CorelDRAW Graphics Suite X4 Review

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(More customer reviews)The Corel line of graphics software has always carried the burden of being the second choice and often the second experience of Adobe software users. Those who encounter the software after experience with the main Adobe-produced rivals (Illustrator and Photoshop) will experience it very differently than those who are looking to learn professional graphics from the start with Corel.
Though I am a very experienced user of Adobe products, I tried to experience Corel Draw (the vector graphics portion) and Photo Paint (the bitmap graphics portion) with an eye toward evaluating it as someone who wasn't already comfortable with a different interface, but who was interested in a professional level graphics package, as well as someone who may decide to transition away from the pricier Adobe products. I will offer my perspective from both of these viewpoints:
As a newcomer to pro graphics:
There is a lot of power and flexibility. Photo Paint offers alpha channels, lighting effects, masking, and a good selection of filters for those who want to "play" with images. It is able to open and save to a variety of file formats and can rasterize vector images. A lot of functions are quite intuitive (e.g., image straightening, filter effects), though programs with the breadth and depth of a professional program have a great many levels and no one who is new to them can grasp them immediately or without underlying knowledge of what all the terms mean. It's important not to mistake this graphics package as one designed for the hobbyist or person looking to modestly tweak images for web pages. The complex functionality it possesses is to allow folks working in industries that need finer work to get it done and it certainly allows for that and more.
In terms of how easy it is to understand the programs, CorelDraw is definitely a lot tougher to grasp, but that is the nature of vector graphics programs. However, I do believe that the way in which points (which are called "nodes" in Draw) are edited when working with Bezier curves could be more intuitive. Having to select each node and change its type by clicking a button in order to alter the way in which the control handles work is tedious. It'd be much better to have a modifier key to "break" curves where desired.
The help files and tutorials are excellent and I had not trouble tracking down information to help me do what I wanted to do. However, an absolute beginner will likely need to do the video training for more hand-holding than I required. It's hard to get your head around the way computer graphics work, but Corel certainly provides the tools to try if the user is willing to take the time to learn. The software can only take you so far when it comes to something this complex.
Corel also provides a huge variety of templates, clip art and fonts which Adobe does not. This makes the entire package more appealing to folks who work in publishing but do not create custom content and mainly want to tweak clip art or stock images.
As an experienced Adobe user:
One immediately resists every part of the interface which does not conform to what one is used to in Photoshop and Illustrator. This is much more troublesome in CorelDraw since drawing works best when one can use the tools effortlessly to gain the desired result. If you're looking to make the change to break free of Adobe's higher prices, the first thing you have to do is be patient with the interface differences. Some gritting of teeth may be involved. You'll likely find, on the whole, that some things are better in Corel's interface and some are worse compared to Adobe's, though Adobe's interface has a more professional and polished feel. The filters in particular sometimes have a cheesy and clunky feel to them, though they are easy enough to use.
The second thing you have to do is make sure that all of your native file format files (.ai and .psd) have been saved into more universally accessible formats (EPS, TIFF) as neither PhotoPaint nor Draw will reliably open all Adobe native format files. In my tests, native Photoshop files always opened but sometimes with missing layers. When I attempted to open an Illustrator native file, I was told the file was compressed (though it was not) and that it needed to be re-saved in an uncompressed state. Resaving as an EPS file fixed the problem.
Conclusions:
* If I wanted to prepare myself for work in the graphics industry and wanted something less expensive than the Adobe CS package, I'd not hesitate to buy this suite to learn the ins and outs of professional graphics, particularly if I were planning on working freelance. However, I'd keep in mind that most publishers will work in Adobe software and I may need to learn their software eventually if I were to pursue office work.
* If I were working in a publishing industry which did small amounts of editing of vector and bitmap images and needed to do color adjustments for professional printing, I'd seriously consider the Corel Suite though I'd investigate how effective the color separations worked for my particular needs. However, I would not rely on it for layout work (nor would I rely on Illustrator or Photoshop for layout) unless I only worked with flyers, brochures, posters, or other very short documents.
* If I were an Adobe user looking to break free of the expensive shackles of Adobe software, I'd have to think long and hard before making the change as there would be some productivity loss getting acclimated to the interface and some differences in functionality that I may not want to accept.

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CorelDRAW Graphics Suite X4 lets you tackle creative graphics and design projects withconfidence. New tools make it easier and quicker than ever to deliver any creative project, fromlayout and photo editing, to illustration and bitmap-to-vector tracing. Powerful text and layoutenhancements give you the look you want plus market-leading file compatibility makescollaboration easy. Updated high-quality content, a step-by-step Hints Docker and new tutorialswritten by experts get you started fast. Professional and aspiring designers along with anyonewho needs to express creative ideas will be able to turn their ideas into professional results: fromdistinctive logos and signs, to striking marketing materials and eye-catching web graphics.

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Autodesk Mudbox 2011 Review

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(More customer reviews)if youre a student with a student email you could get this for free! After i bought this i was sent to the web site for auto desk student site. it's says get all auto desk for students for three years. if youre not a student i suppose it's worth it, but for me i just paid $53 for some thing i could easily have gotten for free.

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Autodesk Mudbox 2011 software helps accelerate design, sculpting, and approval phases with powerful new tools for deforming and posing models, and the new ability to help create high-quality turntables for presentations. Moreover, the texture painting toolset is significantly extended with image adjustment brushes and blend modes for paint layers, while a Vector Displacement map extraction method offers new possibilities for creating and rendering complex details. And, with single-click file transfer with Autodesk Maya 2011 software; multi-layer PSD exchange with Adobe Photoshop software; and added support for Windows 7, and Mac OS X 64-bit operating systems, Mudbox 2011 integrates more easily into existing pipelines.



Key Features and Benefits
Posing Toolset Quickly and easily deform and pose models to change their design, access occluded regions, present them for approval, or prepare them for map extraction. With tools for quickly creating and editing joints, and the ability to import weighted skeletons from Maya 2011, Autodesk 3ds Max 2011, or Autodesk Softimage 2011 software, the new toolset enables modelers to create and manipulate poses as part of the design, sculpting, painting, or approval process.
Image Adjustment Brushes Selectively edit and manipulate existing paint and photo-based layers with new image adjustment brushes: Blur, Dodge, Burn, Contrast, Sponge, Hue, Hue Shift, and Invert. These brushes enable existing image data under the brush to be altered or enhanced—for example, color-corrected, brightened, or softened.
Vector Displacements Extract maps using a new Vector Displacement method and represent displacements that do not simply follow the normal: for example, forms with appendages, undercuts, folds, and bulges, such as a human ear. Once extracted, maps can be used to help recreate detail at render time in supported renderers, or as brush stamps or stencils in Mudbox to sculpt complex detail onto meshes in a single stroke. Artists can build up a library of commonly-used forms and reuse them on models.
Paint in UV Space in the 3D View While painting in 3D space helps with precise placement of detail on the model, in some cases it is easier to paint textures in a 2D format. An innovative new feature in Mudbox unfolds a 3D model into a 2D representation, based on its UVs, but retains the benefits of working in a true 3D environment such as the ability to analyze lighting and material qualities. Beyond painting, sculpting on the unfolded mesh with tools such as Grab and Smooth enables basic editing of the 3D model's UVs.
Enhanced Interoperability with Maya, 3ds Max, and Softimage No need to navigate through multiple file browsers and remember path and filenames: now models and scene information transfer between Mudbox 2011 and Maya 2011 with a single click. In addition, Displacement and Normal maps extracted in Mudbox are now associated with models when an Autodesk FBX 2011 file is exported, helping to eliminate the need to manually reassemble the asset when brought into in another program. Meanwhile, using Mudbox in concert with a favorite content creation application is easier than ever with a choice of familiar hotkey setups for common actions.
Blend Modes for Paint Layers Control how paint layers composite together to help create a final image by selecting from one of the new blend modes: Multiply, Screen, Add, or Overlay. These non-destructive settings help artists to experiment freely when constructing complex multi-layered textures by offering the flexibility to change the blend mode.
Multi-Layer PSD File Exchange with Photoshop Import and export multiple layers in PSD files to leverage the Adobe Photoshop toolset on more demanding scenes and projects. Now artists can edit layers in the context of the final composite, helping preserve continuity in look and workflow when moving between Mudbox and Photoshop.
High-Quality Turntables Quickly and easily create high-quality 360 degree turntable movie files directly in Mudbox. Common file formats enable movies to be more easily accessed for remote review or approval via email or on a website; turntables are also useful for showcasing artists' work.
Session Recording Record a sculpting and painting session in Mudbox and export the recording to a movie. Recorded sessions can be used to share workflows, teach techniques, and showcase talent.
Superior Performance Work with assets of greater complexity through significant performance increases for scenes with multiple objects.
Enhanced Color Chooser Store and recall recently-used colors and user-defined palettes, and work in a choice of color spaces using the same new color chooser as Maya 2011.
64-bit Support for Mac OS X and Windows 7 Mudbox 2011 has new 64-bit executables on Mac OS X and Windows 7 operating systems providing more addressable memory to more easily handle the increasingly detailed models required by today's challenging productions.
Mudbox In-product Community Get more out of your Mudbox experience with online community resources accessible directly from the Mudbox application. Artists can select from hundreds of stamps, stencils, base meshes, and tutorials in the Mudbox Library, and share their work with other users for valuable peer review without ever having to leave their work environment.
Separate Normal Map ChannelView and edit Bump and Normal maps simultaneously, using the new Normal Map channel in the default material to display normal maps.
New Incandescence ChannelCreate glows and other self-lit effects with a new Incandescence channel in the default material.
Subdivision-Based Map ExtractionA new subdivision-based map extraction method helps produce higher quality maps more quickly and easily than the traditional Raycast method.
Extended SDKWrite custom brushes for painting and sculpting, with an extended SDK (software development kit) that offers additional examples.
Enhanced User Interface LookAn updated user interface features a dark-gray color scheme that helps reduce eyestrain and makes it easier to evaluate materials and lighting.
What's New in Mudbox 2011 Autodesk Mudbox 2011 digital sculpting and texture painting software includes the following new and enhanced features:
Deform and pose models quickly and easily to change their design, access occluded regions, present them for approval, or prepare them for map extraction.
Selectively edit and manipulate existing paint and photo-based layers with new image adjustment brushes.
Transfer models and scene information between Mudbox 2011 and Maya 2011with a single click.
Extract maps using a new Vector Displacement method and represent displacements that do not simply follow the normal: for example, forms with appendages, undercuts, folds and bulges.
Import and export multiple layers in PSD files to leverage the Adobe PhotoShop toolset on more demanding projects.

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ArtRage Deluxe 2.5 Review

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(More customer reviews)ArtRage is a natural media digital art software with several very nice features, some challenging those of Painter and Photoshop. The first thing that I liked was the software's graphic user interface or workspace. Given the number of features and the amount of controls to customize the tools, you would expect a complicated and intimidating GUI similar to that of Painter or Photoshop. Instead, you have an uncluttered workspace with only six panels bordering the edges. Also, as you are working, these few panels automatically disappear out of the way as your brush approaches and reappear again as you move your brush away. Other nice features are a rotating canvas and pen tablet support. ArtRage can import and export several image formats including JPEG, BMP, PNG and PSD.
Those artists who begin their artwork by blocking out the major shapes and colors in their painting will appreciate ArtRage's Tracing Image feature. This feature allows you to import a photo or sketch as a starting point for your painting. ArtRage projects the imported tracing image onto the canvas and you can control the scale and opacity of the image. For example, while tracing the outline of a rose with the Pencil tool, I set the opacity to around 80% which allowed me to see the details clearly. Later when I began to add color, I lowered to opacity to about 30% to create an "onion skin" of the trace image. For artists who like to paint from a reference image, ArtRage allows you to "pin" a reference image or images directly on to the canvas. Once the reference image is pinned to the workspace, you can reposition the image next to the area you are working on.
ArtRage has two ways to work with color; Trace Color and Normal Color. Trace Color is a feature which takes all the hard work out of choosing colors. As you paint with any of the tools, the software chooses the colors for you, based on the trace image. If you prefer to choose the colors, you can switch to the Normal Color mode and ArtRage has several color pickers including a Numeric Color Picker and the basic RGB and HSL color pickers.
With the Custom Color Picker feature, you can narrow your color choices in the color picker panel to a smaller group of colors such as complements, warm colors or cool colors. Finally, ArtRage comes with several preset Color Samples. You can even create and save your own custom color sets and color samples.
Now that we have our digital colors, we are ready to paint or draw. Each of the natural media art tools in ArtRage can simulate traditional art media including oil, pencil, palette knife, airbrush, chalk, glitter, paint roller, paint tube, felt pen, crayon and eraser. The realism and amount of custom control over the tool's properties such as wetness, pressure, hardness and angle, are surprising for the price. The natural media tools can also be used with the Metallic Paint option which gives a metallic characteristic to the media and to the canvas. In the Papers Settings Panel, you can choose a preset paper type and control several aspects of the canvas such as grain, roughness, color and opacity.
Another feature that one would expect in only high end software is layers. ArtRage's Layers panel rivals its competitors'. You can work on individual areas of your painting on separate layers. You can also copy, group and merge layers. Each layer has its own properties, such as opacity and blend modes, and can be moved, scaled and rotated. You can control the characteristics of the paper or canvas for each layer. ArtRage also supports transparency for layers, Photoshop's blending modes and has the ability to retain layer information when you import or export your artwork in PDS format.
The Stencil Picker is a very nice feature that can have many applications. The stencils and rulers work in three modes. In the Stencil mode, you can use the stencil or ruler as a mask to prevent paint from touching the canvas. In the Ruler mode, the stencils and rulers act as a combination straight edge and snap to function. As you move your paint brush along the edge of the stencil, your brush will automatically snap to the edge of the stencil giving you a nice clean edge. The Guide mode works like the Ruler mode but allows paint to spread under the stencil or ruler, giving a softer edge. ArtRage comes with a nice selection of preset stencils and rulers. You can also create and store you own.
Besides the built-in resources such as color samples, preset paper types, trace images, stencils and rulers, ArtRage comes with several video and pdf tutorials, sample paintings, quick start guide and a nice user manual.
I almost feel embarrassed to suggest additional features. But if I had a "wish list" for ArtRage it would include just a few things. For art media tools, I would like to see a watercolor brush and a drawing pen with a really fine point. As for new features, I would like to see selection tools and tooltips. Although ArtRage does have a multiple undo feature, it would be nice to have a history panel.

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Paint blend sketch and draw on your computer!Easy-to-use ToolsArtRage Deluxe gives you realistic art tools in a simple and stylish environment. Start creating your own works of art right away just pick up the mouse and start painting!Tutorials and MoreArtRage Deluxe includes tutorials and videos to learn from reference images for tracing and stencils for painting precise shapes. You ll have the artwork and guidance you need to create amazing art!Tools of the TradePaint and draw with oils brushes pencils rollers pens and more. Blend and smear paint on the canvas and use the bristle texture of your stroke to add depth to the image. The Metallic Paint option gives you spreadable blendable gold and silver oil paints sparkling glitter silver leaf sprays and other incredible effects!ArtRage Deluxe makes creating art easier than ever!Start creating from the moment you open ArtRage!Creating your artwork has never been easier. Start a new painting using the tracing paper function. Loading your owntracing image gives you an image to use as a reference and creates a canvas for you to work on.Customize tools and colorsPick colors zoom in and out and trace your image as loosely or tightly as you see fit. Use layers to isolate colors effects and lines. Mix them at will! Choose areas and layers of your work for a variety of color and effects line quality blending paint thinners canvas roughness paper textures and more! Draw strokes using varying pressure with a wide variety of tools.Finish your work with fine detailing airbrushing distortions or varying backgrounds. The creative possibilities are endless!System Requirements:Windows:Vista XP 2000 or Tablet PC800MHz processor or faster256MB of RAMMacintosh:OS X 10.3.9 or laterG4 processor or faster256MB of RAMFormat: WIN 2000XPVISTA/MAC 10.3.9 OR LATER Genre:ENTERTAINMENT UPC:717103856488 Manufacturer No:ARDHBX2

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Serif WebPlus X4 Review

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(More customer reviews)I always dreamed of having my own website but never had the courage to start learning how to do this.
One day i bought an excellent learning video on DVD about creating websites using Adobe Dreamweaver CS4.
After 12 hours of listening to these learning sessions i asked myself if there is no other way than programming houndreds of html-tags and css style sheets and making more cryptic manupulations only to get a first homepage.
I asked myself how long it would take to build a complete site using these tools ...
I decided to look a little bit around and i found Serif webplus x4, an all in one package for a very cheap price.
After running webplus x4 and reading some small online tutorials about it i told myself that this is the way i want to build my website by using this fantastic graphical toolkit.
The whole website was finished in only one day !
With webplus x4 you can now also insert html ond javascript code on your pages.
What is also very important is that you can have "Master pages" as a basic layout for the rest of the pages.
Publishing your site via ftp to the hosting server is also completely handled in a differential way by webplus x4.
Integration into the most popular search engines can also be done with some clicks and by inserting some authentification html code on the homepage.
If you want to build easily a website where graphical design is your focus and not spending days of coding html and css styles then this is your product.
I cannot imagine using another tool than webplus x4 in the future and therefore i give 5 stars.


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WebPlus X4 is Serif's amazing website creation software that combines power, flexibility, and intuitive ease of use, so you can create attractive, engaging websites--with no HTML or prior experience. Perfect for businesses, organizations, clubs, schools, and personal sites, WebPlus X4 includes everything needed for professional-quality results. This release brings together an easy visual page designer, forms, free online tools and services, PayPal and other e-commerce, search engine optimization, graphics tools, photo editing, analytics, publishing, maintenance, and tutorial videos.

Everything You Need
NEW! Photo Editing Edit photos for your website without leaving WebPlus X4 using the new PhotoLab. Remove backgrounds using the Image Cutout Studio or enhance images by adding one or more of over 70 effects and adjustments.
Professionally adjust and correct photos
Easily add amazing effects
Quickly remove blemishes and scratches
Apply adjustments with single clicks
Edit or undo changes at any time

IMPROVED! Site Navigation Use one of the customisable Flash navigation bars and impress visitors with the look of your website.
IMPROVED! Graphic design Create tailored graphics for your website with the built-in drawing tools, shapes, effects, styles, and more.
IMPROVED! Word Processing Not only can you create and edit text just like a word processor but you can now import Word documents too!
Incredibly Easy to Use
NEW! QuickBuilder Bar It's now even quicker and easier to build websites with the new QuickBuilder Bar. Easily drag and drop a text frame, image, Flash photo gallery, and more from the QuickBuilder Bar onto your page for fast website design.
Easy as 1-2-3!
Create websites from professional templates
Design and edit with the QuickBuilder Bar
Publish pages instantly with Quick Publish

No HTML or other programming required The desktop publishing-style approach allows you to design your website to look exactly how you want it. All the coding is done for you behind the scenes!
IMPROVED! Video tutorials and learning Get support easily. Videos, PDF tutorials, our online knowledge base, and active community forums can all be accessed from the new Learning Zone.
Powerful Web Gadgets
Forums, Blogs, Forms & More Make engaging and interactive websites by adding forums, blogs, polls, online forms and more--all provided and hosted for free by Serif.
NEW! Online bookings Your customers can book rooms, tables, sporting facilities, services, or anything you can think of using the new interactive Resource Booker.
NEW! Google Maps Put your business on the map--literally--with Google Maps. Ideal for Find us or Contact us pages.
NEW! Content management Edit the content of your site from any computer with an internet connection. Fantastic for quick updates and news.
Secure members' areas Create individual login details for selected users and grant them access to specific areas on your site.
Secure e-Commerce Stores
IMPROVED! Sell securely online Using e-commerce to sell online has never been easier. Not only can it display an unlimited amount of products but now you can have up to 10 options (like size, colour, etc.) for each item. We've also teamed up with the top shopping cart providers so you can be sure that all your transactions are 100% secure.
Easy wizard to setup your online store
Choice of providers including PayPal
Security for you and your customers

NEW! Google AdSense Increase your revenue by placing targeted ads by Google on your website, earning you money whenever your visitors click on them
$50 Google AdWords included Attract new customers using our free gift to you--$50 of free Google advertising. Promote your business and reach potential customers. Terms and conditions apply.
Media-Rich Websites
IMPROVED! Animated photo galleries Show off you pictures in all their glory in one of the 36 highly customisable animated photo galleries. There are 12 new Flash galleries plus all the old favourites so there will always be one that's perfect for your pictures.
The photo galleries in WebPlus X4 can now handle 1000s of images, multiple albums, and link to RSS image feeds (from sites like Flickr) so your latest photos can appear online without updating your site.
IMPROVED! YouTube videos Your friends, family, and customers can now enjoy high definition YouTube videos on your website--now with extra features like autoplay for instant viewing.
Audio & podcasts Host or stream music on your website and get your fans to subscribe to your podcast updates via iTunes so they never miss out on what's new.
News feeds Create your own RSS feed for people to subscribe to or show feeds from other sites and make your website a place with up-to-the-minute news.
Flash animations Easily add Flash animations to your website to engage visitors and give your site a more professional look.
Perfect Websites--Fast
IMPROVED! Professional templates With over 40 professionally-designed, fully-customisable templates and themed layouts included, there's plenty to choose from to create your perfect website.
NEW! Quick publishing Make updates to individual sites pages with just one click thanks to the new Quick Publish option. It's great for speedy updates and adding news to your site
NEW! Google Analytics Discover who your customers are, and a whole lot more, with Google Analytics. WebPlus X4 makes it easy to integrate this industry-standard tool into your website.
Search Engine Optimisation Make sure your site can be easily found by popular search engines like Google and Yahoo! by taking advantage of the simple SEO tools in WebPlus X4.
New Feature Highlights
QuickBuilder Bar The QuickBuilder Bar makes creating websites faster by providing commonly used web elements.
Photo Editing Now you don't need a separate photo editing program thanks to the powerful photo editing features.
Online Bookings Take customer bookings for rooms, tables, events and more with the new Resource Booker.
Google Gadgets Add cool Google gadgets including Maps, Adsense and Analytics to any site with just a few clicks.
Flash Navbars Navigate around your website in style with one of the new animated Flash navigation bars.
Pro Photo Galleries Your pictures will be beautifully displayed in one of the high-quality Flash photo galleries.
Quick Publish Update sites instantly! It only takes one click to update a page with the new Quick Publish feature.
New Learning Zone Watch video tutorials, print PDF guides, or view the knowledge base from the new Learning Zone.
Colour Scheme Designer Create a unique colour scheme for your website to make it stand out from the crowd.
Content Management System Make quick edits and updates to your website content from any PC with an internet connection.

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