Newbie Question re: shapes

[DashingDave]

I use a drawing tablet and my Mac laptop as a psuedo portable-whiteboard for when I tutor students. I currently have a drawing program (Corel Painter Essentials) which doesn't possess the ability to readily draw geometrical shapes, such as clicking on an icon and dragging out a circle/square/pentagon/etc. Sketchbook Pro seems to be a more intuitive application that CPE, but it also doesn't seem to have the capability to draw shapes either. Is this true, or am I just too new at this?

I've found programs that do include the ability to create shapes quickly... but they seem to use vector-based drawing, which isn't quite suitable for quickly writing equations etc. on the screen (i.e. as a teacher would do on a whiteboard). If Sketchbook is unable to create shapes, does anyone know of an application for Macs that allows for the production of shapes, but with the kind of drawing (not vector, apparently) that Painter Essentials and Sketchbook Pro utilize?

Thanks!

[cheungc]

DashingDave,

You are correct in that SketchBook Pro doesn't have features to draw geometric shapes. What sorts of things are you trying to do? Are you looking to drop down pre-set shapes (circle, square, triangles) and then adjust them, something that does tend to be more the vector style workflow? Or are you just trying to find a way to draw those geometric shapes more accurately? Would be interesting to know what you are trying do.

c.

[DashingDave]

I'd like to have a palette of pre-drawn geometrical shapes, so that when I tutor geometry or other subjects that require these shapes, I could just click or drag to get them onto the canvas, and then adjust their size, color, rotation, etc. Shapes with specific side relationships and angles (equilateral, polygons w/ 5+ sides) are kinda difficult to just sketch out by eye. 8^)

[mikedee]

Hi Dave,

you might like this workaround: [http://aliasdesign.autodesk.com/blogs/blog/view/Ellipses_in_Sketchbook_Pro/]

Mike Edited by: mikedee on Nov 10, 2008 8:50 AM

[citizenbfk]

You ask: "does anyone know of an application for Macs that allows for the production of shapes, but with the kind of drawing (not vector, apparently) that Painter Essentials and Sketchbook Pro utilize?."

Here's the answer: Photoshop and/or Corel Painter (latest versions)

If you're a teacher you'd qualify for an academic discount at several online stores. These programs do Everything and are well worth learning.

So...why Sketchbook? I wonder about that myself but, yet, I like it. There is a certain brilliance in the user interface. It's designed to be quick and easy....It's a sketch book.

Note: It also is designed so one's first draft, first sketches can then even be saved and loaded into Photoshop.