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MS Unveils Beta of New Image Editing Program

Posted by ryuzaki0 on from the another-market-to-conquer dept.

docdude316 writes "CNET is running a story about Microsoft's new photo editing software, Acrylic. The new program is based on Expression, which Microsoft purchased in 2003. From the article: 'Microsoft describes the software--currently available as a 77MB free download--as bringing together pixel-based painting and vector graphics features. These capabilities will put the product squarely in the market currently dominated by software maker Adobe Systems with its pixel-focused Photoshop and vector-driven Illustrator products. Acrylic appears to support opening and exporting to Photoshop and Illustrator file formats, as well as other standard graphics formats. In addition, the application appears to be able to export to Adobe's Portable Document Format, or PDF.'

3 of 492 comments (clear)

  1. Not exactly... by DigitlDud · · Score: 5, Informative

    This is not a rival to Adobe products, definetly not Photoshop. It's primarily a vector graphics program with some unique features in that area. It was orignally a program Creative House Expressions which Microsoft bought in 2003.

    "Creature House Expression (formerly Fractal Design Expression) is a vector-based drawing tool featuring "skeletal strokes," a 2D drawing primitive which offers complete editability and scalability."
    http://graphicssoft.about.com/cs/illustration/gr/e xpression.htm

    This new Acrylic beta is essential version 4 of that program.

    Giving the timing of the release of a program that Microsoft had seemingly killed off years ago. I'd say they were planing to use it for vector creation in Avalon.

  2. Comment removed by account_deleted · · Score: 5, Informative

    Comment removed based on user account deletion

  3. It seems Acrylic does not require Win XP SP2 by zero0w · · Score: 5, Informative

    If you check the Yahoo! Expression3 mailing list (Yahoo! registration required), it seems that you can get around the installer by unpacking the file and install Acrylic on pre-SP2 machines including Windows 2000. Running the installer, however, would detect your system and prevent it from installing on pre-SP2 machines on purpose; so it may just be another lure for you to install SP2 =( .

    Also, Expression 3.3 (click the Previous Versions on the Acrylic project page) can run under Linux with WINE:

    http://frankscorner.org/index.php?p=expression3