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APRIL 01, 2004 CValley Xtream Path
For path editing, it includes 11 tools designed to allow you to manipulate paths without Illustrator's current constraints. For example, you can edit path segments directly, rather than dealing with handles; you can click a segment to edit its properties numerically; you can, with a single click, straighten segments horizontally or vertically; you can smooth out anchor points evenly; you can convert segments to arcs, ovals and semi-ovals; and you can pull paths in various ways, as seen below.  [an error occurred while processing this directive] It also offers six tools for creating fillets and chamfers easily. They can be created by freely dragging an object's corner points, or they can snap to a fixed length or multiples of a fixed length.  The miscellaneous category is a bit more involved. It offers tools for a wide range of functions. Let's say, for example, you you want to duplicate one portion of a path onto a different segment (or different path altogether). With the Segment Duplication tool, you can Shift-Option click one segment, then click on a different segment to paste the first segment into its place. The Parallelization tool let's you do something similar, but copying and pasting only the angle of a given segment. The Segment Angling tool lets you adjust a segment's angle numerically, while the Segment Resizing tool lets you adjust a segment's length numerically. Both will also allow you to copy the angle or length of one segment and apply it to another without otherwise affecting the appearance of the segment. Then there are also tools for applying similar operations to entire paths. Now you might think, as I initially did, "Big deal. I can just use Illustrator's rotation and scaling tools. What do I need this for?" But, in fact, Xtream path isn't just about rotation and scaling. Take a look at the path below. What's it's angle?  If you answered "zero," you're correct. It was a trick question. The angle is zero because it hasn't yet been rotated. In other words, every path has an angle of zero as far as Illustrator's rotation tools are concerned. But, according to Xtream Path, the angle varies according to where you click, so you can use that angle to align objects to any given subsegment of a path. Same goes with path resizing. (I might also add that the Path Resizing tool is a handy utility for providing accurate measurements of path segments and paths that might otherwise be tricky to measure with a straight measure tool.)  So now you've seen what the tools can do. How well do they work? With Xtream Path, performance isn't an issue at all. These tools are as quick as any of Illustrator's built-in tools. And the Smart Rounding effect is equally responsive. They're also quite easy to use. Most are self-explanatory, though you might not know what any given tool does at first just by looking at its icon. You'll have to click around on the various tools and look at the help text to get used to them. After you use them regularly for a short time, you'll become accustomed to what each one does and when to use it--which, if you're anything like me, will be with increasing frequency until you stop using some of Illustrator's built-in tools altogether. The bottom line CValley's Xtream Path is, without a doubt, a fantastic enhancement for Adobe Illustrator, one that will save time and frustration and also provide you with some useful effects. The price point, at $139, is a bit steep, considering that there are standalone vector illustration packages on the market within this price range. For this reason, it gets a Buy recommendation rather than a Strong Buy. However, for professionals who work heavily in vector manipulation, Xtream Path may very well pay for itself in the time it will save you in production, and, in a situation like that, it's difficult to argue about price point. For those of you who are in the middle--not quite sure whether the productivity enhancements will be enough of a benefit to justify the cost--I strongly recommend that you take a look at the Xtream Path/FiLTERiT combo bundle, which, at $219, will save you about $50 when compared with the cost of the two packages sold separately. For those of you who still aren't sure, well, you could always download the demo from CValley's Web site. Xtream Path is available now for Mac OS X and Windows and supports Adobe Illustrator 8, 9, 10 and CS. It sells for $139 on its own, or $219 in a bundle with CValley's other strongly recommended Illustrator plugin package, FiLTERiT. For more information, visit http://www.cvalley.com. --Dave Nagel Prev 1 2 3 Related sites: Related forums: [an error occurred while processing this directive] 
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