Requirements: Mac OS X.5 or later
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Notes for upgraders
Please read this page carefully if you are upgrading to ArtMatic 5 and/or ArtMatic Voyager 2, there are are a few important things that you should know. We are confident that you will be excited by the amazing new possibilities, and we want to ensure a smooth transition.
SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS: ArtMatic 5 and ArtMatic Voyager 2 both require OS X.5 or later. The apps are Lion-compatible. The software is no longer compatible with OS X.4.
HARDWARE RECOMMENDATIONS: The software will run on the same hardware as the previous generation. Some of the new features are computationally very intensive (particularly the new volumetric clouds, lights and objects).
For basic landscapes that don't make use of volumetric clouds or objects, a 1.8GHz dual-core or better processor should work well, but one will have to be patient with render times. 3D rendering is by its nature processor-intensive. The faster the the computer is, the faster the render times will be. A single core CPU is probably too slow for a satisfactory experience.
For creating volumetric clouds and objects, a quad core or better computer is recommended but not required. Dual-core machines can be used, but it must be understood that some systems that make use of volumetric objects or clouds will require a considerable amount of time to render. Most of the examples in this manual were rendered on a dual-core 2.4GHz processor MacBook Pro.
ArtMatic Voyager Notes
Voyager 2 documents are not backwards-compatible. Make sure to make backup copies of any old files. If you alter a document with Voyager 2, you will not be able to open the document with an older version of ArtMatic Voyager. Be sure to make backup copies of all your documents. It is also a good idea to keep an archived copy of your old version of ArtMatic Voyager in case you need to open your old documents as a reference.
In some cases, an old document may render slightly different in ArtMatic Voyager 2 than it did in an older version of the software. Updating and improving the cloud models, for instance, inherently causes some variation (usually for the better) from the landscape as it rendered with an older version.
ArtMatic 5 Notes
Back up your old files and versions. ArtMatic 5 and ArtMatic Voyager 2 have new file formats that cannot be read by the old versions. So, it is important that you make backup copies of your old files in case you need to open them with the version in which they are created. Also, we recommend that you make a backup/archive copy of your old version of the software in case you need to open a file.
File version compatibility - ArtMatic 5 can only read files created with version 4 or later. If you have files created with version 3.x or earlier, you will need to run ArtMatic 4.x (or the ArtMatic Browser 5.8 which came with version 4.8) under Rosetta or on a PowerPC-based Mac. If you have version 3.x files but do not have ArtMatic 4.x, contact us to get a copy of the ArtMatic Browser that can be used to update your files (as long as it is run under Rosetta or on a PowerPC).
Files are not backward compatible - This update has required a new file format which is not backward-compatible. Make sure to make back-up copies of any old documents before opening them in the new version since you will not be able to open them in the original version if you save them with the new version.
Render variations - Some ArtMatic files created in earlier versions may not render precisely the same as they did in earlier versions (particularly those that use complex gradient shaders that reference the interior of the ArtMatic structure tree). Files that use any complex gradient shaders will probably need to be tweaked to restore their original appearance. Other gradient-based images may also need some adjustment. For this reason, we recommend that you maintain a copy of the ArtMatic version used to create the files and a backup copy of the original files. More information about this is found in the release notes.
VTrack incompatibility - ArtMatic 5 files are not compatible with VTrack. You can render movies and picture sequences from ArtMatic 5 for use in VTrack, but VTrack cannot open ArtMatic 5 systems themselves. A new-generation video montage tool is being prepared but is not yet available.
ArtMatic Voyager for 3D Rendering! ArtMatic 5 introduces a new class of components for creating fully-3D objects that can be rendered as stills or animation in ArtMatic Voyager (2.0 or later). ArtMatic Voyager now has options to render objects with or without a landscape and/or sky which allows Voyager to be a 3D rendering tool for ArtMatic art. Make sure to visit the ArtMatic Voyager home page and galleries to see the amazing visuals that the two apps can create together.
