323ELLIOT%ECD1.SPAN@STAR.STANFORD.EDU (12/20/88)
Shirley Kehr writes: >I worked with the Canvas 2.0 upgrade only a few hours before I found that >it would not put white text on black boxes, which is a requirement for the >work I do. I called Tech Support and they had me try lots of combinations >using the XOR stuff that I had never paid any attention to. Well, I use Canvas for white text on a black background all the time. The only thing you have to be a little careful with is when you use postscript. The easiest way to do white on black is to select the text, fill it with black, and then select BIC. Postscript can't handle this, but Apple's LaserWriter (NT, in my case) driver seems to know how to convert it. However, sometimes I have problems printing this after I've imported the graphic into another program. Then I use a black box behind text that has been XORed. Both give you the same effect... >What I did in the past (Canvas 1) was put bold outline fonts on top of a >black box. Yes, that's what was necessary in MacDraw, MacDraft, Superpaint... (BUT NOT Canvas 1.0!). The problem with putting text in Outline is that it's a lot "thicker" than plain text and just doesn't look as good. BIC is a much more elegant solution... >Comparing features between Canvas II and MacDraw II, you get the idea that >they each added essentially the same features in many areas... They may have similar features, but HOW they implement them is COMPLETELY different. Though it may be of little inport to some, MacDraw's implementation of color and zooming is FAR inferior to the way Canvas does it. >Canvas 1 had the ability to move objects a pixel at a time with the arrow >keys, but in version II, you can hold down keys to move 10 or 50 pixels at >a time. Well, almost right. Canvas 1.0 and 2.0 can both move an object either one pixel at a time (using the arrow keys) or 10 pixels at a time (using Command-arrow keys). Canvas 2.0 lets you use the option-arrow keys to move objects 50 pixels at a time. However, with a preferences dialog box in Canvas 2.0, you can change these values (10 pixels and 50 pixels) to whatever you like. >Claris did a fantastic job on documentation. Claris wins hands down on this. So, buy the Claris manual and the Canvas program. :-) Ok, just kidding. The Canvas 1.0 manual was nothing short of horrendous [sic]. We're talking REALLY bad. However, I noticed that they've improved things quite a lot with the Upgrade manual that came (surprise, surprise) with my upgrade. >Canvas has always made it easy to zoom to other sizes. You can go directly to >any level you want. I presume that the magnification/reduction capability can >be set in a View just as you can do with MacDraw II. Yes it can. Not only that, there are 3 (count 'em, THREE) ways to zoom. There's a pop-up menu on the tool palete, a magnifying glass (hold shift to zoom out), or use the keyboard (command + or -). >When I sent back the disks, I included samples of text that had been formatted >as bold, but it displayed and printed as outline. Text formatted as outline >displayed as outline but printed as bold. I don't know if I got the program >mixed up, but that just shouldn't have happened under any circumstance. I quite agree, but didn't happen on my copy of Canvas 2.0. I find, however, that small (12 point lower-case) Times in outline looked like bold because it was so small, but in fact, when I made it a little bigger, it was indeed outlined. Are you sure you didn't get the two mixed up? >Personally I like that, but I wish there were some courses in drawing on a >Macintosh. I agree. At least Canvas should include a tutorial guide (or offer one for sale for those that would like it)... >Comparing the features, Canvas II wins by far and it is much cheaper ($169 >vs $329 mail order). And of course, Canvas has the paint capibility too. I agree (again). And, I should like to add, the "paint capibility" is no small feature (at least I find it very useful) and shouldn't be underrated. Just thought I'd stick my $2 (inflation) in. Elliot Bennett elliot@star.stanford.edu Disclaimer: I have no relation to anyone but myself, and then only rarely. So stand also my opinions...