ArtRage Vitae for desktop: so many questions

[hobbyist]

the name and the marketing

ArtRage Vitae is really a strange name for this project of transitioning ArtRage to a new platform like the app stores. It’s neither easy to pronounce nor catchy. To put it mildly, to me this name is not exactly amenable to getting my attention and making me want to transition and feel "yes, I want to have this". Any other odd name like ArtRage Pro would have worked better IMHO. But that’s just my feeling.

the app store

As a long time user of ArtRage, the goals behinds switching to app stores are very unclear to me. I understand the argument that serial numbers and updating might be cumbersome for a certain small group of people. But there seem to be so many unanswered questions.

With the traditional versioning scheme, I was able to buy a new version of ArtRage every x years, and I would gladly do so. At the same time, I had full control whether I wanted to update and had full freedom over the purchased software without being tied so some form of app store that can change without notice in any future OS update and make my current purchases unusable. I could even use ArtRage on Linux under Wine and it worked fine! This option is now gone for good, which is quite sad.

Most disturbingly, with the App Store scheme now, the whole thing seems not sustainable for Ambient Design for me. If ArtRage Vitae really stays as one version in the app stores, and you only pay once and for all future updates - as has been stated by Andy in this forum - how is Ambient’s plan to ever finance future upgrades, once the ArtRage community has switched to ArtRage Vitae and paid it once? I find this extremely fishy to be frank and I don’t see that it will work this way. This is the main reason I’m extremely reluctant to purchase ArtRage Vitae at this point, because I do not understand the scope of what I am actually buying.

the communication

What is really missing at the moment in my opinion is a clear and longier statement on the main web site where this is going. Something like „we are switching to the App Store and this is how we are going to pay future upgrades“. As stated before in this forum, why is there no banner on ArtRage’s web site that ArtRage desktop is now ArtRage Vitae? Why is ArtRage 6 still marketed - with a holiday discount - as current desktop version for new users if there will be no feature updates? If ArtRage Vitae is the future, then please state it clearly.

I love ArtRage and hope that there is a sustainable future for it, but at the moment there seems to be a rather large uncertainty where this will go. I’m quite willing to switch to the App Store if I can trust that what is happening here, but right now this feels to me like ArtRage has entered unpredictable terrain. :confused:

[AndyRage]

We will be updating the ArtRage Homepage with more about ArtRage Vitae when we do the official launch at the end of this month.
For now we've only announced ArtRage Vitae to our existing ArtRage users.
More information will be forthcoming soon.

[nekomata]

the name and the marketing

ArtRage Vitae is really a strange name for this project of transitioning ArtRage to a new platform like the app stores. It’s neither easy to pronounce nor catchy. To put it mildly, to me this name is not exactly amenable to getting my attention and making me want to transition and feel "yes, I want to have this". Any other odd name like ArtRage Pro would have worked better IMHO. But that’s just my feeling.

the name is actually quite easy to pronounce, if you're confused by the "e" at the end, just think of playstation vita. how would you pronounce that? they sound the same.

"vitae" and "vitae mobile" look like coherent, well thought out application brands, meant to be used side by side.

"artrage pro" would cause confusion with "artrage studio pro", a past release from artrage 3 era. considering a large number of AR users have been with this app long enough to remember that version, I don't see any advantage to slapping the "pro" label on.

there's also a competing digital painting application that loves to call itself a "pro" choice of all "pro" artists and illustrators, and it lags behind every free and paid alternative out there.

[J. Baker]

Yeah, the "vitae" sounds silly to me but if the developer likes it. I never thought about Linux/Wine use but that may be a very limited number of people. Still sad for those who may of used this method. ArtRage is still a great painting app, I just don't care for the new delivery method. Oh and the chat feature seems like a silly feature too. I would have rather seen time spent coding on something else but maybe some will enjoy it?

[alex_neil]

As a long time user, (I think I go back to version 3) I have always loved artrage. The problem is, I think the affection is now one way only. Moving to the ghastly Windows store, what were you thinking? It doesn't even allow you to designate a drive to download to, it just dumps the program where it likes.

This seems to be part of a general decline in artrage, I mean, what is really new in Vitae. Very little. It is hardly worthy of even being called an upgrade. If I were to be unkind I could call it a cynical money grab, but of course I wont.

Artrage used to be cutting edge, but now it seems to have run out of ideas and is just limping along behind the likes of Rebelle. Sadly, this will be my last purchase.


Alex.

[nekomata]

As a long time user, (I think I go back to version 3) I have always loved artrage. The problem is, I think the affection is now one way only. Moving to the ghastly Windows store, what were you thinking? It doesn't even allow you to designate a drive to download to, it just dumps the program where it likes.

This seems to be part of a general decline in artrage, I mean, what is really new in Vitae. Very little. It is hardly worthy of even being called an upgrade. If I were to be unkind I could call it a cynical money grab, but of course I wont.

Artrage used to be cutting edge, but now it seems to have run out of ideas and is just limping along behind the likes of Rebelle. Sadly, this will be my last purchase.


Alex.

there's a lot of work done under the hood for AR vitae, and there's stuff introduced with it that was discussed on the board several years ago, actually before AR6 came out, which to me implies that the technical overhaul this version has undergone is more substantial (and time consuming) than it looks on the surface.

I also have my own set of irks with this app, but the pros of using it outweigh anything else - artrage oils are foundational for my personal digital painting workflow.

I think it's safe to say we all want this application to evolve and give everyone better tools to create, so if there're specific things you'd want to see implemented in this application you're welcome to request them. you can share any feature requests that you have in mind in the appropriate tech support subforum where they'll be read by the developers, otherwise good luck with your rebelle journey if that package suits your style better.

and by the way, I don't remember rebelle 4 being particularly groundbreaking at all, but I'll admit I'm biased.

[Omnimaxus]

I am extremely disappointed with this boneheaded move on ArtRage's part. I will NOT use the Windows Store. Period. I will stay with ArtRage 4 Pro for now.

If I decide to upgrade, it will be to ArtRage 6 (unlikely, though, since I do not support businesses that do not offer customers options in how they purchase software).

I hope AndyRage and the rest of ArtRage staff change their minds. I was like, "WHAT?!" when I saw what was going on. Goodbye, Ambient Design. Good riddance.

[AndyRage]

I am extremely disappointed with this boneheaded move on ArtRage's part. I will NOT use the Windows Store. Period. I will stay with ArtRage 4 Pro for now.

If I decide to upgrade, it will be to ArtRage 6 (unlikely, though, since I do not support businesses that do not offer customers options in how they purchase software).

I hope AndyRage and the rest of ArtRage staff change their minds. I was like, "WHAT?!" when I saw what was going on. Goodbye, Ambient Design. Good riddance.

Okay, now this is heading into spammer territory.
We get it - you dont like the Windows Store. Its already proven to improve the purchasing experience for most of our customers, and we'll continue to offer ArtRage 6 for people who simply dont like the Windows Store.

[freewarden]

Sorry to interrupt, Andy, but I believe you will stick to the same distribution system in future updates (I'm talking about Win 11)?
If there was already a thread about it, could you please navigate me to it?
Thanks in advance.

- liz

[Hellmark]

I've bought every single version of ArtRage since the very first version, and locking it in to the app stores locks me out. I also use Linux, and Artrage has always run wonderfully under Wine. By having it in the app stores, I can't download it for my systems anymore. This really is a "shut up and take my money" situation, where I'd happily fork over cash right now if I could still buy and download via the artrage website.

[damasocl]

Independientemente del nombre, esta nueva versión supera con creces lo que me había imaginado con ella. La descargué (demoró algo), pero estoy disfrutando y realizando mis primeras manchitas...-
Pero, tengo una duda. Como estoy por comprar una nueva PC (Windows), quisiera saber si deberé cancelar nuevamente el importe. En otras palabras, hay algún otro modo de instalarla en otra PC que NO sea comprarla nuevamente (Aunque no es cara, quisiera salir de la duda) ... Gracias desde ya. Saludos desde Chile.

[markw]

Hola damasocl, :)
Pues, las aplicaciones compradas en las tiendas MS y Mac no están vinculadas a la computadora en la que están, sino a la cuenta de la tienda con la que se compraron. (Aunque se pueden aplicar límites a la cantidad total de computadoras en las que una aplicación puede ser instalada por cualquier persona. Esta información se puede encontrar en los términos y condiciones de la tienda correspondiente).
Entonces, una vez que haya iniciado sesión en su cuenta de la tienda en una computadora nueva, las aplicaciones compradas como ARV siempre estarán allí para que las vuelva a descargar si es necesario en el futuro sin tener que volver a comprar esta versión.
Andy actualizará esta versión actual de ARV en las tiendas de aplicaciones a medida que tenga preparadas las correcciones de errores o las mejoras.
Dependiendo de cómo haya configurado su cuenta de la tienda, se le notificará sobre las nuevas actualizaciones disponibles para que las descargue o la tienda las descargará automáticamente a su sistema.
Estas actualizaciones son gratis
¿Qué tan simple es ese proceso en realidad en MS Store, no lo sé:confused: (Estoy en una Mac, ¡pero he notado cierta antipatía contra SM Store por parte de algunos usuarios!)
¡Pero en la tienda de Apple en realmente es muy fácil!:cool:
June ha adquirido recientemente una nueva PC, por lo que tal vez pueda contarnos su experiencia al incorporar ARV a su nuevo sistema, si ella ve esto.

Sin embargo, en algún momento en el futuro sin duda, habrá un sucesor de la versión actual de ARV a medida que se desarrolle más. Y esta nueva, y en esta momento totalmente hipotética versión de ARV, por supuesto, tendría que comprarse.

Apps bought from the MS and Mac stores are not tied to the computer that they are on but to the store account they were bought with. (Though limits to the total number of computers an app can be installed on by any one individual may apply. This information can be found on the relevant store’s terms and conditions.)
So once logged into your store account on a new computer, purchased apps like ARV, will always be there for you to re-download again should the need arise in the future without having to repurchase this version of it again.
This current version of ARV will get updated on the app stores by Andy as and when he has bug fixes or enhancements ready.
Depending on how you have configured your store account, you will be notified of any new updates available for you to download or they will be automatically downloaded to your system by the store.
These updates are free.
How simple that process is in reality on the MS Store I don’t know? (I’m on a Mac but I have noticed a certain antipathy against the SM Store from some users of it!)
But on the Apple store it really is effortlessly easy!
June has recently got a new PC and so perhaps she can tell us her experience of getting ARV onto her new system if she sees this.

At some point in the future though there will be no doubt a successor to the current version of ARV as it develops further. And this new, and at present totally hypothetical version of ARV, would of course have to be purchased.

[Enug]

Hola Damasocl. Tuve problemas para descargar ArtRage Vitae después de comprar una nueva computadora portátil con Windows 11. Todo está ordenado ahora. No sé si fue porque le pregunté a Andy Rage o si Microsoft se puso al día con ARV y Win 11. Registré mi nueva computadora portátil a través de mi cuenta de Microsoft, ya que puede descargarla en 10 dispositivos. Esta instrucción de Andy no funcionó para mí porque creo que hubo otros problemas debido a que Win 11 era nuevo. Sin embargo, ahora me funciona. Puede funcionar para ti.

"Debería ser tan fácil como iniciar sesión en la tienda de Windows con la misma cuenta con la que compró ArtRage Vitae. Luego encontrará un botón de instalación para descargar e instalar ArtRage Vitae en su nueva computadora. Aquí hay un enlace a ArtRage Página de Vitae en la Tienda Windows: ms-windows-store: ms-windows-store://pdp/?productid=9NJK057NFZCP

Cerca de la esquina superior derecha de la página debería haber un botón "Instalar"


Hello damasocl. I did have problems downloading ArtRage Vitae after purchasing a new laptop with Windows 11. All is sorted now. Whether it was my asking Andy Rage or Microsoft caught up with ARV and Win 11 I don't know. I registered my new laptop via my Microsoft Account as you are able to download to 10 devices.

This instruction from Andy didn't work for me as I think there were other problems due to Win 11 being new. However it works for me now. It may work for you.

" It should be as easy as logging into the Windows store with the same account you purchased ArtRage Vitae with. Then you’ll find an install button to download and install ArtRage Vitae on your new computer.

Here’s a link to the ArtRage Vitae page in the Windows Store: ms-windows-store://pdp/?productid=9NJK057NFZCP

Near the upper right of the page there should be an ‘Install’ button."

[damasocl]

Muchas gracias por las aclaraciones a mis dudas!!!

[pingu]

the name and the marketingI could even use ArtRage on Linux under Wine and it worked fine! This option is now gone for good, which is quite sad.

I really agree with this, and joined the forums just to make a comment. I love artrage and the software has been different to every art software i have used, and it really is painful to know that i would be forced to use the microsoft store to use Vitaes functionality as someone who prefers linux. :( All i ask for is a windows version, just an exe like it used to be without store integration. I would be over the moon with that :o

And sorry for bumping this older thread. But i really would like anyone to see this.

[blurymind]

I am sorry to say, but I also use artrage with wine under linux. The move to the windows store cuts us all off from doing this with the newest version, for that reason you will no longer be getting any of my money to upgrade it.

Please make it also available the old way - with the executable in the members area. Or create a native linux port.
Until you do, you have lost me completely :(

Stop enabling these walled gardens to lock us onto OS-es. This is anti-consumer behavior

[spyres]

Artrage has never officially supported Gnu/Linux, so it seems odd that Gnu/Linux users (who were lucky to get it running on their systems with WINE) are demanding some kind of special compensation here.

If you don't have a windows, mac, android, etc. device, you're welcome to stay on version 6 as I understand it will be still be supported/sold.

[Makkahn28]

I wonder, how does Artrage Vitae multiple user coop work?

[muhezixif]

You have some cool ideas that'll improve ArtRage, but I disagree with you about the name. Why do you think it's inconvenient to pronounce?

[Enug]

And....we're usually not pronouncing Vitae it's easy enough to type - ARV!;)

[muhezixif]

Those who want to find the negative, will find it everywhere. And it's disappointing that these people are among us.