The very first thread

[Availor]

And so this day will be remembered by the fact that I am the first one to post in this forum (except from Antony, but that doesn't count)

[sallybode]

Yes, welcome to the forum and we do hope while you are here you can join in discussions throughout the forum, see what other artist are doing. It is lots of fun. So I am number two, I have heard that you have to try harder when you are number two. Gee, I really do need to check that this post is smelling pretty, being number two and all. (Just kidding.... they do let you do that here, don't they???)

[Availor]

Yes well Now I can Integrate those Illustrator animations with Flash.
I just Love the 3D effect of the software.

[sallybode]

It is hard for me to talk about it, it just leaves me searching for words. And I rarely have that problem.

[Availor]

Hey sally, Illustrator is not that complicated you'll find the words, This'll get you started

http://www.livepencil.com/images/birthday_05.gif
http://www.livepencil.com/images/rap_2.gif

[sallybode]

Hey, I learned Illustrator before Xara, before CorelDRAW, and I fell in love with Xara from day 1, DRAW took some warming up to.

I enjoy drawing and I do well with a pencil, paint brush, palette knife, any media, however, I think in terms of using the natural tools and when I am doing that, the first thing I want to do is to draw it, not go to my computer screen and enter a dialog box.

Direct editing of gradients on the object at hand is just better. Being able to control tranparency and directly and get it done faster, is a benefit because the creative epiphany doesn't last a long time and when it becomes work, it is just as much fun as any other job. And I really wasn't cut out for other types of work. I am too much left brain (as in I left my brain at home).

Xara to Illustrator is like the quickness of water colors vs. the more studied approach of oils on canvas, it isn't you can't get the same effects, you just aren't ready for a lobotomy when you are done. Tough when working under a deadline. I have an idea in my head, and then figure how to use the tools to achieve that and still meet the deadline.

Thanks for the animation, Availor, did you do it in Illustrator?

At work, I open Illustrator to check files done in Illustrator, and to correct problems with the customer files, to do impositions. It is acutally easier to bring the work into DRAW and do the imposition than to do it in AI.

Xara's tools are very similar, and it is easier to do the setup there too.

I am just curious with Adobe being as it is the most expensive drawing tool except for CAD, why it isn't more user friendly.

CAD has reasons for its interface, and once you understand how it works, it makes a great deal of sence. It leaves a lot on screen all the time to help you with your drawing.

Floating pallets... well InDesign caught on to a better workspace, collapsable docking pallets.

To me the best tool in DRAW that nothing else has something to compare to is the Mesh tool. However, when using other drawing tools, it is easier to achieve a similar result using other tools.

It all boils down to how much time can you work on a project.

It is a universally recognized format, and if you do a drawing in something else, it will correct your color space for you. But making a .pdf will do that also if you have it do that. But you can work in your program of choice and then save to .ai anyway.

In comparison to Photoshop, which is merging more and more vector capability into itself, the uniqueness of the product and the need to spend, spend, spend for very pricey software is in question.

Considering how much gaseoline costs, I need my software to be worth buying. With the other software that is out there, for the price, it is hard for me to find a reason why I would want to invest any more in Illustrator.

I have CS, not CS2 at work, and other versions, it was an easy thing to save down for compatiblity on a computer which hadn't upgraded. Shouldn't software become easier to use and not more difficult?

There is a point that a graphic artist should certainly be intelligent, but Adobe 's logic is unfathomable at times.

Thanks for the animation, did you do it in Illustrator, Availor?