Isadora® FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Many of the most frequently asked questions are answered below. Please take a look at the list of topics to see if your answer is already here.
Purchasing Isadora
Downloading Isadora
Installation / Licensing
Using Isadora
How can I find out the pricing for Isadora
Just visit the TroikaTronix secure online order page
Are there discounts when multi-seat licenses?
Yes - you can save up to 30% when purchasings a ten-seat license. Visit the TroikaTronix secure online order page for a complete list of prices and discounts.
How long does it take for the registration codes to be delivered
Because of the busy touring schedule of my dance company, it may take up to THREE DAYS before you receive a registration code/full product version after making your payment. Please take this into consideration when ordering!
Can I purchase using a Purchase Order, Wire Transfer or Other Payment Method?
Isadora is sold via our secure online store at Kagi.com. Kagi accepts many forms of payment: Credit Card, Purchase Order, Wire Transfer, Cash, Check.
IMPORTANT: Purchase Orders received by Kagi.com will not be processed until the check has been cashed! We understand that this is not standard procedure, and sort of defeats the point of a purchase order. If you really must use a purchase order, please contact TroikaTronix via our contacts page. (To see Kagi's purchase order policy, please click here.)
Wire transfers, alternatively, are processed relatively quickly.
You can find out more about these payment methods on Kagi's Frequently Asked Questions.
How do I get pre-approved for an academic/non-profit discount?
Please refer to the requirements on this page.
Is there a discount for non-profits or charitable organizations?
Yes -- we now offer a discount for non-profit or charitable orgnaizations with a budget under US$100,000. Please refer to the requirements on this page.
Are there discounts or free copies for artists?
Because TroikaTronix is solely run by a working artist (yours truly, Mark Coniglio, creator of the program and Artsitic Director of Troika Ranch) I always want to help artists. But I am an artist too! Isadora is very important to the survival of Troika Ranch, as the income it generates is essential to allowing me to make work with the company, especially since I am based in the USA – a country where funding for experimental art is very scarce. I might also humbly submit, Isadora is very reasonably priced considering the power that the program gives you. (The price has been unchanged since the introduction of the software over five years ago – compare the price to MAX/Jitter which costs twice as much.)
All of that being said, if you want to make your pitch, give it a go. All I ask is this: before you do, consider what it would be like if I asked for a "free copy" of your artwork, one in which you had invested thousands and thousands of hours of your time and life energy. How might that feel to you?
Finally, in trying keep up with both Troika Ranch and TroikaTronix, time can often be hard for me to come by. If you're making a pitch to get a discounted or free copy, I may or may not respond depending on what's going on at the time I receive your email.
Is there an academic discount for the Windows version of Isadora?
Not at this time. Because Isadora for Windows is still in its public beta stage, it is already heavily discounted at $225 ($125 cheaper than the standard Macintosh version, and $50 cheaper than the academic version for Macintosh.)
Do you offer reseller discounts?
We do not offer reseller discounts at this time.
I am a reseller. How can I get Isadora at the academic discount?
You must supply TroikaTronix with the same information required for anyone to get an academic discount: the name of the institution or faculty member purchasing the program and a contact email at that information. Please see the full requirements here.
Can I get a price quote?
Yes -- just send us information about what items you intend to purchase, and we will email you a price quote or pro-forma invoice.
Can I receive a paper invoice with my order?
Kagi.com offers paper invoices when you place your order for an extra US$1.50. Just check the box at the bottom of the first page of the order form labeled "Check here to receive a paper receipt by postal mail for an additional US$1.50."
Where do I download the fully enabled version?
You don't. After purchasing an Isadora license, you use will be able to generate a registration code to changes the demo version of the program (available here) into the fully enabled version. The essential difference between the demo version and the fully enabled version is that you can save your files.
When will I receive the CD with the software?
You wont' as Isadora is a download only product. The download includes the software, the manual in PDF format, and several example files.
Can I install the software on more than one computer?
No. The end-user license agreement states that you will install each Isadora license purchased on one computer only. After purchasing an Isadora license, you will be able to regsiter the software up to three times per year. This takes into account the fact that you might purchase a new computer, have a serious crash, or otherwise need to re-register the software. It is not intended that you use these registrations to install fully enabled versions on multiple computers. If you use up your three registrations before the anniversary of your purchase, you will have to wait until the next anniversary before you can re-register the software.
Do I need the USB Key to run the program?
No. Normally when you purchase Isadora, you will be able to regsiter the software up to three times per year – this takes into account the fact that you might purchase a new computer, have a serious crash, or otherwise need to re-register the software, and works for most people. If, however, you need to move from one computer to another frequently, the USB Key might be the right answer for you. Please review the USB Key policy here.
How does USB Key licensing work?
Please refer to our USB Key information page.
What happens if I lose my USB key? Can I purchase a replacement?
If you lose your USB key, you will need to purchase a complete Isadora license before you can purchase a replacement key. While we understand that things like this can happen, this policy is very strict because we have no way to verify that the key is actually lost. So please, just be very careful with your key!
Do you have other methods of handling volume licensing for large academic institutions?
Yes. We have a special version of Isadora that uses Sassafras Keyserver. This allows you to install the application on numerous computers, but to run only as many licenses as you have actually purchased. Please contact TroikaTronix for more information about the Sassafras enabled version of Isadora.
At our academic instituion, we "clean" our hard drives every day. This won't work with the static registration file used with your standard regsitration scheme. Is there another solution?
See our solution for volume licensing above.
Can I create a standalone runtime from my Isadora document?
Yes and no. You can't actually create a standalone application with your Isadora document embedded within it. However, what you can do is simply place an unregistered copy of Isadora, your pre-recorded media, and your Isadora document on another computer. The only feature disabled in the demo (except outputting the stage to a movie file) is the "Save" function. So you or your users will be able to run the Isadora document, you just won't be able to save any edits to the file.
How do I the improve performance?
Here are ten tips to get the best performance from Isadora...
What is the best format for video clips?
To get the best performance when playing video clips, we suggest using the Photo JPEG codec. The following settings are optimum:
Codec: Photo JPEG
Resolution: 320 x 240
Quality: Medium or Best (Best is less grainy, but produceds larger files)
Photo JPEG is works well for the following reasons:
- On Macintosh computers, the Photo JPEG codec is optimized for the G4's Altivec processor – it decompresses very fast, leaving more time for video processing.
- It does not have "keyframes" – this means that each frame of video is compressed into a single packet. This means that video plays forwards and backwards is equally well, and that you can jump to any frame of the video quickly. This is not the case with codecs like Sorenson and Cinepak.
How do I export video to the Photo JPEG format?
Most QuickTime based video editing softwares will allow you to export a file in the Photo JPEG format – check your software's manual to find out how. If you have the Pro version of QuickTime you can used QuickTime Player to export the movie by following these steps...
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