GRAPHICS SOFTWARE

This needs no introduction. The established industry standard for bitmap editing. The 3D capabilities of the Extended version of this application are particularly useful to me for inserting and positioning shapes created in 3D software. The animation tucked behind my home page was partly created using CS4 X’s  ability to create animations from layers.

Many of my illusions start with an underlying geometrical construction in classical vanishing point perspective. Corel Draw X4 has a tool set that I find particularly well adapted for this.  Another very common starting point for an illusion is isometric projection and for this Corel Designer X4 is the perfect solution. Between them these two applications provide all my vector needs. (Available for Windows only)

Strata Design 3D CX 6 is a 3D modeling, animation and rendering application. It is designed to partner Photoshop and can export and import from CS X’s 3D layers. It will create a camera from a 2D image using CS Vanishing Point and It can render directly to multiple 2D layers in photoshop. It was used with CS 4 X to create the animation behind my home page.

SketchUp is a 3D application like no other. It outputs drawings. It is for architects and designers who do not need full renders. It uses a unique methodology close to the natural way we draw. It is incredibly fast and easy. I often use it for working out my ideas before I start on the fully rendered 3D.  It can create a camera by analysing the vanishing points of a 2D image.

Any claims made for software or hardware on this page are my personal preferences. As such they make no attempt to be impartial or necessarily accurate - they are opinions. These links are not in any way sponsored or supported by the companies named here.

xScope is a wonderful little application that superimposes web templates, guide lines, crosshairs, rulers, and a magnifier that are application independent and can thus be used to align layouts, objects and so forth, while switching between different graphic or page layout applications behind them.  Really useful. (Available for Apple Mac only)

There is no substitute for really understanding masking techniques. I have tried almost every mask creation plugin available.  Some are good at hard objects, some at transparency, some at fine hair - none are the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. The best all rounder I have found is Fluid Mask. It needs to be be learnt, but they supply excellent tutorials.

If you use a lot of Photoshop brushes this tiny little stand alone application ia a life saver. Brush Pilot works exactly like a font manager but for Photoshop brushes.  Very fast with a lovely clear display of the brushes. (Available for Apple Mac Only)

HARDWARE

Now I don’t want to anger the PC community or get into the invidious and pointless Mac versus PC wars, so I am not going to make any comparative claims. Remember these are my personal pages. I shall quite simply content myself with saying that I love my Mac Pro. It’s fast, it’s versatile, it’s solid, it’s secure, it has great monitors ........... and ........... it’s drop dead sexy!

I simply can’t image life without a pen and slate. I use the Extra large A3 active area Wacom Intuos. With large twin monitors a generous tablet surface is essential for precision. I prefer anyway to work with a sweep of the arm rather than tiny wrist movements.  I also use the surprisingly versatile and professional little Bamboo slate when travelling with my laptop.

The 3D Connexion Space Navigator is a wonderfully simple and sensitive six axis joystick designed for 3D navigation. You can use it to move model or camera with the left hand while you work with mouse or pen in the right. A huge improvement over multiple click and drag controls.  Only compatible with certain applications - do check first!

A shoot’em, kill’em gamer control may seem an odd thing to find here. I hate having to switch to the keyboard. It breaks my flow. The n52te sits in my left hand while the right works with the pen.  Its keys, thumbwheel, and tiny joystick have all the main Photoshop functions and modifiers assigned to them. The only time I touch a keyboard is to name layers or files.

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Not a Graphics software at all - but vital to my workflow. VMWare Fusion runs Windows (or any other operating system) on a Mac at the same time as OS X. Drives, peripherals, and clipboard are shared across the two systems. Active Vista windows  and OS X windows exist side by side simulaneously on my desk top. This is how I run my Corel software for example.

The Canon PowerShot Pro 1, an 8 Megapixel SLR camera with a 2/3” CCD and integral 7x Zoom (28- 200m 35mm film equivalent) has now been superceded by higher specification models. The integral zoom avoids the need for carrying multiple lenses and the orientable finder is a real boon. The quality is entirely adequate for my needs.