RISC OS Graphics programs
a short survey of some currently available software
The software here is designed for use by home users and professionals but does include some specifically for schools. RISC OS software is typically produced by small developers in the UK, Commonwealth countries and in Western Europe.
If you can contribute short descriptions of similar software for Apple, Linux or Windows systems then please contact us at editor@aponline.co.uk
We've tried to make sense of the range of graphics applications and utilities but intend to expand on this initial presentation. We hope that wherever we have missed your favourite program, or even a whole section, you will send your additions or amendments to editor@aponline.co.uk so that we can add them to this survey. If you want to expand on the very brief comments below then please contact us with your ideas. Some major graphics programs are included on our Acorn Publisher software links page where you will also žnd details of Acorn Publisher reviews and tutorials about the software. Where relevant the software below is linked to that page.
Vector Graphics
There are two distinct means of dežning a graphic on a computer: vector graphics like Draw and bit-mapped graphics such as Paint. We'll deal with the former žrst.Draw
The centre-piece of RISC OS graphics has to be Draw. Its presence on all RISC OS machines and its capabilities make it unique. It can be used by Primary children and is used by post-graduates to illustrate their work. Many other programs use the DrawFile format either directly, to export results from the application, or indirectly, as a format modižed with additional options. Draw is still under development under the Select scheme and new versions have appeared within the last few months - v2.17 7 October 2002.DrawWorksThird Millennium
iSV (also available cut-down as DrawWorks SE)
Draw does have its limitations. My main complaints are that it insists on using the unscalable and ugly system font as default and the problem that most users don't explore the menus to žnd all the possibilities of the program. DrawWorks rectižes these problems by allowing the user to set the defaults and providing a button bar for most of (all?) of Draw's options. In its latest version DrawWorks adds a very wide range of tools to draw including colour selection and manipulation; customisable shape modižcation; additional import and export options and an extension of the tool bar to facilitate loading any other application.DrawPlus
Jonathan Marten - PD
Draw+ was originally conceived as a replacement for Draw itself. Its main additions to Draw are layers and libraries. With layers, complex drawings can be produced with the aid of a template that can be removed later; or drawings can be produced without the distractions of other layers that can be revealed when required. It's also suited for production of the various stages of a storyboard. Using layers any combination of layers can be selected and printed out without actually deleting the unseen layers.Libraries allow collections of clip art (generally small sub-units of a final design) to be collected together and any one pasted onto the page at the click of a button. One favourite use of libraries is for storing electronic, pneumatic or architectural elements for one-click insertion into circuit drawings etc.
I'm told that a stand-alone version of the library application is available but I haven't been able to track it down; if anyone knows of its existence I'd be interested to hear about it.
Vector
Jonathan Marten - 4Mation
Vector is an extension of DrawPlus by the same author. Its main addition to Draw+ is its ability to copy elements in a variety of positions and sizes without unduly increasing the size of the žle. Vector has been supplied with the upgrade to RO4 and the manual can be purchased from 4Mation for £10.ArtWorks and ArtWorks Modules
Martin Würthner
Until recently ArtWorks was the big vector graphics application for RISC OS machines. Despite its age it is still eminently suitable for commercial use but really needs some (or all) of the modules produced by Martin Würthner. With Martin's modules ArtWorks can produce a very wide range of effects as can be seen in the frequent examples in Acorn Publisher including a wide range of covers for the magazine.
Vantage
Cerilica
Vantage is the latest addition to this group and is aiming to be the very best. Vantage is aimed at serious users though it is certainly accessible to anyone. Cerilica emphasise Vantage's ability to link the colours seen on screen with those printed out. Vantage includes layers (like Vector and ArtWorks) but uses a system of families which makes the use of layers more źexible. There is far more control over production of shapes and control in the process of design and Cerilica are producing a program which will allow production of a graphics-based (multiple page) document rather than simple page production. Click here for details of Acorn Publisher reviews and tutorials.Bit-mapped graphics
Paint
Like Draw, Paint is included with every RISC OS machine. Unlike Draw, Paint has appeared to be a more restricted program. Development by RISC OS Limited means that this is now out of date and there are times when Paint will quickly complete a task that other programs make a meal over. It is excellent for producing and manipulating the icons that are included with every application. Possibly because of its perceived limitations very few users make the most of Paint and it's worth investigating all its options before moving up to commercial applications. One hidden, but very handy, use is Paint's ability to take a snapshot of any portion of the screen.Snapper
David Pilling
A utility, included here because it takes a snapshot like Paint but extends the options to make it an essential tool for anyone producing tutorials - or illustrations for magazines or web-sites.Spritescope
David Pilling
Spritescope is probably the most undervalued program after Draw. It is sold, and used, as a program to control a scanner. Underneath that is an application that can import and export bit-mapped graphics in a wide variety of formats and manipulate those graphics to produce numerous effects. In the past it has been sold under a different name starting with Image..., but it's the same (excellent) program.ProArtisan (including ProArtisan 24)
Frank Dart & Jon Warmisham - Clares
For the traditional artist this is probably the best art program. Jon Warmisham was teaching Art at South Trafford College at the time he wrote the program with Frank and the link to an artist with charcoal, chalk or brush in hand is obvious. Jon died in 2001 and our WarmArt section is named in recognition of his work. The programs are still supported by Clares.Composition
Rob Davison - Clares
Whilst ProArtisan expects you to commence with a blank canvas (though you can start with any graphic including a photograph) Composition expects you to start with a photograph but you could begin with a blank page. Compo as it's affectionately called is designed to allow you to combine bit mapped images and edit them including effects such as adding shadows to a mixed composition. Recent improvements to Compo include a scripting language that allows the user to produce the same set of effects on a group of graphics (and much more - the possibilities are only just being explored).PhotoDesk
PhotoDesk
Like Compo, PhotoDesk is designed for use on pre-existing images but has some of the artist options of ProArtisan. The overall feeling is of an artist with airbrush in hand rather than more traditional tools. In addition PhotoDesk includes a range of effects that can be applied to a picture.CAD
Computer Aided Design programs are Vector Graphics programs with specialist options. Engineers, architects and the like will need these options although some of them are already available in the Vector Graphics programs described above. Put simply, the CAD programs are used where a drawing board was used in the past - although today's designer has far more tools available than the traditional draughtsman.ProCAD
David Snell
ProCAD (and ProCAD lite - previously CADet) have been taken back from Minerva by its author and updated. Demonstration versions are available.RiscCAD
David Buck - APDL
We hope to see a review of RiscCAD in Acorn Publisher soon.Apollonius
Tony Cheal - Dial Solutions
This is not a traditional CAD program but is a Parametric Design Tool. It has a very lean interface - unlike the other CAD programs described above. Using mathematical and draughting styles Apollonius can produce dynamic drawings that can be moved and amended according to the mechanics of the system designed. Apollonius is no longer advertised but may still be available from Dial Solutions.Cabriolet
Warm Silence Software
Works in a similar way to Apollonius but is more appropriate for mathematical demonstrations of geometry than as a CAD program.Montage
Michael Rozdoba - Really Good Software Company
Montage allows you to produce fractals and model real objects using an iterated function system. It can simply be used as a means of producing fractal art or to examine the mathematics behind fractals.Reptile
G Atkinson - Kudlian (included in their CD bundle for schools)
Versatile
Dial Solutions
In different ways these programs produce tiling and although aimed at the educational market are useful for anyone producing tesselating designs.For tesselations without specialist programs take a look at Henk Huinen's article in (and the cover for) Acorn Publisher vol 7 issue 4.
3D Vector Graphics
The applications discussed so far have been limited to two dimensions, although even Draw can produce an isometric view of an object. This section introduces the third dimension.Top Model
Cerilica
Two 3-D applications were initially released at about the same time. The one from an Italian programmer was named Top Model. The one from Devon was named da Vinci! Top Model was taken over by Cerilica and is yet to be re-released.da Vinci (& Tabs+, Architech etc)
Aspex Software
A range of programs to produce 3-dimensional vector graphics including shading, texture and lighting effects. ArchiTech allows simple animation and walkpaths and output (like Tabs+) as a net of the object to print, cut out and construct the model. Spex+ from the same company is marketed as a program for education and allows objects from ArchiTech to be placed on a plan and viewed in 3D.Euclid
Dial Solutions
This is an early 3D program that has taken on a new lease of life because of the speed of the new RISC OS computers. It was even possible to manipulate a 3D picture of an aeroplane and tumble it round with a mouse - using an A3000 available over ten years ago. Although it's much more limited than later products it may be possible to obtain a copy very cheaply.WebFX3D
DanSoft
Produces a 3D image of text with a variety of effects.Utilities
Draw Lots - Draw Rotate - Spiro Draw - Split Draw
-Rosemary Miskin (PD)
Four utilities from Rosemary Miskin that no-one should be without. Draw Lots produces DrawFiles of many objects that you would have problems producing from scratch and allows you to choose the object's dimensions and eg number of cogs in a gearwheel. Draw Rotate manipulates a Draw Object and produces multiple copies in an ellipse with whatever rotation added. Spiro Draw is an electronic spirograph. Split Draw allows large DrawFiles to be split into a number of pages for printing. Incidentally if you want the same function for any žle (not just Draw) then the commercial program Quick Tile from DeskTop Projects will do the job.Round Box
David Pilling
It's very easy to produce a rectangle with corners if you have ArtWorks or Vantage. If not then Round box will do the job.Grid Pro
Jonathan Marten - 4Mation
Produces graph paper and much, much else with repeating patterns.Perspective
Robert Seago (PD)
A simple aid to producing DrawFiles in perspective.GraphPaper
Victor Markwart (PD)
Just graph paper but rectangular, polar, linear and log. And free.Diagram It
George Buchanan - Dalriada
Produces connected shapes with text for programming and organisational charts and the like.Conversion
There are numerous utilities that allow you to change a graphic in one format to another format. The major applications include Spritescope (mentioned above) and:Trace
David Pilling
traces a Sprite (Paint format) image and produces a DrawFile (also included in DrawWorks).ChangeFSI
allows you to rescale, process and change the number of colours in a bit-mapped imageImage FS
Alternative Publishing
provides automatic conversion of bitmap žles.Creator & Translator
John Kortink (Shareware)
Between them these can view, process and convert a wide variety of bit-mapped images.Storage
There are three ways of keeping track of images and both require work on your part. They need to be labelled and organised.Easy Clip
RComp
Produces thumbnails of your images from wherever they happen to be and lets you organise the thumbnails inside EasyClip so that the žling system is independent of the žling of the originals (but these can be accessed when required.Thump
Rick Hudson (PD)
Does not produce a special set of images but generates the images on the źy as you browse the RISC OS directory (showing only graphics). Thump allows you to add captions and keywords to images and do simple searches on the database.PowerBase
Derek Haslam (Shareware)
Just to add confusion PowerBase is a database program - but look at Acorn Publisher (volume 9 issue 1 - Autumn 2002) for instructions on how to use PowerBase to produce a database of your graphics collection without moving the graphics themselves.Clip Art
It's impossible to give a short guide to the clip art available. Most collections for PCs can be converted by one or more of the programs described above but there are special considerations for vector graphics. In general PC vector graphic clip art is poor and much that is available in Draw format has been converted from PC žles. The best are those that allow you to ungroup the elements in the žle and easily amend the graphic. Most collections for business and commerce are too specialised but some of the best general purpose and for school use includes:Topic Art
DeskTop Projects
containing images in ArtWorks and Draw formatSEMERC Treasure Chest
Granada/SEMERC
for schools but includes an excellent demonstration of how to produce vector graphics in its sectional drawing of a castle.Tutorials
All programs of any reasonable complexity can be improved with a good tutorial. Tutorials for a wide range of RISC OS graphics software has been published in Acorn Publisher over the years. Most of these are still available and back copies can be ordered from backissues@acornpublisher.com The contents pages for volumes 7 and 8 of the magazine are online here. An excellent tutorial for Draw is one produced for Draw by Tom Beeley and now available on floppy discs from its author or on CD from APDL.Program your Draw Files
It is possible to produce DrawFiles directly from Basic instructions and Joe Taylor has produced an extension to Basic to facilitate this task. DrawScript (originally DrawBasic) is available from here.Text
As well as WebFX3D mentioned above there are a number of utilities designed to manipulate text in two dimensions including:Font FX
DataStore
which is possibly the simplest program to use and produces script in circles, vertically, jiggled and as a stencil (amongst others) and produces Drawžles.Insignia
Cerilica
is also simple but produces complex but effective bit-mapped images of particular use for web-graphics. The latest version of Insignia can include DrawFiles in addition to text for manipulation.Animation
Finally a thought about getting your graphics to move. Animation has already been mentioned under 3-D graphics but the following simply allow 2 dimensional movement.Animator
Iota
Iota have received a bad press recently because their protection system marks the hard drive as damaged - so check with them before you buy. Animator includes its own simple painting tools and an introduction to animation techniques. Sound can be added and the program accepts a range of formats for import and export.Snap Happy
Dial Solutions
Has no drawing facilities but takes a snapshot of the screen - allowing you to use any drawing or painting facilities. Editing is limited to deleting frames from the end but the program is quick and easy to use and get the idea of animation.InterGif
(PD)
Produces animated GIF files for web pages from GIFs or Sprites.Draw Anim
Rosemary Miskin (PD)
Easy Anim
Nicholas Marriott (PD)
Two free programs that tackle the idea of animation in different ways and appropriate for learning the ideas of animation.Rephorm
Oak Solutions
Take two graphics and automatically change one into the other in as many steps as you like saving it as a žlm.The contents of this page are copyright the author and AP On-line. This article must not be reproduced without the express permission of the publishers. Whilst we take care to ensure that the facts described in AP On-line are correct we appreciate that errors will occur and will try to ensure that such errors are amended as soon as possible after they are notified to us.