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Thread: Illustrating sofware

  1. #1
    ATO Member OPTIDONN's Avatar
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    Illustrating sofware

    So I'm working on my master's paper and need to know what good illustrating software I can get for ray diagrams and technical illustrations. Any ideas?

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    Master OptiBoarder rbaker's Avatar
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    Adobe Illustrator

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    ATO Member OPTIDONN's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by rbaker View Post
    Adobe Illustrator
    That looks perfect but it runs around $600 - $1,000! Is this the average price for illustrating software?

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    Master OptiBoarder rbaker's Avatar
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    Microsoft Paint - Its free. Tons of stuff in between. If you are a student consider getting Illustrator (or any other Adobe produce) at a substantial discount; for example:

    https://store1.adobe.com/cfusion/sto...?store=OLS-EDU

    Usually though, the cheapest and least demanding solution is to break out the old ruler, compass, protractor, pen and India ink and do your graphics the old fashioned way - on Velum. Then scan the stuff.

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    Bad address email on file Liquid_Software's Avatar
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    Try Inkscape, it's Open Source so it's free.

    Here is a link for some screen shots of it:

    http://www.inkscape.org/screenshots/index.php?lang=en

    And you can download it from here:

    http://www.inkscape.org/download/?lang=en

    You can also use GIMP but it is more for Photos

    http://www.gimp.org/screenshots/

    http://www.gimp.org/downloads/

    Zachary L. Barvitz
    Liquid Software Designs
    www.liquidsoftwaredesigns.com
    Last edited by Liquid_Software; 06-19-2007 at 06:53 PM.

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    ATO Member OPTIDONN's Avatar
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    Looks good but how do I download it? There's so much stuff and I don't know that much about computers.

  7. #7
    Bad address email on file Liquid_Software's Avatar
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    If you are running windows you can download the .exe for Inkscape from here:

    http://sourceforge.net/project/downl...or=superb-west

    For the .exe for Gimp it can be downloaded from here:

    http://sourceforge.net/project/downl...or=superb-west

    Just download the files and run them from your desktop.



    Zachary L. Barvitz
    Liquid Software Designs
    www.liquidsoftwaredesigns.com

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    ATO Member OPTIDONN's Avatar
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    Got it!! I think this will work well Thanks!!

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    Bad address email on file Liquid_Software's Avatar
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    Great, I hope it meets your needs, as a big supporter of the Open Source community I try to go out of my way to use Open Source over conventional software.

    Give us an update later on how it worked for you.

  10. #10
    ATO Member OPTIDONN's Avatar
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    Just messing around I came up with some interesting diagrams but the problem is when I use it it shuts my computer down!

  11. #11
    Bad address email on file Liquid_Software's Avatar
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    Inkscape is shutting down your computer?

    Let me download and install it and see what I get, if you would like I could also have myself or a technician remote into your computer and see whats going on.

    Zachary L. Barvitz
    Liquid Software Designs
    www.liquidsoftwaredesigns.com

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    Master OptiBoarder rinselberg's Avatar
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    OPTIDONN - If whatever it is that you're working on involves optical design/engineering, the CODE V and LightTools software packages described on this webpage may be of interest to you.
    Last edited by rinselberg; 06-20-2007 at 10:09 PM.

    Are you reading more posts and enjoying it less? Make RadioFreeRinsel your next Internet port of call ...

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    Optimentor Diane's Avatar
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    Paint v/s...

    OPTIDONN,

    Is it working yet? Also, is it something that can be used for importing into PPT programs as well as Word? I spend tons of time in Paint, and am never completely satisfied with the results.

    Diane
    Anything worth doing is worth doing well.

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    ATO Member OPTIDONN's Avatar
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    Well I can get the program to come up with some ok images I just don't know if I can put these images in the word document. Considering how long it takes me to do these images I may as well just draw them with a compass and ruler. Less work and I'll get the images I want.

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    registeredoptician Refractingoptician.com's Avatar
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    ,,
    Last edited by Refractingoptician.com; 05-08-2008 at 07:25 AM.

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    ATO Member HarryChiling's Avatar
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    I have worked with illustrator in the past and I got to say this inkscape is just what I needed lots of the features I used without the additional stuff I didn't. Great software and thanks for recommending it.
    1st* HTML5 Tracer Software
    1st Mac Compatible Tracer Software
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    *Dave at OptiVision has a web based tracer integration package that's awesome.

  17. #17
    Bad address email on file Liquid_Software's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by HarryChiling View Post
    I have worked with illustrator in the past and I got to say this inkscape is just what I needed lots of the features I used without the additional stuff I didn't. Great software and thanks for recommending it.
    You are welcome, I am happy to hear that you like it.

    Zachary L. Barvitz
    Liquid Software Designs
    www.liquidsoftwaredesigns.com

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