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From: howard@amdahl.amdahl.com (The Toolmaster)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.mac
Subject: Re: Drawing in Technical Environment
Message-ID: <11158@amdahl.amdahl.com>
Date: Thu, 30-Jul-87 21:17:34 EDT
Article-I.D.: amdahl.11158
Posted: Thu Jul 30 21:17:34 1987
Date-Received: Sat, 1-Aug-87 11:57:29 EDT
References: <3538@sdcsvax.UCSD.EDU> <5277@prls.UUCP>
Reply-To: howard@amdahl.UUCP (The Toolmaster)
Organization: Amdahl Corp, Sunnyvale CA
Lines: 68
Summary: Superpaint *is* the pits, Design is a possibility

In article <5277@prls.UUCP> gardner@prls.UUCP (Robert Gardner) writes:
>Does anyone have experience with SuperPaint/MacDraw/MacDraft/CricketDraw
>in a technical environment that would care to comment on their relative
>merits?

Sure.

>I used MacDraw for my dissertation and was not unhappy with it, but at
>work we had heard about how wonderful SuperPaint is so we bought it.
>I am less than impressed (for use in technical work).

I'm less than impressed with it for any use.  But, until I can buy MacDraw
V1.9.5 (the non-brain damaged version as regards fonts) it seems like the
only cheap alternative.  I know a lot of people waiting for a good drawing
program for the Mac.  CricketDraw isn't there yet (no multipage and sloooow)
MacDraft is close but again its sloow.  The speed comparison is in relation
to MacDraw.  Superpaint is fast until you have a certain number of objects,
then it goes into slo-mo.  Superpaint bombs regularly.  It seems to have
something to do with grouping or really small objects.  Oh, Graphicworks
is neat but conceptually seems to miss the target.  They seem to want the
world to work in bits rather than objects.  The question is, "Canvas."
Rumor is, first glimpse will be at the Boston MacExpo.  Hopefully, some
netters in that area will give us the scoop on it.

>For instance,
>(in the draw mode - the only mode I'm really interested in) it will not
>rotate text (and cannot even import vertical text), making it useless
>for touching up or producing graphs; it does not smooth polygons, making
>it worthless for complex figures; it does not put arrows on lines, so
>you can't easily annotate figures; the arc tool insists on having
>endpoints at 90 degree angles (a failing in MacDraw, also); you cannot

have you tried selecting the arc ad using reshape.  This should let the arc
endpoints be manipulated.  I am actually rather impressed by the arc
manipulation abilities in MacDraw.  Now if it would just put arrowheads on
the damn things!!! (Whatever-your-name-is Software, are you listening?)

>rotate objects at arbitrary angles (also a problem in MacDraw). I
>don't have a lot of experience with it, so if I'm wrong, please correct
>me (how do you get it to default to draw mode?).

You don't, unless someone has a ResEdit/Fedit type trick.

>MacDraft overcomes most of these problems, I believe, but I understand
>that it is _still_ buggy (and copy protected?). My info is quite old
>on MacDraft, however. 

Definitely old info, but as I said, get an accelerator if you buy it.

>CricketDraw seems to have a number of great special effects, but most
>of them wouldn't be needed for technical reports.

Ditto on my last comment.

>Any info on this topic would be much appreciated. We're currently in
>the process of a rather large Mac purchase for use in preparing
>technical manuscripts.
>Thank you,
>Robert Gardner

My recommendation, either hang back and check out Canvas when it becomes
available, or pick up MacDraw V1.9.5 and pray for new features.
-- 
"Plan for the future because that's where you                Howard C. Simonson
    are going to spend the rest of your life." {hplabs,ihnp4,nsc}!amdahl!howard
         - Mark Twain -

[ The disclaimer for this message may be found in my next article ]