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Fun Stuff => CLIKC => Topic started by: BS on 05 Feb 2008, 21:09

Title: I Think I Need A Little Help...
Post by: BS on 05 Feb 2008, 21:09
I'm beginning to realize how much Photoshop's success bugs me. It's expensive, buggy, & drive-consuming. To add on top of this all, the ONLY program I can draw with. So, I'm just wondering, what programs do you guys use?
Title: Re: I Think I Need A Little Help...
Post by: Dimmukane on 05 Feb 2008, 21:14
Well, there's GIMP, the open source version of photoshop, MS Paint, several utilities for drawing 8-bit video game style stuff, and other expensive software.  Corel Paint, Adobe Illustrator, Adobe Fireworks....there's a lot.
Title: Re: I Think I Need A Little Help...
Post by: Spluff on 05 Feb 2008, 21:21
Try Painter or OpenCanvas for drawing.

However - I've never, ever, encountered a bug with photoshop CS3, so I don't know how much good swapping programs will do.
Title: Re: I Think I Need A Little Help...
Post by: McTaggart on 05 Feb 2008, 21:30
Yeah, photoshop is an excellent piece of software.

If you're doing vector work then Inkscape (http://www.inkscape.org) was pretty good when I used it ages ago. It should be even better now.
Title: Re: I Think I Need A Little Help...
Post by: Joybee on 05 Feb 2008, 21:59
I'm still running PSP 7, but I'm sure there are better versions now. I like it because it's fairly easy to use, and so far everything I've used on photoshop I could also find on PSP 7, but then again I don't use either that often. PSP seems a bit more straightforward than Photoshop to me.
Title: Re: I Think I Need A Little Help...
Post by: Melodic on 05 Feb 2008, 22:24
Photoshop isn't supposed to be straight-forward: it's the Swiss Army knife of art programs, if a Swiss Army knife had a gun, a shield, several bandages, and a nuclear warhead on its attachments. Photoshop is with few exceptions (pixel art being the only prominent one) the best tool for anything involving a picture on a computer, and while I admit it's a bulky piece of code, it pretty much has to be to be capable of all that it is.

As a web designer, if you've found everything you used on PS, on PSP, then PSP is definitely the right tool for you, because PS is way more than you'll ever need.
Title: Re: I Think I Need A Little Help...
Post by: BS on 09 Feb 2008, 16:42
Godammit. My fears have been realized. You see, I've been using Photoshop for three or four years now, and I can't seem to use any other prgram now that my new computer can't handle it. (Or my wallet, for that matter)
Title: Re: I Think I Need A Little Help...
Post by: Melodic on 09 Feb 2008, 18:56
How bad is your "new" computer that it can't run Photoshop? If you're really that desperate I have some old 7.0 and CS2 disks I can send your way.
Also, GIMP is the only alternative if you like good programs. Seriously.
Title: Re: I Think I Need A Little Help...
Post by: KharBevNor on 09 Feb 2008, 19:46
Yeah guys, what the hell, Photoshop is one of the best pieces of software ever written.

INDUSTRY STANDARD MOTHERFUCKERS.
Title: Re: I Think I Need A Little Help...
Post by: Joybee on 10 Feb 2008, 22:50
Photoshop isn't supposed to be straight-forward: it's the Swiss Army knife of art programs, if a Swiss Army knife had a gun, a shield, several bandages, and a nuclear warhead on its attachments. Photoshop is with few exceptions (pixel art being the only prominent one) the best tool for anything involving a picture on a computer, and while I admit it's a bulky piece of code, it pretty much has to be to be capable of all that it is.

As a web designer, if you've found everything you used on PS, on PSP, then PSP is definitely the right tool for you, because PS is way more than you'll ever need.

I learned everything on PSP because it was all I had at the time, and PS was such a learning curve that I never bothered after I got it. I never draw on the computer enough to spend all the time learning how to use the software, but I kind of wish I had now just to see what I could have produced. Does anyone know what Painter's like?
Title: Re: I Think I Need A Little Help...
Post by: Scruffy on 28 Feb 2008, 06:08
I started on PSP7.0 and really loved it.  I tried making the hop to photoshop only to get annoyed quickly.

I did it again a year later and bam, I'm a Photoshop convert.  PSP has reallly, most of what you'll ever need, but it's nice having those extra tools on hand at your disposal.
Title: Re: I Think I Need A Little Help...
Post by: clockworkjames on 28 Feb 2008, 11:33
Photoshop scared the crap out of me back when I tried to use it 4 years ago, then I used GIMP and now I use fireworks.

People make fun of me for using fireworks but screw em, it does stuff.
Title: Re: I Think I Need A Little Help...
Post by: Teh Geek Lord on 28 Feb 2008, 11:55
I'm a fireworks user, too.

I use Photoshop as well.
Title: Re: I Think I Need A Little Help...
Post by: DavidGrohl on 08 Mar 2008, 10:17
  Fireworks and Illustrator.  The pen tool / vectors rock.
Title: Re: I Think I Need A Little Help...
Post by: bicostp on 08 Mar 2008, 13:48
I use Photoshop 7 and Flash 8 for just about everything image-related, but MS Paint is better for quick doodles or really small stuff.

GiMP does just about everything Photoshop does, but it has the most backwards, counterintuitive interface I've ever seen. Paint.NET is pretty good too, but I haven't used it very much.
Title: Re: I Think I Need A Little Help...
Post by: Spluff on 09 Mar 2008, 18:07
GiMP does just about everything Photoshop does.

That's a lie, good sir.
Title: Re: I Think I Need A Little Help...
Post by: bicostp on 09 Mar 2008, 19:11
GiMP does just about everything Photoshop does.

That's a lie, good sir.

Maybe I should re-word that.

GiMP has the same basic core functionality Photoshop does that most people would need for general use (brushes, basic filters, basic image tweaks...), and is about equal to Paint Shop Pro in that regard. However, it has one of the worst user interface designs I've ever seen. (Everything is in a separate window, which lets pallets and toolboxes get lost under other windows.)

Photoshop is still far more usable and has more advanced features and plugins. (It's the industry standard for a reason.)
Title: Re: I Think I Need A Little Help...
Post by: DavidGrohl on 10 Mar 2008, 01:36
  I prefer Photoshop, however, GIMP does have . . well . . expandability.  There are so many great plug-ins for GIMP that you can make it anything you want it to be.
Title: Re: I Think I Need A Little Help...
Post by: Melodic on 10 Mar 2008, 08:18
Quote from: Google
Results 1 - 10 of about 369,000 for gimp plug-ins. (0.30 seconds)

Quote from: Google
Results 1 - 10 of about 971,000 for photoshop plug-ins. (0.21 seconds)

OH PHOTOSHOP YOU DIRTY GIRL YOU, UNF UNF UNF.
Title: Re: I Think I Need A Little Help...
Post by: GenericName on 11 Mar 2008, 19:28
I could not agree more with how GIMP has a backwards interface. It's possible to do most things Photoshop does on The GIMP, but it takes significantly longer due to how NOTHING IS WHERE IT'S SUPPOSED TO BE.

This could just be because I spent one summer reading a Photoshop manual and nothing else.
Title: Re: I Think I Need A Little Help...
Post by: DavidGrohl on 11 Mar 2008, 21:52
it takes significantly longer due to how NOTHING IS WHERE IT'S SUPPOSED TO BE.

This could just be because I spent one summer reading a Photoshop manual and nothing else.

Yep, nothing is located where it's supposed to be relative to Photoshop.  There is an add-on that makes it an easier Photoshop transition, although I can't think of it as I haven't used GIMP for a long while.