@Humberhacker sorry for the inconvenience. I will admit our Linux packages have been pretty much untested so far.

I've just got the 0.7.0 Linux x64 package to work in Ubuntu by opening a terminal window in the downloaded directory and running:

chmod u+x "./Boats Animator"

"./Boats Animator"

I am certainly looking at implementing a more user friendly solution in the future.

If you have a Github account please could you create a new issue on Boats Animator's repository. Alternatively please PM me with the full details of what errors  you're getting and everything you've tried. I'd also welcome a screenshot to get an idea of the context of the error messages.

Edit: I have created an issue for this.

Last edited by BoatsAreRockable (May 22, 2016 (02:41pm))

Boats Animator 0.7.2

I haven't announced a new version of Boats Animator here for quite a while now; here's some of the notable improvements versions 0.7.0 - 0.7.2 have brought:

Improvements

• Added previous, next, last and first frame buttons

• Improved, more reliable playback method

• Frame numbers now displayed above frame reel thumbnails

• Scroll bars restyled

• Fixes to Linux builds

• Numerous bug fixes...

Full release notes on GitHub

Downloads

• Windows (x32 installer)

• Mac OS X (x64)

• Linux (x64)

Other downloads

Most of the recent work to Boats Animator has been behind the scenes which is why there haven't been that many exciting new features. However I remain committed to this project, so please stay tuned for future updates and check out the detailed Feature Roadmap spreadsheet.

Hi Noah, sorry to see that you are getting this message. I primarily use Windows computers so Boats Animator has only had very limited macOS testing on El Capitan (where it seemed to work).

The most likely reason I can think of for this error is a file permissions issue. On Mac and Linux you have to explicitly set a file as "executable" for it to be recognised as a program. Since I built the Mac and Linux files for Boats Animator on Windows it is quite possible that this permission was not correctly set.

I have just released Boats Animator 0.7.5 and built it from a Linux machine. Would you be able to see if that works? By the way, if you get a message regarding the program having an "Unidentified Developer" you may need to follow these instructions.

Boats Animator 0.7.5 downloads page

I just downloaded 0.7.5 and though I don't have a webcam to test with, it seems to work fine otherwise. (using El Captain)

You could try checking your gatekeeper settings, make sure it's not set to only allow apps from the app store, and then right click (or control click) the icon and select 'open'.

“But the enterprise in which I’m about to embark on is fraught with imminent peril.”

September 2017 Update

Hello! It has been a while since I last posted here but I thought I'd give a quick update. Boats Animator is still being developed, just rather slowly.

The next update will feature the ability to change cameras and resolutions. In my opinion, this is probably the most important feature currently missing. I am just putting the finishing touches on this so expect it in the next few weeks.

After the next update here are some of the features I will be looking to work on:

• Keyboard shortcuts - the current system is quite buggy and custom shortcuts should be possible.

• Capture mode enhancements - onion skinning improvements, grid overlays

• Playback mode enhancements - adding a "short play" option and the ability to move and delete frames other than the last one captured

• Export to video

• A projects system

Out of these, I believe the keyboard shortcut work and playback enhancements are the highest priority items. There is still a lot of work to do on Boats Animator but slowly and surely this program will get there!

For more information about Boats Animator visit:
http://charlielee.uk/boats-animator

Or if you are a developer, help us out at:
https://github.com/charlielee/boats-animator

January 2018 Update

Happy New Year to you all! There was a bit of a break, but Boats Animator is still very much in development.

Unfortunately, we are still working on the update to bring HD support and multiple camera selection. We are very, very close but there are still a few annoying bugs we are trying to squash.

Other features such as video export and projects will come eventually I promise.

Do stay tuned to this project, we will get there! As you can see from this and things like Heron Animation, hobbyist software development does not happen overnight.

Here's a screenshot from the upcoming camera update:

This really is looking excellent, well done! As a teacher, I've been looking for software that could replace MonkeyJam on the school systems, unfortunately nothing comes close but I think this could be the answer!

Looking forward to seeing the next version.

^ Can't wait to try this out! I messed with the program maybe once or twice a few years ago, and it looks like it's really come a long way. Might just switch to using this for my webcam brickfilming needs!

Edit: Having tried out the software, now, I can honestly say that it's probably what I'm going to use from now on! It's super easy to master, takes 1920x1080 pics from my webcam (something Heron currently can't do), and saves pictures as I take them! All great features that put it just a tad in front of other such programs - even the payed ones.

My only suggestion for an added feature would be to allow users to change the aspect ratio beyond what the present capture resolution allows. I'd love to be able to shoot at 2.35:1 (or 4:3) natively without having to cover my screen or wing it on framing - risking a bad crop when matting later. But, this is, for now, just a pet peeve that can easily be worked around for Boats Animator's superior image resolution options, ease of use, great animation looping feature, and better frame saving.

Can't wait to use this puppy for THAC!

Last edited by Dyland (December 21, 2018 (06:14pm))