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From: todd@zeke.UUCP (Todd Burkey)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.atari.st
Subject: Re: Drawing programs
Message-ID: <119@zeke.UUCP>
Date: Thu, 18-Dec-86 11:06:30 EST
Article-I.D.: zeke.119
Posted: Thu Dec 18 11:06:30 1986
Date-Received: Wed, 24-Dec-86 18:43:13 EST
References: <1878@alvin.mcnc.UUCP>
Reply-To: todd@zeke.UUCP (Todd Burkey)
Distribution: world
Organization: Zycad Corporation, St. Paul, Mn
Lines: 44
Keywords: drawing drafting macdraw
Summary: Yes, First Cadd, Drafix, Easydraw

Having owned a mac for years and after transforming it into a MacPaperweight
when I bought my ST in mid '85, I think I can give at least a little insight
into the drafting programs at least. First, it is really important not to
confuse painting programs with drafting ones. Macpaint on the mac is in the
same category as NEO, DEGAS, and N-Vision on the ST (although feature wise,
NEO .9 or 1.0 will wipe away macpaint...) 2-D drafting programs on the other
hand include programs like MacDraw and First Cadd, Drafix, and Easydraw on
the ST. I would say that feature for feature, MacDraw and the new Easydraw
are very similar. Easydraw is a little faster and fully utilizes both
buttons on the ST, simplifying the user interface. I have used Easydraw for
overheads and simple schematic drawings and was very satisfied with the
quality of the printouts on my Epson printer (I also have Macdraw on my
Magic Sac and guess what! It runs faster than a Mac+ and it gives you the
full screen for workspace...and I got a MacIntosh addict to admit that!).

More similar to Draft on the Mac are First Cadd and Drafix. First Cadd is
basically the IBM PC version of Generic Cadd ported to the ST with some
enhancements. Notable improvements are the speed (much faster than the AT
version of GC) and some of the GC 2.0 features were added. The important
features (to me) that First Cadd provides include: 1) component storing,
scaling, and placement, 2) truely redefinable grids, 3) edittable text fonts
(standard set is optimized for a pen plotter), 4) many printer drivers (>100
are included with the package, 5) user definable menus, 6) distance,
perimeter, and volume measurement capability, 7) a very well written manual,
and 8) enough commands to allow me to create any arc, ellipsoid, curvefit
line, etc that I care to make. And it is only 49.95 retail. Drafix I saw
when I was out at Comdex, but to be truthful I didn't look at it very
closely after I saw the $295 dealer price. For those with access to the PC
world, it is a direct port of Drafix from the PC and seemed to have most of
the features of Autocad and Generic Cadd 2.0. If anyone does buy drafix, let
me know it if was worth it.

One product I haven't mentioned yet is Graphics Artist. All I have seen of
this program so far is the demo disk I got from Atari. The program looks
like a combination of a drafting package and a paint program. I
probably would have purchased it by now if it wasn't for their poor ads I
see in Antic. As a graphics artist friend of mine mentioned..."If you are
putting an ad together about a product that is such a great graphics
program, why put out an ad that looks like it was done by hand and by an
inexperienced artist at that." Kind of like getting a completely handwritten
letter from a Printer company describing their product in detail...

   -Todd Burkey
   ...!mecc!zeke!todd