Lukum said:
If you work with scientific pre-defined styles you will see what's missing:
Well, if you are doing scientific writing (that is going to be submitted for publication) I would recommend a TeX based solution. My background is in mathematics and LaTeX is the format that is required for my writing.
Moreover, their "Text handling" section clearly shows its limits in text/paragraph styling (not in applying graphic effects to text).
I'll need a specific example of something that I couldn't do in Create.
Well, if I quote Stone:
Designed for Web Publishing
- Generate multi-page web sites with a single click.
- Automatically generate table of contents and navigation bars
- Get WYSIWYG precision with nested, editable tables (Table Group)
- Work in "Table Preview" mode for exact placement
- Web Resources: embed important resources for web site
- Expert mode: add custom HTML anywhere
- Drag & drop URLs and hyperlinks
- Automatically antialias PDF files
- Make buttons and other neat effects instantly
- Embed movies, applets, webobjects into documents
Which means what? Just because it can do something doesn't mean that it is the only thing it does. The web publishing features of Create were not introduced until version 3 as I recall.
Create's original strong point was leveraging Display Postscript for illustration tasks and page layout.
Like I said, you
are doing Create a disservice by trying to pigeon hole into one area.
It is not designed to be perfect at areas that it covers, but it is supposed to cover many of the most needed aspects of those areas for a price that doesn't brake the bank.
But as you have started the listing of Create freatures, we should really complete the list... right?
Create Features
Graphics
Graphic tools include:Line, Multi Line, Rectangle, Oval,
Rounded Rectangle, Bezier Spline, Arc, Freehand,
Polygon Star, Interface "Box", Rich Text.
Other types of graphics include:Text along a path, text in a shape, text around a shape, images, Scaleable Groups, Box "Button" Groups, Mask Groups, editable, nestable "Table" groups, Date markers, Page markers, "any HTML" Embedded Graphic for videos, sounds, "webobjects", SliceAndDice image tables, embedded File graphics. Extensible.
Effects
Each graphic can contain a combination of the following effects:
- Outline - set the width, color and visibility of the stroke of an object
- Neon - Stone's unique Neon feature makes realistic 3D lines
- Multiple - each object can be repeated any number of times at any offset
- Skew - torque and twist objects
- Blended Fills - fill objects with blended colors or lines: across, down, radially, hot point - as many colors as you want!
- Pattern Fill - object patterns that you create with Pattern Editor
- Reorder and combine fills and strokes
- Group - Manage complexity by grouping objects. See also Levels below
- Mask Group - Clip any number of objects to the object on top of them, e.g., fill Text with a picture of a sunset
- Box Group - a grouping technique which puts an interface box around objects: Make instant web buttons! Remains editable
- Flip Horizontal and Flip Vertical
- Scale - set the vertical and horizontal scaling separately or together.
- Rotate - Using Stone's rotational slider, precisely rotate objects
- Copy and Paste effects from one graphic to another
- Color blends: transparent colors, CMYK, RGB, HSB, and Grayscales
- Name - you can name graphics for ease of selection & editing HTML
- Each graphic can link to a web address
- Store the Effects for instant visual retrieval in the Effects Palette
- Rose the graphic or matrix the graphic
Precise Design
- Document layers: add graphics once to many pages
- Zoom: Unlimited zoom and custom zooms are remembered. You can zoom in on an area with CONTROL-SHIFT drag.
- Undo: as many levels of undo and redo as you like - 30 by default.
- Object layering: Bring To Front, Bring Closer, Send to Back, Send Further, Lock and Unlock.
- Grids: control grid spacing, color, visibility and "snap-to" independently.
- Rulers: Work in points, picas, inches or centimeters.
- Layers: Each page can be composed of independently nameable, hideable, lockable layers
- Layout Guides for easy placement of objects.
- Alignment: Align objects to top, bottom, middle, left, center and right.
- Nudge: using arrow keys or Nudge inspector, move objects precise amounts.
- Each page can have a background image for tracing or presentation.
Text Handling
- Linked text blocks between pages and columns.
****
- Paragraph Text has full support for Rich Text Format:
multifont, multicolor, multi paragraph text.
Sub and superscripting, ligatures, kerning and line spacing.
Underline, italics, bold.
Rulers, tabs and indents.
- Additionally - you can place text:
Instantly place along rose, circle, upper or lower arc.
Any path.
Inside any shape.
Outside any shape.
- Convert text to splines.
- Spell Checker and checks spelling as you type
- Search and replace
Multiple Pages
- Add, Copy, Paste, Duplicate or Delete pages
- "Play" (continuously loop through) pages
- Automated pagination with Page Marker
- View pages as thumbnails
- Instantly go to a page
- Zoom to any level
- Pan to any position
- Reorder pages
Images
- Pages can have tiled background image
- Set the transparency of any image for easy ghosting
- Convert between image types with Image Well
- Automated antialiasing of EPS and PDF images
Splines and Lines
- Add and delete handles, combine, connect and separate splines and lines
- Turn objects into splines. Tighten and loosen splines
- Reverse path of splines and polylines
Automated Web Page Production
- Preview the web tables that will be created while you work
- Document can create a single web page or a group of interconnected pages.
- Automatically builds graphical Table of Contents.
- Creates easy to read HTML which can be edited by hand.
- Optional navigation bars on top and/or bottom of web pages.
- Set the color of the background, text and links with simple user interface.
- Specify a background image URL.
- Specify any image (local or net) for destination HTML (such as Animated GIFS)
- Custom HTML:
- Document titles can have a custom prefix, such as the site name,
- add your own custom header and/or footer to each page.
- Set the quality of the JPEG images created for export.
- Automatic use of GIF if preferred or if transparent images are required.
- Configure HTML Preferences per document and per page.
- Drag & drop URL's from OmniWeb for instant links
- Command-Click in any graphic to load the HTTP address or local page
- Anchors: both destination and source anchors are supported.
Import/Export
- Instantly drag out images via Create's unique "Image Well"
- Import EPS/PDF, PS, JPEG, TIFF, GIF, PICT and native file formats
- EPS/PDF files can be automatically antialiased
- Export as PDF, PS, TIFF, JPEG, GIF, PNG, Ascii, RTF, HTML, thumbnails, Art and Create
- TIFF export: control bit depth and alpha.
- JPEG: control compression
- Native format is plain english, human-readable property list
Online Help, Sample Art and Custom Art:
- Online Create Manual
- Online Tutorial
- Sample libraries of art, effects, images, patterns, blends and pages provided
- Create your own libraries of objects for instant access through library panel
- Save your Effects and drag and drop them on other graphics
- Entire searchable manual in HTML available at www.stone.com
- Suggestion Box to email Stone with your bug reports and suggestions
- License the product directly from the Application
Expert Features
Of course there is the list of features added since version 10.0 was released (which you can find
here) and then the Stone Design page links to my site for the Create 5.x online Manual (
here) for features of earlier versions.
And just think... I don't even work for Stone Design!
