what do you hate about your software?

[The Vector Doctor]

I wish Illustrator had undo/redo buttons.

Personally I don't like buttons. I am much faster with short cut keys rather than moving my cursor all over the screen clicking buttons. It requires more hand/mouse/pen movement on larger screens.

 

[signmeup]

Personally I don't like buttons. I am much faster with short cut keys rather than moving my cursor all over the screen clicking buttons. It requires more hand/mouse/pen movement on larger screens.

You probably have more memory braincells left than I have. I can never remember the shortcut keys.

I want a "zoom all" button and "undo/redo" buttons. You can still have your shortcut keys. Maybe you can delete buttons you don't use?

I would also like bitmaps to maintain their aspect ratio as default rather than having to hold down a key to constrain it. Seems like it's the opposite way around as it is.

 

[The Vector Doctor]

You probably have more memory braincells left than I have. I can never remember the shortcut keys.

I want a "zoom all" button and "undo/redo" buttons. You can still have your shortcut keys. Maybe you can delete buttons you don't use?

I would also like bitmaps to maintain their aspect ratio as default rather than having to hold down a key to constrain it. Seems like it's the opposite way around as it is.

Adobe is stubborn. Custom buttons can be helpful and I would like to create some of my own for certain things. Maybe by CS11 or 12 they will change. After buying out Freehand, there is not much competition. You would think that they would have incorporated ideas from FH since they could no longer be accused of copying the ideas

 

[signmeup]

Adobe is stubborn. Custom buttons can be helpful and I would like to create some of my own for certain things. Maybe by CS11 or 12 they will change. After buying out Freehand, there is not much competition. You would think that they would have incorporated ideas from FH since they could no longer be accused of copying the ideas

Custom buttons would be awesome! In all software.
I also want to be able to "pin" drop down menus. In all software.

 

[Joe Diaz]

I hate the Corel can't predict what I'm thinking and just do it for me.

 

[HaroldDesign]

I hate the Corel can't predict what I'm thinking and just do it for me.

Well, just use Illustrator!

 

[The Vector Doctor]

Well, just use Illustrator!

... and that's when the fight started

 

[Custom_Grafx]

I believe they call it finger dancing... helps a lot.

 

[Kottwitz-Graphics]

I don't use Illy...I'm a Corel guy, and I don't like the fact that distortions are more difficult to do than in my old CasMate.

If I need to ark text, I don't really like the way that Corel arcs it, so a lot of times I'll export the copy that I want to distort to EPS, import to CasMate, do the distortion, (and if it gets an outline, or shadow) then gets exported back to Corel... I have signtools to do outlines in corel, but sometimes they don't look quite right, and it won't radius the sharp points.

Then I get to go through and make sure all the paths are closed...

 

[signmeup]

I don't use Illy...I'm a Corel guy, and I don't like the fact that distortions are more difficult to do than in my old CasMate.

If I need to ark text, I don't really like the way that Corel arcs it, so a lot of times I'll export the copy that I want to distort to EPS, import to CasMate, do the distortion, (and if it gets an outline, or shadow) then gets exported back to Corel... I have signtools to do outlines in corel, but sometimes they don't look quite right, and it won't radius the sharp points.

Then I get to go through and make sure all the paths are closed...

Just draw an oval with the desired curve and "fit text to path". Then "break apart" and delete the oval. Easy Peazy. And it's still text.

 

[Kottwitz-Graphics]

Just draw an oval with the desired curve and "fit text to path". Then "break apart" and delete the oval. Easy Peazy. And it's still text.

I do that most of the time, but the problem is if its a bold block text, the edge of the letters don't quite match up and it doesn't look right to me.

With Casmate, its more of a seamless arc between the letters.

Hard to explain, and most people won't notice it, but I do, and when I do, that seems to be all I see...

 

[Bobby H]

I have used CorelDRAW and Illustrator in conjunction with each other for over 15 years. Neither is perfect. Both have unique strengths and weaknesses. With using both I have the strengths of both and more options to work around their respective weaknesses.

Dislikes with CorelDRAW
(I'm using version X3):

• Color handling.
• Banding on vector-based gradients.
• Can't paste vector paths into Photoshop.
• CDR X3 doesn't support full OpenType functions.
• Convert to outline effect has problems.
• Contour effect is improved, but still can be flaky.
• 3D Extrude effects have messy problems. Pain to clean up.
• Envelope tool sometimes won't warp a group of objects uniformly.
• Can't size lettering accurately in inches like Flexi.
• AI/EPS export stinks. I open v9 CDR files in Illy instead.

Dislikes with Illustrator
(I'm using version CS4):

• Limited amount of zoom.
• Small 227" art board. Corel can go up to 100'. Flexi goes even bigger.
• Photoshop's Pen Tool has great keyboard shortcuts. Illy's aren't the same.
• Limits on 3D extrude tool; no isometric 3D effects like Corel & Flexi.
• Can't size lettering accurately in inches like Flexi.
• No easy/accurate way to radius object corners like Flexi.
• Anchor point editing/alignment more cumbersome than Corel.

I'm sure I could think of more things. Both CorelDRAW and Adobe Illustrator have identical limitations in certain areas. The Text on Path effect is a good example.

I would love to see a Text on Path Effect where the base line and capital line of lettering actually warps in harmony with the target path or geometric shape. No graphics application in existence does this currently. Instead, each individual letter is rotated but not warped with the curve of the path. This makes for a terrible looking end result. Even worse, the tracking/spacing of the lettering is often really really bad. Time consuming work arounds are required if you want text on path lettering, like that around a shield or seal, that looks fluid and flawless. Sometimes I can get good results from Illustrator's "Arc" warp tool. But it's pretty limited.

 

[TyrantDesigner]

I remember something about illustrator that i hate

strokes. In order to change where the strokes sit on an object (in front, in back, off set, etc) you need to do about 4-9 STEPs (depending on route you go) for each object to do so. In corel it's literally 3 clicks. (outline, check box, apply or ok) and you can do for an entire group of objects if you want. I still also dislike how point cleanup uses multiple tools to do the same thing corel does with one cursor tool (click to select, double click to add or delete points, 2 points deleted averages the 2 points as a curve, right click has all the options for the points, etc) and the way seperate point manipulation is handled in illustrator is sometimes as odd as the smell in my great aunts condo ... same way it's handled in flexi ... but that isn't a good thing.

Sadly, the part that irks me more than anything about corel ... and is sometimes a breaking point in the software is STILL converting outlines to an object. I can't count how many times in the past year that my software has completely locked up because of that. makes you want to stab something fluffy and cute. I can't believe they have yet to (or know how to) fix this issue that existed since corel 8. and make a smooth tool for the love of science! ... if illustrator had it since the beginning of the program ... i'm sure others can do that too.

 

[SignManiac]

All I can say is I'm happy I chose Corel Draw twenty five years ago. It's been good to me.

 

[bayshorecreations]

I hate the fact that I can't just push a button or two and have a custom design output for me like all my customers think I can do.:ROFLMAO:

 

[The Vector Doctor]

I remember something about illustrator that i hate

strokes. In order to change where the strokes sit on an object (in front, in back, off set, etc) you need to do about 4-9 STEPs (depending on route you go) for each object to do so. In corel it's literally 3 clicks. (outline, check box, apply or ok) and you can do for an entire group of objects if you want. I still also dislike how point cleanup uses multiple tools to do the same thing corel does with one cursor tool (click to select, double click to add or delete points, 2 points deleted averages the 2 points as a curve, right click has all the options for the points, etc) and the way seperate point manipulation is handled in illustrator is sometimes as odd as the smell in my great aunts condo ... same way it's handled in flexi ... but that isn't a good thing.

What about those 3 shapes in the stroke dialog box? It says align stroke, 1 click. Those do what you are speaking of, unless you mean something else?

 

[signmeup]

• Banding on vector-based gradients.




• Can't size lettering accurately in inches like Flexi.


Dislikes with Illustrator
(I'm using version CS4):
No zoom all button:Big Laugh

On the banding issue... Have you tried increasing the fountain fill steps? I get no banding in gradients.

For text sizing.... You just highlight the text and type how high you want it in the object size dialogue box.

 

[longbeachmichael]

i hate flexi production manager 8.5, it doesnt apply the "preset" settings unless you reopen the properties for the job, and then re-apply the preset. i hate this..

 

[longbeachmichael]

also i hate illustrator for not having the ability to layout multiple objects in a given space automatically, and be easily replaceable, including text. gotta be a script wizard to make it happen.

 

[Bobby H]

On the banding issue... Have you tried increasing the fountain fill steps? I get no banding in gradients.

CorelDRAW's fountain fill tool defaults to 256 steps. You have to remember to manually increase the steps to a high setting (like 10,000), particularly in .EPS export. In Illustrator the gradient fills have a seemingly unlimited number of steps by default.

For text sizing.... You just highlight the text and type how high you want it in the object size dialogue box.

It doesn't really work that way. For example, I typed the word "Helvetica," set it in Helvetica bold. I changed Corel's type units to inches and sized the lettering to 12". I converted the text to curves and broke it apart. Select the "H". It's only 8.616" tall. Not 12" exactly like it would be if I had done the same thing in Flexi.

Corel is doing the very same thing Illustrator does: applying the size to the letter's "em square" rather than the letter itself. In Flexi if you select some lettering and size it to 12" the letter "H" in that "Helvetica" example will be 12" tall.

Not only would I like to see CorelDRAW and Illustrator allow users to spec letter sizes in inches, I'd also like to see options for positioning the letters from the baseline and cap heights rather than the outer limits of the em square. Sizing things based on em units is fine in page layout when you're dealing with points, picas, etc. But it doesn't work so well in sign design.