 STAINED
GLASS SOFTWARE
COMES OF AGE
The last time we wrote about using computers
for stained glass design was 1998. In terms of technology, three years
is practically an eternity,
so it may not surprise you that in 2001 stained
glass design software has truly come of age.
If you haven't explored the advantages of working with patterns on a
computer, maybe you should. The age-old challenge (burden?) of resizing
a pattern to fit your needs becomes child's play on screen. Need that
18-inch design to fit a 21-inch space? A few mouse-clicks and you're
there. Got a square design and a rectangular slot? No sweat. Other
design changes are almost as simple. By moving design lines around or
deleting them altogether you can smooth out difficult cuts or simplify
complicated patterns. You can even take elements from one pattern and
put them in another! Say you had a box-top with a central heart design,
but need one with a bird theme. If your computer pattern collection
includes any pattern with a bird you like, your computer can copy that
bird, and put it in place of the heart on the box-top pattern. With this
kind of power, you could take a tree from one pattern, a bird from
another, flowers from another still and create your own "custom" design
without having drawn anything more complicated than connecting lines.
Another great advantage to computers is the ability to experiment with
different color schemes without wasting glass. If your pattern calls for
dark purple flower petals, but you want to try pink -- test it out
onscreen. Don't like it? Hey, no problem -- not an inch of glass was
cut. Computer software even allows you to put actual images of art glass
into your patterns to see just what your finished project might look
like. Check it out with opals. Then try it with textured cathedrals. It
takes the guesswork out of choosing glass and lets you see the results
of any glass and color combination you dare to imagine.
So how do these patterns get into your computer in the first place? Good
question. If the design you want to use isn't already available in
digital form (ready to use on the computer), then you can scan it. A
scanner is as simple to use as a photocopier, and they've become so
cheap and commonplace that they're often included with computer
purchases.
If all this sounds good to you, keep reading. We've been reviewing a
copy of the new Glass Eye 2000, and we're pretty impressed. This is
design software that has been created -- from scratch -- with glass
crafters in mind. Michael Wilk, president/owner of Dragonfly Software,
has devoted serious time and energy to building what he thinks is the
best design product a glass crafter could ask for.
One of the most widely used -- and fun -- features of Glass Eye 2000 is
the glass library. Glass images from seven major manufacturers are
included -- make that integrated -- into the program itself. The search
and sort capabilities are slick, making it easy for you to find just the
right glass for every project. If you know you're using a Waterglass®
palette, set the library to display only Waterglass choices. If you're
imagining a light blue opal in a pattern and your supplier only carries
Spectrum and Kokomo products -- a few clicks and you instantly see
what's available to you. But there's plenty more -- and here's where
Michael Wilk's understanding of stained glass crafter's needs makes such
a difference.
There are thoughtful features like automatic piece labeling (top to
bottom, by color -- or both), and a versatile materials and cost
estimator that tells you how much of each glass you'll need and how much
it'll cost. The program lets you set your pattern line thickness to
precisely match the leading you'll be using. And since Glass Eye 2000
comes with extensive pattern and bevel libraries, you can jump right
into using the program just as soon as you install it on your computer.
Start by exploring the included 340 patterns and just playing with glass
choices to your heart's desire. Then try dabbling in design -- by adding
bevels to existing patterns or, choose a pretty bevel cluster and build
a simple design around it. You'll be surprised at how creative you
really are!
There's a lot to appreciate in the program -- even without wading too
deeply into the drawing features. But if you do try your hand at
creative design, you'll see that Glass Eye 2000 has basic drawing tools
that are uniquely geared toward glass work. The program was engineered
to recognize that creating individual pieces or shapes of glass is its
goal. In other drawing programs, the focus is on lines rather than
shapes, so even if it seems as though the lines you've drawn have
created a shape, the software might not agree, and thus won't fill the
space with color. In Glass Eye 2000, what looks like a shape is a shape
and you fill it with color or glass imagery just like you'd expect.
Glass Eye 2000 has benefits for all levels of glass crafters. Anyone can
have fun using the glass images and the pattern library. With a scanner,
you can transfer any pattern into your computer -- for editing,
resizing, making glass choices or all of the above. For the
professional, realistic project renderings make your client
presentations polished and impressive. And when you get the hang of
drawing digitally, time-saving computer efficiency will be a boon to
productivity. Oh, and since clients are notorious for making changes to
your designs, the materials list and cost calculator can help you
quickly adjust your bottom line as your client considers each "little"
revision!
Well, what more could you possibly ask for? How about a free
30-day trial? It's worth it. Try the full version for a month and
see what you think. Just for trying it out, you'll get to keep the
pattern library and resizing features. If you decide to purchase, you
can choose from the Standard or Professional versions depending on your
budget and your needs. For more information or to download your free
trial version visit the Dragonfly website: http://www.dfly.com.
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THE SCORE is published quarterly by
Spectrum Glass
Company, Inc., P. O. Box 646, Woodinville WA 98702.
© 2001 Spectrum Glass Company, all rights reserved |
