Pixia
February 11, 2001 7:44 AM Subscribe
Pixia is a FREE paint program for the PC.
What do I expect for free? This. :)
Free does not mean feature-poor. Yes, granted, The GIMP doesn't do everything PhotoShop does (yet), but it has more than enough for just about anyones needs, unless they're doing professional publishing.
posted by jammer at 9:46 AM on February 11, 2001
Free does not mean feature-poor. Yes, granted, The GIMP doesn't do everything PhotoShop does (yet), but it has more than enough for just about anyones needs, unless they're doing professional publishing.
posted by jammer at 9:46 AM on February 11, 2001
I like gimp, jammer, but last time I checked, the Windows version wasn't stable (but it's definitely the way I'd go if I was using Linux).
I'm mostly excited about Pixia's handling of my graphic tablet brushstrokes. It seems very responsive and fluid compared to other apps I've used.
posted by grumblebee at 10:08 AM on February 11, 2001
I'm mostly excited about Pixia's handling of my graphic tablet brushstrokes. It seems very responsive and fluid compared to other apps I've used.
posted by grumblebee at 10:08 AM on February 11, 2001
I haven't yet seen a paint package as good as (in theory) Deluxe Paint (DPaint) on the Amiga.
Modern paint programs merge 'path' and 'brush' ... [line, bezier curve(sp?), circle path/square path/rectangle and oval path, spray] and [dot, dots of any size like large squares or circles, any image] respectively.
This means you can spray whatever brush you have. Or draw a circle of your brush (placing an image at each pixel point along the path).
Modern paint programs assume that you 'spray' means you want one colour blended outwards. Or that you only want to draw circles consisting of dots, or small circles, it's limiting.
DPaint 5 allowed you to create paths of mathmatical functions, so you might create a circle with a wobbly line of images. Also, it allow animated brushes. So that with each individual spray it moves to the next image - so when you draw a circle path it could have a running person with each frame spaced accordingly.
The circle and line path also allowed a N many steps along the path, so that it breaks the path into that many brush points.
Does anyone know of any paint program with this? I don't think gimp or photoshop, or paint shop pro do this - though I haven't used any for a while.
posted by holloway at 1:58 PM on February 11, 2001
Modern paint programs merge 'path' and 'brush' ... [line, bezier curve(sp?), circle path/square path/rectangle and oval path, spray] and [dot, dots of any size like large squares or circles, any image] respectively.
This means you can spray whatever brush you have. Or draw a circle of your brush (placing an image at each pixel point along the path).
Modern paint programs assume that you 'spray' means you want one colour blended outwards. Or that you only want to draw circles consisting of dots, or small circles, it's limiting.
DPaint 5 allowed you to create paths of mathmatical functions, so you might create a circle with a wobbly line of images. Also, it allow animated brushes. So that with each individual spray it moves to the next image - so when you draw a circle path it could have a running person with each frame spaced accordingly.
The circle and line path also allowed a N many steps along the path, so that it breaks the path into that many brush points.
Does anyone know of any paint program with this? I don't think gimp or photoshop, or paint shop pro do this - though I haven't used any for a while.
posted by holloway at 1:58 PM on February 11, 2001
Oh, nostalgia...Deluxe Paint for the Amiga was the first computer program I ever used. I was somewhere between 6 and 8 at the time. I absolutely loved that program, especially the snowflake setting.
posted by Jeanne at 5:05 PM on February 11, 2001
posted by Jeanne at 5:05 PM on February 11, 2001
Argh... I wasn't very clear when asking this: Does anyone know of any paint program that cleanly defines 'path' and 'brush' and allows any combination? Ta.
posted by holloway at 7:04 PM on February 11, 2001
posted by holloway at 7:04 PM on February 11, 2001
holloway: I'm not completely sure if it does what you're looking for, but I've seen Canvas do some funky stuff.
posted by champignon at 7:47 PM on February 11, 2001
posted by champignon at 7:47 PM on February 11, 2001
You might also check out Expression. It's a "vector illustration" tool that lets you apply natural-media brushstrokes to your paths. The cool thing is, the paths remain fully editable and you can change the stroke settings at any time. It's like Painter and Illustrator merged into one program.
It was originally published by Fractal Design and then MetaCreations, but is now published by its original developers, Hong Kong's Creature House. (What a great name for a software company, while I'm on the subject.)
posted by kindall at 10:27 PM on February 11, 2001
It was originally published by Fractal Design and then MetaCreations, but is now published by its original developers, Hong Kong's Creature House. (What a great name for a software company, while I'm on the subject.)
posted by kindall at 10:27 PM on February 11, 2001
Jeanne, you could have gone all day without saying that.
grumble mutter thirty-five years old when I bought my first Amiga grumble
posted by Steven Den Beste at 1:13 AM on February 12, 2001
grumble mutter thirty-five years old when I bought my first Amiga grumble
posted by Steven Den Beste at 1:13 AM on February 12, 2001
Ewwww, Gimp! It feels like a spruced up version of DOS favourite NeoPaint :-)
Gimp, Paint Shop Pro 7 et al are fine if you're not already used to Photoshop.. but if you are, it really feels like a step back into the past using these programs.
Now, if they could add 'Painter' style features to some of these cheaper packages, I would definitely be tempted.
posted by wackybrit at 1:21 AM on February 12, 2001
Gimp, Paint Shop Pro 7 et al are fine if you're not already used to Photoshop.. but if you are, it really feels like a step back into the past using these programs.
Now, if they could add 'Painter' style features to some of these cheaper packages, I would definitely be tempted.
posted by wackybrit at 1:21 AM on February 12, 2001
ya gets what ya pay for.
posted by crunchland at 10:37 AM on February 12, 2001
posted by crunchland at 10:37 AM on February 12, 2001
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posted by grumblebee at 7:45 AM on February 11, 2001