Glass Patterns Quarterly

In the world of computer aided design (CAD), ease of operation is king, in which case a coronation could be in the works for Glass Eye 2000. This highly versatile, comprehensive, and easy-to-use CAD program, which was launched by Dragonfly Software in June 2001, is the new-and-improved version of their original Glass Eye program that was released in 1996.

Conceived by Michael Wilk, talented and innovative user interface expert, the program allowed Michael, who is president and owner of Dragonfly Software, to facilitate his own passion for glass crafting. This software gives glass professionals and hobbyists alike a way to create precise designs that are easier to view and edit than with the use of traditional pencil-and-paper techniques. Even those of us who find ourselves, shall we say, technologically challenged can stretch our creative wings by using the custom tools in Glass Eye 2000, which expand the ability to draw, align, measure, resize, mirror, and rotate images, and to produce any type or size pattern. (Large ones are automatically tiled so they can be printed and taped together.) In fact, users will find all of the essential features that are normally offered in expensive, high-end CAD systems, but with glass design in mind. Even a favorite photograph or picture can be scanned in and transformed into a pattern for your next glass project.

Glass Eye has thousands of happy customers in over forty countries who praise this little helper to the hilt. Professional glass artists, in particular, love the way they can create designs, add color and glass type, and have something tangible to show clients before starting on the project itself. Any changes can be realized in a matter of hours instead of days, thus substantially reducing the time it takes to go from initial consultation to signed contract. The ease with which project costs can be calculated and the ability to e-mail the image to clients are two other choice morsels that add to the program's desirability.

The thing that most distinguishes this software from any other CAD program in the world, however, is its piece labeling system. This feature automatically numbers pattern pieces and also makes it possible for glass artists and crafters to apply unique numbers to patterns or to assign a color code to each color. No matter how complex the pattern, Glass Eye 2000 always finds the right location for the label. These labels are visible on the screen and can be updated automatically or manually while the design is in progress.

Those who teach the art of working with glass are also enthusiastic about Glass Eye 2000, since it lets them show students what their projects will eventually look like and allows them to see what a big difference the selection of glass colors and textures can make in whether their creations are a huge success or a monumental failure. An added bonus is that patterns can be altered by the instructor and adjusted to each student's level of expertise and confidence.

Mark Waterbury particularly liked the "Help/Suggest" feature, which will not permit the drawing to be colored in if there are any inherent problems that would make the pattern flawed. Then it points out the aspects of the pattern that may not work and offers suggestions as to how they can be corrected before any time, energy, money, or frayed nerves have been invested in trying to build a project that is doomed from the start.

The twenty-lesson tutorial is greatly appreciated by users, who are gently guided through virtually every product feature in a way that's user-friendly, well-written, and presented in a "sitting right next to you" tone that patrons value. Just about every conceivable problem and solution is presented here.

Besides the accolades that the company garners for its help in increasing productivity and for its endless design options, customers are exceptionally pleased with the fact that Dragonfly offers customer service with a personal touch and top-notch technical support. Particularly impressive is the fact that Michael Wilk himself is often involved in solving any problems that might arise for Glass Eye 2000 customers.

If you'd like to take Glass Eye 2000 for a spin, you can download it from the website at www.dfly.com for a free 30-day trial and purchase it only if you're completely satisfied. Even after the time period expires, you can use the pattern library and resize functions free of charge. And you'll be glad to know that Dragonfly also provides free upgrades as they become available for such things as new glass options, additional patterns, a few bug fixes (although very few problems have been found), and improved features.

Oh, and while you're paying Dragonfly a visit, don't forget to check out the company's extensive list of links to other glass related websites.

~ Darlene Welch

---

© Glass Patterns Quarterly, Inc.