I will buy it if it does what I want to do

[me]

It must be comparable to Jasc's Paint Shop Pro 3 ...yes, the old one, before Corel took over.

I want to be able to edit and create .jpg, .gif, and .bmp pictures.

I want to be able to zoom extremely tight (10x is good) and modify individual pixels, preferably with the option of a grid.

I want to be able to cut, copy, and paste while zoomed.

I want to know my x, y coordinate at all times, with a preference for an offset for, at least, lines.

I want to be able to make any color or extract a color that is unknown, for my own use.

I want a fill with a tolerance on the delimiter.

I want to be able to print what I see, where preferably I do the color matching. A bonus would be fairly precise scaling.

I want to be able to resize a picture either up or down.

A cloning tool would be a definite plus as long as I can vary the coverage area.

I'd like a variety of fonts and text entry that allows for undo at least while I'm still entering text into my picture.

A rectangle option, lines and/or filled, is just shy of a must.

A circle tool, filled and/or lines, is a must.


This is why I joined this forum, to find out if Art Rage, any version, meets my needs. I do not have the time to go through a learning curve only to find that I can't do what I want.

I was very upset when Jasc closed up shop and sold to Corel. I actually spent quite a bit of money for a Corel product BEFORE I found Jasc. I was very displeased with Corel, and I don't care if it is popular.

This post goes out to the moderators. Once I buy the software and use it then I may make more time to participate more here.

I do not download and "try it out" if at all possible. Rather, I see what the program has to offer, and then I buy, so that I can get a manual and help. I just do not have the time to invest in a learning curve and no support.

I need a workable art program. With Paint Shop Pro 3 I had that -- I never needed support because it worked as the manual said. I paid better than four times what you're asking for Art Rage 2. I'm wondering why Art Rage 2 is so inexpensive. I'm thinking, based on the price, that it is seriously lacking. However, I could be wrong, which is why I'm using this forum. I swear I will buy it if it can do, generally, what Paint Shop Pro 3 did.

Thank you for listening.

P.S. You're lucky this forum was available or you would have had little opportunity to sell me your product, for your web site does not answer my questions while I don't have time to call you or wait for an email response that, based on other company responses, likely will be just shy of useless.

P.P.S. I don't mean to sound rude, but I know what I want and I want to be 90% sure I get it if and when I buy. :-) ...there is so much of what I don't want out there...

[me]

Paint Shop Pro 3 was so good that, even though I'm running XP now, I will buy it again if ever I find it available anywhere. ...assuming Art Rage isn't comparable or better of course, for it'd be much easier than searching for old software.

If Art Rage can't do what I want, will you please direct me to something that does.

Thank you again.

[AndyRage]

Hi Me,
It sounds like you're after an image editing application.
ArtRage is more focussed on painting and the creation of original artworks with natural real-world tools.
You might find something like The Gimp more what you're after.

[isolationism]

I'm far from an experienced ArtRage user, and I realise the question is directed at the admins, but I think I can save you (and them) some trouble and answer that at least 80% of your questions can be answered with, "No, ArtRage doesn't do that."

If you don't mind me saying, the reason you weren't able to find the answers to your questions on the website is because ArtRage is an artistic painting tool -- which is stated quite clearly thoughout the various pages describing its features -- whereas you are looking for someone to have copied your favourite program, PaintShop 3, which was designed for a completely different purpose.

Hope you find what you're looking for.

Edit: Andy beat me to it.

[me]

I thank the both of you for responding. I didn't think it'd work for me, but I had to make sure.

As far as GIMP goes, it's free, which concerns me, and it appears that it's meant for Macs, a UNIX-based system. I must put up with Windows, so a Mac isn't an option for me. ...eventually folks will come around and realize Windows is and always has been crap, while PC's are junk, and that will be a wonderful day. But until then...

The good news is I just now found a means to what looks to be old versions of Jasc's Paint Shop Pro. If given permission (as it will reduce ArtRage's profits, to some extent, which is wrong being is this forum has been made available to sell ArtRage) I will post the info I've found.

I am so thankful that you folks were honest with me. I will remember it. One day ArtRage may be something I need/want. ...I have so little time to simply play, produce artwork for art's sake. :-(

[me]

Though this, likely, isn't the place and I, Thanksgiving-fully, have the time...

I was upset that Jasc sold, but I also realize that is the way things are done today. You no longer stick with a product and make it better and better. No, you create a product, make it work, make it work a little better, and then sell it and the company to the megahuge guy you competed with and were slowly beating, just to avoid the hassle of the business world of today, a world where the megahuge guy gives away the product for a time, suckers 90% of the populace to accept "free" to get market share for future sales, and, in turn, put the other guy, the better, out of business so you can keep selling your junk without competition.

Folks today call this free enterprise and great for the consumer. Personally, I call it the end, the end of a consumer-driven marketplace and, therefore, the end of competition gradually lowering prices so that more people can be free to choose the best product from a range of good products.

In short, we the American people are suckers being led to the bondage we claim to abhor now and did abhor back when.

Wow but it felt good to say something real AND where it could be heard for a change... Thank you Art Rage!

[hanzz]

I think you're looking for something like artweaver.
http://www.artweaver.de/index.php?en_version

But PSP3? who would want that ? Corel only stepped in after version 9.
Untill then I thought it was a great package.

[AndyRage]

In short, we the American people are suckers being led to the bondage we claim to abhor now and did abhor back when.


This is a very international forum - people from all over the world.
And Corel are Canadian.
And ArtRage is developed in New Zealand.

[D Akey]

Burp.

[justG]

@me: The GIMP runs on every major platform, not just Macs. It shouldn't be suspect because it's free, but because for many people it has stability issues and it's not easy to just pick up and use. The adage "You get what you pay for" is simply inapplicable to the software industry. Some of the best software I have, including ArtRage, is freeware or shareware.

[me]

I think you're looking for something like artweaver.
http://www.artweaver.de/index.php?en_version

But PSP3? who would want that ? Corel only stepped in after version 9.
Untill then I thought it was a great package.

Thank you. I'll look into Artweaver.

But yeah, Paint Shop Pro 3! I never had the first problem with it, never. True, there are probably better versions, but, since 3 was so good, I took a chance and also bought the 5 when Jasc offered me a deal when it first came out. I could use it, but I kept going back to 3. It just was so easy to use.

However, it'd be nice to have the company still be in business, so I will look at Artweaver.

[me]

In short, we the American people are suckers being led to the bondage we claim to abhor now and did abhor back when.


This is a very international forum - people from all over the world.
And Corel are Canadian.
And ArtRage is developed in New Zealand.

True, but just the same, my post was to Americans.

However, if things get too bad one day, New Zealand is on my list of places to move, assuming you'd have me. ;-)

Personally, I think this country, America, is a goner and that the handwriting is on the wall for her, largely because our government sold us down the river and we don't care enough to call them on it -- we'd rather vote for the largest cut of the looting of our kids, but it's still not worth the hassle of moving yet. But I may see you one day.

[me]

@me: The GIMP runs on every major platform, not just Macs. It shouldn't be suspect because it's free, but because for many people it has stability issues and it's not easy to just pick up and use. The adage "You get what you pay for" is simply inapplicable to the software industry. Some of the best software I have, including ArtRage, is freeware or shareware.

Any time someone offers me something "for free" I do consider it suspect. No one does anything for free. The question is is the cost within my price range?

For example, GIMP, as I understand it, came about through the GNU License. That's a cost. Accepting that license costs me something. For starters, it costs me the time spent figuring out how to load it and get it to work. Second, it costs me that there is no company I can hold accountable if one day it doesn't work right. Third, it costs me yet another company that never got launched, because why work on a new product, a better product, when most will take "for free" even when it doesn't work right?

At one time I myself wrote software, but why should I do it again only to compete with "for free?" I want a reward for my work, my labor, even if it costs me a little more for a tv or a CAD package right now. "For free" is going to transform into "by slaves like me" eventually. You watch. That's where it's going.

No thank you. I'd rather pay certain prices and, in turn, have products that work right and last and companies who have to care lest they go out of business because you went to a competitive alternative which still exists.

Nothing is free. Nothing. Everything has a cost.

[smilingthrulife]

Try PhotoImpact.....it does alot of what you want....

www.ulead.com

There is also a free in dept tutorial on how to use this wonderful program.

www.pircnet.com

With lots of tutorial and there is also a forum that has all kinds of projects. Also theres a forum for just painting.

[isolationism]

Well, that may yet be the most cynical response I've seen yet about GPL software. You may also be unaware that there are plenty of people out there who work on such "free" software professionally (e.g. as a profitable business) and that this number is increasing. Sorry chum.

In a similar vein, your suggestion that ArtRage is "seriously lacking" based on the price is offensive to me, and I'm just a (new) user, I can't imagine what the Ambient Design guys think ... ArtRage is far from lacking as I'm sure its many happy customers will tell you, but since you have made it clear that to you, value is directly proportional to price, I have a $100,000 copy of Photoshop CS2 I'd like to sell you ...

Corel is indeed based in my home town of Ottawa, Canada -- and they have bought (or, at least, licenced) -- and subsequently busted -- more than one piece of software that I like. I don't think this really has anything to do with America and Americans except perhaps yourself. I could be mistaken.

Anyway, it's pretty apparent by the number of lengthy posts about what you like and don't like where all that time you don't want to spend learning the software is going. ;) Better luck next time.

[D Akey]

Me, you may want to consider Artrage for what it has to offer. Perhaps it may open some creative doors for you.

Try the free version perhaps?

[Fashmir]

me- wow... uh... oooookaaaaaaaaay...

isolationism- There are creatures in this world to which pearls are not given. :wink:

[hevonen]

For example, GIMP, as I understand it, came about through the GNU License. That's a cost. Accepting that license costs me something. For starters, it costs me the time spent figuring out how to load it and get it to work. Second, it costs me that there is no company I can hold accountable if one day it doesn't work right. Third, it costs me yet another company that never got launched, because why work on a new product, a better product, when most will take "for free" even when it doesn't work right?

At one time I myself wrote software, but why should I do it again only to compete with "for free?" I want a reward for my work, my labor, even if it costs me a little more for a tv or a CAD package right now. "For free" is going to transform into "by slaves like me" eventually. You watch. That's where it's going.

No thank you. I'd rather pay certain prices and, in turn, have products that work right and last and companies who have to care lest they go out of business because you went to a competitive alternative which still exists.

Nothing is free. Nothing. Everything has a cost.

*Cough* capitalism *cough* is about competition. If companies can not take competition, they die. Competition from open source is no different.

GIMP for Windows comes with installers. They are just like, well, installers. You click "next" and off it goes.

But as you rather insist on paying, I recommend Photoshop. It does everything you want and more. Besides, if you pay for extra support, you get to call Adobe when it doesn't work. If you don't pay for support, you can go to Adobe user-to-user forums, where you get your help, *gasp*, for free.

As for GPL, it has nothing to do with end user. There are plenty of GPL software from many corporations like IBM whose customers still pay millions in contracts for something they can get for free. Naturally such software is bit more serious than little one man dabblings in shareware world, and it is designed by pretty well paid engineers.

Open source developers get what they want from writing such software, like other people get from doing other uncategorized, unpaid stuff. It's nobody else's business but theirs alone if they rather code than knit scarfs.

The only cost with GIMP is:
a) bad user interface
b) bad user interface
c) bad user interface
but you can get used to it :(

Btw, I would recommend being careful and polite on GIMP mailing lists, if you choose to go there. They sometimes eat people alive.

[timq]

> And ArtRage is developed in New Zealand.'

Going back a few posts here, but New Zealand? Cool, I had no idea! (I'm across the tasman)

[AndyRage]

> And ArtRage is developed in New Zealand.'

Going back a few posts here, but New Zealand? Cool, I had no idea! (I'm across the tasman)

Yep. Our office is hidden away in New Zealand native forest in the Waitakere Ranges just to the west of Auckland city. If I look out my window I can see Kauri trees with Tuis and native wood pigeons.