Create 12.5.6 review
DownloadDraw and layout application built on the idea that everything is an object.
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Draw and layout application built on the idea that everything is an object. Patterns, blends, effects, art, and pages can be dragged and dropped to create multipage documents.
Features include web page authoring, instant graphic conversion, autotracing, animation, multiple document master pages, patterns, neon, and special graphics and text effects.
Here are some key features of "Create":
Graphics
Graphic tools include:
Line, Multi Line, Rectangle, Oval, Rounded Rectangle, Bezier Spline, Arc, Freehand, Polygon Star, Interface "Box", Rich Text.
Other types of graphics include:
Text along a path, text in a shape, text around a shape, images, Scaleable Groups, Box "Button" Groups, Mask Groups, editable, nestable "Table" groups, Date markers, Page markers, any HTML" Embedded Graphic for videos, sounds, "webobjects", SliceAndDice image tables, embedded File graphics. Extensible.
Effects
Each graphic can contain a combination of the following effects:
Outline - set the width, color and visibility of the stroke of an object
Neon - Stone's unique Neon feature makes realistic 3D lines
Multiple - each object can be repeated any number of times at any offset
Skew - torque and twist objects
Blended Fills - fill objects with blended colors or lines: across, down, radially, hot point - as many colors as you want!
Pattern Fill - object patterns that you create with Pattern Editor
Reorder and combine fills and strokes
Group - Manage complexity by grouping objects. See also Levels below
Mask Group - Clip any number of objects to the object on top of them
e.g., fill Text with a picture of a sunset
Box Group - a grouping technique which puts an interface box around objects: Make instant web buttons! Remains editable
Flip Horizontal and Flip Vertical
Scale - set the vertical and horizontal scaling separately or together.
Rotate - Using Stone's rotational slider, precisely rotate objects
Copy and Paste effects from one graphic to another
Color blends: transparent colors, CMYK, RGB, HSB, and Grayscales
Name - you can name graphics for ease of selection & editing HTML
Each graphic can link to a web address
Store the Effects for instant visual retrieval in the Effects Palette
Rose the graphic or matrix the graphic
Precise Design
Document layers: add graphics once to many pages
Zoom: Unlimited zoom and custom zooms are remembered.
You can zoom in on an area with CONTROL-SHIFT drag.
Undo: as many levels of undo and redo as you like - 30 by default.
Object layering: Bring To Front, Bring Closer, Send to Back, Send Further, Lock and Unlock.
Grids: control grid spacing, color, visibility and "snap-to" independently. Rulers: Work in points, picas, inches or centimeters.
Layers: Each page can be composed of independently nameable, hideable, lockable layers, Layout Guides for easy placement of objects.
Alignment: Align objects to top, bottom, middle, left, center and right
Nudge: using arrow keys or Nudge inspector, move objects precise amounts. Each page can have a background image for tracing or presentation.
Text Handling
Linked text blocks between pages and columns.
Paragraph Text has full support for Rich Text Format: multifont, multicolor, multi paragraph text.
Sub and superscripting, ligatures, kerning and line spacing.
Underline, italics, bold.
Rulers, tabs and indents.
Additionally - you can place text:
Instantly place along rose, circle, upper or lower arc.
Any path.
Inside any shape.
Outside any shape.
Convert text to splines.
Spell Checker and checks spelling as you type
Search and replace
Multiple Pages
Add, Copy, Paste, Duplicate or Delete pages
"Play" (continuously loop through) pages
Automated pagination with Page Marker
View pages as thumbnails
Instantly go to a page
Zoom to any level
Reorder pages
Images
Pages can have tiled background image
Set the transparency of any image for easy ghosting
Convert between image types with Image Well
Automated antialiasing of EPS and PDF images
Limitations:
Cannot Save or Print.
30 days trial.
What's New:
New "Highlight Text" tool - See Tools -> Customize Toolbar... and drag the Highlighter tool to your toolbar. It works on a selected piece of text while editing the text - it toggles the highlighting on and off.
Choosing an Image Editor application in Preferences really works on Power PC again
SliceAndDice Info -> Object pane explains that you need to set SliceAndDice links in SliceAndDice
SliceAndDice objects no longer allow you to incorrectly set links in Info -> Web pane.
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