FreeHand update gets two thumbs up - Macromedia Freehand 8.0 draw software - Software Review - Evaluation

FreeHand 8.0 Beta Test

Adobe Illustrator and Macromedia FreeHand have long been battling it out to be the top professional drawing program. But after testing the beta version of FreeHand 8.0 (due in March for a street price of $400), we can confidently report it isn't even a contest any more: For features, speed, reliable output, text handling and Web savvy, FreeHand 8 is the winner.

Leading the new feature list is transparency - not a faked cutout simulation but the real thing. Objects can even appear see-through against raster artwork, and they output like a dream. There are some limitations, though. Type must be made into outlines to appear transparent, and the borders of objects remain opaque. Corel Corp. was the first vendor we know of to introduce vector transparency in its products, but FreeHand's implementation seems easier and more reliable at print time.

Transparency is applied with FreeHand's new Lens fills, which use an object to filter other parts of a design. The other five lenses are nearly as impressive. The Invert Lens creates automatic negative effects, even against bit maps. Lighten and Darken work much like Adobe Photoshop's Blend modes, while Monochrome automatically desaturates any object behind it. The Magnify lens, which can automatically blow up part of an image, is perfect for drafting, cartography and schematics. We also like the Snapshot option, which freeze-frames the filtered image within a shape, even when it's repositioned.

Some new drawing tools beef up FreeHand's feature set. The Mirror tool creates instant reflected copies with one click and can even reflect copies around a circle or grid. The Graphic Hose is a vector take on the Image Hose in MetaCreations Corp.'s Painter. You paint with sets of designs and alter the spacing of the designs as you use the hose. It can cycle through the objects randomly, in reverse order or sequentially, as well as rotate and scale them. We just wish these powerful features weren't relegated to the Siberia of FreeHand's Xtra Tools palette but added to the regular tool set.

Users intimidated by editing Bezier curves will welcome the Reshape tool, which pushes and pulls shapes around as if they were clay. And now, if you double-click on an object, you can rotate or scale it from a moveable origin point - much faster than Illustrator's Transform palette.

Macromedia Inc. has greatly streamlined and clarified the program's interface. All Panels and Inspector palettes can be combined, and the Tools palette is now dockable to the side of the screen. Customizable button bars can contain any command in the program. Best of all, keyboard shortcuts can be defined for any command, and sets of keyboard commands that mimic other programs, such as Adobe Photoshop and QuarkXPress, can be instantly activated.

Macromedia has wisely borrowed useful features from its competitors. Like Illustrator, FreeHand can now fill open paths and hide objects, and it now has a Paste in Front command, a Divide filter, custom views and a Separation Setup dialog box. XPress has inspired FreeHand's Picture Usage dialog box and a Collect for Output function that, unlike XPress, also collects fonts.

The program exports to an amazing number of file formats, including all Illustrator and CorelDraw formats, Quark EPS, and Desktop Color Separation EPS. Unlike Illustrator, you can drag and drop files from Photoshop into FreeHand and retain their full resolution. Another feature borrowed from Illustrator: You can rasterize objects while still in the program. FreeHand does this with much lower RAM requirements and at far greater speed than Illustrator.

FreeHand's new integration with Macromedia Flash 2.0 couldn't be easier. Any object, text or blend can be automatically placed on separate layers, exported in Flash's .swf format, imported into Flash, manipulated and saved in the Flash format or as a QuickTime movie or animated GIF.

Conclusions

FreeHand 8's powerful feature set, speed, uncluttered interface, integration with other programs, solid output and ease at creating Web graphics deserve a serious look from anyone creating graphics. Using any other drawing program would be second best.

Macromedia Inc. of San Francisco is at (415) 252-2000 or (800) 288-4797; fax (415) 626-0554; http://www.macromedia.com.

Beta Preview: FreeHand 8.0

Due: March

Macromedia Inc.

Street price: $400*

Hits: Flexible transparency; Lens fills; Graphic Hose tool; definable keyboard shortcuts; easy to export files to Macromedia Flash.

Misses: Important tools are still kept on the hard-to-find Xtra Tools palette.

Too soon to tell: Performance.

*Upgrades from previous versions of FreeHand or FreeHand Graphics Studio, $149; competitive upgrades, $199. Design in Motion Suite, $499; upgrades, $299.

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