Newsgroups: comp.sys.amiga.applications
Subject: Bugs/comments on Art Expression/BME
From: dyer@nrlvx1.nrl.navy.mil (Doug Dyer)
Date: 10 Jan 93 13:56:21 -0400
Organization: NRL SPACE SYSTEMS DIVISION


	I have noticed many problems with Art Expression v1.01 and BME 
1.12 (which comes with it) so since typical amiga reviews are so 
forgiving no good things are said here, just bugs and comments. Sorry 
if the writing style is rambling... but hey :)



	First off: by no means would I have bought any other structured 
drawing package after having used this one. For instance, its beizer 
curve handling is reminiscent of FrameMaker.  This package is slick, 
professional, and the manual is great.  



BME v.1.1.2:

	BME is the Amiga BitMap Editor by Softlogik that comes with AE 
(art expression).  The big new feature is trace, which works well with 
simple pictures or small complex ones such as the owl.pic from 
MorphPlus :).  BME gurus every time I trace the tutorial pictures that 
came with it (the "Font Block" .iff - not the simple example provided 
on the AE disk).  Now I realize that scanned photos are not that 
traceable (if at all) but a system crash?



	Another problem with BME is that it ignores your font prefs.  
While this is unfortunately still common, BME will let you select 
whatever font you wish in the tools type. Why not sense for os2.0 and 
read the prefs?  They even use the ASL requesters.



Art Expression 1.01:



first the bugs:

	AE guru: whenever I print to the preference printer (I have 6 
megs, 2 megs chip, so I don't think the OS is hurting for memory).  
The picture could be a simple line and ...crash.  I am currently 
having to print the artwork from pagestream (through the preference 
printer as well).



	Saving/loading DR2D is also flawed.  By saving the stamp template 
(the edge of a stamp) from the tutorial as a DR2D, and then placing it 
back in, the edges are deformed...yet pagestream will read the same 
file without deforming it.

	

	After selecting the draw tool, the coordinates freeze until you 
start the line.. unlike all other tools that give feedback for the 
first point as well.



	The free-hand tool refuses to acknowledge the escape key (which 
you press to end a drawing operation).  I have to select the object 
button.

 	

	The pie slice percentages requester TOTAL field misplaces the 
text below the box (actually, I think the box is misplaced) when TOPAZ 
font is not being used (ie: screen is workbench). sigh...



 now the comments:



	AE loves our Topaz Font.  Yet it will use the prefs font if you 
request it use the workbench screen.  It even uses the ASL 
requesters...  Why won't softlogik handle prefs better?



	Many requesters seem unpolished or feature-barren such as the 
Linestyle/Fill requester.  There are no monochrome fill patterns 
(other than a percentage blend for shades) to select such as in 
pagestream, or more importantly: arrows for line endpoints.  There is 
no way to manually construct a line pattern or fill pattern either (in 
the requester - there is an ugly way to do it via merging objects - 
"ugly" for this simple operation, not complex effects).

	

	There is also a strange lack of sliders.  For many requesters, it 
would be easier to use a slider that to bounce from mouse to keyboard.. such 
as the transform requester's functions. Another argument for the 
slider is the magnification tool button (same goes for pagestream and 
its mag., page buttons. give us more sliders!). How about a slider for 
the regular-polygon tool when selecting the # of sides?  The setting 
of the grid is manual too, unlike the nice one in pagestream where one 
may interactively select it. Another great candidate for interactive 
settings is the pie slice percentages construction.



	While dealing with fonts is a strong point with this package, it 
is odd to have to enter/change fonts only through requesters and not 
have a font "cross-hair" to select text and type on the screen itself.

	There is a mistake in the 1.01 release notes: there are no sample 
.eps files on the BME disk from the cookbook section in the tutorial.



	Another comment is the toolbox itself.  While the design is 
great, adding a few more buttons would be better. For instance, there 
are buttons for helping the user with editing points (removing a 
point, edge to curve, curve to edge, etc.) why not making "add point" 
a button too?  How about one for toggling grouping.... 



	Another comment: AE loads a default font at startup (something I 
wish was an option).  The preference setting for changing the default 
font involves first setting the default font path. Why not allow us to 
change the default font without all the fuss?



	There is effective online help in this package, so I wish they 
would embrace amigaguide :)



	Well, that wraps up the obvious,  but believe me this is one 
powerful program.  Its strengths greatly outweigh these flaws and I 
hope softlogik gives it many updates :)


-- 
Doug Dyer   *    STI   *    dyer@nrlvax.nrl.navy.mil    | "(2B) | !(2B) -> ?"
DISCLAIMER:  These are my opinions, and not necessarily |  LOWLY SHOPKEEPER,  
those of STI, NRL,  and most likely you too.            | WHERE IS YOUR PEZZ!
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