moriarty@tc.fluke.COM (Jeff Meyer) (01/05/90)
I've been using SuperPaint 2.0 since it was released -- upgraded from 1.1 --
and I've generally had the same frustrations that others have had with it.
Mainly the speed (I'm running it on an SE/30), even for relatively simple
artwork, and other things. Someone in our office has Deneba's Canvas, and
after playing with that, I figured *that's* the product I would have bought
instead of SuperPaint if I'd had the chance. Deneba's had several upgrade
offers ($$ + MacDraw disk == Canvas), but none for SuperPaint, and thus I
haven't had the chance to update.
However... just got the February issue of MacWorld, and Deneba has a new
program out called UltraPaint. Looks very nice from the ad (B&W, grey scale
and full color pixel manipulations, 8 independent object-oriented layers,
scanned image manipulation, basic drawing tools plus auto-trace, bezier and
freehand curves with "complete editing control", editable arrowheads &
dashed lines, 256 colors per drawing, WYSIWYG text (wonder if that includes
rotating text with full precision?) and 600 dpi precision, import/export
filters for PICT 1 or 2, TIFF, MacPaint, Startup Screen or MacDraw 1
formats. Apparently also has the SuperPaint feature for adding new tools to
the program by putting the tools in a folder. (Can't remember what Silicon
Beach calls that...) Lists for $199. I seem to remember an issue of
MacWeek that discussed it, but haven't run into my back issues yet...
And Deneba will upgrade you to UltraPaint for $50 and your SuperPaint
1.1/2.0 disk. (Hey, think of all those people who got SuperPaint 1.1 free
with MS Word...) With the quality of Canvas, I'm almost ready to do this
sight unseen of UltraPaint; but having a few gray cells still functioning, I
thought I'd ask people on the net if they've tried UltraPaint, what they
think, how does it compare with Canvas (is this a companion program, a
sub/super-set, or what?), and (most importantly) how fast is it?
Thanks in advance...
DAVE BARRY'S 1989 IN REVIEW -- September 30th
"After a trial that receives considerably
more publicity than the ozone layer, Zsa Zsa
Gabor is convicted and, in what is widely
viewed as an overly lenient punishment,
sentenced to death."
---
Moriarty, aka Jeff Meyer
INTERNET: moriarty@tc.fluke.COM
Manual UUCP: {uw-beaver, sun, microsoft, hplsla, uiucuxc}!fluke!moriarty
CREDO: You gotta be Cruel to be Kind...
<*> DISCLAIMER: Do what you want with me, but leave my employers alone! <*>news@haddock.ima.isc.com (overhead) (01/06/90)
In article <13638@fluke.COM> moriarty@tc.fluke.COM (Jeff Meyer) writes: I don't want to start "my high-end-graphics application is better than yours" war. A friend has Superpaint 2.0 on his SE, but I haven't gotten a chance to compare. Another friend has MacDraw 2.0, and keeps saying, "you need MacDraw, because it has <some feature he recently played with>". I've always been able to say Canvas has it. My guess is that all these applications are extremely good, and that each will have SOME feature that none of the others have. Having taken the time to learn Canvas real well (I've read the manual TWICE), I'm unlikely to be more productive using one of the others. >However... just got the February issue of MacWorld, and Deneba has a new >program out called UltraPaint. Looks very nice from the ad (B&W, grey scale >and full color pixel manipulations, 8 independent object-oriented layers, >scanned image manipulation, basic drawing tools plus auto-trace, bezier and >freehand curves with "complete editing control", editable arrowheads & >dashed lines, 256 colors per drawing, WYSIWYG text (wonder if that includes >rotating text with full precision?) and 600 dpi precision, import/export >filters for PICT 1 or 2, TIFF, MacPaint, Startup Screen or MacDraw 1 >formats. Apparently also has the SuperPaint feature for adding new tools to >the program by putting the tools in a folder. (Can't remember what Silicon >Beach calls that...) Lists for $199. I seem to remember an issue of >MacWeek that discussed it, but haven't run into my back issues yet... Um, Deneba's Canvas 2.0 has most of this. From this list, Canvas 2.0 doesn't do: grey scale and full color pixel manipulations but you can have full color bitmap objects, and you can even create them from colored objecteds scanned image manipulation but it does have some halftoning capabilities WYSIWYG text does include rotating text with full precision. tested on my General Computer Personal Laser Printer (quickdraw). Its supposed to even do "warp text to a bezier curve", though I've never used it. Canvas actually supports more resolutions: including high end Linotronics (2250(?) dpi) phototypesetters. This I've used. Silicon Beach's "Plug in Filters", and "Plug in Modules". I've asked them for the developer's kit for Digital Darkroom, and last I heard was sometime in January 1990 (that's this month). One of the nice things both Canvas and UltraPaint have is LARGE drawing areas. 9 feet by 9 feet. SuperPaint 1.1's most annoying feature was that you could do 8.5" x 11", 75 dpi, and no more. I regularly create 2 page x 2 page drawings of 300 dpi stuff... Another nice thing is the Zoom system. The UltraPaint Beta that I have has some technical flaws... hopefully they'll be fixed before release. The overall design appears to be good. It has infinite awesome features. Still, I haven't finished reading the manual, and there's always the non-disclosure. >I thought I'd ask people on the net if they've tried UltraPaint, what they >think, how does it compare with Canvas (is this a companion program, a >sub/super-set, or what?), and (most importantly) how fast is it? I don't think UltraPaint is being shipped yet. UltraPaint has many/most of the features of Canvas. The main addition is painting to color bitmaps - with all the bitmap capabilities people are getting used to. It does not seem to be positioned as an add-on or companion to Canvas 2.0. It does not appear to be a superset - though I haven't looked at everything. The speed is not an issue on my Mac II. Of course complicated transforms to 8.5"x11" color bitmaps are going to take time... the easy things perform at least as well as Canvas. One note: I don't have a color printer (unless an Imagewriter II counts as a color printer). My scanner is grey scale only. What I mean is that 256 color pixels aren't as useful to me as one would think. I can print greys to my laser printer if halftoning software is available. I don't yet know if UltraPaint has any such capability. Canvas has some limited conversion - and I can always use Digital Darkroom for advanced halftoning. Stephen. suitti@haddock.ima.isc.com DISCLAIMER: I don't speak for Deneba or anyone else.
a687@mindlink.UUCP (John N. Moore) (01/07/90)
I sent in a Superpaint disk and $50. about 2 monthes ago and haven't seen anything...maybe the product doesn't exist yet? John N. Moore Mac/Amiga user a687@Mindlink.uucp Instructional Design, Electronic Publishing, Hypermedia ..transparent technology for learning and communication.. Vancouver, Canada uunet!van-bc!rsoft!mindlink!JohnNMoore
levin@bbn.com (Joel B Levin) (01/08/90)
I wonder if the SuperPaint disk included with Microsoftw Word 4.0 is
eligible for this offer...
/JBL
=
Nets: levin@bbn.com | "There were sweetheart roses on Yancey Wilmerding's
or {...}!bbn!levin | bureau that morning. Wide-eyed and distraught, she
POTS: (617)873-3463 | stood with all her faculties rooted to the floor."long@mcntsh.enet.dec.com (Richard C. Long) (01/09/90)
I wonder about this UltraPaint too. Some time ago, when I first saw the ad in MacUser, I wrote to Deneba requesting information on both UltraPaint and Canvas. I received two (!) copies of a MacUser article on Canvas, and zero information on UltraPaint. Oh well, I tried. Rich ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- /'') /'' / | long@mcntsh.enet.dec.com | Hey! You're not /''\ /__ /__ | ...!decwrl!mcntsh.enet.dec.com!long | Rockin' Ricky Richard C. Long | long%mcntsh.dec@decwrl.enet.dec.com | fans! -- "Gremlins"
ins_apw@jhunix.HCF.JHU.EDU (Philip Wong) (01/09/90)
I went for the offer. I called them up and they said that they also take SP 1.0 too--they meant to say any version of SP. I never upgraded my SP so for 50, I can get a better program than 2.0 (what is the upgrade price to 2.0 anyway?). ins_apw@jhunix.HCF.JHU.EDU
mjkobb@mit-amt.MEDIA.MIT.EDU (Michael J Kobb) (01/09/90)
In article <3896@jhunix.HCF.JHU.EDU> ins_apw@jhunix.UUCP (Philip Wong) writes: >I went for the offer. I called them up and they said that they also take SP 1.0 too--they meant to say any version of SP. I never upgraded my SP so for 50, I can get a better program than 2.0 (what is the upgrade price to 2.0 anyway?). > >ins_apw@jhunix.HCF.JHU.EDU Yes, you certainly can get a better deal! I spent the $53 to upgrade my SP1.0 to 2.0a, and lo and behold, it doesn't work on a Mac IIx if 32-bit QuickDraw is active!!! (Neither does 1.0, actually, but I upgraded machine and program simultaneously... ***FLAME ON*** I think that Silicon Beach did a really shoddy job on 2.0. First: how can they possibly have let as big a technical screw-up as their infamous draw- layer scaling-on-save problem get through testing? Second: how can they not admit that it was a bug? Third: If there was no bug, how come 2.0a doesn't do the scaling (supposedly. I don't use it, since it doesn't work with 32-bit QD.) I'm going to ask for my money back and go for UltraPaint. Can't get any worse. ***FLAME OFF*** 'later, --Mike Disclaimer: I think that disclaimers are an incredibly sad statement about our society. Nonetheless, nothing that I say can or should be construed as having been said by anyone. Ever.
rotberg@dms.UUCP (Ed Rotberg) (01/10/90)
From article <1345@mit-amt.MEDIA.MIT.EDU>, by mjkobb@mit-amt.MEDIA.MIT.EDU (Michael J Kobb): > > Yes, you certainly can get a better deal! I spent the $53 to upgrade my SP1.0 > to 2.0a, and lo and behold, it doesn't work on a Mac IIx if 32-bit QuickDraw > is active!!! (Neither does 1.0, actually, but I upgraded machine and program > simultaneously... > Superpaint 2.0 does in fact work with 32 bit QD. You do, however, have to read the manual, and then set the preference that says something like: Use Quickdraw calls to do drawing I can't remeber the exact wording, but this preference was put in to allow 24 bit graphic devices that weren't compatible with Silicon Beach's high speed methods of rendering. If you boot your system without 32 bit QD, and then set that preference, then reboot WITH 32 bit QD, you will have solved that problem at least. - Ed -