StudioCraft is a drawing tool for the rest of us. Its many applications range from slide presentations to training courses, from leaflets to brochures.
StudioCraft offers a wide range of facilities. It enables you to work:
• freehand without the restrictions of many drawing programs
• using the full range of up to 32 million colours
• on a page up to nine by nine feet
• on an unlimited number of pages
• using a common background
• shaded backgrounds, graduated colours, shadows, "creative" duplication, etc.
StudioCraft also contains features to speed up or simplify the development of a design. For example you can:
• Create Style Pads - rather like templates - so that backgrounds, logos, trademarks, or other designs can be used again and again.
• Save single objects that are to be used regularly thus building up your own library of useful objects.
• Work on up to 100 layers (overlays).
• Import PICT files - for example forecasts - which update as you make changes to the original PICT files.
• And much, much more.
All you need in order to run StudioCraft is a Macintosh with Color QuickDraw and a colour or grey-scale monitor attached…
And all I need from you is a cheque or postal order for $35 (or £20) if you decide to use StudioCraft. (ShareWare details below)
HOW TO USE STUDIOCRAFT
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
The StudioCraft application is self-contained and needs no additional support files to run. It will, however, create a preferences file in your System Folder in which it will store your own personal details. If you send in your ShareWare fee I will send you the latest version of StudioCraft along with an on-line interactive Help file, personalised preferences file and maybe even a few sample documents. I will also enter your details into my user database and keep you updated on version releases.
StudioCraft has been described as a cross between MacDraw, Canvas and Persuasion but I think that's selling it a bit short. I have aimed for an application as simple in form and complex in effect as humanly possible. Assuming you are comfortable with the rudiments of the Macintosh interface, with perhaps some slight exposure to any Macintosh drawing application you should feel at home with StudioCraft almost immediately… although it should take quite some time for you to explore some of the more esoteric aspects of the program.
As mentioned above, StudioCraft needs a Mac II, SE/30, LC or better to run and is quite uncomfortable without either a grey-scale or colour monitor. You will also need to be running System 6.xx or System 7 (which everyone is using anyway, right?).
A few points to note here:
• PICT files are hot-linked to StudioCraft documents. In other words you get the benefits of having your PICT file updates reflected in your StudioCraft documents and saving a lot of disk space. However, you must remember to copy the PICT files along with the documents if you are giving slides to a slide bureau for imaging, copies to friends or whatever. If you want a PICT file permanently included in a document you should select the PICT, double-click on it to open the Edit Object dialog, change the object type to PICT Object from PICT File then click OK.
• Images printed directly from StudioCraft will almost invariably be of a superior quality to images saved as PICT files and imaged from another application.
• Ungrouping of PICTs is not fully implemented in this version.
• Colour Separation, Print Effects and Export File Formats have been removed from this version. This is due to the hassle involved in supporting these features. If I get enough incentive I might re-include them in a later version.
• People who don't send in their ShareWare fee will probably roast in Hell.
• The EC wants to take Russia's place as another useless superpower but Japan will probably beat it to the post by buying 51% of the States.
• Ireland is not as green as many imagine it and not yet as deathly grey as the EC has zoned it.
SHAREWARE DETAILS
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
StudioCraft was written by an individual to be used by individuals. I have a wife and two young children who would, I am sure, be delighted if StudioCraft turned out to be a success. That success depends on you, and people like you, trying it, liking it and sending me a paltry $35 (or £20). Its success also depends on its exposure so if you have friends who might be interested, have access to a bulletin board, know someone in the press, you know what to do.
Cheques or Postal Orders should be sent to:
Seán Bergin,
Gortdromagh,
Sneem,
County Kerry,
IRELAND
…and if you could include your name and address, what Mac you use, how experienced you are, what version you have, what you think it needs and any other stuff I would be most grateful.
As a final note, if you cannot afford the ShareWare fee please feel free to keep using StudioCraft anyway. If you send me a postcard or something I might feel generous and send you latest versions etc., but then again I might not. Either way I want as many people as possible using StudioCraft, that will be my mark of success.
