By far the most important new feature of COOL 3D Studio (C3DS) is the animation timeline. If this were the only new feature of this product, it would still be worth the upgrade. Following increasingly standardized design concepts from Macromedia, Ulead has created a timeline that is both functional and attractive. If you have done any animation with Flash, Final Cut Pro or After Effects, you will immediately understand C3DS's timeline. And vice versa: if C3DS is your first animation package, the concepts you learn will carry over to these other applications.