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Review:
Canvas 5.0.1
by Bob Horgos
I have only one complaint regarding Deneba Software's Canvas version 5 that has
recently been updated to version 5.0.1. But I have to start out by saying that I
like Canvas because it gives me everything that I could want in an integrated drawing,
graphics and page layout program. Canvas 5 has got some unique features and capabilities.
Many of the features can be found in competing software programs but Deneba Software
has done a great job of combining all of these features and tools into a single program.
And Canvas 5 comes fully equipped with 20,000 Clip-Art images and 2,000 Tru-Type
and Post-Script fonts in addition to some of its unique drawing and graphics features,
such as its Import/Export capabilities, floating tool palettes, image editing filters,
color correction controls, Embossed image creation, and other special effects.
My major complaint with Canvas is related to the hundreds of features that are incorporated
in Canvas. Deneba claims that the use of these features is intuitive but a new user
would have to devote a lot of time in learning the complexities of Canvas 5. Yet
the manual that is supplied with Canvas 5 is not extensive enough to provide complete
instructions and direction for the use of all those features. The User Guide is neither
comprehensive nor does it have an easy to follow format. My first exposure to Canvas
3.0 came about 7 or 8 years ago and my recollection is that the manuals for version
3.0 were full sized and about 3 inches thick. The latest User Guide is 5 inches wide
by 8 inches tall and is about 3/4 inch thick. But Deneba could be merely following
the current trend to minimize hard copy manuals and rely on the on-line Help Guide.
For my part, I prefer the printed User Manuals rather than the on-screen manuals.
Unfortunately this problem gets compounded by the fact that Deneba has already seen
fit to come out with a revision to the program and included in that revision is a
statement: "This list of topics summarizes the changes and improvements made
in Canvas 5, version 5.0.1, and supersedes the printed documentation on these subjects.
I am frankly having a difficult time trying to determine the major difference between
Canvas Version 3.5.4 which I reviewed and reported about 6 or 7 months ago and this
latest version. It is obvious to me that no one but a frequent and experienced user
of Canvas can ever hope to keep up with the intricacies of learning and using all
of the features of Canvas 5. Canvas is a program for those who are going to use it
everyday and is not the kind of program for the once-in-a-while or infrequent user.
I find it also necessary to state that Deneba Software is one of the very best companies
in its attempts to keep its customers up-to-date on the latest developments, modifications,
and revisions to its products. The Deneba Web Page is supersaturated with technical
information and documentation about the changes and improvements to Canvas 5. But
this devotion to updating and improving the software program merely complicates the
user's attempts to keep current with all of the program's capabilities, this is particularly
true of those who may not have ready access to Deneba's Web Page.
If I were to merely itemize the many listed features of Canvas 5, it would require
almost four (4) pages of text. Deneba lists about 170 distinct features for Canvas
5 and claims that about 95 of them are new and have never been found in previous
versions of Canvas. Some of the features are pretty stupendous, Canvas claims that
it has 1,000 levels of "UNDO”, which means that the user can reverse up to 1,000
actions since the last time the existing document was saved. I would never be able
to take advantage of that feature because I would never wait that long to "SAVE”
whatever document I was working on. But I can confirm that multiple "UNDO” levels
are a fact of Canvas 5 because I was able to exercise multiple "UNDO” actions
and it does in fact work. Canvas also has about 30 built-in filters that allows it
to work on files created by other programs.
Canvas supports all standard graphics file formats. I made attempts to check out
Canvas 5's capabilities to open and work with graphics created by other programs.
I was very impressed that Canvas could open graphics from many traditional Macintosh
graphics programs and even went to far as to open graphics created by DOS programs
with the PCX, CGM, TIF and PIC formats. There was no hesitancy by Canvas to quickly
open those files, and it even gives a preview of the graphic when the file was selected.
I took some files that were in children's programs that I keep around the house for
my granddaughters and Canvas was able to open those files also. Canvas even has the
capability of picking out graphics that are encapsulated into QuickTime movies. And
Canvas not only opened the file but had the capability to convert the file into either
a Canvas format or an Encapsulated Postscript File. Canvas has full capability for
image-editing although there is a limited amount of special effects that can be utilized.
But Canvas can be used with some third-party plug-ins to make adjustments to images.
And finally, Canvas also has the capability to save files into 38 different standard
formats.
My first
experience with Canvas came about in the late 1980s or early 1990s with the need
for making both mechanical and architectural drawings. It seems to me that Canvas
started out life as primarily a drafting or drawing system with some illustration
capabilities but has recently evolved into primarily a technical illustration program
that has drafting or drawing capability.
From the early days of Canvas, Deneba has always made the primary claim that Canvas has a unique ability to provide precision drawing tools and techniques that can help in creating accurate scale drawings, floor plans, architectural designs, and other types of technical drawings. Canvas has always incorporated a "Smart Mouse” drawing aid to help align objects precisely. Smart Mouse is particularly useful as a dimensioning tool. It can accurately position dimensioning lines and arrows to specific positions on the drawn objects. But it appears to me that the old concept of accurate "blueprint” preparation has gone the way of the buggy whip and today's needs are more directed to flashy illustrations and presentations. Deneba seems to reflect that change by opening it's User's guide with the statement: " A Canvas document can accommodate vector drawings, text, and raster images for all types of illustrations, publications, and presentations.”
From my perspective, the main strength of Canvas 5 lies in its Text handling abilities.
Canvas has the full range of word processing features that allow the integration
of text within illustrations or images. One of the newly added features uses Calligraphic
pens to create natural, fully editable strokes. Text can be located in Text columns
that automatically wrap around images and will align text to the column guides, and
text can flow between columns. Text can also be added to documents by the creation
of Text Paths or Text Objects. Control of the text addition is implemented by use
of the Text Tool in the Tools Palette. Canvas 5 has some unique text display capabilities,
it can slant text columns, can bind text to vector objects, bind text to a circle,
wrap text to clipping paths that typically outlines the primary subject of an image,
and wrap text inside a paint object. Not only can Canvas 5 alter and modify the text
path but it can also modify the color and pattern of a text character's interior
and exterior. The interior of the text can include a gradient fill which fills each
character with a blend of color and black. And Canvas 5 can apply strokes to individual
characters and can apply vector effects to type. The vector effects include: Envelope
which stretches text as though it were rubber , Extrude which creates a 3 dimensional
effect and adds lighting effects, Rotate, Freeform, Flip either horizontally or vertically,
Shadow and Path edit. The Path edit feature treats each character of text as a separate
entity and allows the user to create individual character shapes. Many of these features
can be used in conjunction with the other features thus creating unusual lettering
effects.
Canvas produces basically three types of documents that include: illustrations,
presentations and publications. Although each document may change interface items
when switched from one document to another, the basic Tool Palette works with all
three types of documents. When l reviewed Canvas version 3.5.4 I used a Macintosh
Model IIci, a 28 MHz computer with 68030 chip and it seemed to take forever for images
to be opened and reworked. But for Canvas version 5 the review was conducted on a
180 MHz Power Computer and the lengthy delays were non-existent. Testing and operation
of Canvas 5 was not without difficulty however, there were times when various features
of Canvas were essentially non-responsive. I could not tell whether this was a fault
of the software program or a fault with the Operating System 7.5.5.
Those kinds of problems were merely a minor aggravation and not serious. Canvas 5
may have some shortcomings but Deneba Software continues in its efforts to eliminate
or minimize them. Deneba has released some templates that work with Canvas 5 to provide
conversion capability for decimal equivalents and to convert text point sixes to
picas, inches and millimeters. And Deneba recently announced the release of some
new tools such as a Calendar Tool that lets you create a one-month calendar instantly,
complete with day, date, month, and year. Simply select this tool in the toolbox,
drag to define the size of the calendar, specify the month and year, and Canvas does
the rest. And they also announced the release of a Speech Tool that uses Apple's
Speech extension and voices to read text in a Canvas document. Hearing the words
read aloud is a great way to proofread a block of text! The Speech Tool requires
Speech extension, Control Panel, and Voices be installed on the system.
The entire program for Canvas requires about 23.5 Mb of disk space when everything
is installed and the complete set of tools are loaded at start-up. Canvas incorporates
a "ToolPicker” that allows selective loading of different tools. However, if
some tools are not loaded at start-up, it will be necessary to restart Canvas an
use ToolPicker again to load the missing tools.
The primary application requires a recommended 5.6 MB of RAM for routine operation.
Canvas Version 5 has a retail value of $599.95 with a typical street (i.e., catalog)
price of $419.95. Deneba Software offers a Competitive Upgrade price of $149.95.
But there is an ironic twist in that Canvas version 3.5 continues to be offered for
sale at the catalog price of $279.95 with a Competitive Upgrade price of $179.99—
$30.00 higher that the Competitive Upgrade price for Canvas Version 5. Hmmm—Very
Curious!!
Mid-Columbia Macintosh User Group
Attention Newsletter editors:
This article was reviewed & published in the Mid-Columbia Macintosh User Group
newsletter, The Finder. Anyone wishing to reprint it in their nonprofit publication
may do so as long as credit is given to the author and McMUG plus one copy of the
newsletter containing the review should be sent to:
Linda Cameron
1231 Geneva St.
Richland, WA 99352
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