Inkscape vs. Gravit Designer vs. Affinity Designer

Many vector artists look to Adobe Illustrator or CorelDRAW for their vector art. Others, meanwhile, use free programs like Inkscape. This blog post features three vector art programs I have used to create vector art. Those include the following: Inkscape, Gravit Designer, and Affinity Designer. My thoughts on each will be shared in this blog post. If you are looking to creat your own vector art, this post may be beneficial to you in helping make your decision on each.

Before I Begin...

All of the material and commentary regards these programs in the versions as current as the ones in the original date of this post (June 5, 2019).

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Vector Art Roundup

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Vector art offers the advantage of being freely scalable to suit any number of resolutions and applications. Accomplishing this is done with any number of different vector graphics programs. What is seen as the popular standard is Adobe Illustrator (AI). Most people, unfortunately, either (1) don't want to pay a subscription to use the Adobe Creative Cloud or (2) do not like Adobe Illustrator at all. Your options may therefore be limited... or ARE they?

In trying to develop vector artwork, you do have a few options at your disposal outside of Adobe Illustrator or even CorelDRAW. I used three programs to try to learn vector art. The program I have used for the longest is the free InkScape. Recent times, though, I have tried to accustom myself to Gravit Designer and Affinity Designer. I felt the need to try to use these other programs to try to develop quality vector art. In no way am I an expert at this matter. Despite this, I want to educate others on these programs.

Usually, vector programs usually format to formats such as AI, EPS, and SVG. These are the most common formats for exporting vector art. There are also transparent PNG and PDF for vector graphics. Prior to export, though, take advantage of these vector formats before using them in any number of programs.

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Other Vector Art Programs

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This part of the post relates to the three programs I have used (or tried) for vector art. If you want insight on each program I am to feature, this is your part of this post. Click on the headings to visit the official sites of each program.

Inkscape.

Inkscape has been around the longest as a vector art designer. With a lot of patience and skill, you can produce any number of quality vector art. You can also make things like calendars, greeting cards, booklets, web sites, and more.

Gravit Designer.

Gravit Designer is not only a free program, but it is also a program that can be used on mobile devices and also in a desktop browser. So no doubt this is a versatile browser to use at your disposal. It is also fairly simple to build vector art. Other kinds of print media and digital media can be created with Gravit Designer. For versatility's sake, Gravit Designer is a great option for vector art. It is capable of a whole lot. However, its biggest flaw to me is the lack of various export formats. You can even sign up for Gravit Designer Pro and have features like cloud storage for your work.

Affinity Designer.

Affinity Designer is the only program in this blog post that is not free. The program does, however, come with a 10-day trial. It was developed by a British company called Serif. Affinity Designer can be thought of as the anti-Illustrator in the sense that you get a powerful vector art program that you get to keep and not have to pay for a subscription plan to keep the program. Affinity Designer has the unique ability of drawing with vectors or with pixels. So basically, Affinity Designer is for those of you who want quality vector artwork while not wanting to pay for Adobe's services. What convinced me to buy Affinity Designer was the many more popular formats for exporting vector art with. As of the time of this blog post, Affinity Designer sells for about $59.99 USD. You can even purchase packs to enhance the experience of Affinity Designer as well as gain some extra functionality.


Now that I have talked about these three programs, which would I recommend? The next section tells all...

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Inkscape vs. Gravit Designer vs. Affinity Designer

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Which is the best vector program to use (granted you don't like Adobe Illustrator)? My inclination is to tell you that Inkscape will serve you well because it's free (as is Gravit Designer). However, just because something is free doesn't mean it is the best. I found Gravit Designer to be easier to use despite the fact it doesn't have as many export formats to export to like Inkscape. I also found Gravit Designer to be a bit weird to try to name groups with. I had to keep on clicking just to be able to rename something into a group. Even though Affinity Designer is the only featured vector art program that is not free, I found it a little more useful and powerful than both Gravit Designer and Inkscape.

I am more inclined to go with Gravit Designer over Inkscape. Gravit Designer is also a good choice if you prefer a solid vector art program that can be used across multiple platforms. For a more premium experience and having a quality program, give Affinity Designer some love. There is absolutely nothing wrong with Inkscape; just that Gravit Designer and Affinity Designer offer a lot more in terms of usability and exporting.

You can make a lot with all three of these programs. If I had to choose one of these three, I am afraid to say it doesn't hurt to pay the full price for Affinity Designer for the best overall experience in vector art. Second favorite is Gravit Designer, which is easier to use and more functional than Inkscape. You don't really need the Gravit Designer Pro unless you are okay with spending extra money with the experience. Inkscape is still the go-to vector art program for those who want a completely free experience. All in all, I just think the best vectoring experience can be had with Affinity Designer... unless you are okay with paying a subscription for Adobe Illustrator as part of the Adobe Creative Cloud.





Those are my thoughts, anyways. Maybe my thoughts helped sway your interest some. Thank you for reading! Take care and be well.

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Photoshop Elements

Adobe PhotoShop is the best of the best in art editing. However, many people can't afford PhotoShop for a subscription or its lofty $1K+ USD price. So what's the next best thing? Photoshop Elements. Photoshop Elements take in many of the powerful features from Photoshop in a lite package. It is Photoshop for those who can't afford the full Photoshop suite. Since buying Photoshop Elements earlier this year, I have been pleased with just how much power and control I have with images than with almost any other program I've used. I even uninstalled PaintShop Pro X6 from my computer as well as The GIMP because of the power Photoshop Elements has.

As of this post (August 28, 2015), the latest version is Photoshop Elements 13. My story with PSE was with wondering if Photoshop Elements would work for me. Prior to Photoshop Elements, my only other Photoshop experience was with Photoshop 5.5 from my brother. I mentioned that I had PhotoShop X6 as my premier art-editing program. I was intrigued with PSP X6 because I had previously used PSP4 on my Windows 98 and WinXP computers. Over time, I felt like I needed something better to work with. PaintShop X6 was good, but not really great. I bought that program for about $75 USD. Photoshop Elements is almost $110 USD. At one point, I even wondered if I would want a bundle that included Adobe Photoshop Elements and Adobe Premiere Elements. Premiere Elements is more like for people to make videos with.

So I went ahead and bought Photoshop Elements 13 looking for a better editing experience. While many people would probably use PSE for photo editing, I prefer using it for making and editing art. It is a great program to use with a handful of useful resources. The amount of control in editing pixels and layers and such is pretty good. Photoshop Elements really does have many of the key elements to help you make or edit digital art. Because I use it to design art for games and such, I rarely have used it to edit or modify any pictures of mine. All I know is that I felt more confident making an image from start to finish with PSE than I had with PSP X6. As long as you are not using the seriously powerful features, this is a fairly decent program to use if you're a pixel artist.

Remember I mentioned Adobe Photoshop Elements as a "lite" Photoshop? A number of features from the main Photoshop suite are missing. Among some of the many missing features include things like making layer groups, scripting, vector graphics, and more. Animation is possible with Photoshop Elements, but it is a bit cumbersome doing so. Don't expect the level of animation quality in Photoshop Elements like with Photoshop (or even the former ImageReady program from long ago). There are just some features missing from PSE that almost makes you lament not having the money to pay for the full Photoshop or even pay for a subscription for Photoshop. To put it mildly, Photoshop Elements is like being confident enough to drive anywhere you want, but you know you can go only so far. I certainly would recommend you invest in Photoshop Elements if you are looking for a powerful art editor. There are many features to Photoshop found in Photoshop Elements that you can live without if you are willing to sacrifice. Photoshop Elements isn't too light to where it lacks the power and polish of Photoshop. Photoshop Elements is Photoshop- only about ten times less expensive and with as many features as possible to give you the full Photoshop experience without having to pay for a full subscription or in buying the full program.

I would surely recommend Photoshop Elements as long as you have the requirements to run this program on your computer. Look online for resources on how to utilize your Photoshop Elements experience in case you want assistance. Remember that you can only do so much with Photoshop Elements with a number of the offered features. However, you aren't severely limited in what you can do with the program. So play around with it and make the most of your experience with Photoshop Elements.


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Perhaps I've swayed your interest with this topic. This has been another post of "John's Creative Space." Subscribe and Follow if you enjoyed this blog and want more content when it comes available. Thank you for reading! Take care and be well.

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Blender

The Blender Foundation created one of the single most powerful freeware modeling software dating back to 1995. Blender is capable of so much that novices up to professionals use Blender for modeling and movies. It has been a great alternative to 3D Studio Max, which can be quite expensive. Blender has also been quite challenging to grasp and understand for rookies. Even I can attest to not knowing the first thing to do when attempting to model something. Regardless, when you gain a general understanding of what all Blender has to offer, you will see that it is one of the single most powerful 3D modeling programs either free or commercial.

There are even tutorials online on how to use and utilize Blender 3D to your liking. For instance, I've seen a handful of videos on how to create various effects or enhance your modeling skills. I learned today about separating and merging models. If you know where to look, you can find some great tutorials. Some people do a great job teaching the ins and outs of Blender. Later in this blog post, I will share a few links you can visit to help enhance your skills in using Blender. This blog post is my "John's Creative Space" contribution to the amazing program known as Blender.

For more information on Blender, please visit Blender's official site. Even though the most recent version of Blender is Version 2.71, I am using Blender 2.69 for my own Blender work. That is the version for which I am basing my material on.

--- Blender Talking Points ---

Before I go into any detail discussing Blender, let me show you a demo reel provided by Blender to show what is possible with Blender (if you can not view embedded media, click on the link below the video to view in YouTube):


^ "Blender Demo Reel 2013"

Now for a few talking points on Blender. I won't explain everything, but I will attempt to give you a basic introduction to some of Blender's many functions. Read on...

Gaming With Blender.

You already read that Blender is a great modeling program. However, is that ALL it can do? No! Blender also has a suite designed for gaming. It is possible to make your own games from start to finish through a combination of modeling and coding with Blender 3D.

Animating With Blender.

While Blender won't exactly replace Sony Vegas (or whatever you consider a great video-making program), you can make animations and such with Blender. You can render animations after setting up various aspects of models.

Methods of Modeling.

The two main forms of rendering are with the Blender Render and the Cycles Render. The Cycles Render system can perform more complex and more impressive renders than the internal render provided by Blender. Some renders and render effects can be better accomplished with the Cycles Renderer than with the Blender Render. For example, you can make a beautiful and realistic render of a car through some rendering with the Cycles Render as opposed to the Blender Render. The Cycles Render even requires you to add some more material to scenes to make them impressive.

The Compositor.

More advanced effects require you to use Blender's awesome tool known as the Compositor. By connecting nodes and editing more options, you are able to come up with many kinds of unique effects and settings. I personally have no knowledge or experience with the Compositor except for trying to introduce myself to it.

Force Fields.

Blender won't make a shield to protect you from disaster, but you can use certain force fields to enact certain real-world features, such as wind simulation and soft body physics. These can be powerful in delivering nearly movie-quality effects for animations.


There are so many other things Blender is capable of. I'll leave it up to you to discover what all Blender has to offer and what you can actually take advantage of to make your own amazing works with Blender.

--- My Blender Experience and Ambitions ---

I hope to use Blender to try to create models and animations. On an incremental basis, I am learning various techniques as to how to use Blender. I have actually had Blender for a few years. Unfortunately, I never created anything special with Blender in my time, and it has been only recently that I decided to learn how to use Blender to make all sorts of unique effects and such. I do not intend on being any sort of professional with Blender. However, I do want to create items and assets that I can use and utilize to make all sorts of material. I may even elect to offer my assets to others through a service like TurboSquid.

Learning various editing and modeling elements were made possible through lots of YouTube video watching and even using Blender's site for manuals. Little by little, my confidence grew until I felt as if I could possibly and easily make material in Blender. There is still a lot for me to learn. However, I feel I am learning just enough to where I feel the least bit comfortable in designing material for Blender. For me, this is just the traditional baby steps before walking or running, so to speak. Again- this is the most confident I've ever felt in trying to make 3D models as well as learning to make other sorts of effects.

If I do make interesting material for you all, you will see it either in videos, maybe on some other sites (like deviantArt), or here on "John's Creative Space."

--- Blender Resources ---

If you want to enhance your skills using Blender, I have compiled this list of sites and YouTube videos for which you can visit for help in creating your own masterpieces with Blender. Have a visit to these links. If you want to suggest to me and my readers/visitors any Blender resources, please contact me online, and I will be sure to give your site a visit to see if it can benefit my readers and visitors. This section may be updated further to include more material, so check for updates.

Blender Resources: Sites.

For more information on Blender, please visit www.blender.org. Now, look at these sites for more detailed material that may help you:

• Blender Cookie
• Blender Artists - an online community for Blender artists

Blender Resources: YouTube.

Here are some recommended YouTube channels that provide some great YouTube insight on Blender. Many of these are channels I've visited whose videos have helped me to better understand Blender:

• BornCG
• ianscott888
• VscorpianC
• Sci Fi Animator
• Andrew Price

WARNING: One important thing I want to note to you all... some of the tutorial videos offered by YouTube channels depend entirely on what version of Blender is being used. For example, a tutorial about how to make something in Blender could be with (for example) Blender 2.4x. If you have a version of Blender beyond the tutorial's version, you may need to consult other versions of Blender on how to make certain effects.


Other than that, these sites will help you get started in your Blender adventures.





I hope all of you can enjoy and use Blender to the fullest. Best of luck to you in creating any sort of masterpiece you put your mind and heart into. Model and create to your heart's content. Or if you're a gamer, use Blender to create that awesome game that people will enjoy. No matter what... use Blender and use it masterfully. Thank you for reading!

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Qubicle Constructor

Qubicle Constructor is a 3D modeler allowing for the creation of voxel models. People have used this program for modding certain popular voxel-based games like Minecraft and Stonehearth among others. Some others make 3D pixel art with Qubicle. This blog post is a discussion about Qubicle Constructor. I want to introduce this program to all of my readers/visitors of "John's Creative Space."

Qubicle pertains to a whole suite of programs meant for 3D voxel making, but I am focusing only on Qubicle Constructor for this post.

About the Label: "Reviews"

As important as it is to introduce my readers to creative work I make, I feel it is equally important to offer resources to others as well as review those resources. So any "Reviews" labeled posts relate to reviews of certain tools and services creative types may use or may be interested in.

Recommended Reading

While I will be discussing Qubicle Constructor in this post on "John's Creative Space," I once did a complete review and overview of Qubicle Constructor. I still want you to read my post here on JCS, but give yourself an overview of Qubicle Constructor and voxels by reading these two posts in my main blog:

"Qubicle Constructor" (John's Blog Space)
^ my review of Qubicle Constructor.

"Voxels" (John's Blog Space)
^ my overview regarding voxels.


Otherwise, read on!

--- Qubicle Constructor ---

I am not sure when I first learned of Qubicle Constructor. When I did eventually come across this program, I began to imagine the possibility of making 3D models with it. The program takes on an interface as simple as Microsoft Paint. You edit slices of models for intricate detail. While you may lack the usage of polygons and textures with something like Qubicle Constructor, you do get to make any number of models by simply going pixel-by-pixel.

The suite of Qubicle was created by a German developer named Minddesk and a fellow named Tim Wesoly. The effort to try to create such a 3D modeling program was to try to offer users the ability to create quality 3D models through a simple Paint-style interface. Models created can be modified extensively to create all sorts of effects. Created models can be either imported or exported to a number of different formats.

There are not very many quality programs of its kind for free. Most people usually equate to the likes of SLAB6 and SLABSPI as far as free voxel-editing programs are concerned. Those programs only are made for VOXLAP games such as Duke Nukem 3D and Shadow Warrior. Some even look to Sproxel or Cube Kingdom for voxel editing. Those two programs even have their own formats and not much in the way of exporting to more useful formats. So really, Qubicle Constructor is the best-possible program if you want to make voxel models and export them to useful formats. To be honest, if you really want to utilize Qubicle Constructor, you'll need to purchase paid versions of it. Buying at least the Home version grants you the ability to export to OBJ format, which can then be imported in a number of programs such as Blender and Maya among others. As an imported model, it could be used to be rendered or even be given life by rigging the model. The highest package for Qubicle Constructor is the Master version. The Master version features all of the perks of the Home version, but offers you the ability to use your creations commercially.

I currently have the Home version of Qubicle Constructor 1 as I type up this blog post on this program.

Wait... What is a "Voxel?"

So I've been throwing around voxel a lot so far. Basically, a voxel is a three-dimensional pixel. Think "volumetric pixel" in regards to pixels. Much like an atom is the smallest and simplest unit of an element, a pixel is the smallest and simplest unit of any computer-generated image. A simple pixel offers length and height. A voxel offers length, width, and height. Voxel models appear as a heap of cubes brought together to make one model. Depending upon your level of creativity, you can take full advantage of making amazing models by making exceptional pixel art.

Voxels lack the ability to be modified right away with various lighting effects and such. However, voxels can have these abilities added to them when rendered in a proper rendering program. The simplicity in creating voxels make them sort of a last resort for 3D modelers who lack the skills to make proper polygon models (like myself). One of the negatives of voxels is that they can be very CPU intensive to try to generate and use. But again- they are very simplistic and easy to use in making 3D creations.

Qubicle Constructor Sample.

Here are some sample models I have created using Qubicle Constructor. Please refer to the callout numbers to know what it is I am discussing:


^ from: (my public Picasa album) - Four models I have created from scratch using Qubicle Constructor.

1.) I constructed this basketball goal and added noise to it. The noise gives the basketball goal a little bit of realism and detail. I didn't add a net to the basketball hoop since I'm not that good at making one.

2.) This is actually a much smaller model than the scale of this model indicates. It is a wooden sword inspired by the very first "The Legend of Zelda" game.

3.) A bus stop shelter was what I created here. I had to actually re-edit it a number of times until I came up with something I was proud of.

4.) Based on a model I re-created from another model, I designed this basketball player.


When it comes to making models with Qubicle Constructor, one of the most important things stressed is to keep your matrices small. Making larger models will mean you will have to combine smaller matrices to build up a general large scale model. So don't look to Qubicle for making massive models.

Who Uses Qubicle Constructor?

A lot of developers both small and large use Qubicle Constructor to create voxel models. Let me provide some examples:

• Minecraft - Some people who play Minecraft use Qubicle Constructor to create schematics for Minecraft. Schematics are essentially piece-by-piece models which can be brought into any Minecraft world. Some of the most extravagant models in Minecraft worlds are usually constructed from Schematics. Or at least, some of the more detailed models.

• Stonehearth - Stonehearth is a game where you build Medieval-type cities while also making sure to keep citizens protected. There is a version of Qubicle Constructor that you can purchase to begin modding for Stonehearth.

• Build and Shoot (formerly "Ace of Spades") - The very popular strategy first-person shooter Build and Shoot is used with Qubicle Constructor in the creation of maps and guns. Map sizes can be about as large as 512 length, 256 height, and 512 depth.

• Cube World - Similar to Minecraft, Cube World is a colorful action RPG. Models created with Qubicle include characters, weapons, and more.


So as you can tell, there are a number of different uses for making models with Qubicle Constructor.

--- Qubicle Constructor: Final Thoughts ---

Here are some final thoughts in regards to Qubicle Constructor:


Qubicle Constructor is really the most powerful and most simple-to-use voxel model software online today. To really utilize it in various projects, you need to purchase Qubicle Constructor. You will otherwise just have your Qubicle creations just sit in its native QMO format. The ease of use with Qubicle Constructor will allow for any number of models and creations to be made for those with this program. The flaws with QC are few- including the fact it can be buggy and sometimes confusing to navigate. Not having a proper palette of 256 colors means some of the creations probably won't be as detailed or as interesting as you would like. If you want to make models that can then be rigged in other programs, you are unable to make voxel models that you can later rig them for animation (within the program, at least). Other than that, there aren't too many faults to this program. Oh... this program is ONLY available for Windows. There are no versions I know of for Mac, Linux, or any other operating systems.

As of the date of this initial blog post, I am being told that an alpha for the new Qubicle Constructor 2 will be released on or around April 6, 2014. Those who purchased a license for QC1 will be able to try out these in-progress versions of QC2. I will be interested to see what becomes of QC2. You can go to Minddesk's home page and go to its forum to suggest changes and ask questions about Qubicle Constructor.

Do I Have Any Special Plans With Qubicle?

For some of my creative art with Qubicle, I hope to be able to use Qubicle to create 3D art and perhaps even attempt to make videos showcasing my creations. That's what I hope to do for you all in my attempts to share my creative work with you all.

For More Information...

To learn more about Qubicle Constructor, here are some resources for you:

• Minddesk Home Page
• Qubicle Constructor on Facebook
• Follow Qubicle Constructor on Twitter!

• "Qubicle Constructor" (John's Blog Space) « my original blog post on Qubicle Constructor.


That concludes this post for the most part.

--- Special Request! ---

I hope I can do more reviews of various resources for creative work. If there are any programs or anything you want me to take a look at, please contact me online. I may try to do blog posts on other programs and resources if I am able to make a quality-enough post on certain resources.





Thank you all so much for reading! I am doing everything I can to get this blog up and running. I hope all of you get to continually support my work. Here are ways to show your support:

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