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Very Cool Vector/Raster Pattern Maker


one of the most versatile plug-ins for Adobe Illustrator

SymmetryWorks 3 is one of the most versatile plug-ins for Adobe Illustrator. It allows web and surface designers to create patterns imaginatively, intuitively, and in a fraction of the time it would normally take.
      SymmetryWorks can utilize a wide variety of art objects from vector paths to brushes, to gradient meshes, to type objects, to a multitude of raster (bitmap) images--including Photoshop, PNG, JPEG, and GIF images--all of which a user can interactively edit with the Illustrator tools or live effects. The user edits only objects in the motif and the plug-in immediately applies the edits to all parts of the pattern, automatically performing thousand of live transformations of the motif.

The full support for raster images is the most important feature of the new version. SymmetryWorks now readily makes patterns from photographs and scanned paintings, which the user can combine with vector art components or use by themselves. Images from different sources and even with different resolutions can be parts of the same SymmetryWorks pattern. The user can also focus on only a part of a raster image. With the Clip/Release button, a motif is chosen on the fly. At the same time, it is easy to use arbitrary complex shapes to outline the most interesting part of an image and use it as a motif.
      The new Clip Options allow the user to switch between separate and blended units of repetition and instantly form a seamless pattern even from units that do not otherwise provide a smooth transition from one to another. By applying the feather effect or opacity masks, which SymmetryWorks now also supports, the user can easily control the amount and depth of transition between neighboring units.
      The ability of SymmetryWorks to use both embedded and linked image files adds convenience and ensures a highly productive workflow.
      SymmetryWorks 3 also provides enhanced support for transparency, the ability to use Illustrator's new 3D effects and advanced typesetting capabilities, and other features.

SymmetryWorks 3

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CREDITS:
Reviewed by Fred Showker for DTG Magazine and the News-Serve Network. (C) 2004, all rights reserved. For republication permissions and credits press the "Contact" button below. First published in the January 2004 edition of DTG Magazine.

 

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