Aura VT vs. Aura stand alone

[bradl]

Sorry if this has been covered lately...

Aura 2.5b

1. Is there any advantage or disadvantage to using Aura VT or the stand alone version? I have an un-used Aura license that I could use on my Toaster system, but not sure what benefit it would be.

2. I have seen references to Aura and the Hub. I have LW 7.5 installed on Toaster system, if I had stand alone Aura also installed would I get it to communicate through the Hub to LW? Why?

3. Lastly, at some point are they planning to unify the versions and end this crazy double version scenario? I.E., when you buy Toaster, you would get the latest LW and Aura, albeit they would have additional dll's or hooks to the Toaster system. I know the theory is the VT version is not as full featured (theoretically less expensive) but the difference seems so small as to not justify the two different developement paths, documentation, and release isssues.

Brad Loflin

[robewil]

1. Aura VT and Aura 2.5 are the same program except that AuraVT uses the Video Toaster as its dongle. You will find no advantage of using your stand-alone Aura on the same machine. However, if you happen to have a second PC, obviously you could install it there and make it a separate graphics workstation.

2. Not as far as I know. Maybe Aura 3?

3. While Newtek bundles the full version of Aura with the Toaster, you're unlikely to see a full Lightwave bundle, at least not in the standard Video Toaster package for $2995.00. Newtek can rightly justify this since probably most Toaster users got their Toasters primarily for editing and switching and either never or rarely use Lightwave. LightwaveVT is more 3D power than most Toaster users need and if a Toaster user really wants a full version of Lightwave, Newtek offers a special price for that ($695.00) I believe.

[bradl]

2. Not as far as I know. Maybe Aura 3? What Hub are they refering to in this thread then?
http://vbulletin.newtek.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=1437

[robewil]

Honestly, I'm not sure. Then again, I may not be that observant as I never thought of looking at the hub to run AuraVT. As far as I know, the only interaction between Lightwave and Aura at this time is the recent plug-in to edit Lightwave surfaces in Aura.

[GruvSyco]

Aura 2.5b added the capability of working with Lightwave through the hub. Although, if I launch Aura through the hub or with the hub open, I get errors and it crashes on exit.

[Danner]

I agree that LightwaveVT is more power than most tipical toaster buyers would need.. but it SHOULD be able to use the DVE creation kit.