during our tenure in overseeing the development of and distributing the application. That the port is something that happened quickly after our tenure is simply not the case.

[Zarathustra]

Ah, I see. I never knew much about Aura since it wasn't a Mac Option. So NT simply marketed TVPaint's application as "Aura". I thought it was a NT creation.

Well, it seems they've gone ahead with your "behest", Chuck.

[mlinde]

I saw Aura demo'd a few times at the Boston UG meetings, the guy who ran the department at Northeastern was big into Aura. It was nice, the big feature it had LONG before AE had it was an excellent paint engine. More on par with the engine in Painter than Photoshop, IMHO.

[Chuck]

TVPaint originated on the Amiga, and had migrated and already had a few generations on the PC before NewTek and TVPaint, Inc., entered our original relationship. There was considerable development at our direction before we released the revamped application as "Aura Video Paint."

It's nice to see the Mac port approaching completion.

[Beamtracer]

Hey... Bauhaus Mirage would be another contender for a bundle deal with Lightwave8.

No Mac users have it yet. Everyone could find a use for it.

Maybe it could even be offered in conjunction with the DXF+ Windows-only deal.. just offer Mac users the alternative of Mirage instead.

Other previously suggested bundle contenders are
Realviz Stitcher (Mac & Win)
Synthetik Studio Artist (Mac only)

[Triple G]

Originally posted by Beamtracer
Hey... Bauhaus Mirage would be another contender for a bundle deal with Lightwave8.

No Mac users have it yet. Everyone could find a use for it.

Maybe it could even be offered in conjunction with the DXF+ Windows-only deal.. just offer Mac users the alternative of Mirage instead.

I'll second that motion! I definitely would not mind taking Mirage for a spin...looks like it could be rather useful. :)

[Zarathustra]

There was considerable development at our direction...

Yes, but none of it was for Mac. That was my original point. You made this clear by stating that NT had made the "behest" to have it ported to Mac by TVPaint.


As for Mac-friendly bundles, it would be nice but who knows how the DFX+ thing came about? If NT went out seeking a bundle-thing, then by all means we should be a little annoyed that it was PC only. If, as it seems in prior postings, this bundle just dropped in NT's lap then how could they say "no"?
Although I couldn't use the app, I made $287 by selling it on Ebay, making my LW[8] upgrade only cost $212. Not exactly the $1500 app it's hyped to be, but I shouldn't complain about being given $287. :)

[Chuck]

Originally posted by Zarathustra
Yes, but none of it was for Mac. That was my original point. You made this clear by stating that NT had made the "behest" to have it ported to Mac by TVPaint.

Your original point was incorrect and so is your current assertion. In fact the only way you can arrive at your interpretation is by stripping away the rest of what I said and giving a somewhat tortured definition to the one word you leave in consideration. I very clearly stated that the groundwork was laid at our instigation and direction. Our intent was to be able to release Aura for both platforms at the 3.0 generation. That development had been underway on our nickel using a NewTek-created toolkit since the 2.0 release.

[mbaldwin]

Chuck,

Whatever the details are/were, I wish you and Newtek smooth navigation in the near term. I'm sorry that the Mac Aura development didn't translate into a Newtek product with tight Lightwave integration. For what it's worth, I know I would have purchased Aura 3.0. I also know that a company has to make business decisions and then move on. Good luck, post Aura.

I do believe that your Mac base represents a largely untapped revenue stream. There's been very little targeting to the mac as of late--both in product development and marketing. If you manage to rachet the mac attention up, your software will always have a launching space on my dock.

[Chuck]

Thanks, Matt! We are indeed working on ratcheting up the Mac attention.

[Zarathustra]

Chuck, your posts imply that NT is responsible for the development of Mac Aura. Asking, commanding, directing, behesting it into existence from TVPaint isn't, in my mind, worth giving NT all the credit.
Users on this board demanded a Mac Aura for some time. Does that count as directing the development?
Well, I guess we'll never really know. it's nice to think you guys tried for us as best you could.

Anyway, good news to hear you guys hired a Mac engineer.

[Chuck]

You choose to keep inaccurately portraying the situation. There is a big difference between the minimizing that you keep doing and the facts of how Aura development at NewTek occurred. The fact is, you not only don't know what the facts are, you also very clearly don't actually care what the facts are when they are explained to you in clear language. You have an agenda and you stick to it faithfully.

[Beamtracer]

Originally posted by Zarathustra
Chuck, your posts imply that NT is responsible for the development of Mac Aura.
If it was on Newtek's "nickel", as Chuck said... that is, Newtek paid for the development, then they should get credit!

I actually think it doesn't matter who gets the credit for Mirage (Aura) coming to the Mac. The fact is that it has arrived on Mac OS X should make Mac users happy. I mean... what other HDR paint programs (let alone motion paint programs) are there?

It is currently being offered to Lightwave users at one third the normal price so that probably means there is not much advantage to a Lightwave-Mirage bundle for Mac users, as they get it cheap anyway.

Chuck... don't forget Synthetik (http://www.synthetik.com/) Studio Artist and Realviz (http://www.realviz.com/products/st/index.php) Stitcher as possible bundle alternatives.

Particularly Stitcher, as it ties in very closely with 3D, not many people have it, and they have an "EZ" version that they might be interested in bundling.

[Chuck]

Beam, thanks; and the issue for me is just that we didn't deserve the slam. Credit can land wherever it does.

Thanks for the continuing reminders on bundle ops!