VectorStyler Public Beta

[vsx72]

Hi everyone.

I'm a Mac software developer working on VectorStyler (https://www.vectorstyler.com), a new vector graphics software for Mac.

VectortSyler is a drawing and illustration software designed for the Mac, with the goal to offer a complete vector graphics solution for illustrators and design professionals.
The detailed list of features can be found at: https://www.vectorstyler.com/detailed/

Some highlighted features of VectorStyler:

- color effects to adjust color of selected objects.
- object blend and contour effects.
- over 100 nondestructive image effects applied on vector objects, vectors remain editable.
- adjustment layers and adjustment objects: apply image effects on object backdrop.
- selecting objects by attribute (fill or stroke style similarity)
- symbols and style overrides.
- variable width strokes and interactive tool to adjust local stroke widths.
- multiple fill and stroke on objects.
- artwork masking and clipping options.
- bend distortion: stretch a group of objects along a curve, while using variable width for stretching.
- elastic warp distortion.
- mesh and envelope distortion.
- mesh gradient and interactive editing of meshes.
- shape distortion (vector) effects.
- real vector brushes: the content of the brush are and remain vector objects.
- brush types: artistic, pattern, scatter and bristle brush types.
- pencil and brush stabilizer modes.
- rotated guidelines, grids and rotating the document view.
- collision snapping for precise object positioning.
- vector tiling pattern fill.
- gradients with custom shapes.
- multiline paragraph composer.
- text on path and interactive editing of position of text along the path.
- flow text in multiple frames and artboards.
- import native AI files, retain swatches, brushes, tiling patterns.
- also import PSD with layers and adjustment effects.
- and many more...

The public beta is now available and can be downloaded from: https://www.vectorstyler.com
If you use a Mac (post 2014 models recommended, MacOS 10.11 or newer), and would like to try a new vector graphics software, please download the public beta and let me know how it works for you.

Any feedback is appreciated.

And thanks for considering,
Csaba Raduly-Baka
developer of VectorStyler at NumericPath

 

[Moonjumper]

Collision Snapping! Just what I wanted in Illustrator. I'll give the beta a go.

 

[vsx72]

Collision Snapping! Just what I wanted in Illustrator. I'll give the beta a go.

Great!

There are some short clips on Vimeo (search VectorStyler)
collision:

and there is a collider tool (different thing) to rotate and position objects

 

[Moonjumper]

I've had a play around, VectorStyler looks to have a lot of potential, but I can see quite a few issues for my workflow, but I don't think they are deal breakers.

Some good points:

I can copy-paste to Illustrator or Affinity Designer.

Collision Snapping works well after I found it.

Some points I didn't like:

I cannot copy-paste from Illustrator (but can from Affinity Designer).

Please have a Snapping panel, as shown in the video you linked to in the thread. It appears to have gone.

Show Grid covers objects. I much prefer the Illustrator way behind objects (I mainly use it to break up the white background (the colour I want irrespective of using the light UI (cannot work with dark UI)).

Panel information is too big. I can fit in about a third the options I can in Illustrator.

Please allow hiding the Color Wheel / Spectrum. I don't want it shown and is a part of the problem above.

Alignment has lots of options that might be useful, but take up a lot of space. Please allow hiding a lot of the options at the bottom of the panel. Some current hiding options don't work properly (e.g. Align to Shape only hides the name, not the options).

Please delineate the icons. Alignment>Distribute is one of the worst cases. It is hard to tell where one button ends and another starts.

Please keep the top-right position when the Panels panel changes size. It currently keeps the bottom-right.

When deselecting a panel in the drop-down menu, please remove it from the panels display, not push it behind another.

Dragging to reorder the visible panels does not work well. It isn't helped by poor display of where one starts and another doesn't. Have an indicator to show if the moving panel will dock tabbed alongside others, or below others, or will be floating.

Change icons to indicator which option has been selected. For example in the Alignment tab, the Align To and Order icons have 3 options, but it is impossible to tell which is selected without clicking on the icon. There is space to have all possible icons alongside each other, which would be faster for selecting.

EDIT 1:
There is no click-and-drag to select multiple objects. I use this a lot in Illustrator.

EDIT 2:
Changing the colour selection indicator for a layer does not change the colour of the selection outline in the display.

I cannot find a way to remove the name of the artboard on the display.

EDIT 3:
I do not appear to be able to change the key object for alignment.

EDIT 4:
I cannot find a button to way to a drag to zoom (start and end of drag as opposite corners of zoomed view). This is very important!

EDIT 5:
I cannot find a way to edit anchors and handles. This is central to a vector software package (and what attracted me to this software was collision snapping, it would be nice to have an option to add an anchor at the snapping point).

 

[atmenterprises]

The vector-making space needs more entries for the Mac. I just bought Affinity Designer recently and am in the process of learning it but I hope you find some success with your product.

 

[Moonjumper]

I have Affinity Designer also. It is very polished, but I found it too inflexible. For example, hiding the portion of an object that is outside the artboard is a major problem when I am creating tiling textures. It didn’t look like it would ever change from a search at the time. VectorStyler is much better on that point with the option to fade out beyond the artboard. Note: option, flexibility is important.

VectorStyler looks to have a lot of potential, but isn’t there yet. That is to be expected of something in beta. I wish I had more time to explore it now.

Some areas look to have a lot more options than Illustrator, it certainly isn’t a lite version. This is a very powerful tool, but didn’t quite work for me today. Not sure how much was me not knowing it, and how much was bits not there.

 

[vsx72]

Hi,

Thanks for trying out. Sorry for the late answer.

1. The AI pasting is a bug, will be fixed.
2. The Snapping panel is in *Panels - Editing*, along with Magic Wand, Selection, grid and Guidelines panel.
3. Show Grid covers objects: Yes, this is intentional, maybe an option not to do so in future.
4. yes, panels contain more stuff here, and that makes them larger.
5. Color wheel, hiding can be added.
6. Alignment options: seems to a be a bug there.
7. A better spacing could work.
8. Panel positions: will check this, coordinate system is Cartezian, in UI and in doc.
9. Not sure of this but will look into.
10. Panel docking: there are indicators, but they might be too thin or the wrong color, will fix.
11. Alignment icons: yes, the panel could have expanded the 3 options. should not be a problem.

12. EDIT 1: not sure of this, there is box marque (click on empty area, draws a box, selects inside). The layers panel selection (small circle) also works with click and drag. Could it be that "intersecting" marque was expected? That can be set in the "Select" menu "Intersecting Selection" command.

13. EDIT 2: will check this, but if in Outline mode, changing the layer color (Layers panel) worked.

"View" menu "Margins" submenu "Hide Artboard Label"

13. EDIT 3: seems to be a bug, will fix it.

14. EDIT 4: in toolbox: second from bottom is the rotate view, open the tool (more tools). you get the zoom button.

15. EDIT 5: Not sure if I get this: maybe Convert to Curve first (Object menu) the Node tool (second from top) edits path nodes and handles. You may need to convert a shape to curves (ellipses, rectangles are parametric shapes when created).

 

[vsx72]

A user manual (help) is probably the most important missing thing.
It is being written of course (at 15, out of 24 chapters).
But it is a lot, since there are a lot of new things, features, workflow options.

Will also make some tutorials on various topics in the near future.

 

[Moonjumper]

15. EDIT 5: Not sure if I get this: maybe Convert to Curve first (Object menu) the Node tool (second from top) edits path nodes and handles. You may need to convert a shape to curves (ellipses, rectangles are parametric shapes when created).

Thanks for this one in particular. I am used to being able to edit an object as soon as it is created. I think the manual is needed, hopefully with a brief option describing the major differences for those switching from Illustrator.

 

[vsx72]

Hi,

I'd like to give a brief update on the VectorStyler beta:

- documentation has been completed and available online.
- some significant new feature requests have been implemented, among these:
- there is a shape builder tool.
- shape paint tool (similar to "live paint") to setup dynamic fills and outlines of intersecting shapes.
- the UI style has been updated and improved.
- reported bugs were fixed.
- and the panels can be made smaller using the icon next to the panel title (requested here).

the shape builder tool in action:

Of course, VectorStyler runs on Catalina as well.

The beta is free to use.

 

[vsx72]

Hi everyone.

VectortSyler for Mac, first version (somewhat long) beta is approaching its final release. This has been a long journey, with a lot of improvements.
Although this was a first version beta, most of the feature requests were also implemented.

Some interesting features of VectorStyler, gained while in beta:

- major UI and UX refresh, with better UI style and smoother interactions.
- native Apple Silicon version, also available for download as a beta.
- improved access to true vector brush and vector pattern presets stored in AI file format.
- full support for color (SVG) fonts.
- full support for variable fonts, OpenType, and also Type 1 MM.
- Japanese typography features.
- right to left paragraph composition, with automatic extender support.
- dynamic freehand sketching mode, to erase and join at shape intersections.
- an amazing sketch tool to easily draw complex closed and open shapes.
- improvements of the numerous shape and image effects available to style a vector art.
- boundary operator, creates shape unions without holes, also in non destructive mode.
- an improved Glyph panel to browse large OpenType fonts, and select Unicode blocks.
- a simplified gradient tool to set and edit gradient fills.
- horizontal docking and layout for most of the panels.
- I know, it is not the place, but VectortSyler for Windows, as a native app is also available.
- and many more small and large features, added while in the beta.

Give feedback on the forum: https://www.vectorstyler.com/forum/
The beta can be downloaded at: https://www.vectorstyler.com

 

[allan.nyholm]

@vsx72 This Vectorstyler application really has a whole lot of power.

I've only just begun using it in the last week or so, but there's so many awesome tools present. I love it.

Is it free always?

btw.. a little snag that I've come across is the interface being sort of heavy when using. On Mojave I felt it to be top-heavy, but now i'm Big Sur and I can test it here too. I'll report back and probably write on your forum if it's anything worth going on about.

 

[vsx72]

@vsx72 This Vectorstyler application really has a whole lot of power.

I've only just begun using it in the last week or so, but there's so many awesome tools present. I love it.

Is it free always?

btw.. a little snag that I've come across is the interface being sort of heavy when using. On Mojave I felt it to be top-heavy, but now i'm Big Sur and I can test it here too. I'll report back and probably write on your forum if it's anything worth going on about.

The beta is free, but the released version will not be free. It will have a single payment license (no subscription).
Please post on our forum your observations.
Thanks!