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Diagramming software used by professionals

Posted: August 30th, 2005, 1:43 pm
by T
Hi

There are many topics in this forum about which type of software to use for diagramming. The overall consensus I gather is that MAcromedia freehand allows for the best quality diagrams (however its main downfall is the rather high price.)

The question I wish to ask is whether the proffesional origamists are also using macromedia freehand aswellOr, for books that get published, such as Robert Lang's or John Montroll's, do they use a different type of software?

Another point is the difference in JApanese books such as those from origami house. Having jusat got my hands on the WORKS of SATOSHI KAMIYA today I noticed that the look of the diagrams from origamihouse are different to any Ive ever seen . So what are the diagrams in books from origami house made with?


I dont know if this is a stupid or obvious question, I know little to nothing about the publishing process.

Thanks very much.

Re: diagramming software what the proffesionals/ masters use

Posted: August 30th, 2005, 3:34 pm
by wolf
T wrote:The overall consensus I gather is that Macromedia freehand allows for the best quality diagrams (however its main downfall is the rather high price.)
I'll argue with that. It's like saying using Macromedia Dreamweaver allows for the best quality websites. The computer graphics and visualisation skills of the diagrammer are much more important factors than the software.
T wrote:Or, for books that get published, such as Robert Lang's or John Montroll's, do they use a different type of software?
Illustrator and Freehand - check the front pages of the origami books, sometimes they list how the typesetting is done. Book publishers typically have very strict requirements for figures, only allowing a few universal formats like Encapsulated Postscript, rather than proprietary Illustrator or Freehand formats. Both pieces of software (almost all respectable graphics packages, in fact) allow you to save figures in EPS format, however.
T wrote:Having jusat got my hands on the WORKS of SATOSHI KAMIYA today I noticed that the look of the diagrams from origamihouse are different to any Ive ever seen.
Again, that's a style thing, and not a result of the software being used.

Posted: August 30th, 2005, 9:17 pm
by origamimasterjared
Robert uses Freehand. I believe he's been using Freehand since he first started using the computer for diagrams (He did it by hand earlier)

And about Freehand giving the best quality...

Actually, a CAD program if properly used would probably be capable of much higher quality diagrams. Freehand is just easier to use for origami diagram purposes. And yes, it's in the skill and care of the diagrammer. If there were some $2000 special origami diagramming software, a lazy diagrammer using it would still not produce diagrams as nice as one who puts a lot of effort into his using a cheaper, less powerful software.

I've used various versions of Freehand for years, and after finally getting used to it, I have no reason to switch to anything new, no matter how powerful or easy to use...

And the difference between the currently popular Japanese style of diagramming and the American style is just that: style. For instance, compare Jason Ku's diagrams to Satoshi Kamiya's. They are very similar, yet Jason is from the USA and Kamiya is from Japan.

Posted: August 30th, 2005, 9:26 pm
by Joseph Wu
Freehand is the software of choice. I'm pretty sure Montroll uses it, too. Most of the Tanteidan members who diagram by computer use it. Origami House uses it (so, yes, Kamiya's book was done with Freehand). Having said that, I fully agree with wolf and Jared that the program is just a tool. Good diagrams are the result of a good diagrammer, not the software.

Posted: August 30th, 2005, 11:29 pm
by Brimstone
Ok so if Frehand is so popular, maybe could answer my question, Why is it that the grid commands do not work? I change the spacing of the grid but nothing efver happens. Am I doing something wrong?

Posted: August 30th, 2005, 11:35 pm
by Joseph Wu
Do you have "snap to grid" turned on? If not, your grid spacing only affects how the grid appears, and will not affect how it acts.

Posted: August 31st, 2005, 1:55 am
by Brimstone
It does not matter if I turn it on or off it is always the same. The grid is always the same size not as with other programs where you can have very small spacing between the squares.

I know it is my fault and that the program surely has this feature but I've searched a lot and haven't been able to find it

Posted: August 31st, 2005, 2:39 am
by wolf
Brimstone wrote:It does not matter if I turn it on or off it is always the same. The grid is always the same size not as with other programs where you can have very small spacing between the squares.
There's a difference between turning on the grid view and snapping to the grid. The first just overlays a grid on your working page, the second allows you to align your objects to the grid.

It's been a while since I've used Freehand, but IIRC, the grid commands are under the View menu. Turn on "Snap to Grid", and then Grid->edit allows you to change the grid spacing.

Posted: August 31st, 2005, 3:19 am
by Joseph Wu
Brimstone wrote:It does not matter if I turn it on or off it is always the same. The grid is always the same size not as with other programs where you can have very small spacing between the squares.
The grid displays dynamically based on your current zoom settings. If your grid is set so fine that it would appear as a solid mass of colour at your current zoom (e.g. if you had your grid set to 1/64 of an inch, and you are zoomed out to 50% of a letter sized page), it will show a sparser grid. Snap to grid will still work to 1/64 of an inch, however.

Posted: August 31st, 2005, 11:51 pm
by Brimstone
Must probably I haven't understood how the whole thing works.

When you open Freehand, it shows 2 things:

1. One large white page with landscape orientation

2. One small rectangle with portrait orientation, located to the left anf bottom of 1.

I always thought that the first thing was a very large area in which you could draw and that the second thing was an A4 page

Am I totally off on these?

Posted: September 1st, 2005, 12:20 am
by Joseph Wu
Brimstone wrote:Must probably I haven't understood how the whole thing works.

When you open Freehand, it shows 2 things:

1. One large white page with landscape orientation

2. One small rectangle with portrait orientation, located to the left anf bottom of 1.

I always thought that the first thing was a very large area in which you could draw and that the second thing was an A4 page

Am I totally off on these?
Sounds like you've zoomed so far out that the page is just that tiny rectangle. Freehand assumes you have one or more pages that sit on a "drawing board" (I can't remember the term they actually use). The large white "page" you refer to is the drawing board. The rectangle is the actual page. As you add pages to the document, they will appear next to the first one. You need to zoom into the page to draw on it. Try setting the zoom to 100% and see what you get. You can draw on the drawing board if you want, but it won't print. Only objects drawn on a page will print. Dare I suggest you read the manual?

Posted: September 1st, 2005, 1:52 am
by Brimstone
Joseph Wu wrote:Dare I suggest you read the manual?
Thanks for your kind suggestion, but if I had the manual I wouldn't be bothering you with such silly questions. The program was bought by my brother and installed on my computer. He lost the manual (as he usually does with most everything). I have tried the help feature on the program but it is of not much help.

The thing about zooming to obtain an adeqaute grid still does not make much sense to me. Why is it then that there is a feature that supposedly allows you to change the grid, if it is not going to show? Only for the "snap to" feature?

Posted: September 1st, 2005, 2:35 am
by Joseph Wu
Brimstone wrote:Thanks for your kind suggestion, but if I had the manual I wouldn't be bothering you with such silly questions. The program was bought by my brother and installed on my computer. He lost the manual (as he usually does with most everything). I have tried the help feature on the program but it is of not much help.
If you still have the install CD, there should be a PDF version of the manual on it.
Brimstone wrote:The thing about zooming to obtain an adeqaute grid still does not make much sense to me. Why is it then that there is a feature that supposedly allows you to change the grid, if it is not going to show? Only for the "snap to" feature?
Look at it this way. Imagine you've set the grid to 1/64 of an inch. Now, try to DRAW that grid on a real sheet of paper. You'll end up with an almost solid mass of lines on the paper. However, if you could enlarge the paper so that it is 64 times the size of normal, then your effective grid would be an easy to manage grid of 1 inch squares.

It's the same with Freehand. If your grid would show up as a solid mass of lines because it's too fine for the current zoom level, it will drop out lines until a manageable visible grid is shown.

Posted: September 1st, 2005, 6:38 am
by thedeadsmellbad
Brimstone wrote: Thanks for your kind suggestion, but if I had the manual I wouldn't be bothering you with such silly questions.
Google
http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=freehand+manual

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