Smith Micro are obviously continuing to wind down, with their products-blog the most recent casualty. The only really ‘long-term important’ bit of the blog, the Dave Gibbons interview, has been saved.
The page for their unique MotionArtist HTML5 motion-comic making software now states…
As of August 2020, MotionArtist has reached its End of Life. All MotionArtist users should download and install this final available version for MotionArtist here (active license required):
MotionArtist 1.3 for MAC (153 MB) | MotionArtist 1.3 for WINDOWS (149 MB)
The software should continue to function on the supported Operating Systems and Hardware as indicated by the System Requirements.
Right, so that’s very good of them, if they couldn’t find a buyer who wanted to develop it further. Just as well I purchased it when I did, by finding and bagging a cheap £10 DVD on eBay. I just checked inside the downloaded new .ZIP file, and the “NoAct” bit must indicate that no online activation is required for this final version…
So it looks like those with a valid 1.3 install should stash their 1.3 licence and this final-final .ZIP version that (I assume) doesn’t phone-home after install, in case they need to reinstall on a new PC at some point. In which case the software should now last as long as Windows can support it, and as long as the Web can play what it produces. That’s very good.
Presumably a cheap eBay DVD with a serial in it will still be useful, in combination with this .ZIP?
Note also that their Moho Debut 13 and the main Moho (formerly Anime Studio) are both at a 40% discount for the next two days.
Their digital watercolour painting software Rebelle would be highly desirable if on a 50% discount, but it seems that was just licenced by Smith Micro from Escape Motions, which is where the Smith Micro Web link now goes to. Escape Motions never drop it below the usual $90, and it looks to me like they have a region-lock on the currency too, so I’m willing to bet that I’d be charged an extra 20% sales tax in the UK. It’s one of those bits of software, like AKVIS Decorator, that are unique and so never drop their price even on Black Friday / Cyber Monday.
