KoolMoves Flash Editor Software Review
Lucky Monkey Designs KoolMoves Provides Affordable Flash Animation
KoolMoves by Lucky Monkey Designs has the specific purpose of creating Flash interactive content for websites at a more affordable price than Adobe's Flash suite. The software was well received on its release, and has received five-star ratings from PC Magazine, and from websites Tucows and Download.com.
Retailing at a tenth of the cost of Adobe Flash, KoolMoves costs $49 per seat. KoolMoves is aimed at both the Flash professional and the beginner user. Like in Adobe Flash, Flash movie creation in KoolMoves is based on morphing between individual key frames on a timeline to achieve a smooth animation finish.
KoolMoves Interface Types
KoolMoves has four levels of user interaction, each representing a level of experience, and each with its own interface. These levels include:
- Wizard: Aimed at the novice user, the Wizard interface has the minimum of tools displayed, and each step of the creation process is navigated through use of tutorial-like prompts. The Wizard level is used for creating simple Flash-powered slideshows and animated graphic effects.
- Basic: With a wider range of tools available, the Basic interface is for the intermediate KoolMoves user. The toolset is extended, and is much like a minimalist version of the Adobe Flash interface.
- Advanced: Experienced Flash developers will be instantly familiar with the Advanced interface toolset. This interface includes ActionScript, a wide selection of drawing tools and shape point manipulation.
- Cartooning: The Cartooning interface contains the full extent of the KoolMoves toolset, including all of the tools available in the Advanced interface along with bone animation support and non-linear morphing.
KoolMoves 2D Skeletal Animation
Like Flash alternative software Express Animator, KoolMoves supports simple bone animation - a feature that has only recently been available in Adobe Flash as of the latest CS4 edition.
Also known as skeletal animation or puppet modelling, bone animation is a 2D character rigging system where a cartoon character's body, head and limbs are linked to a jointed skeleton comprising of linked bones. The character can then be animated by manipulating this skeleton rather than by moving each element of the character separately which speeds up the animation process.
KoolWizard or KoolMoves Lite
KoolWizard, also known as KoolMoves Lite, is a simplified budget version of KoolMoves that retails for $29. KoolWizard is effectively the Wizard level interface of KoolMoves, and while this does restrict what can be achieved with KoolWizard, this does offer an affordable introduction to Flash animation.
KoolWizard concentrates on basic text and image animations, and due to the helpful step-by-step guidance of the Wizard interface, no prior knowledge of Flash or animation principles is required.
KoolMoves Review Summary
Lucky Monkey Designs alternative to Flash, KoolMoves, well deserves the praise it has received from independent Flash developers and industry professionals. The power and elegant simplicity of KoolMoves is simply not reflected by its budget price-tag of $49. It is rare for a software product to over-achieve in terms of affordability, functionality, stability and support. KoolMoves is such a product. As such, any prospective web developer who is considering incorporating Flash elements into a project would be well advised to invest in a copy of KoolMoves.
To find out more, visit the Lucky Monkey Designs KoolMoves website.
KoolMoves Box Art
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