FLASH: Freehand or Illustrator?

[Margo]

>I'm trying to decide which to purchase:  Freehand or Illustrator.  I want

>to get a package specifically for doing vector art which I can bring into

>Flash.  From my understanding, Freehand is better integrated with Flash but

>Illustrator is more polished and has more features.


I don't know what you mean by "more polished." I use both programs and get

irritated in Illustrator at having to use one of 3 different Selection tools

depending on whether I want to select the entire object, just a point, or an

object within a group. Keyboard shortcuts help, but I have to use them a

lot. FreeHand has one Selection tool and I use fewer modifier keys to change

what gets selected. Many cartographers the world over prefer FH (check out

the FreeHand lists). As for page layout -- you can easily create multiple

pages in FH, all at different sizes if you want. I have yet to fully

understand how to use Illustrator's page metaphor, the "artboard." I avoid

the issue by making all my Illustrator documents 1 page. In FreeHand you can

put type at the top and bottom of the same path. In Illustrator you have to

make 2 separate paths to get the same effect, although it's easier in

Illustrator to move type along the path.


Things that  I really like about Illustrator -- being able to create custom

brushes for the Paint Brush. The color filters are really useful. Transform

Multiples (transform a multiple selection each from their own centerpoint)

is wonderful. The crosshatching filter is just fantastic. The Mesh Gradient

lets you map an image and apply different gradients to each mapped section.


As for "more features," check out FreeHand 8's lenses. The Transparency lens

gives you instant transparency of a filled selection at the percentage and

color you choose. Transparency stays with the object if you move it over the

document. The Magnify lens lets you create a shape, place it over any area

of the document, then enlarge that area to the ratio you choose (instant

magnifying glass). The Monochrome lens lets you create a shape and get an

instant grayscale (or any monochrome color) over any area of the document.

There's also a Lighten and Darken lens. The Graphic Hose tool lets you

"spray" images over the document -- up to 10 different images if you want,

including groups, blends, text, EPS and TIFF (although I wouldn't use TIFFS

because of file size). The Freeform tool lets you push and pull a shape from

the outside or inside. I could go on and on, but to get back to FreeHand 8's

compatibility with Flash...


FH 8 lets you export any document in Flash SWF format. You can even create

the animated frames in FH8 -- create a blend, then choose the Release to

Layers command. This creates layers numbered in consecutive order. When

saved as Flash SWF and imported into Flash, the layers become consecutive

key frames in a single Flash layer (instant frame-by-frame animation). If

it�s a simple illustration, however, you should get rid of most key frames

and let Flash do tweening to cut down on the file size.


This may sound like an ad for FreeHand, but I do love Illustrator's

"painterly" feel of the Brush tool and its filters. For ease of use with

Flash, however, FreeHand gets my vote. Perhaps my descriptions above can

help you decide which program is for you.


Margo Matthew

Software Trainer

margomatatt [dot] net

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