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Rant Vector drawing,,,Have we gone back 40 years?
- Thread starter ghostwriter1
- Start date
Pauly
Printrade.com.au
+1
New software gets better. Retains all the old features, but brings in much more new features.
Johnny Best
Active Member
What was I drawing with 40 years ago, 1983? Only programs I used were Freehand, Aldus Pagemaker and Illustrator on a Mac. Had Signpost to run a Camn1 plotter, and the rest with charcoal stick and brush and paint. Now, Staedtler clutch pencil with 4B lead and cake watercolors on 1264 fabriano mix media paper. Still use Illustrator and Affinity products, Signcut app to run Summa with Shariz RIP to power printer. Things still seem to be the same. Change is unsettling.
WildWestDesigns
Active Member
This is a yes and no type of thing. In quite a lot of ways, the older programs (Ai, Draw that have been around 30+ yrs) have a lot of bloat, legacy, not take advantage of changes (and I'm thinking changes within programming languages and even with them using older versions of specs versus taking advantage to the latest version of that spec (ironically, the spec has still been deprecated in favor of a new one (thinking of OpenGL specially (which I actually like compared to Vulkan)) and they aren't even using the latest (I believe due to Apple stopping at an earlier version in favor of trying to go with Metal)), this is where newer programs can really take advantage as well) that are out there, which leads to other ancillary issues, but I digress.
While apps are more capable (in some ways), due to the more capable hardware that they are on, a lot of them have taken to more abstractions as well under the guise of "features". And with that brings about less functionality, because people are beholding to the abstraction (and if they are new users, they don't even know what's being abstracted away). There was less abstraction in the earlier versions. For better or for worse. I wouldn't be surprised that that is the most underlying root cause for people not liking the direction of modern apps, those that are familiar with the older ones anyway (or doing it traditionally with no apps).
As to this whole subscription nonsense (thankfully I don't have to deal with it in relation to this), that's not helping matters any. More iteration over innovation. The only innovation that seems to be coming about is companies buying other companies and absorbing those offerings and calling it innovation. Ironically, even with some "new" features coming out, some of those features have been requested for years and competitors had it long before, but I reckon better late compared to not at all.
While I do like the latest and greatest with tech, I have gone back to more analog way of doing things or about as analog as I can until it's time to bring it to the computer for whatever reason.
While apps are more capable (in some ways), due to the more capable hardware that they are on, a lot of them have taken to more abstractions as well under the guise of "features". And with that brings about less functionality, because people are beholding to the abstraction (and if they are new users, they don't even know what's being abstracted away). There was less abstraction in the earlier versions. For better or for worse. I wouldn't be surprised that that is the most underlying root cause for people not liking the direction of modern apps, those that are familiar with the older ones anyway (or doing it traditionally with no apps).
As to this whole subscription nonsense (thankfully I don't have to deal with it in relation to this), that's not helping matters any. More iteration over innovation. The only innovation that seems to be coming about is companies buying other companies and absorbing those offerings and calling it innovation. Ironically, even with some "new" features coming out, some of those features have been requested for years and competitors had it long before, but I reckon better late compared to not at all.
While I do like the latest and greatest with tech, I have gone back to more analog way of doing things or about as analog as I can until it's time to bring it to the computer for whatever reason.
gnubler
Active Member
That and the Smooth tool (I think it's hidden within the Pencil tool section)
SLMGRAPHICS
New Member
Flexi Is the worst I started out in this line or work having to use it and made the move to illustrator after a year and never looked back. If I didn't use it for production I'd never use the program. Doing any kind of design is a pain. It is a production program with design as a after thought. Man do I hate Flexi.
Aaron Hunter
New Member
Just some quick digging and Flexi is available for Mac now but is only subscription based. Draw still offers standalone purchases 
WildWestDesigns
Active Member
The question would be for how long though. Subscription (and eventually web-based, but I'm really speculating there, but have to remember, there are a lot of APIs being crammed into those browsers that make it very attractive for app dev) is going to be the thing. Like it or not. Even a few yrs ago when Draw was all about how they still had stand alone purchases when Adobe first mentioned subscription only after CS6, now (in my mind) there are hints that they are really pushing the subscription model more and more and I do have to wonder when they will take perpetual licenses away. But again, I am speculating.Draw still offers standalone purchases
Aaron Hunter
New Member
Without a doubt they push subscription and when a new version comes out I'll sub for a month or 2 to see if it's worth upgrading my stand-alone version. My favorite version is still X6 but also have 22 as a stand alone for the iso tools. At the end of the day it really comes down to comfort with the tools in your quiver.
WildWestDesigns
Active Member
I would call into question just how much longer that you would have that ability. Even if they keep it, I can easily see it being the most unattractive option to continue to do it that way as a user. While there are some good things about being on the latest and greatest as far as the user goes, there are so downsides as well for some users. It's all good for the long in the tooth programs that are finding it harder to innovate without buying their "innovation" from another company, just a regular revenue stream.
I've got a hot take here. To me, there is a fine line between comfort and being stuck with due to complacency. When comfort is to such a point that one doesn't move on when something changes with the tool that doesn't go well with you or comfort keeps one from learning another tool (which has an affect in some aspects even when not talking about changing software, but I digress). I've always been a firm believer of knowing those more "lower level" tools options (pen tool, primitives, pathfinding) something that is available in most other programs and operate mostly the same, may have different keybindings/toolbar icons/locations etc, but mostly are the same. I stay away from the more program specific stuff. That may be nicer, may be quicker in some ways, but abstract more away from the user, so when they don't work, no bueno for you unless you know what is going on (and there are some that only know the abstracted way, not the manual way).
Always should be willing to be nimble in changing if something goes down that one is not too fond of. And it doesn't necessarily have to be something like subscription or not, but quality going down could be another factor as well, not saying that's going on here not, just given another example.
To be honest I have never seen any vector tracing software that actually works well enough to not need a lot of cleaning up to get anywhere near print ready.
Really being able to create a vector from scratch and manually trace a raster to create a vector are basic skills all designers or signmakers should have.
Probably half the work I do for customers is having to take low quality jpeg logos and recreate them as print ready vectors to make their decals. Of course this is all chargeable and if you can do it yourself rather than having to farm the work out then its an extra revenue stream, plus you get to control the quality of your images.
Really being able to create a vector from scratch and manually trace a raster to create a vector are basic skills all designers or signmakers should have.
Probably half the work I do for customers is having to take low quality jpeg logos and recreate them as print ready vectors to make their decals. Of course this is all chargeable and if you can do it yourself rather than having to farm the work out then its an extra revenue stream, plus you get to control the quality of your images.
victor bogdanov
Active Member
Run it through Topaz AI, great result 99% of the time
Does Topaz do vectorising? I thought it was only for raster improvement?
victor bogdanov
Active Member
It'll make a raster image that is good enough to print or vector trace the result in vector magic if you need really need vector
Ah ok, the work I do it has to be vectors, this is mainly high quality logos, so normally using a raster image isn't suitable, particularly when someone gives you a small low resolution logo and may want it blown up to 50 times its original size