The controversial eraser tool

**handrawn** · 24 January 2012, 08:39 AM

Quote from Todd in his very first request for an eraser some 4 years ago:

"Anyone that creates art with a fast hand such as I, knows the value of a spontaneous eraser tool"

says it all really for me as another cartoonist 'with a fast hand'

anyone who does not know what this means probably does not know what drawing really is

Todd - if this is what you were doing in 2003 I'd love to see what you are doing now, though in another thread if none of it is in xara ...

http://www.talkgraphics.com/showthre...8344#post88344

**pauland** · 24 January 2012, 09:10 AM

Thanks Steve. I can see now that Todd is actually a long-time Xara user, and I'm sure that it's been an interesting road. I'm not sure why the eraser tool issue is a surprise for a long-time Xara/Magix user though.

Tell us your story Todd!

**jvila** · 24 January 2012, 11:59 PM

Hello,
I'm not into erasing argument, I think that anybody needs different tools and eliminate a lot of workarounds that xara proposes, anyway my question is about vector argument, I've heard a lot of times that vector is better to big drawings and also the same doubt comes to my mind ...
Many and many times We have to convert shapes to bitmap due to CPU issues when We use blends, etc, that is to say, We draw vectorial but We are limited if We push xara to the limits.
The other doubt is, what happens when we use fills, for instance the ones that come with xara, aren't they bitmaps?, will they looks as sharp as We want when we use them in large drawings?.

What happens with transparencies?, are they vector?, what about shadow tool?.

Does anybody able to explain that to me? I really appreciate it.
Best regards

**handrawn** · 25 January 2012, 12:08 AM

I think this question should be a new thread Javier - you are maybe more likely to get answers that way too

**jvila** · 25 January 2012, 10:40 AM

Steve,
You're completely right, sorry

**bwood** · 30 January 2012, 01:29 AM

Just a note - I'm coming from Freehand - remember Freehand that everyone loved back in 2003. Yes - it did have an eraser tool. and was totally a vector program.

**graphicsfactory** · 30 January 2012, 02:11 PM

Originally Posted by bwood

Just a note - I'm coming from Freehand - remember Freehand that everyone loved back in 2003. Yes - it did have an eraser tool. and was totally a vector program.

I still have Freehand 10 loaded (and use it too), but I don't find an eraser.

As far as an eraser tool being "controversial," it's not. It's obviously available in other vector programs. If it were available in Designer Pro, I'd use it. It could be really handy sometimes. But it's just not there. The Subtract and Intersect Shapes pretty much do the same thing with more control. There isn't really anything philosophical here. Designer pro is so much more intuitive compared to every other drawing program. For wan't of an eraser tool, is not a deal breaker for me.