At first glance, Ray Dream’s new addDepth program would seem to be almost identical to Adobe Dimensions. Both are creators and editors of simple 3D graphics. Both offer quick and easy perspective effects for illustrators and designers. Both create Bezier curves which are totally compatible with Adobe Illustrator and Aldus FreeHand. Both will probably be used largely for text effects, although neither is limited to text shapes.
Because of their similarity of function, one would expect that these two programs would be very similar in features and feel, but we were surprised at the many differences. Since we have already taken a close look at Adobe Dimensions (see review in the January ’93 Mac Monitor), we’ll contrast the two programs here, focusing on interface and features.
First, however, the reader should realize that these two programs deal with space in a different way than high-end programs such as Alias Sketch (also reviewed in the January issue) or Ray Dream’s Designer. Those programs are heavyweight ray tracing programs with features such as reflections and cast shadows. As a result, they require rendering times of hours or even days; not very practical for the average design job. Dimensions and addDepth, on the other hand, typically produce results in minutes.
Interface
One big interface issue is addDepth’s ability to work in the preview mode. Dimensions forces you to work in “artwork” mode (much like Adobe Illustrator). You must switch to a “render” view to see how your image is progressing. With addDepth, you work in the preview mode — more like FreeHand’s method — for more immediate feedback. After each adjustment, addDepth redraws the entire object, and the response time is satisfyingly quick. Screen refresh is interruptable, so if you see that you’ve made a mistake, you don’t have to wait for a complete redraw before making changes. I found addDepth’s method easier to control; when working with Dimensions’ transparent outlines, I occasionally lost track of surfaces and wound up with an object exactly backwards from what I had intended.
Both programs feature a surprisingly easy-to-use interface. AddDepth places your objects inside a three dimensional box and provides a tool that lets you change the perspective aspects by modifying the box. Dimensions’ method of choosing a “lens” to control perspective is simpler but does not offer as much control. AddDepth also has the edge when moving forms forward or backward in space, and it handles overlapping forms more convincingly.
Projecting Text
AddDepth’s inclusion of a text tool is clearly superior. If you’re using Dimensions, you must create your text in a drawing program, convert it to paths, and then import it into Dimensions. This is cumbersome and represents a surprising omission from a company with Adobe’s background in text. The availability of a text tool is likely to convince many designers to opt for addDepth.
AddDepth’s implementation of the text tool, while not particularly elegant, is perfectly functional. Like Aldus FreeHand, you must enter, edit, and style text from a separate dialog box. On the positive side, it is possible to mix typefaces within a block of text, and there are controls for leading, baseline shift, kerning, letterspacing, and more. (See illustration.) An Apply button would be a welcome feature in this dialog box.
Input, Output, Throughput
Both programs allow for importing artwork from Illustrator or FreeHand, but addDepth only allows for extruding imported shapes, while Dimensions also provides for “rotation” of forms. This last feature lets you create objects such as wine goblets and chessmen. AddDepth’s inability to create curvilinear 3D shapes is further complicated by the fact that it provides no complex primitives. Dimensions has spheres, cones, cylinders, and cubes, while addDepth only provides a few flat shapes for extrusion and does not have the ability to “lathe” shapes.
This weakness in the area of curves extends into addDepth’s use of bevels. It has only one kind of bevel — a flat surface — although you can control its size and angle. Dimensions has entire libraries of bevels, including complex and curved ones, and you can even create your own.
AddDepth has the edge when it comes to editing — and even creating — shapes, thanks to its drawing tools. While these won’t make you want to give up FreeHand, they are capable of performing quite adequately. You can convert your text to paths from within addDepth in order to customize letterforms. As an extra bonus, you can even edit graphics that have been imported from your regular drawing program.
Surfaces
When it comes to surface treatment of the forms, addDepth wins hands down. In Dimensions, all sides of a form are treated the same, but addDepth lets you give each aspect a different color or style, and the styles are far more varied than in Dimensions. You can choose between Stroke and Fill, Gradients, Invisible, and Shading. The Invisible option can yield interesting “tubular” effects. (See illustration.) AddDepth even has a user definable “style palette” which contains several color/style possibilities, allowing you to choose instantly between favorite combinations.
On the other hand, addDepth only allows for a single light source. In Dimensions you can have several, and they can have different intensity levels, thus adding more interesting shading to forms. AddDepth’s gradient fills help to even the score for controlling surfaces.
AddDepth is more self-contained; not only is Dimensions lacking a text tool and drawing/editing tools, its forms must be exported back to a drawing program before they can be printed. AddDepth is not hampered by this deficiency.
AddDepth supports compound shapes, allowing for “holes” within forms. Neither program can place text on a path, but both can import these effects from Illustrator or FreeHand files, provided the text has been converted to paths before it is saved. Of course, this means that the text can no longer be edited.
Both programs provide a means for mapping artwork onto the surfaces of a 3D form, but addDepth lets you put a different “decal” on each surface. Dimensions is limited to only one imported graphic per file — a severe limitation for package designers.
Both addDepth and Dimensions offer powerful new tools for quickly creating three dimensional graphics. Both programs are compatible with mainstream PostScript drawing programs. CMYK and RGB color models are available in both programs. The designer or illustrator trying to decide between the two is going to have a tough time. Each program has areas of distinct superiority over the other, and each could afford to add a few features. Fortunately, neither program is particularly expensive. Furthermore, during the first quarter of 1993, you can buy either program for the special price of $99. At those prices, maybe you should get them both.
[Editors: the above chart formats well with centered tabs.]
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The article above is reprinted from Mac Monitor, the newsletter of The Savannah Macintosh Users Group. It may be reprinted in a single issue of newsletters published by non-profit user groups. Payment shall consist of a single issue of the newsletter in which the article appears, sent to the following address:
