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PhotoDraw 2000 Offers Versatile Graphic Tools

All-in-one business graphics package combines photo editing, drawing, and 3D graphics.

John Goddard, special to PC World

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Creating graphics for your business can be an ordeal. You've got other work to do, besides figuring out how to crank out a cool graphic. But if it looks second-rate, so do you.

PhotoDraw 2000, an all-in-one graphics program from Microsoft, combines almost every imaginable graphics tool--photo editing, draw, paint, flow charting, and 3D--under one roof. Slated to ship in mid-October as a three-CD-ROM set, this $149 graphical be-all is for business users who want a simple way to create graphics--without having to use two or more programs at a time, or memorize confusing terms and tricks. Since everything is in one program, you don't need to reorient yourself to a new interface while editing a photo, drawing a logo, or arranging a flow chart.

I tried out a prerelease copy. Despite a few minor bumps, I created a stunning image thanks to several amazing features. But be warned: At minimum PhotoDraw 2000 requires a Pentium-166 and a porcine 190MB of your hard drive.

What's to Like ...
PhotoDraw 2000 isn't perfect, but I was impressed how plain-English instructions and a few well-placed thumbnails can clarify confusing imaging concepts. There are eight tutorials to show you around the block. Familiar Microsoft Office menu schemes and toolbar icons are across the top of the screen, and an Answer Wizard hunts for solutions to any question you've typed in. And if you're unsure about a button, simply move your pointer over it and a description bubble pops up.

A Picture List shows thumbnails of each image you have open, while the Object List is shows any element (text, picture, or shape) currently being used in your graphic. You can manipulate any object with tools accessible via the nine icons near the top of the screen: Text, Cut Crop, Templates, Draw Paint, Fill, Outline, Color, Touch Up, and Effects. Click one and an illustrated menu slides down with more specific features. The program forgiving, allowing multiple undo and redo of effects. Another noteworthy nuance: You can see what each font looks like as you scroll down a list. All graphics programs should provide similar feedback.

... and Not to Like
Graphics can bring even the mightiest PC to its knees, so feedback is very important while waiting for special effects to render. PhotoDraw 2000 could provide more information along these lines. For example, instead of a progress bar, the program displays a dime-thin gradient that slides along the bottom of the screen. Sure, it looks sleek--but you haven't a clue how long you need to wait for the effect. I also wish I could preview effects on my own images, rather imagining what would happen based on a thumbnail illustration. And finally, with this many special effects tools and options at your disposal, you're bound to mistakenly choose the wrong one now and then. But unlike most graphics applications, PhotoDraw doesn't provide a keyboard shortcut to cancel the effect midway. You have to wait for the effect to apply, then undo it and wait some more. If Microsoft would provide a patch that adds these features, PhotoDraw 2000 would be peachy.

All in all, PhotoDraw 2000 is a serious challenge to the multimodular CorelDraw. If you're looking for an all-purpose graphics program that lets you produce slick graphics for your Office apps, consider Microsoft PhotoDraw 2000.

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