The Aqua Designer's ToolboxCarpenters, engineers, baristas -- they all have their favorite tools. Graphic designers are no different. Whether you're new to the Mac platform, or interested in expanding your existing toolset, here's an overview of some of the most powerful design applications for Mac OS X.
For the creation of interface elements such as buttons, icons, etc., the combination of these two applications can accomplish almost any task I throw at them. I have to admit, I can't live without them. It would be like running the human body without blood. Thankfully, they are both available for Mac OS X.
A 30-day trial for both applications is available at http://www.adobe.com.
I use InDesign for building my help files and application documentation. I've been a PageMaker user for 10 years, and I recently switched to InDesign. Now I can't see using anything else. It's the ultimate page layout application, and has almost every feature I could imagine. The text and layout tools are extremely versatile, and the ability to build and re-use a set of master pages is powerful and saves a lot of time.
I could build an Apple help file, but I prefer to build pdf documentation with URL links, stylized text, and nice graphics. It also gives the user more flexibility for home printing. If my application requires a published manual, I build it once in InDesign and can output the digital/print formats from the same document. InDesign can also export my publications as html documentation. What could be easier than building it once and then outputting it in almost any format?
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A 30-day trial is available at http://www.adobe.com.
Many years ago, Adobe released ImageStyler, an application for developing Web graphics. This application later evolved into LiveMotion, and recently Adobe released LiveMotion 2 for Mac OS X. LiveMotion is one of those programs that's much more versatile than Adobe indicates in its marketing copy. Sure, I use this application for Web graphics, but I also use it as my "Dr. Frankenstein's Lab" for prototyping a user interface.
LiveMotion supports Photoshop files and layers, allowing me to work seamlessly with the other Adobe applications. As a prototyping program, LiveMotion allows me to import all of my UI icons and elements, build a quick mockup of my interface, and add my own faux Aqua-fied buttons. I find this valuable, because I can move elements around to get an idea of what works and what doesn't.
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I've built a number of templates and items in my LiveMotion Library that allow me to mimic any Aqua window in just a few moments. I quickly can see if a UI works or needs adjustments. If I find some icons don't work at their current size, I can make changes immediately. I can rearrange the positions of icons and UI objects until I am happy with what I've done. When satisfied, I print out a copy on my color laser and use it during meetings and as a reference of the evolution of the project. I also like that I can publish it instantly to the Web, so that my clients can see it.
A 30-day trial is available at http://www.adobe.com.
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Related Reading Building Cocoa Applications: A Step by Step Guide |
BootCD does one simple thing and does it well. It allows me to create an Emergency bootable CD that gives me access to my Dock, Desktop, and even a selection of Applications (of my choice). God forbid you ever need it, but it is great to know it is there. I recently had to use it to repair an install that had gone bad. I was able to verify that my data was safe, and then did a fast backup to an external drive before starting over. The best feature is it's free.
You can find it at www.versiontracker.com.
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Here's an idea: let's create a plug-in for Photoshop that allows you to take any image and turn it into an icon for almost any OS. Sound too good to be true? The solution is IconBuilder, from one of my favorite Web destinations, IconFactory.
IconBuilder features:
It's easy to use, and there is no need to leave Photoshop to pound out an icon. And hey, if IconFactory uses it, it must be good.
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Trial available at www.iconfactory.com/iconbuilder.asp.
I've been using iPhoto recently to archive all of my UI graphics when I'm done with a project. In the old days of OS 9, I used a solution called Cumulus, from Canto. Although iPhoto doesn't have all of the bells and whistles that you will find in Cumulus, unlike Canto's product, iPhoto is free. I do have one wish for iPhoto: what I would like to see is a plug-in so that iPhoto can recognize and store .icns files. Also, if you're part of a large corporation and require distributed graphics over a network, then Cumulus is possibly the way to go.
One final archiving solution is building a database in FileMaker Pro (a relational database application). FileMaker is extremely versatile as a solution because you can build a database to fit your own specific needs. It isn't free, but is a good value based on its capability. You can build a database of your images and script it internally (or externally, with Applescript). It works with Mac and Windows machines, even over a network. You can even make your databases Web-enabled with just one click. In fact, FileMaker comes with quite a few built-in templates to help you customize a solution. It almost pays for itself right there.
With FileMaker you can build numerous database files and tie all of them together, which is great for business applications. I don't use it for my personal archiving, but I do use it to for my time-billing and invoicing needs. I did build an archive solution in FileMaker for a client that needed to distribute image-based data across 50-60 computers. It worked like a charm, and saved them a lot of time searching through network drives.
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OminGraffle is for creating flowcharts of information. I find it helpful for organizing my thoughts, and I use it to document my ideas for clients. I often create Graffle documents and print them for meetings.
The ultimate in screen capture utilities, Snapz Pro X is a must have for everyone. I can capture any image in just about any format imaginable. One of the best features is being able to capture a QuickTime movie of my screen activity. This is especially helpful when creating interactive tutorials. Combining this tool with InDesign is a powerful force for documenting an application. It is also quite useful with QuickTime Pro & iMovie.
Although it isn't native to Mac OS X yet (and runs a little flakily in Classic), Strata 3D is my favorite application to use for creating 3D images. You can build or import a model and render it with one of the best raytracers I've ever used. For many people, having a true 3D application may not seem necessary, but if you are looking for the ultimate tool to create photorealistic images, this is it.
Sure, VirtualPC isn't as fast as running a real PC, but the fact that I can run multiple (different) installations of Windows makes it a big plus for me. If I'm doing cross-platform work, this is the best application for ensuring my work looks right on any OS. I keep my main Graphics folder shared so that I can easily view it and the contents from VPC.
Most people are familiar with this popular line of drawing tablets for the Mac. Which one is right for you? Well, that depends on your budget and how often you'll use one. I don't use it very often, and my budget requires that I stick with the $99 Graphire model. The Cintiq model is actually an LCD screen that allows you to draw directly on it; however, this puppy is way out of my budget. I would prefer if Apple released a tablet version of the iBook so I could get both technologies in one solution.
I like to keep as much space free on my computer as possible, and I don't trust most removable media. I use external FireWire drives to store the bulk of my images (and my mp3s). I'm intrigued by the new Iomega Peerless drives, but once again, my budget forbids it.
For archiving, you can't beat burning a master copy of your images onto a CD-ROM. The iBook DVD/CD-RW works flawlessly and I can archive a folder in very little time.
I bought one of those obscene fire safes constructed of steel and concrete. It can be bolted to the floor from the inside. It took three people to get it in the house. I store all of the master copies of my software, the licenses, receipts, and archived CDs in it, just in case. Keep in mind that not every safe can provide enough temperature protection to protect data; be sure you buy one rated to fit your needs. One rule of thumb: if your safe has a handle, it isn't safe. As an added measure of safety, I have my media stored in a case that doesn't conduct heat well.
If you don't have a safe, the next best option is storing your data in a safe deposit box. It's cheaper and safer than expanding your iDrive, but not as convenient.
Although I don't use it that often, I do think it is important to have a scanner. I searched for one that would give me the most flexibility with the media I wanted to scan. I settled on a $79 Canon that had a film adapter. In addition to scanning regular media, it can scan negatives, positives, and slides.
Each designer's set of tools reflects the working style and personality of that person, as these choices are a reflection of how I like to work. To make this article more valuable, let us know about some of your favorite tools too.
Alan Graham is the creator of the Best of Blogs book series and is a frequent writer on the O'Reilly Network.
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