Frequently Asked Questions

Below you will find quick answers to the questions most frequently asked by our users. Click on the heading relating to your topic to learn more.

If you need help programming Isadora, visit the TroikaTronix Forum. Many “how to” questions are already answered there. If you can’t find an answer to your question, post it in the forum. You’ll find many active Isadora users eager to help.

If your question still hasn’t been answered, please contact us via our support page.

Quick Links

System Requirements

  • What are the system requirements for running Isadora? The system requirements can be found the downloads page.

Downloading Isadora

  • Where do I download the fully enabled version? You don’t. After purchasing Isadora, you will receive a registration code that changes the demo version of the program into the fully enabled version. The only difference between the demo version and the fully enabled version is that the fully enabled version allows you to save your files.

Purchasing Isadora

  • How long does it take for the registration codes to be delivered? We process incoming orders manually. Often, we will process your order within 24 hours, but it may take up to three days after receiving your payment before we send you the information needed to fully enable your product. Please take this into account when ordering.
  • Can I receive a refund once I’ve purchased the software? The answer depends on whether or not you have registered the software. If you have not generated any registration codes, then we will be happy to offer you a complete refund. But, at the moment you fully enable the software by generating a registration code, your sale becomes final and cannot be refunded.
  • Will I receive the CD with the software? No. Isadora is a download-only product, so there is no CD. The download includes the software, the PDF manual, and several example files.
  • Can I purchase using a purchase order, wire transfer or other payment method? Yes. Isadora is sold via our secure online store hosted by Kagi.com. Kagi accepts many forms of payment: credit card, purchase order, wire transfer, cash, check. You can learn more about these options on Kagi’s Payment Options page. IMPORTANT: Purchase Orders received by Kagi.com will not be processed until your check has been cashed! This means that Kagi must receive and cash your check before you will receive registration codes from TroikaTronix; sending a purchase order alone does not mean that you will receive the product.
  • Can I receive a paper invoice with my order? Yes. Kagi.com offers paper invoices at for additional US$ 1.50. At the bottom of the first page of the order form, simply check the box labeled, “Check here to receive a paper receipt by postal mail for an additional US$ 1.50.”
  • Can I get a formal price quote? Yes. Just send us a list of the items you intend to purchase, and we’ll email you a price quote or pro-forma invoice depending on your needs.
  • My company/institution requires a W9 form from the vendor before we purchase. What do I do? Our products are sold via an Kagi.com. You may download their W9 form from this page.

Discounts

  • Are there discounts on purchases of multiple licenses? Yes. You can save as much as to 25% when purchasing a ten-seat license. See our pricing page for current prices and discounts.
  • Is there a discount for faculty, staff or students at a university or school? Yes. Faculty, staff or students can request a discount on our discounts page.
  • Is there a discount for non-profits or charitable organizations? Yes. We offer a discount for non-profit or charitable organizations whose yearly total revenue is under US$150,000. You can request a discount on our discounts page.
  • Are there discounts or free copies for artists? Because TroikaTronix is run by a working artist (yours truly, Mark Coniglio), I always want to help artists. But I am an artist too! The income generated by Isadora is very important to the my continued artistic work and to those that I hire in collaborative projects. I humbly offer that Isadora is very reasonably priced considering the creative power it provides; it is a tremendous value when compared to its competitors, which cost twice as much or more.

Upgrades

  • What is are the optional Core Video and Core Audio upgrades? The optional Core Video upgrade makes all of Apple’s Core Video plugins available as modules in Isadora. Because these modules do the video processing on your graphics card, they are very fast. In addition, any Quartz Composer patches installed on your system will appear as modules in Isadora. The optional Core Audio upgrade makes all of Apple’s Audio Unit plugins available as modules in Isadora. Adding this feature allows you to do sophisticated sound processing far more sophisticated sound processing than can be accomplished in the standard version of the software.
  • Why are the Core Video and Core Audio features not offered as part of the standard version? The Core Video modules require a certain amount of sophistication to use. Similarly, the Core Audio modules require a deeper understanding of the audio processing features of Mac OS X. In other words, these features aren’t useful to everyone. So our approach was to offer these features à la carte for the users who wish to take advantage of them.

Licensing/Registration

  • How do I register Isadora on my computer? Step-by-step instructions can be found in the section Register Isadora.
  • I lost my registration information! What do I do?  If you’ve lost your registration information, you can request it using the form on our support page.
  • 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 to install the free demo version of Isadora, your pre-recorded media, and your Isadora document, on another computer. You or your users will be able to run the Isadora document; you just won’t be able to save any changes to the file.
  • Can I create my Isadora file on one computer and “play” it on another? Yes. Simply install the demo version of Isadora on the second computer – but don’t register it. Then, install the free demo version of Isadora, your pre-recorded media, and your Isadora document, on the second computer. You or your users will be able to run the Isadora document; you just won’t be able to save any changes to the file.
  • Can I install the software on more than one computer? Only when you have purchased a multi-seat license. The end-user license agreement states that you install Isadora on one computer per license purchased. After purchasing an Isadora license, you are allowed to register 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. For those with single-seat licenses, is not intended that you use these registrations to install fully enabled versions on multiple computers. If you use all 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 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 run only as many licenses as you have actually purchased. Please contact us for more information about the Sassafras enabled version of Isadora.
  • At our academic institution, we “clean” our hard drives every day. This won’t work with the static registration file used with your standard registration scheme. Is there another solution? Yes. We have a special version of Isadora that uses Sassafras Keyserver. This allows you to install the application on numerous computers but run only as many licenses as you have actually purchased. Please contact us for more information about the Sassafras enabled version of Isadora.

USB Key Licenses

  • My USB Key isn’t working on my new computer – the little red light won’t even turn on. What do I do? Most likely, you need to install the drivers, which are available in the “Related Downloads” section of our downloads page. For detailed instructions,  go to  this page and click  the “USB Key Registration” topic.
  • How does USB Key licensing system work? When you have a USB Key, you can run Isadora in fully enabled mode on any computer in which the key is inserted. Simply insert the key, start up Isadora, and you’ll be able to edit and save your patches. (When using the key on a computer for the first time, follow the installation instructions under “USB Key Registration” in the section Register Isadora.)
  • Do I need the USB Key to run Isadora? No. If, however, you need to frequently move from one computer to another, the USB Key might be the right answer for you. To learn more about licensing options, visit the Licensing section.
  • I need to use the USB Key version on a new computer. What do I do? Follow the instructions labeled “USB Key Registration” in the section Register Isadora.
  • Can I switch from the standard license to a USB Key license? Yes. You simply need to purchase a USB key. You’ll be asked to provide the License Name and Serial Number of your existing license when you order. We’ll take care of the rest.
  • If my USB key is damaged, can I purchase a replacement? Yes. Contact us and arrange to send the damaged key to TroikaTronix. Once we receive it, we will approve you to purchase a new key without requiring you to purchase a new Isadora license.
  • If I lose my USB key, can I purchase a replacement?  No. Unfortunately, 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 this is not optimal, this policy is very strict because we have no way to verify that the key is actually lost. So please, be very careful with your key!

Using Isadora

  • How do I improve performance? Here are ten tips to get the best performance from Isadora.
  • What is the best format for video clips? The answer to this question depends on many factors. We suggest you review the chapter “Optimizing for Speed” in the Isadora manual for a detailed answer. But in general:
    • High-Definition Clips: Apple Pro Res 4:2:2
    • Resolutions up to 1024 x 768: Photo JPEG compressed at Medium or High (not Best)
    • DV Native Clips: Leave the clip in it’s native DV-NTSC or DV-PAL format.

    NOTE: In general, H264 should not be your first choice! It is not the best choice to use with Isadora (or any interactive video software) for several reasons. Please refer to the chapter “Optimizing for Speed” in the Isadora manual for details.

  • Can I output “X” channels of video from one copy of Isadora? Isadora has the potential to send video to as many as six video projectors. But how many channels you can successfully output without dropping frames depends on many factors. Click here to learn more.
  • How do I export video to the Photo JPEG format? Most QuickTime-based video editing software allows 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 use QuickTime Player 7 to export the movie by following these steps or by using our free Compress Movies application.
  • How can I learn how to use Isadora apart from reading the manual? Please check-out our extensive collection of video tutorials.

Resellers

  • Do you offer reseller discounts? Yes. Please contact us to learn how to become a reseller.
  • Will you accept purchase orders? No. You must make your purchase using a credit card via our online store.
  • I am a reseller. How can I purchase Isadora at the academic discount? Your client must fill out the Academic/Non-Profit Discount Pre-Approval form. After we approve them for the discount, but before placing your order, you need to notify us of the client’s name as used with the Discount Pre-Approval process. We will then give you approval to purchase the software for them.
  • Can I get a formal price quote?  Yes.  Just send us a list of the items you intend to purchase, and we’ll email you a price quote or pro-forma invoice depending on your needs.
  • Can I receive a paper invoice with my order? Yes. Kagi.com offers paper invoices at an additional US$1.50. At the bottom of the order form, simply check the box labeled, “Send a paper invoice by post for an additional US$1.50”

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