2010-07-30T03:03:10Z No Author Copyright 2010, No Author SPHPBLOG FreeFreeHand.org. They have been doing a terrific job in their effort to save FreeHand.

I remember when I started the message board for FreeHand users to keep their favorite program running. It was a lot of work and I felt so discouraged after Adobe made their formal announcement that FreeHand wouldn't be updated. But FreeHand users taught me how strong they really are and unwilling to give up.

Adobe should listen to it's FreeHand fans. These group of users really care and are dedicated to saving the one tool that makes their jobs easier, better and efficient. I don't think I have ever seen a more passionate group than FreeHand users! Of course, there has never been a program as big that has been killed off the way FreeHand has.

Please keep up the great work you do...I think a lot of good will come out of it. Adobe has been trying hard to ignore the FreeHand users but eventually they will listen, especially after the letter campaign from last month.

I'm sure no one anticipated that much rejection from FreeHand users. The amount of voices speaking up for FreeHand shows how Adobe was wrong in thinking it could just kill this program. I think they will eventually change their minds. I'm sure Adobe now realizes that many of FreeHand's users are willing to pay for an upgrade. I know I am willing...as I want FreeHand to keep working!]]> http://www.enrichdesign.com/fhblog/index.php?entry=entry100518-062627 2010-05-18T00:00:00Z 2010-05-18T00:00:00Z
But here's how important FreeHand is... A group of users got together and formed freefreehand.org, a website devoted to FreeHand users that examines ways to possibly rescue FreeHand. Some people at Adobe are probably thinking "Here we go again" or "can't FreeHand users just give up and try Illustrator"? The following interview explains why some FreeHand fans do not want to give up the fight and why Illustrator just won't work for them.

Thank you to Bez for taking the time to answer my questions and good luck with the website. Now onto the interview...

1. What is it about FreeHand that users stick with their favorite program?

As anyone who's become proficient with FreeHand, before Illustrator, will tell you, it's by far the more enjoyable of the two to work with. Fast, intuitive, and logically organized. The tools, key commands, and functions you use most feel like they are a microsecond away. After you've used it for awhile, and you're all warmed up and into a project, you almost get the sensation of flying! Key features like paste inside and the ability to select, align, and distribute objects or points without the program "getting in the way" make using FreeHand just about the most un-frustrating experience imaginable. Little things you get used to, like the ability to grab a vector line and bend it from anywhere between two points, make it painful to leave behind when the same things are missing in Illustrator. I could go on and on but the basic point is that FreeHand just does things right. There are advanced features in Illustrator that FreeHand lacks, but who cares when you can't get the basics right first? Oh, and I also love FreeHand's contextual Properties>Object palette. Just amazing—90% of what you need in the same spot! A big time saver.

2. Tell me more about your website freefreehand.org.

It wasn't until Macromedia was bought by Adobe that I took any interest at all in what was going on behind the scenes. Before that, it was enough that all this great software was out there and Adobe had real competition. I never liked Illustrator, even before I discovered FreeHand, so I was pretty concerned when I saw the writing on the wall. When that writing on the wall became fact, I got furious. “How could they do that?” I thought. So I went into the Adobe forums and started poking around. That's when I found a long thread, started by Jack PNG, asking if FreeHand users would pay for an upgrade if Adobe would keep supporting it. I jumped in, preaching to the choir while simultaneously being ignored, like everyone else, by Adobe. After awhile I realized the futility.

I couldn't figure out why Adobe wasn't pulling everyone's comments off their forum: some of them were pretty aggressive and ranting. One time I even called them "a pack of Nazis" and the comment wasn't pulled down. That's when I realized, they'd let us rant to our heart's content just as long as we stayed in this closed box. I began thinking about starting an organization that could take the passion and turn it into action using money raised by donation. About that same time, I noticed a comment by Thü Hürlimann of Switzerland suggesting exactly this idea, so I wrote him an email and offered to team up. All for the better I think as we've accomplished far more as a team than we ever would have by ourselves. A couple months after we launched the site, in September 2009, we added Mark Gelotte of Arizona, USA to the team. He's been extremely helpful in keeping the ball rolling.

Long story short, the three of us have been pleased and encouraged by membership growth, contributions to some of our ongoing activist projects, and lots and lots of conversation in the Q&A forum. The members are what make it all worthwhile. We'll ask for money later, but honestly if we could pull this off without needing to do that, we would.


3. Have you tried using Illustrator CS4 and how do you think it compares to FreeHand?

Yes, I have.

During the initial Forced Migration (what I refer to as Adobe's way of handling the FreeHand users it inherited), I tried CS3 just like they told me to. I had the same reaction I had the first time I tried using Illustrator back in 1995: blech, this is no fun at all. If anything it had gotten worse, as all but the fastest machine suffers horribly from the bloat. Saving a file actually brings up a progress bar on my dual 2.5Ghz G5 tower! That's just not right; add it to the pain category. Sure, CS4 added multi-paging and better gradient controls, among a few other odd details, but it misses the point. It's the overall speed and elegance of FreeHand, not a preponderance of features, that make FreeHand what it is. It's just what you need and not too much more.

Last Fall, I decided to take a quarter of school, with one of my classes being Illustrator CS4. In fact, I completed all the projects and got an “A”. Now I use Illustrator every day at a new job, so it's a good thing I learned how to use it well. I will say the whole experience does get better as you get used to the quirks, but it still elicits a "stupid Illustrator!" from me at least once an hour. Compared to FreeHand, it just seems backwards. The dizzying array of palettes do nothing to make my work go faster or make it easier to find what I'm looking for. Quite the contrary. I still get annoyed with text a lot: not nearly as elegant as FreeHand. Everything takes longer, more clicks and tools, even once you're fully accustomed to the way it all works. It's just exasperating whenever I stop to think "oh yeah, this is progress all right!"

Also, I tried using the CS4 "Like FreeHand" workspace but I'm unimpressed. Among other things, the color palettes in Illustrator bug me, so I have to customize them to work more like FreeHand.

4. What are some of the options that are available for saving FreeHand?

Good question. That's exactly what we've been working on from the beginning. No one is making this easy for us, so we do research in our spare time, consult with lawyers willing to talk to us, and brainstorm different strategies. Right now we are in the planning stages of several campaigns we feel might prove very effective. For example, a PR campaign targeting business journals and other media channels in that category. According to the firm we plan to hire, our story is real and compelling. If we can force Adobe's hand to step forward and publicly explain why they think it's okay to fly in the face of thousands of professionals who rely on FreeHand to make a living, then we'll have true progress. Bad publicity is one of the most effective weapons in our arsenal.

Another upcoming action is the coordinated activism of our 4500+ membership. They are ready to act and plenty angry. They want an outlet to voice their frustrations to Adobe and we will give them that.

A final option is to take legal action. Based on the FTC action forcing Adobe to give FreeHand back to Altsys back in 1994, we believe there's precedent to work in our favor. According to our legal discussions, that's a long and difficult road so we see it as a last resort. However, depending on how things go, it could also be played into part of the PR strategy. We'll see.<br><br>Before any of this though, we need to send our warning shot across Adobe's bow. We're working on that right now, and while I don't think they will suddenly say "Oh, is that what you wanted? Why didn't you just say so? Of course we'll update and support FreeHand!" we have to give them the chance to respond before launching into the next phase. If they go for the carrot before the stick, well that's just fine with us. This is all set to happen very soon, by the way.

All of this overlooks the question: what are we asking for? And maybe that's what you really mean by the question. We see three options:
1. Update FreeHand for the latest hardware and OS along with bug fixes. Adobe pledges ongoing support.
2. Assuming any patent issues can be worked through, Adobe offers to sell FreeHand to another software company
3. Release FreeHand to open source.

This last option may actually be the best solution, if they can be made to see the silver lining of what this offers. We do think there's a silver lining for Adobe, but initially it could be hard to convince them. In our research, we’ve outlined the advantages of an Adobe sponsored Open Source FreeHand and they are quite compelling. Also, it's possible they could be compensated by substantial funds we raise—Free FreeHand could ultimately prove to have deep pockets. Who knows?

5. What features of FreeHand do you think need to be addressed first if it is updated?

Our Q&A forum has a great collection of ideas, although I don't claim they're as well organized as they could be. We have one post titled "If Freehand development started again what new features would you like to see?" that makes a number of good points. The main ones are already on our home page though. Things like better PDF support and fixes for exported PDF-related bugs and limitations; and perhaps most important of all, the ability to run natively on Intel Macs using Snow Leopard. (It still works, but only using Rosetta and an Adobe registration file fix. It's stable but there have been a number of reported bugs.) Also, a lot of people mention wanting better color control, but I've never had any trouble getting what I want out of FreeHand.

6. Do you think Adobe could make FreeHand users happy by adding more features into Illustrator that they miss?

No. Illustrator doesn't work right. It isn't about cramming more convoluted features into an already bloated mess. If anything I'd rather see FreeHand lose a couple features, take on a couple new ones from Illustrator that are actually useful, but mostly keep it the lean, fast, workhorse we love it for. Unfortunately this doesn't play well into the idea of selling upgrades or full suites: new features is what constitutes the marketing and selling of each new version. How would Adobe make money if they one day decided, for any given application, "Okay, this one is completely finished. It does everything it needs to and will never need updates or new features." That's not the business they're in. Too bad for us who just want good tools to make a living.

7. What is the thing that bugs you most about Illustrator in comparison to FreeHand?

Well, I've mentioned a couple already. I'm not going to sound original here because my complaints mostly resemble those of others, but here they are:
1. Masking. It stinks. Paste Inside is a way better method and it's highly irritating to have to mask things, which are then useless in terms of aligning to other objects (Illustrator uses the masked object rather than the masking shape).
2. Text. I'm still getting used to Illustrator's two different kinds, plus a number of things it doesn't do that FreeHand does. If you use FreeHand you know what I'm talking about.
3. Lots and LOTS of little things. As one member said, "please don't make me explain, it hurts..." It's the cumulative effect of countless annoying little road blocks that add up to one giant, frustrating experience.
Our members have put a lot of great points out there, some of the best perhaps on these two pages (along with some heated debate as a result of some Illustrator defenders):
http://tinyurl.com/y9f4tvc
http://tinyurl.com/y99dfou

By the way, it's been put forward by several people that InDesign is the better option for FreeHand users. I've used this too, to some extent, and while the PDF creation is fantastic, the rest leaves me unimpressed. It's okay mind you, in the way PageMaker was okay (yes, I know ID is better than PageMaker), but it still leaves me asking: how is this an improvement over FreeHand? Only for book design maybe.

8. How many people have signed up for your website and how many more are needed?

Just over 4,700 right now. We've sent out just 3 newsletters to the membership list and we need to do more. It seems like continued activity and communications keeps the growth rate steady, whereas growth seems to slow when we're less active about keeping the spirit alive. I think however that this is a pretty good number we're looking at, although I wouldn't mind doubling or tripling that.

There's no way to know how many we'll need, it depends on how long the fight lasts, and how much we need financially to do it. As it is, the current number represents more than enough for our next planned PR campaign, even if we only see $2 apiece donated as an average.

There are a lot of unknowns with our endeavor. We just keep forging ahead, evolving as we go.

9. Do you think Adobe has done enough in the transition from FreeHand to Illustrator?

Well, that's a pretty subjective thing. I guess I'd have to say “yes” if Illustrator represented a desirable direction for a FreeHand user to move in. But it's also a really big step backwards as many have found out. For the last 4 years, the vast majority of us have earnestly attempted transitioning to Illustrator but the experience has not worked out. So in that sense there's no way Adobe can ever do enough—no amount of migration guides or special upgrade offers can compensate.

10. What features in Illustrator do you think that FreeHand users like the best?

There are some good type tools that FreeHand doesn't have, but in most ways type is more difficult. The 3D Extrude and Bevel effect can prove useful, since FreeHand's equivalent is a bit lacking. Mesh gradients are cool, on those rare occasions you might need it. Some of the layer effects are also nice, in that you can make a semi-transparent gradient screen or multiply. With FreeHand, I've always resorted to doing certain things in Photoshop and dropping them in, but it's nice to have these kinds of options right in the program. Illustrator also has a lot of nice brushes you won't find in FreeHand, but I rarely need them in the work I do. Then there's all that Live Trace and Live Paint stuff. I like it, but no amount of fiddling with the controls produces anything other than a recognizable effect, at least when working with photos. It can be very useful for creating original illustrations though. I plan to spend more time working with these features. I’m probably safe in saying that Illustrator and FreeHand can work well side-by-side for those features that the other lacks.

11. Has Adobe responded to any of the complaints that FreeHand is not being updated? Are they aware of your website?

They have not in any way acknowledged us. But we think they're quite aware of our existence and intentions. They'd have to be living under rocks not to know about us. It’s likely they're staying quiet and waiting to see what happens. We have to prove to them how serious we are, and what kind of resolve we can put into this.

One insight into the mind of Adobe that we gleaned was a result of FreeHand's initial incompatibility with Snow Leopard. Apple released Snow Leopard on August 28th, 2009 (according to Wikipedia). As Intel Mac-owners upgraded to the new platform, and new computer purchases added to the number of Snow Leopard users, the FreeHand "failure to launch" issue became more widespread. FreeHand users pressed Adobe for answers and found none. Irritation with their slow acknowledgement of the issue, and lack of action to rectify it, grew into intensifying anger as is evidenced in a number of Adobe forum posts. Adobe did eventually release an official fix, but not until September 25th—almost a whole month after the Snow Leopard release! Remember also they had plenty of time before a Snow Leopard release to work through these issues, as they undoubtably did it with their other programs—it's not like Apple foists a new OS on the world without giving software companies a chance to test it. We think this might have been Adobe's way of testing the FreeHand market to see what would happen by ignoring its users in this dire situation. It’s that or they're truly negligent. Either way our community sees this treatment as unforgivable.

It was the collective voice of the FreeHand community that affected Adobe management enough to warrant the Snow Leopard fix. That is tremendously encouraging of the power of our numbers and Adobe should be watching our movement carefully. They simply represent what is happening all over the world these days with big business and corporate institutions who are threatened by competition and feel they must squash or buy out any threat to their monopoly. Ironically, we’ve even noticed members in our Q&A forums and those in Adobe’s own forums feeling that they are becoming the “New Microsoft.”

12. What features in FreeHand do you think Adobe overlooked the most?

Like I said before, it's more about a large quantity of little things plus a handful of key things we depend on; this even includes something as seemingly simple as the selection tool. Any one thing may not seem like a big deal, but the user experience between the two applications is entirely different. One is very pleasant. One often raises the blood pressure. I'll let you figure out which is which!

One small example I can give is from just the other day. I wanted to make a graphic suggesting rays of the sun, not pointy like a star but rather fanning out bigger from the center. So I made the first shape, aggravated at the outset by Illustrator's inability to distribute the anchor points, and started repeating it. Only I couldn't seem to duplicate and rotate from the same spot at the axis, easily and consistently working my way around. Every time I duplicated the shape (pasting in front instead of cloning), I lost the point of rotation I'd set. I eventually pulled it off, but not without some hair pulling and grumbling (I was at my new job where I don't have FreeHand installed—yet). Maybe there's a "right way" to do this in Illustrator, but why should I have to go digging into a Help topic, or take a time-consuming tutorial??? It should be simple. Later I tried the same exact task in FreeHand—never having taken a tutorial or used Help, mind you—and executed this as you'd expect in literally less than a minute. Beautiful! It makes the creation of digital artworks a blissful activity.

13. How does FreeHand work on the latest Mac platform? Have you tried it using the latest Mac OS?

Yes and it’s not bad at all. I just got a new iMac, it has the Intel i7 chip and runs Snow Leopard. I migrated from my old G4 laptop so FreeHand came right over. I tried opening FreeHand just to see, and as expected it bounced a couple times and quit. So I performed the official Adobe fix, which took about two minutes, and now it works fine. Rosetta installed almost automatically, and although it's not a desirable thing it doesn't seem to be affecting me...yet.

I would like to add that FreeHand on an Intel Mac running in Rosetta does not play nice with my favorite haxies (Unsanity's great OS customization utilities). I'm having some challenges resolving some apparent conflicts, but I guess that's to be expected when you're a beta user. Regardless, whether you're talking about Apple or Adobe it all boils down to the same thing: give the people what they want!

14. What role do you think FreeHand could have in the marketplace if it is updated?

There's so much to love about FreeHand, I can't imagine it not enjoying continued popularity if it was upgraded and rereleased, whatever form that might take. A lot of people, myself included, think of FreeHand as the ideal creative tool for digital exploration and design. It's fast. It's easy. It does what you want without a lot of fuss. You can quickly execute a variety of ideas just to see them, then edit and refine from there. And it's fun to use! You can take your creations to a fully complete stage, ready for transfer to the printer or to bring into other environments, like Flash, Photoshop and, yes, even Illustrator. Call it what you will, this doesn't describe Illustrator or InDesign. They entirely miss what makes designing stuff a fluid process for a lot of people.

15. How many users do you estimate are still actively using FreeHand?

I've wondered about this a lot. We've talked about it in the Q&A space a fair amount and I don't know the answer; I'm not sure anyone does. But I do think our current membership is only a fraction of that number. As we gain visibility and prove our effectiveness, I hope they'll continue discovering us and join the cause. It's probably literally thousands who are out there thinking they are the only ones faithfully holding onto their favorite program, FreeHand, as they struggle with Adobe's “forced migration” to Illustrator.

In an email I received from James Von Ehr (one of the original creators of FreeHand when it was developed at Altsys) he referred to "hundreds of thousands of satisfied FreeHand customers". Certainly it’s now way down from it's peak usage, but if anybody really knows it would be the higher ups at Adobe. And they're not about to tell us.

Best of luck to FreeHand fans who are interested in saving their favorite program. Please register at freefreehand.org if you support this movement.]]> http://www.enrichdesign.com/fhblog/index.php?entry=entry100301-130756 2010-03-01T00:00:00Z 2010-03-01T00:00:00Z
I have used Illustrator and I find it a valuable tool. But one thing: I still use FreeHand!

Why? The number one answer for me is the speed of the program. When I want to create a quick, easy design, FreeHand only takes seconds to open. Illustrator takes forever to open, it's so bloated that the tasks take longer to do. I do have an older Mac, so maybe it's just me saying this, but I think Illustrator takes way too long to launch.

I do have a lot of tools that I like in Illustrator but I must admit, I am so accustomed to FreeHand's shortcuts and ease of use, I go back to it often. PDF's are a definite plus in Illustrator. That is the one thing that FreeHand needs to improve upon if that ever comes about.

I am happy for the FreeHand community that it is still supporting their favorite program. Although it would be a tough fight, I know that FreeHand users are passionate about their program. Good luck to all the FreeHand users on this latest fight to save FreeHand.]]> http://www.enrichdesign.com/fhblog/index.php?entry=entry091019-092959 2009-10-19T00:00:00Z 2009-10-19T00:00:00Z
I'm enjoying Illustrator CS3 and I can't wait to try CS4. I understand a lot of features that FreeHand users love are in the new program (the biggest thing being multiple artboards).

I know making the transition from FreeHand to Illustrator is not easy for many users. Try to think of Illustrator CS4 as the next upgrade to FreeHand. It's a great vector tool like FreeHand but the interface is updated and the tools are slightly different from what your used to. It's so much better than just using FreeHand and never upgrading.

I'm glad I gave Illustrator a chance. I think it's a great program with a lot of features that I find useful, espcially the improved PDF support.

The following is an interview with the Senior Product Manager of Illustrator, Terry Hemphill. I wanted to post the interview especially for those FreeHand users who are hanging onto hope that FreeHand would be updated. Terry made clear that FreeHand users should move on, it won't be updated. Here's the interview...enjoy!

1. Does Adobe plan to keep FreeHand as an offering in their list of software for sale?

FreeHand is still offered as a product for those customers who have embedded workflows and have the need for additional seats of Freehand or who need more time to transition to another product. Adobe will continue to evaluate the demand for FreeHand before bringing the product to end-of-life. It's not our intention to force people into another solution.

2. Are there new web features in Illustrator CS4?

The most significant are those related to multiple artboards, where a series of web assets can quickly be exported in various web formats.

More forward looking is the support for the new FXG format. FXG is a graphics file format based on a subset of MXML, the XML-based programming language used by the Flex framework. Designers can create graphics using Illustrator CS4, Photoshop CS4, and Fireworks CS4 and save them into FXG format. The FXG file can then be used by tools such as Thermo to develop rich internet applications and experiences that run in a web browser using the Flash Player or on the desktop as an AIR application. FXG was created to allow designers and developers to collaborate more efficiently using an XML-based file format.

3. What are some reasons that FreeHand users should switch to Illustrator CS4 instead of looking elsewhere?

The biggest for me? Illustrator's integration with other Adobe tools and presence as the industry standard application for designing vector content.

4. Is there any speed difference of CS3 and CS4? I know the program can take a while to open. I imagine because of the code, it's difficult to speed up the process of opening it.

While we didn't get to complete some planned performance enhancements, there were significant improvements made to launch time.

5. Does CS4 have the same import capabilities, i.e., can it import from FH9 to FHMX?

In terms of FreeHand file import, the support is the same, will the additional capability of FreeHand files that contain multiple pages now importing properly as Multiple artboards. In CS3, those FreeHand files would import, but as multiple crop areas. Not as directly useful as multiple artboards.

6. I remember someone bringing up that maybe there should be a plug-in for FreeHand users who miss certain features. Did Adobe give any thought to that idea?

Given the number of plug-ins available for Illustrator, I'm sure there are some that address certain features. But there was no concerted effort on Adobe part to create such a plug in.

7. Do you feel the artboards solve the problem of multiple pages? Why not just call them pages? Just curious of the idea behind them.

Illustrator is not a page layout program, and it doesn’t need to be. InDesign already offers all the functionality needed for page layout. So we wanted to deliver a solution in Illustrator that met the needs of the Illustrator customer as well as offer new ways of working. Multiple artboards offers the ability to create documents that contain multiple pages or two sides of a single page in a one file, and it also offers a way to create a single document that contains multiple assets of any size. You can keep all the art you are creating for a job or client in the same file, making it so much easier to use common symbols, colors, fonts and track changes.

8. What new features (if any) have been added for Flash users?

There were no major new features for Flash users.

9. What has been done to continue the transition from FreeHand to Illustrator?

Not sure if you're looking for product features here or more along the marketing/sales side. Side features of interest for FreeHand users are listed below, I'll focus on the other.

Two items:
Special upgrade pricing for owners of FreeHand who want to move to Illustrator, and we're updating the FreeHand migration guide for CS4, which should be available for download on line early next year.

10. What features in the new Illustrator do you think that FreeHand
users will like the best?

1. Multiple artboards
2. New gradient controls, transparency in gradients, elliptical gradients.
3. Improvements to clipping masks.
4. The Blob Brush tool.
5. Appearance panel enhancements.

11. Is Adobe still receiving complaints that FreeHand is not being updated? I know it's still being brought up on the Adobe forums. Any thoughts on this?

Freehand is not going to be revived; time to move on, really. The Illustrator team is making a determined effort to bring the best of FreeHand into Illustrator, which should be evident from some of the new features in CS4.

12. There are probably some features that FreeHand users just might not know exist in Illustrator. For example, when I was looking to find and replace certain objects, I had no idea you can select similar items in Illustrator. Are there other features that might be hidden to FreeHand users?

There are many that Illustrator users aren't aware of...not just FreeHand users, so maybe I'll answer this from my own personal leanings since I've been working with the Illustrator team the past four years:

1. The Appearance panel. With the new editing capabilities in CS4, it's one of my essential panels.
2. Live Effects. I'm always finding very practical new ways to create complex objects. Just recently, the ability to solve a technical issue for a FreeHand users with the Convert to Shape effect was an eye-opener for me.
3. Live Color. Still one of my favorite features.

13. Are there features from FreeHand that you still might implement in future versions?

Official line -- we don't comment on future development plans. But yes, we're always going looking at adding to core functionality, and that includes capabilities from FreeHand that make sense for all of our customers.

14. What improvements would you still like to make in Illustrator

For me, I always appreciate performance improvements, and enhancements to core tools. Sometimes it's the little things that really mean the most, like the enhancements to path editing that was part of CS3.

15. With mobile devices becoming more popular and technology changes a lot, what role do you see for Illustrator in the future?

Obviously, vector graphics are a bit part of creating content and interfacesfor mobile devices. And the evolving FXG format will be important for designing interactive experiences across all type of devices.

Thank you Terry for the interview.

I hope all of the FreeHand users looking to upgrade will give Illustrator CS4 a chance. It sounds like it would be the best choice for an upgrade. I know CS3 was great and I look forward to working with CS4 as well.]]> http://www.enrichdesign.com/fhblog/index.php?entry=entry081103-085536 2008-11-03T00:00:00Z 2008-11-03T00:00:00Z
Personally, I had a good experience with the transition, although there were features that I missed. One of the first projects I did in CS3 was a menu. It was front and back, so it was frustrating that there were no multiple pages. Another troubling thing was that Illustrator took forever to open in comparison to FreeHand. Once it was open it was fine, but it's best to take a break while the program takes it's time opening!

Some features that I love: the ease of opening PDF's. FreeHand lacked so much in this area. It's nice to see a program actually open a PDF and keep everything in tact.

Some things that took getting used to: paste inside versus creating a mask. Both programs do this well, just a different way of doing it. I'm used to Illustrator's way now, so it's not so bad.

The text on a path is great, with the exception of typing on the top and bottom of a circle. FreeHand did this so easily. I had to search for directions on how to do this in Illustrator...it takes a lot longer to do in Illustrator.

I am interested in learning what you liked about CS3. I'm also looking forward to the new release of Illustrator, hoping that some of our other features make it into the program.]]> http://www.enrichdesign.com/fhblog/index.php?entry=entry080917-082037 2008-09-17T00:00:00Z 2008-09-17T00:00:00Z Illustrator, Terry Hemphill. He is part of a team that is dedicated to creating the best vector tool possible. He discusses his thoughts on FreeHand and why FreeHand users would benefit from migrating to Illustrator.

Adobe is listening to FreeHand users but FH users should be using the forum to let Adobe know of what features they want. Who knows...you may see your favorite featires in the next version of Illustrator.

Here's the interview, enjoy!

1. Why do you think it took so long for Adobe to make an announcement about FreeHand?

I’ve really no insight into this. Since the decision wasn’t mine, it not my place to comment.


2. What specific changes were made to Illustrator to accommodate FreeHand users?

First, to be clear, we couldn’t add anything specific for FreeHand users from the time the acquisition was announced until it closed, due to FTC regulations. By the time the Illustrator team could work on anything “specific,” we were way into the development cycle for CS3. However, we did pull in the import filter improvements noted below. The other changes were part of CS3 based on FreeHand as a competitive product, prior to any announcement of the intent to acquire Macromedia. The team always looked at way to compete with FreeHand.

In CS3 the biggest changes/improvements for FH folks:

--FreeHand import filter to support 9, 10 and MX files, and provide better support of type, effects, gradients, etc., the graphic features that users want to maintain when bringing their files into Illustrator.

--Changes to basic drawing tools and controls, to make working with and editing paths easier and more intuitive

-- Eraser tool.

3. What are some reasons that FreeHand users should switch to Illustrator instead of looking elsewhere?

For me, the biggest are compatibility with new hardware and operating systems, Intel-based Macs, new OS versions from Apple and Microsoft. Next would be the integration with other professional design apps. For those who only use FreeHand and no other design apps, features like Live Trace, Live Paint and Live Color in Illustrator.

4. I like the fact that Phil Guindi (from the Illustrator team) is checking Jack Nack's blog at Adobe and responding to FreeHand users comments. To me, it shows that there are people at Adobe that are listening. Do you think that Adobe will continue to add FreeHand features into Illustrator?

As we discussed on the phone some time ago, we do listen to customers and we don’t think that everything Illustrator does is the best; the team is always looking for ways to improve Illustrator. We’ve been working closely with customers who are transitioning from FreeHand and obviously listening to individual FreeHand users as well.

5. Is there ever a possibility that Illustrator will have multiple pages? Do you see how this can be very useful?

I can see how this can be useful, particularly if it means supporting multiple artboards of different sizes. It can make file organization much easier, e.g., identity design may include logo design, letterhead, etc.; all could be contained in a single file. I don’t think it make sense to start putting page layout features into an illustration app, though. The two are very different -- Illustrator is much more free form, page layout is by necessity focused on structure. Again, this is my view as a long time designer. (As I noted earlier, I cannot comment on future development plans).

6. I don't know if you've been reading the comments on Jack's blog, but how do you respond to the comments like there should only one selection tool?

My response is: how would you think that Illustrator users would react to having a single tool, after years of working with two? Changes to essential tools cannot be based only on the needs of a small segment of users, but on what is best for all users. Having said that, I do feel that the Illustrator team will be closely investigating how to combine the best of both products, and drawing and selection tools are the heart of any vector illustration software.

7. Would you have handled the situation of FreeHand's demise differently? Would you have made an announcement right away? Would you have tried to rescue FreeHand instead?

In a perfect world, yes, I would have preferred that a clear statement was made up front. I’ve meet and have had lengthy conversations with many FreeHand users, distraught over the thought of losing their favorite software, but most simply wanted two things: first, to be heard; second, a direct answer. The one thing that the Illustrator team now can do is listen to the needs of the FreeHand users.

Most users are adult enough to realize that it’s only software, and that yes, they can adopt to new tools. They have been doing so for years as products evolve and come and go. Personally, I’ve used many different vector drawing tools in my years in graphics production—from dedicated systems like Genigraphics, Dicomed, Autographix, SlideTek and Management Graphics, to software packages including FreeHand, Illustrator and CorelDRAW. And I’d have to say that no software package today gives me the power that the proprietary systems with specialized graphics processors did. But I also don’t have to sit all day in a room chilled to accommodate DEC Alpha mini-computers, using VMS command line entries, creating and editing files that are restricted to a single proprietary format, either.

Sorry, I guess I really dated myself there...my point is that there are a number of vocal users who will wring their hands over any changes to any software or system, and imagine conspiracies where none really exist. Most of us adapt and move on.

And no, I wouldn’t have “rescued” FreeHand. From a business perspective, it isn’t practical.


8. Do you agree with others when they say that FreeHand would be dead regardless of the merger between Macromedia and Adobe?

Macromedia had essentially stopped development of FH long before the announcement of a potential merger with Adobe, with no significant updates for nearly four years. Illustrator has the lion’s share of the worldwide markets and is constantly being updated for hardware/operating system compatibility and for integration with other apps.
Dead? Possibly not. Moribund? Yes.

9. Something that has confused me...I often read that FreeHand was losing sales. When a software is packaged with others in a suite, how can a company tell that one of it's software is losing money? FreeHand was part of the studio. Are sales from the studio factored in when Macromedia figured that FreeHand was not making money?

I can’t really say how Macromedia determined sales, but most companies closely watch product sales and conduct research to determine market share, for any product, software, hardware, consumer or professional. Also, FreeHand software is sold individually as well as in Suites, which also provides additional data.

10. Do you think the transition to Adobe's vector software would have been easier had Adobe created a new vector program from scratch?

What if Adobe created a new vector program based on an entirely new way of drawing? I wonder what the reaction from FreeHand users would be in that case? Transition is change; change can either be embraced or rejected.

11. Adobe waited for a long period to let us know what was happening to FreeHand. Did they ever plan on developing FreeHand and changed their mind or was FreeHand already dead in Adobe's eyes but they just didn't say anything?

Can’t comment. In truth, I’ve no insight into this.

12. Were there features in any version of FreeHand that just blew you away?

Well, back in FH 8 (I think) were the Freeform tools, which I really liked. Also, the Lens Fill was really cool. As someone who likes help with perspective drawing, the perspective grid was appealing as well.

13. What comments did you agree with that FreeHand users have been saying?

I think the rest of these questions answer that — yes, I would have preferred an earlier and more direct statement. There are areas where FreeHand excels and the Illustrator should, will and already has been looking at ways to adapt and incorporate these features.

14. What improvements are needed in Illustrator to make it even better?

Again, these are personal ramblings, and not a representation of what’s needed for all users. Please don’t think I control what goes into new releases. Personally, I’m always looking for more streamlined, intuitive ways to work, so here goes:

Keep tweaking the core tools, as was done with Illustrator CS2 and CS3. Sometimes, it really is the little things that makes the most difference in day-to-day work (I’m thinking the path enhancements, Crop and Eraser tools.).
Improve gradients. Working with them is not intuitive. I love gradient mesh, but it could be more fluid as well.
Opacity masks, again, make them more intuitive.
Revisit 3d effects for ease of use and performance.
Keep improving runtime performance.


15. Any other comments to FreeHand users ready to make the switch to Illustrator?

Give illustrator CS3 a try. Download the trial and play around. Check out some of the really fun features in Illustrator — Live Trace, live Paint, Live Color. There are a lot of resources to help you explore the new features (check out the CS3 Video Workshop in the Illustrator Design Center). There are also a lot of free resources to help you make the transition from FreeHand, so check them out as well (www.adobe.com/products/illustrator/switch). We’ll be adding and updating those resources over the next months as well.

The Illustrator team does want to hear from users, so use the forums to let us know what you want.]]> http://www.enrichdesign.com/fhblog/index.php?entry=entry070612-135007 2007-06-12T00:00:00Z 2007-06-12T00:00:00Z blog for tips on using Illustrator, a tool that, like it or not, FreeHand users will most likely need to learn.

Here's the interview about FreeHand's demise andd migrating to Illustrator.

1. Why do you think it took so long for Adobe to make an announcement about FreeHand?

I honestly have no idea. But if I had to offer any kind of guess, I'd imagine that it had nothing at all to do with the Illustrator team itself. Most likely, it was a decision that was made by Adobe corporate. But again, I have no insight into why it took them this long to make any kind of announcement. Maybe they felt the added functionality in CS3 was an important step in helping FH users make the switch, and they didn't want to have people making that move until CS3 was available. In either case, I personally would have liked to have seen an announcement made much earlier.

2. What specific changes were made to Illustrator to accommodate FreeHand users?

From what I personally can tell, the following features are new to Illustrator CS3 and would appeal to FreeHand users:

- Ability to open native FreeHand MX, 10, and 9 files using a new import capability and dialog box.
- New mask buttons in Control panel to create and edit masks more easily
- New preferences panel dedicated to selection tool behavior and bezier handle appearance
- Align functions work on individual anchor points
- Easier symbol creation and editing (similar to both FreeHand and Flash as well)
- Ability to automatically name all unused colors in a document and add them as defined swatches

I may be missing others, but these immediately come to mind.


3. What are some reasons that FreeHand users should switch to Illustrator instead of looking elsewhere?

I actually wrote up a short list of 5 features that Illustrator has that FreeHand users will find extremely valuable. They are: superior support for PDF; support for XMP metadata; support for OpenType fonts and functionality; Superior integration with Photoshop; and the Save for Web feature. In Illustrator CS3, Live Color and all of the enhancements listed above in the previous question show an obvious commitment from Adobe about the continued development and desire to make Illustrator better, meaning more and more FreeHand stuff will find its way to Illustrator.

Finally, the biggest reason is, where else are you going to go? If you think choosing a small illustration product (or even a large one like CorelDraw or example) is going to solve all of your problems, you'd be wrong. There's a reason why Illustrator is the industry standard. If you give it some time, you'll get a hang of it -- and all of the knowledge you've acquired over the years with FH will help you adapt. Odds are you'll end up ore frustrated with an alternative.

4. I like the fact that Phil Guindi (from the Illustrator team) is checking Jack Nack's blog at Adobe and responding to FreeHand users comments. To me, it shows that there are people at Adobe that are listening. Do you think that Adobe will continue to add FreeHand features into Illustrator?

People like to believe things. EVERYONE at Adobe is always actively listening. I mean, that's Phil's job after all. A Product Manager's main job is to visit customers, read forums, and study how people use the product. If you think that Phil Guindi or others at Adobe just dream up their own ideas for each new version of a program, you'd be very wrong. So I for one, am happy to see Phil doing his job. To me it shows a commitment that Adobe will continue to invest in Illustrator and try to do their best to improve it -- even with a lack of a true competitor.

5. Is there ever a possibility that Illustrator will have multiple pages? Do you see how this can be very useful?

Anyone can see that it would be useful to have Multiple pages in AI. Is it possible that a future version of AI will have multiple pages? Sure. But there are always many reasons to take into account for how features are added, and how much work it might be to do so. Adobe is well aware of the whole multiple page thing -- so trust, it's something they seriously evaluate each cycle.

6. I don't know if you've been reading the comments on Jack's blog, but how do you respond to the comments like there should only one selection tool? I agree with others that FreeHand made it quick to modify paths with keyboard keys...I have to get used to switching tools instead! Any chance that Illustrator will become more like FreeHand in this respect?

While Illustrator does indeed have two selection tools, just about all functions can allow to quickly switch between them with the use of a modifier key. And again, the AI team at Adobe will always evaluate features that FreeHand has and incorporate them into future versions of Illustrator.

7. If you were at Adobe, how would you have handled the situation of FreeHand's demise? Would you have made an announcement right away? Would you have tried to rescue FreeHand instead?

I've spoken about these kinds of things at my blog before. Again, I do think that Adobe's reluctance to make any announcement earlier was a decision made by Adobe corporate and not the Illustrator team itself. That being said, it's possible that if I would have been on the team, I'd have had no choice in that regard. As for trying to rescue FreeHand, again, that's a decision that's made by corporate. At Adobe, you have a job and you do it to the best of your ability. Adobe does that will all of its programs. "Rescuing" FreeHand just doesn't make any kind of sense from a financial standpoint (I've spoken about that on my blog as well). I fully support integrating FH features into AI, and had I still been on the AI team, I would push for as much of that as possible. In that regards, users get the great stuff that AI has AND the great stuff that FH has. If Adobe would have continued to develop FH, users would point to AI over the years and say "hey, AI has better PDF support and we want that in FH too" Same for XMP, CSS, OpenType, Photoshop integration, gradient mesh, etc. You'd end up with duplication, loss of money, and more. Also, it would be a marketing nightmare considering all of the Suites that Illustrator is currently in.

8. Do you agree with others when they say that FreeHand would be dead regardless of the merger between Macromedia and Adobe?

Absolutely. The only way FH would have lived on without the merger is if Macromedia would have sold it. And even then, if you consider the intellectual property owned within FH (patents, etc), it would be silly to do so.

9. Something that has confused me...I often read that FreeHand was losing sales. When a software is packaged with others in a suite, how can a company tell that one of it's software is losing money? FreeHand was part of the studio. Are sales from the studio factored in when Macromedia figured that FreeHand was not making money?

Every company measures statistics in different ways. And also, such data is often skewed. For example, when figuring market share, numbers that are published are of new seats sold. Seats that are part of a suite are counted as well. But companies also measure data of how many people buy software but don't install it or don't use it. For example, in the early years, Adobe InDesign was gaining "seats" compared to Quark, but Adobe also knew that many people were buying the suite just for Illustrator and Photoshop, and only a few users were actually using InDesign -- they still used Quark. Likewise, Macromedia may have found that users were buying a suite that contained FreeHand but that users weren't using it. Who knows -- maybe Macromedia thought that Flash would replace FreeHand. Just a thought.

10. Do you think the transition to Adobe's vector software would have been easier had Adobe created a new vector program from scratch?

I've definitely answered this before on my blog. Creating a full-featured software application is no simple task. And it's one that takes much time and much money. And besides, any such endeavor would have definitely introduced all new ways of doing things, and that certainly wouldn't have made a transition any easier -- in fact, it would have made it more difficult for users (having to learn an entire new product). Granted, it might introduce a better product, but I highly doubt the cost would come anywhere close to justifying the means. If you want a much better answer to this question, you should do some research on how Adobe developed LiveMotion, how Adobe developed InDesign, and how Adobe developed Lightroom. All are wonderful examples (some successful, some not) of how much effort it takes to create a new program from scratch. Better, these stories tell the true tales of how long it takes and how much money it takes to do this. Can users wait 5 years for a 1.0 product and can Adobe afford to fund such a project for that long? Highly doubtful.

11. Adobe waited for a long period to let us know what was happening to FreeHand. Did they ever plan on developing FreeHand and changed their mind or was FreeHand already dead in Adobe's eyes but they just didn't say anything?

I have no idea. As I mentioned earlier, I personally support moving FH features into AI, so you know what I think about that...

12. Were there features in FreeHand that you thought were great that Illustrator didn''t have? Was there a feature from any version of FreeHand that you were excited about and couldn't wait to try?

I always thought of FreeHand as more of a drawing tool. My background is heavy in art production -- and I always considered Illustrator as a stronger alternative in that regard. So I never really looked at new features in FH with excitement with the lone possible exception of graphic search and replace. Then again, I don't really get enjoyment out of a specific feature -- but I do get enjoyment when figuring out new ways to build files and when figuring out ways to save lots of time.

13. What comments did you agree with that FreeHand users have been saying?

I agree with all comments that FreeHand users make. These are all personal issues and everyone has the right to voice an opinion. Some people like oranges and some like apples. Is one right or better than the other? The only think I don't agree with are comments or statements that are made solely based on hearsay or disparaging comments that people make without trying something. For example, people make a huge fuss over the fact that AI has two selection tools. Sure, FH has just one. But in AI, holding the command key makes one of those tools act like both. But many FH users don't try that and just quickly jump to conclusions. I think it's less about trying to figure out which is better or worse and more about learning that it's possible for something to be done in a different way. When you take that approach, it's easier to learn AI, and more importantly, it's easier to give feedback to the AI team which is constructive.

14. What improvements are needed in Illustrator to make it even better?

That's an open question. The Illustrator User to User forum has 44 active topics covering features that people would like to see added to future versions of Illustrator. I've been using After Effects a lot these days and see some totally cool stuff there that would be very welcome inside of Illustrator. The good news here is that there's plenty to be done, and Adobe has continually stated that they are committed to make Illustrator better. That's good news to my ears.

15. Any other comments to FreeHand users ready to make the switch to Illustrator?

Well, I've said it many times before, but it's worth repeating. If you're serious about making the switch to Illustrator, don't assume that you can just switch and use Illustrator as if it were FreeHand. I used to give the same speech to those making the move from Quark to InDesign. Don't use InDesign like it's Quark -- it's a whole new mentality of how to build documents. Same with AI and FH. Don't try to force Illustrator to create multiple page layouts. It just doesn't do that. Don't lament over how FH has a single object panel where all attributes are modified. Learn how AI's Appearance panel and Control panel work together. Don't focus on what is better. Instead, focus on how to get your work done. If it takes a few extra steps here or there, I guarantee that for some other features or functions, you'll find those can get done in fewer steps in Illustrator. In reality, once you give it a real chance, you'll find that there's some method to the madness and you'll start to enjoy using Illustrator.

The real advice I give to my own clients is this: do a real job in Illustrator. Make believe FH isn't even on your computer anymore (going back and forth only makes the transition harder). Yes, getting this job done will take 5 times as long. But the next will take 4 times as long, etc. But learning using a real job will make it click and more importantly, will make it stick.

Use some of the valuable resources that Adobe has made available. Watch a video or buy a book. Keep a book handy for references or for when you get stuck. Visit the Adobe User to User forum to post questions or to ask advice from other users. And of course, you can always email me at my blog and I'll try to do my best to help as well. The bottom line is that if you're really serious about making the switch, and you really want to learn to use Illustrator, the support in the community is there.

Thanks for your time. I really appreciate it!

My pleasure! I hope this is helpful to FreeHand users.]]> http://www.enrichdesign.com/fhblog/index.php?entry=entry070612-133751 2007-06-12T00:00:00Z 2007-06-12T00:00:00Z
One nice feature of MX is the ability to add or remove additional strokes or effects to an object. This really is a nice touch and it's a shame that it gets forgotten about amid all the complaints about MX.

I personally like MX, although nothing beat FH9. I think Adobe could work on MX, if they fixed some of the problems people encountered with it. What do you like about MX and what should be improved?]]> http://www.enrichdesign.com/fhblog/index.php?entry=entry070305-171242 2007-03-05T00:00:00Z 2007-03-05T00:00:00Z
I often drag and drop graphics from FreeHand with ease onto InDesign. They work better together than FreeHand works with Quark, in my opinion. I'm sure that Ilustrator works with InDesign, but they were designed to work together in the first place. It's amazing how well FreeHand responds considering it hasn't been updated in three years.

Does anyone else use FreeHand and InDesign together? Did you have an easier time learning InDesign because of your knowledge in FreeHand? Do you think that FreeHand and InDesign have some similar features?]]> http://www.enrichdesign.com/fhblog/index.php?entry=entry070211-101043 2007-02-11T00:00:00Z 2007-02-11T00:00:00Z
By the way, I didn't credit the person who sent these tips as I wasn't sure if he wanted me to mention him. I will credit your name if you like, just let me know!

1. FreeHand's knife tool has been a crutial tool for how I use FreeHand to create smooth complex curves, or for just being able to get rid of part of an object very easily. For complex curves I generally start with primitive ellipses or circles. I will create a series of ellipses and precisely overlap the strokes where I want the intersections to occur. Then the beauty of FreeHand's knife tool allows me to select multiple objects at once and cut both obects at their intersection point. Then I simply delete the unwanted portions of the ellipses or circles and join the remaining pieces leaving me with my desired curve.

To my knowledge, no other drawing or layout program has the capability and ease of FreeHand's knife too.

2. FreeHand's set of tools: Union, Subtract, Punch, etc. work flawlessly. I use the "Union" tool the most, and it has saved me tons of time in creating more complex objects without having to use the bezigon handles too much... For example, if I'm tracing an image to convert to vector art, I can use as many primitive shapes as possible and trace the image in parts. Use a rectangle for parts that have harder angles instead of having to click down 4 points with the pen or bezigon tool. Then use the method above with the knife tool to create some of the curves, close the objects with the click of a button, overlap them slightly and hit the union button... perfect. No left over parts, no point shift (with snapping off... I don't like snapping at all in any program). Ilustrators set of "pathfinder" tools comes close to FreeHand's functionality, but I've noticed that in Illustrator, it leaves the unwanted parts for whatever reason, and doesn't separate them from the new shape. Very frustrating... because then I have to go back and delete the unwanted parts, and selecting "parts" of an object in Illustrator is an absolute NIGHTMARE.

3. Which brings me to the "Pointer" issue. I'm sure everyone that uses FreeHand knows this already, but what the hell is the need for 2 pointers?? I have NO idea why FreeHand put in an additional pointer... I've never used it. It's completely unwanted. Were they trying to make Illustrator users more comfortable? I have always thought that the way in which Illustrator makes you deal with manipulating and selecting objects is the absolute weakest part of the program hands down. And this is where FreeHand shines. Being able to option-click on an object that is grouped and then being able to select and de-select individual points at will is a HUGE jump in efficiency over Illustrator. I could go on about this, but I think FreeHand users are pretty aware of the selection superiority of FreeHand.

4. Being able to cycle through selecting objects that are on top of one another is key as well. The cntrl-click feature FreeHand has is just wonderful. Then you can also hold SHIFT with the CNTRL key and select multiple levels of objects.

5. I use FreeHand for ALL vector art creation. The ability to copy and paste into Photoshop and Flash is great. Creating a vector object for use in Flash is easy. You can have all of your shapes overlap without having to delete the unwanted segments due to the way Flash handles vector graphics. You can just paste in your art from FreeHand and select and delete the unwanted segments simply in Flash after "breaking apart" the objects pasted in.

6. Here is a tip for people using FreeHand that must have their art end up in Illustrator. Create your LINE ART in FreeHand. (limited amount of fills and NO gradients or blends. You can have fills, but the way Illustrator handles gradients is quite different at the coding level, and you will get unwanted shapes from FreeHand gradients or blends when importing into Illustrator) Simply export your FreeHand document as a "Generic" or "Macintosh" EPS and open it in Illustrator. Don't hassle with drawing in Illustrator, just import and color in Illustrator after drawing the art in FreeHand.]]> http://www.enrichdesign.com/fhblog/index.php?entry=entry070211-100234 2007-02-11T00:00:00Z 2007-02-11T00:00:00Z