patzerk@pleiades.cps.msu.edu (Kurt E Patzer) (11/15/90)
I am not a regular reader of this group, so hopefully this wasn't just discussed in detail. I'm interested in a drawing program which is fairly easy to use, and produces postscript output. I have seen the program "canvas", and it comes close. There are two features missing, however. First is the ability to produce a smooth curve which is more complex than a section of an elipse. What I would prefer is to pick the two endpoints of the curve, and then bend and shape the curve as needed from there. Second, I would like the ability to combine 2 objects to form a single object. For example, a cross can be made with two lines. I would like to take these two lines and combine them into one object, so I dont have to worry about pulling them apart, etc. Features that I like in canvas include its text handling capabilities, and its ability to add an arrow point to the end of straight lines and curves. Is there a good drawing program which preserves the nice features of Canvas, but adds the couple of extra features I am looking for? What are the current most popular Mac drawing programs? Thanks in advance KEP patzerk@pleiades.cps.msu.edu (Kurt E. Patzer) Michigan State University
minow@mountn.dec.com (Martin Minow) (11/15/90)
In article <1990Nov14.213128.1204@msuinfo.cl.msu.edu> patzerk@pleiades.cps.msu.edu (Kurt E Patzer) writes asks about suggestions for a drawing program that can produce Postscript, generate smooth curves, and group objects. > Is there a good drawing program which preserves the nice features of >Canvas, but adds the couple of extra features I am looking for? These are available in the current (2.1) release of Canvas (except for direct Postscript output), and are well-described in its documentation. Smooth curves are created using the Bezier tool, and you can group and ungroup objects to your hearts content. Martin Minow minow@bolt.enet.dec.com
robertw@informix.com (Rob Weinberg) (11/16/90)
> What I would prefer is to pick the two endpoints of the curve, >and shape the curve as needed from there. You may want to look at a more recent version of Canvas. It has shapable bezier curves that do this admirably. > Second, I would like the ability to combine 2 objects to form a > single object. This ability is one of the reasons I prefer Canvas over MacDraw! You can do this handily in Canvas - cut a polygon or bezier curve, and join it to another curve. Or, of course, group objects together. I've used Canvas a lot because of these features. It can be quite a bit slower than MacDraw when displaying complex graphics, however. -- Rob Weinberg Does a tree fall in the forest {uunet,pyramid}!infmx!robertw if 1: no one hears it **Disclaimer: You didn't read BUT 2: it is not known that any of this here!** no one hears it?
phil@waikato.ac.nz (11/16/90)
In article <1990Nov14.213128.1204@msuinfo.cl.msu.edu>, patzerk@pleiades.cps.msu.edu (Kurt E Patzer) writes: > I am not a regular reader of this group, so hopefully this wasn't > just discussed in detail. I'm interested in a drawing program which > is fairly easy to use, and produces postscript output. I have seen > the program "canvas", and it comes close. There are two features > missing, however. First is the ability to produce a smooth curve which > is more complex than a section of an elipse. What I would prefer is to > pick the two endpoints of the curve, and then bend and shape the curve > as needed from there. Second, I would like the ability to combine 2 > objects to form a single object. For example, a cross can be made with > two lines. I would like to take these two lines and combine them into > one object, so I dont have to worry about pulling them apart, etc. > Features that I like in canvas include its text handling capabilities, > and its ability to add an arrow point to the end of straight lines and > curves. > Is there a good drawing program which preserves the nice features of > Canvas, but adds the couple of extra features I am looking for? What > are > the current most popular Mac drawing programs? > By PostScript output, do you mean standard Mac output (i.e. QuickDraw, which is coverted to PostScript by the LaserWriter driver at print time), or genuine PostScript a la FreeHand or Illustrator? Since Canvas, as far as I am aware, just produces QuickDraw, I'll concentrate on that sort of package. The main contenders, IMHO,are MacDraw II and SuperPaint 2.0. There are others, but they are usually a bit short on features. Both allow you to "group" objects, so that they are then treated as a single object for all operations. MacDraw II has an "arc" object, but it's very difficult to get exactly the curve you want out of it. SuperPaint 2.0, on the other hand, has a "Bezier curve" which can be edited in a similar fashion to FreeHand 2.0 and Illustrator 88, and offers a great deal of control (e.g. drawing an "S" shape as a *single* object is a trivial operation). It's much simpler than either of FH or I88 to use. It also has "Auto Trace", like FreeHand and Illustrator, which has adjustible sensitivity. Text handling is pretty similar in both, and I don't know how Canvas compares. Perhaps if you say what you like about Canvas' text handling, I can tell you how the others compare. Both have a variety of line styles, including arrows of adjustable shape at either end, and dashed lines. Both have an option to display cursor position and object size and orientation in the current units. MacDraw II has the ability to scale rulers, and haas some other features which make it a better choice for *simple* drafting (e.g. maps, house plans). SuperPaint has the advantage of being an integrated "Paint" and "Draw" package, and, at least over here, is cheaper as well. I like its interface better than MacDraw. MacDraw handles colour much better than SuperPaint (which is limited to the 7 standard QuickDraw or ImageWriter colours). But if you are printing on a LaserWriter, and/or don't have a colour screen, then this is not a problem with SuperPaint. -- Phil Etheridge (phil@waikato.ac.nz) /\ /\ -+-,--, .--, ._ Computer Services/Mathematics & Statistics / \/ \ / /--< /-- / University of Waikato, Hamilton, NZ. / \/ /__.) \_ /
wirehead@oxy.edu (David J. Harr) (11/19/90)
You shoukd be able to do what you want in Canvas. As far as changing an arc, all you need to do is take the arc, convert it to a Bezier curve, and then you can mangle it all you want. If you are interested in the locking of two items together, just select them both and then choose "Group" from under th objects menu. >VOILA< You now have a drawinfg program that does exactly what you want. Note that in order to convert arcs to beziers, you need vers 2.1, the latest version from Deneba. I have no connection with Deneba except aas some one who was _very_ impressed with their program... The preceding was another fine product of the fevered brain of wirehead@oxy.edu "When you need the oddest opinions around, and you care enough to send only the very best, use wirehead..."fnordfnordfnordfnordfnordfnordfnordfnordfnord