Simtel MSDOS 1992 June

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Text File | 1989-02-04 | 8.2 KB | 244 lines

@ART PAL 10J = <B>rtline<D> by CCP is bound to become one of the<%4> hottest<%0> graphic and text manipulating programs of 1989. It has the features that serious desktop publishers need to add dramatic looking headlines and other text effects into otherwise plain documents. It also has the ability to turn bit-mapped graphics into object-oriented art. @1ST PAR PAL = @ART PAL 10J = <MI%6>Illustrator <D>by Adobe has been touted as the <%0><169>ultimate<170> drawing program for PC desktop publishers but suffers from a difficult-to-learn command structure, a slow (MS Windows) graphic environment, and the inability to create non-Postscript artwork. Artline is a real zippy program due to the GEM<190>/3 graphic environment it uses, and creates EPS and GEM files. GEM files can be output to any printer supported by Ventura Publisher or the GEM/3 Desktop. I felt right at home and comfortable with Artline's controls after only an hour or two of serious use. If you like Ventura you're going to love Artline! @ARTICLE PAL = @ART PAL 10J = The combination of Bitstream Fontware and Artline <%4>allows you to easily create some very exotic text <%0>effects. The <169>What You See Is What You Get!<170> title on the cover and every other header and text effect used in this month's magazine was generated by Artline. Images speak louder than words, so here is Artline's editing screen while doing a simple text <169>stretch.<170> @ARTICLE PAL = @ARTICLE PAL = @ART PAL 10J = @ART PAL 10J = Artline comes with the Bitstream Fontware installation kit for GEM/3 and three typefaces: Swiss, Dutch, and Charter. Bitstream has many different typefaces available for $195 each. I found the Headlines 1 <%4>and Headlines 2 families to be very useful, each family<%0> includes four different typefaces. Bitstream fonts are of very high quality and can be installed for either the HP Laserjet (PCL) and compatibles or Postscript printers. The Fontware install kit lets you generate whatever size screen fonts you desire and automates the whole process of naming fonts and placing them in the correct sub-directories for GEM/3 use. @ART PAL 10J = Artline is an object-oriented drawing program that lets you create very complex drawings with many elements. These elements are arranged in <169>layers<170> on the editing screen and can be placed either in front of or behind other elements. This layering produces some really wild 3-D effects and allows you to move any element anywhere you want it. You can group several elements into one so they can be further manipulated or moved as one. This frame shows six separate objects layered and shaded <197> and also the contents of the <169>Arrange<170> menu. @ARTICLE PAL = @ART PAL 10J = The elements may be individually colored or given a desired gray value for Postscript users. One of the toolbox options let you set any desired percentage of fill for the selected object whether it be a graphic or text item. @ARTICLE PAL = @ART PAL 10J = Other Artline tools let you set the border thickness and <%6>color attributes, select<%0> objects, <%6>draw squares, rectangles,<%0> circles, and ellipses or trace bit-map images. @ARTICLE PAL = @ART PAL 10J = Any graphic or text object may be stretched, twisted, <%4>or rotated with the the<%0> special tools found at the bottom of the toolbox. @ARTICLE PAL = @ARTICLE PAL = @ART PAL 10J = Text can be inserted anywhere you place the cursor on the editing screen. A dialogue box will pop-up to let you pick the desired typeface, point size, leading, spacing, and kerning attributes during text entry. @ARTICLE PAL = @ARTICLE PAL = @ARTICLE PAL = @ARTICLE PAL = @ARTICLE PAL = @ARTICLE PAL = @ARTICLE PAL = @ARTICLE PAL = @ARTICLE PAL = @ARTICLE PAL = @ARTICLE PAL = @ARTICLE PAL = @ARTICLE PAL = @ARTICLE PAL = @ARTICLE PAL = @ART PAL 10J = How many times have you wished that you could easily create some circular or curved text? Artline makes this a fairly simple task; you enter your text, select the text, ungroup the individual letters, arrange all the letters in one pile, then individually rotate each letter to wherever you want it. A difficult task like rotation is done by placing a <169>thumb tack<170> on the screen at the point you wish to make the center of your arc or circular shape. @ARTICLE PAL = @ART PAL 10J = Commonly used symbols or small pictures can be <%2>saved as symbols and stored in SYF files. You can <%0>create any kind of symbol or graphic up to 16k in size and save it as a symbol. Artline has a built-in symbol library editor and pre-view tool for easy selecting of symbols. Once a symbol has been brought out onto the drawing screen it can be treated like any other piece of art work and manipulated by the tools. Artline comes with 10 symbol libraries so you can <%6>start exploring this feature right away. Digital<%0> Research will be releasing more symbol libraries later. @ARTICLE PAL = @ART PAL 10J = Artline can perform many different editing functions on a selected object such as copy, rotate, move, scale, mirror, pattern, color and group/ungroup. The move command allows you to make multiple copies of the same object and specify a given distance up or down and right or left to <169>move<170> the copies in relation to the original. This feature can create some complex 3-D or shadowed graphics or text effects with just 2 or 3 simple keystrokes. @ART PAL 10J = Drawings can be saved as object-oriented GEM files or you can use the Postscript option to generate EPS (encapsulated Postscript) files. The GEM files can be used with Ventura Publisher and the EPS files can be <%2>used by Ventura or any other desktop publishing<%0> program that accepts EPS format. @ARTICLE PAL = @ART PAL 10J = You can also use the Postscript option to output directly to your Postscript printer. Other options let you choose the page orientation, device port or output filename, scaling, 4-color separation, lines per inch resolution, and the number of copies desired. @ARTICLE PAL = @ARTICLE PAL = @ARTICLE PAL = @ARTICLE PAL = @ARTICLE PAL = @ARTICLE PAL = @ARTICLE PAL = @ARTICLE PAL = @ARTICLE PAL = @ARTICLE PAL = @ARTICLE PAL = @ARTICLE PAL = @ARTICLE PAL = @ARTICLE PAL = @ARTICLE PAL = @ARTICLE PAL = @ARTICLE PAL = @ARTICLE PAL = @ARTICLE PAL = @ARTICLE PAL = @ARTICLE PAL = @ARTICLE PAL = @ARTICLE PAL = @ARTICLE PAL = @ARTICLE PAL = @ARTICLE PAL = @ARTICLE PAL = @ARTICLE PAL = @ARTICLE PAL = @ART PAL 10J = As I mentioned at the start of this review, Artline <%4>has the ability to turn bit-mapped graphics <%6>into<%2> <%6>object-oriented graphics. This is done by first<%0> importing an IMG, PCX, or TIFF file into the background. The quill tool is used to trace lines or create very complex arcs which are later either colored in or assigned a Postscript gray fill value. When you're done tracing you simply tell Artline to delete the original bit-map image and you are left with an object-oriented piece of artwork in GEM (or EPS) format. This is not an easy or fast process, but the end results are well worth the time and look fantastic! @ARTICLE PAL = @PRODUCTS = SUMMARY @ARTICLE PAL = @ART PAL 10J = Artline is definitely not for Pagemaker users, but for us Ventura addicts it is a dream come true! I have spent many hours manipulating bit-map images <%4>trying to make <169>nice looking<170> title and other text<%0> effects only to end up with a jagged-looking mess. After just a few short minutes with Artline I have designed the front cover title and every other fancy looking text effect used in this month's magazine. GEM Artline is T H E program for you if you are serious about the way your Ventura documents look. Artline is available now with a suggested retail price of $495 and already discounted by mail to $309! <188>