ravi@mcnc.UUCP (Ravi Subrahmanyan) (12/17/86)
[] I'm trying to find out what drafting/drawing programs are available for the ST, and so far I can't seem to find anything approaching, say, MacDraw. My understanding is that DEGAS is more a sketching and painting type program rather than something that could be used for thesis type figures, etc. Also, I've heard that Easydraw does not have all the features of MacDraw. I's greatly appreciate any pointers on the various programs available, and how they stack up to MacDraw or MacDraft. Thanks, -ravi
todd@zeke.UUCP (Todd Burkey) (12/18/86)
Having owned a mac for years and after transforming it into a MacPaperweight when I bought my ST in mid '85, I think I can give at least a little insight into the drafting programs at least. First, it is really important not to confuse painting programs with drafting ones. Macpaint on the mac is in the same category as NEO, DEGAS, and N-Vision on the ST (although feature wise, NEO .9 or 1.0 will wipe away macpaint...) 2-D drafting programs on the other hand include programs like MacDraw and First Cadd, Drafix, and Easydraw on the ST. I would say that feature for feature, MacDraw and the new Easydraw are very similar. Easydraw is a little faster and fully utilizes both buttons on the ST, simplifying the user interface. I have used Easydraw for overheads and simple schematic drawings and was very satisfied with the quality of the printouts on my Epson printer (I also have Macdraw on my Magic Sac and guess what! It runs faster than a Mac+ and it gives you the full screen for workspace...and I got a MacIntosh addict to admit that!). More similar to Draft on the Mac are First Cadd and Drafix. First Cadd is basically the IBM PC version of Generic Cadd ported to the ST with some enhancements. Notable improvements are the speed (much faster than the AT version of GC) and some of the GC 2.0 features were added. The important features (to me) that First Cadd provides include: 1) component storing, scaling, and placement, 2) truely redefinable grids, 3) edittable text fonts (standard set is optimized for a pen plotter), 4) many printer drivers (>100 are included with the package, 5) user definable menus, 6) distance, perimeter, and volume measurement capability, 7) a very well written manual, and 8) enough commands to allow me to create any arc, ellipsoid, curvefit line, etc that I care to make. And it is only 49.95 retail. Drafix I saw when I was out at Comdex, but to be truthful I didn't look at it very closely after I saw the $295 dealer price. For those with access to the PC world, it is a direct port of Drafix from the PC and seemed to have most of the features of Autocad and Generic Cadd 2.0. If anyone does buy drafix, let me know it if was worth it. One product I haven't mentioned yet is Graphics Artist. All I have seen of this program so far is the demo disk I got from Atari. The program looks like a combination of a drafting package and a paint program. I probably would have purchased it by now if it wasn't for their poor ads I see in Antic. As a graphics artist friend of mine mentioned..."If you are putting an ad together about a product that is such a great graphics program, why put out an ad that looks like it was done by hand and by an inexperienced artist at that." Kind of like getting a completely handwritten letter from a Printer company describing their product in detail... -Todd Burkey ...!mecc!zeke!todd