Graphics Collaboration
By Joe Sparks
More than 15 years ago, Deneba's Canvas software emerged on the Macintosh platform with the unique distinction of combining bitmap and vector graphics in a single application. Canvas earned the reputation as a "Great Combiner" of tools found in other more focused, and often hard-to-master graphics packages. Deneba's tradition of both Macintosh pioneering and tool assimilation continues with its release of Canvas 8 for Mac OS X. Canvas 8 is one of the first major graphics software releases for Apple's new operating system. Unlike the "jack of all trades, master of none" product I expected, Canvas is an elegant application, with advanced tools, clever integration, and surprising polish.
I reviewed the beta version of the software, running on a 450 MHz G4 with Mac OS X. The Aqua-compliant interface under OS X is lovely to behold. Many of the tool palettes, especially the color and gradient palettes, are simply gorgeous. Unfortunately, gorgeous often equals slow with OS X. Even though I noted some of the sluggishness that's typical of OS X's CPU-hogging eye candy, Canvas was responsive enough overall.
What's New?
DenebaShare is perhaps Canvas 8's most curious new feature. It's an ambitious means for workgroups (or anyone) to share Canvas files over the Web. DenebaShare is similar to an instant messenger client, which lets you share graphics with people on your friends list. It's a time-saving technology for collaboration, and hopefully, it signals a new trend of experimentation and more novel Internet use within graphics software.
