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| Developer(s) | Canvas GFX |
|---|---|
| Initial release | November 1987 |
| Stable release | Canvas X |
| Operating system | Windows 7, Windows 8, Windows 8.1, Windows 10 |
| Platform | x64 |
| Available in | English and Japanese |
| Type | Computer-aided design |
| License | Trialware |
| Website | canvasgfx |
Canvas X is a drawing, imaging, and publishing computer program from Canvas GFX for personal computers.
Canvas GFX's origins date back to 1986. The original idea for Canvas came from Jorge Miranda, one of the founders of Deneba Systems Inc. of Miami Florida, for Apple's Macintosh computers—part of the wave of programs that made the desktop publishing revolution. [1]
The first version was unique in many ways; not least because it was released as both an application and a desk accessory. In the latter form, it could be used while another program, e.g. PageMaker, was running simultaneously; very handy in that time of single-program operation. [2] [3] [4]
Canvas provides tools for creating and editing vector and raster graphics. [3] [4] It is used for illustration, page layout, animation, presentations, and publications in printed and World Wide Web formats.
From its inception, Canvas differed from other graphics applications because it combined tools and file formats for both vector graphics (line art) and raster images (photographic and other pixel-based), [4] adding word-processing and page-layout features such as multiple-page documents and master pages in subsequent releases. [5] The user works in a window, which is the familiar "page on a pasteboard" analog used by many DTP and vector graphics programs, but in that window, which might be a single illustration page or one page of a multi-page magazine, book, web site, animation or presentation, the user can create or edit and layout text, vector graphics and raster images. Canvas also emphasized technical drawing in addition to artistic illustration features.
With Version 3.5, Deneba went cross-platform, [6] releasing a version with file-format compatibility for Macintosh and Windows computers. At Version 5, Canvas was completely rewritten for both platforms and included a QuickDraw 3D-based palette for creating 3D primitives and renderings. [7] Version 7 of the software saw an internal extrusion engine being used instead of QuickDraw 3D. [7]
At version 8, it was the first[ citation needed ] of the complex graphics programs to be "Carbonized" [8] to run on both Classic and Mac OS X. [9]
In April 2003, Deneba Systems was acquired by ACD Systems of Victoria, BC, Canada, the developers of Windows image editing and handling software such as ACDSee, [10] before the release of version 9. Canvas development continued in Miami, under the aegis of ACD Systems of America. Later, in 2017, it was spun out as Canvas GFX. [11]
With the introduction of Canvas 11, support for the Macintosh platform was dropped, making the application Windows-only. [12]
Canvas is available in a standard and extended version. The once-optional Scientific Imaging module is now integrated into Canvas and provides enhanced input-output filters for file formats commonly used in science and engineering visualization. The geographic information system (GIS) module provides tools for use in mapping and GIS-based data analysis. [13]
Following the release of the Windows-only Canvas X 16, Canvas Draw for Mac was released, reviving Macintosh support (though on a separate roadmap from the Windows version) after a decade-long hiatus.
While Canvas started out as a prosumer program in the general graphics/DTP market and continues to be the first (even only) tool of many professionals in such fields as graphics design, advertising, marketing, and DTP, it is less known in the consumer/prosumer market today than programs marketed by larger companies, such as Adobe Illustrator, Photoshop, and CorelDRAW. It has been better known in academic and commercial enterprises.
The Canvas software is used by engineers to document and share complex objects and systems. Some of the largest companies in the aerospace, defense and manufacturing markets use Canvas as an integral part of their documentation workflow. Canvas is fully committed to continue to develop our product line to meet the ever-changing requirements of our major customers. From its origins in technical illustration, Canvas is developing solutions that address the rapidly emerging arena of Product Lifecycle Management (PLM). The next generation products will allow designers to work collaboratively with their suppliers, customers and other internal groups about the technical documentation, incorporate 2D and 3D elements and make the entire workflow simple and easy to use, while delivering all of this is in a SaaS-based offering. [11]
Versions of Canvas public releases: [11]
Adobe Photoshop is a raster graphics editor developed and published by Adobe Inc. for Windows and macOS. It was originally created in 1988 by Thomas and John Knoll. Since then, the software has become the industry standard not only in raster graphics editing, but in digital art as a whole. The software's name has thus become a generic trademark, leading to its usage as a verb although Adobe discourages such use. Photoshop can edit and compose raster images in multiple layers and supports masks, alpha compositing and several color models including RGB, CMYK, CIELAB, spot color, and duotone. Photoshop uses its own PSD and PSB file formats to support these features. In addition to raster graphics, Photoshop has limited abilities to edit or render text and vector graphics, as well as 3D graphics and video. Its feature set can be expanded by plug-ins; programs developed and distributed independently of Photoshop that run inside it and offer new or enhanced features.
PagePlus was a desktop publishing program developed by Serif for Microsoft Windows. The first version was released in 1991 as the first commercial sub-£100 DTP package for Microsoft Windows. The final release was PagePlus X9, which was released in November 2016. In June 2019 it was officially replaced by Serif with Affinity Publisher.
Adobe FrameMaker is a document processor designed for writing and editing large or complex documents, including structured documents. It was originally developed by Frame Technology Corporation, which was bought by Adobe.
Adobe Illustrator is a vector graphics editor and design program developed and marketed by Adobe Inc. Originally designed for the Apple Macintosh, development of Adobe Illustrator began in 1985. Along with Creative Cloud, Illustrator CC was released. The latest version, Illustrator 2022, was released on October 26, 2021, and is the 25th generation in the product line. Adobe Illustrator was reviewed as the best vector graphics editing program in 2018 by PC Magazine.
MacPaint is a raster graphics editor developed by Apple Computer and released with the original Macintosh personal computer on January 24, 1984. It was sold separately for US$195 with its word processing counterpart, MacWrite. MacPaint was notable because it could generate graphics that could be used by other applications. Using the mouse, and the clipboard and QuickDraw picture language, pictures could be cut from MacPaint and pasted into MacWrite documents.
Adobe PageMaker is a discontinued desktop publishing computer program introduced in 1985 by the Aldus Corporation on the Apple Macintosh. The combination of the Macintosh's graphical user interface, PageMaker publishing software, and the Apple LaserWriter laser printer marked the beginning of the desktop publishing revolution. Ported to PCs running Windows 1.0 in 1987, PageMaker helped to popularize both the Macintosh platform and the Windows environment.
SuperCard is a high-level development environment that runs on Macintosh computers, under OS 8 and 9, and OS X. It is inspired by HyperCard, but includes a richer language, a full GUI toolkit, and native color.
The Mac OS X Public Beta was the first publicly available version of Apple Computer's Mac OS X operating system to feature the Aqua user interface. It was released to the public on September 13, 2000 for US$29.95. Its release was significant as the first publicly available evidence of Apple's ability to ship the long-awaited "next-generation Mac operating system" after the Copland failure. It allowed software developers and early adopters to test a preview of the upcoming operating system and develop software for the forthcoming operating system before its final release. It is the only public version of Mac OS X to have a code name not based on a big cat until the release of 10.9 Mavericks in 2013. The US version had a build number of 1H39 and the international version had build number 2E14.
openCanvas is a raster graphics software developed and published by PGN Corp. It was originally released as freeware in 2000, but moved to a shareware model starting with version 2. All functions are available during the limited demo period. A higher performance version "openCanvas Plus" has been released simultaneously since version 3. Its functions are similar to Adobe Photoshop or Corel Painter.
A number of vector graphics editors exist for various platforms. Potential users of these editors will make a comparison of vector graphics editors based on factors such as the availability for the user's platform, the software license, the feature set, the merits of the user interface (UI) and the focus of the program. Some programs are more suitable for artistic work while others are better for technical drawings. Another important factor is the application's support of various vector and bitmap image formats for import and export.
Raster graphics editors can be compared by many variables, including availability.
Timbuktu is a discontinued remote control software product originally developed by WOS Datasystems. Remote control software allows a user to control another computer across the local network or the Internet, viewing its screen and using its keyboard and mouse as though sitting in front of it. Timbuktu is compatible with computers running both Mac OS X and Windows.
SuperPaint is a graphics program capable of both bitmap painting and vector drawing. SuperPaint was one of the first programs of its kind, combining the features of MacPaint and MacDraw whilst adding many new features of its own.
Apple's Macintosh computer supports a wide variety of fonts. This support was one of the features that initially distinguished it from other systems.
PowerCADD is a computer-aided design and drafting (CADD) software program for the Apple Macintosh platform developed from out of the PowerDraw platform of the mid-1980s by Greensboro, North Carolina-based Engineered Software.
Calamus is a desktop publishing application, built for the Atari ST computer. The first version was released on July 1, 1987 by the former German software company DMC GmbH. It is also able to run under a built-in and transparent Atari emulator on Windows, or on other platforms such as Mac OS 9 and Mac OS X, using any available TOS emulator.
Serif have a range of software products, which are listed below.
CorelDRAW is a vector graphics editor developed and marketed by Corel Corporation. It is also the name of the Corel graphics suite, which includes the bitmap-image editor Corel Photo-Paint as well as other graphics-related programs. The latest version is marketed as CorelDraw Graphics Suite 2021, and was released in March, 2021. CorelDraw is designed to edit two-dimensional images such as logos and posters and it is available for Windows and macOS.
RagTime is a frame-oriented business publishing software which combines word processing, spreadsheets, simple drawings, image processing, and charts, in a single document/program. It is often used to create forms, reports, documentation, desktop publishing, and in office environments. Typical users are business clients, educational institutions, administrations, architects, and also private users.
Canvas 5 (introduced in 1996)
| Free and open-source | |
|---|---|
| Proprietary | |
| Discontinued | |
