I Finally Agree, Art Rage Is A Better Choice Than Corel Painter

[Stephen Lo Piano]

Some time ago I was looking over posts here and a couple of people mentioned how Corel Painter is something they will no longer use or purchase. I have used both programs and at that time thought different, liking both programs using some older versions of Corel Painter 8 and 9. I simply replied to a forum post here that I liked the Corel Painter blender brushes (especially the detailed 3 and 5 brushes, along with their tracker which helped you easily find previous brushes used and the settings applied to them). Well after attempting to buy Painter 2016 I find the program will not install on my computer without an internet connection, something you never had as a requirement in the past to use the software out of the box. They have created nothing but useless situations through their customer support and I have finally given up on them. Someone here posted a remark about them becoming greedy, yet my negative opinion of them is that they have abandoned past users ability to use the program without an internet connection. Art Rage fortunately has not gone down that path. I did have a problem installing the Art Rage 4 version on my older Windows XP computer yet one return helpful guide from the Art Rage support team here helped me around that obstacle. I can use Art Rage freely and independently in the privacy of my home just like one would go about using natural media oil painting or drawings.

I understand that some people prefer using the convenience of the internet yet leaving both options available is definitely a way to provide better options. I personally cannot afford home internet at the present time (also have other reasons for no home internet) and instead would rather spend what little money I do have available on software I can use to create artwork in a digital format. I have a trade off of options which involve a personal value judgment and common sense, yet Corel seems to believe that in the year 2016 you need to spend money on their internet dependent software. Are they at all aware of the additional expense this will cost over a five year period of time. In my personal situation that is an additional $600 per year for internet, of course you can cheaply take chances without proper internet security software and save a little yet past experience has taught me otherwise. So add an additional $2000 to $3000 for using Corel Draw Graphics Suite and Painter over a 5 year period of time. So far as vector art programs are concerned I have instead decided to use Inkscape with the GIMP as an alternative to Corel Draw and Corel Photo Paint.

I can use Art Rage for a reasonable $50 on my 7 year old desktop (used and refurbished through Walmart with Windows 7) that I got this year as a Christmas gift with no hassles or problems. Thank you Art Rage for considering us poorer people that like to spend time creating digital artwork. Again I also have Linux AV, Fedora Design Suite, and Linux Debian installed on this computer. I have successfully been able to use Art Rage 4 on the AV Linux operating system with the help of the Linux WINE application.

[hildee]

The first version of ArtRage I worked with was 1.1 as well. Loved it without all the confusion of layers. But I'm all in with the lastest ArtRage now, layers and all.

The one thing I remember about Painter was the frustration of not being able to paint with media on a certain canvas or paper eg watercolour on canvas - the wrong brush for the type of layer I was painting on. I couldn't stand it. I'm too impatient. I just want to paint dammit Even in real life if I want to try watercolour on printer paper (NOT a good idea though lol), I can. That's how I want digital programs to work. You have to really persevere with Painter to learn it thoroughly. ArtRage suits me perfectly. Jump in and go! Maybe it's a pride thing people take advantage of - "I can use Painter, it's so hard to use and that makes me clever...". Who knows.

As for programs and the internet, I've just discovered that Win10 is always ON with its apps, etc, updating, using up my internet quota just like a device. Thankfully I found a site to change those data settings. And great thing is, I can disconnect.

[Stephen Lo Piano]

For anyone interested, if you are thinking about installing a Linux operating system on your computer that has Windows using Art Rage I would suggest trying AV Linux (their latest version 2016). This operating system has the ability to run Art Rage through an application called WINE. I have successfully used Art Rage on this Linux operating system. One nice thing about AV Linux is the codecs included with the program allows you to play your DVD disc movies, older or new. Debian works with some older DVDs yet no new ones. I am not Linux savvy, a 1 year beginner yet cannot figure out how to use WINE on Debian Jesse 8.1 or 8.3. On AV Linux 2016 to use Art Rage you simply need to open up a file Thunar program (Similar to Windows Explorer) go into the Windows partition then find Programs from there look for the Ambient Design/Art Rage Folder. Enter that folder and then click on the artrage.exe file, the program will go through a reinstallation type procedure, enter your product code key and Art Rage will run on AV Linux, also graphics tablets run well along with the program. On the older AV Linux program, before the last release, the only additional step would be to open the Windows partition, you need the root password, on the new version of AV Linux you do not need to go through this password unlock anymore.

[narf]

For anyone interested, if you are thinking about installing a Linux operating system on your computer that has Windows using Art Rage I would suggest trying AV Linux (their latest version 2016). This operating system has the ability to run Art Rage through an application called WINE. I have successfully used Art Rage on this Linux operating system. One nice thing about AV Linux is the codecs included with the program allows you to play your DVD disc movies, older or new. Debian works with some older DVDs yet no new ones. I am not Linux savvy, a 1 year beginner yet cannot figure out how to use WINE on Debian Jesse 8.1 or 8.3. On AV Linux 2016 to use Art Rage you simply need to open up a file Thunar program (Similar to Windows Explorer) go into the Windows partition then find Programs from there look for the Ambient Design/Art Rage Folder. Enter that folder and then click on the artrage.exe file, the program will go through a reinstallation type procedure, enter your product code key and Art Rage will run on AV Linux, also graphics tablets run well along with the program. On the older AV Linux program, before the last release, the only additional step would be to open the Windows partition, you need the root password, on the new version of AV Linux you do not need to go through this password unlock anymore.

Most distributions include WINE and are not for experts like Debian. Debian is known as the distribution where you have to the most work yourself. It is for experts who want a special system which is hightly adapted to their hardware and purpose.

For Linux beginners are distributions like Fedora, Mint, Suse oder Ubuntu much more comfortable. People say Mint is especially for Windows switchers as it looks and behaves a lot like Windows 8 but does not have the bad habits of Windows 8.


One last remark for switchers:

If you use WINE you should have a NVidia graphic board in your computer as ATI graphic boards are not supported 100% in WINE and software maybe does not work in WINE then.

[narf]

...
Well after attempting to buy Painter 2016 I find the program will not install on my computer without an internet connection, something you never had as a requirement in the past to use the software out of the box. They have created nothing but useless situations through their customer support and I have finally given up on them. Someone here posted a remark about them becoming greedy, yet my negative opinion of them is that they have abandoned past users ability to use the program without an internet connection. Art Rage fortunately has not gone down that path.
...

In the times of Windows 95 Corel Draw was quite usuable and I bought it. Some years ago I bought an old Corel Draw, but that was it. Luckily it does not need internet connection eighter and I installed it on an old PC which does not go online anyway. Some years ago, before I bought the second Corel Draw, I bought a Wacom Intuos and some Painter version was bundled with it. I started to install it, read the licence and decided not to install it. The licence somehow implied, that after installing Painter my PC would be owned by Corel. That is why I installed the Draw on an old PC without internet connection.

I understand that some people prefer using the convenience of the internet yet leaving both options available is definitely a way to provide better options. I personally cannot afford home internet at the present time (also have other reasons for no home internet)

No, you see that wrong. The use of the internet connection is to control if you have installed the software on more computers than one. I, for example, have more than one PC and several notebooks and tablets (because I keep old hardware) and I would have to buy several licences then, which is stupid, as I could deinstall the software on my main computer and install it on my notebook and when I don't use that there, again I could deinstall it again on the notebook and install it on my main computer again.... argglll.... Unconvenient!
But they want to prevent that companies with several employees buy one copy of the software and install it on 100 computers and more. A valid reason but bad for normal users.

and instead would rather spend what little money I do have available on software I can use to create artwork in a digital format. I have a trade off of options which involve a personal value judgment and common sense, yet Corel seems to believe that in the year 2016 you need to spend money on their internet dependent software. Are they at all aware of the additional expense this will cost over a five year period of time. In my personal situation that is an additional $600 per year for internet, of course you can cheaply take chances without proper internet security software and save a little yet past experience has taught me otherwise. So add an additional $2000 to $3000 for using Corel Draw Graphics Suite and Painter over a 5 year period of time.

Yeah. There are many regions here which still don't have internet over a cable connection and you have to use very expensive mobile internet where you have only 5GB traffic at higher speed. After that speed drops down to talking drum speed.
You can be sure that the next versions or Corel software can only be rented for a monthly share, but you have to make a contract for at least a year - like Adobe did that with their software.
Well, at a Adobe Creative Cloud I see a reason to rent it - if you use it professionally and you buy regular updates because of new functions, renting is really cheaper than buying was, but it makes no use to rent a cheap software like Sketchbook Pro which was bought by many hobbyists who use one version for many years without buying updates. Now using it for a year costs as much as you paid for it earlier. This means much more costs. Making such a inexpensive software rentable only is really greedy and it will take vengeance.

I personally use Photoshop most times as I need it for work and other software only from time to time for special purpose. I don't need to update those every year as I don't need newer functions, but with a rentable only version, I would have to pay for them every year. This would much to much money - I am not rich at all. If all software would be only rentable anymore, I would just keep Photoshop and would drop all other software. Well, I would keep an old PC for all old versions of those programs, but won't buy never versions from time to time anymore. And I would switch more to free software, of course.

So far as vector art programs are concerned I have instead decided to use Inkscape with the GIMP as an alternative to Corel Draw and Corel Photo Paint.

Did you try Krita(.org)?
It is supposed to be a drawing software, but a friend uses it as Photoshop Elements substitute for image manipulation, too. As far as I have seen, it is really more like a Photoshop substitute than a drawing software in the base installation unless you download and install the additional brush sets, textures, etc. from the resources section on the website. At least the tablet support works well.
We tested a Bamboo Pen and Touch and I was really surprised how well presure sensitivity worked.

I can use Art Rage for a reasonable $50 on my 7 year old desktop (used and refurbished through Walmart with Windows 7) that I got this year as a Christmas gift with no hassles or problems. Thank you Art Rage for considering us poorer people that like to spend time creating digital artwork. Again I also have Linux AV, Fedora Design Suite, and Linux Debian installed on this computer. I have successfully been able to use Art Rage 4 on the AV Linux operating system with the help of the Linux WINE application.

I will test that too, when I have time. But I only have a very old slow notebook for Linux right now.


Addition:

Today I read a news about a Linux distribution especially for older 32-Bit PCs: http://emmabuntus.sourceforge.net/me...is_standing_up

[Stephen Lo Piano]

One point about Painter and Corel Draw Graphics Suite, the license agreements in Painter 8 and 9 along with Corel Draw Graphics Suite 12 allow you to install on two computers, one main computer and a second for work, the restriction here is that you cannot have both machines running the same program at the same time, ei: program loaded into the RAM memory simultaneously.

So far as Linux Debian is concerned I like this version better than any other. It is the best version for someone not connected to the internet for obtaining additional programs from burned ISO image files instead of the on-line repository.
Of course you need the internet to get the ISO image files, three for the current 8.1 and 8.3, yet they are loaded with all kinds of useful additional programs you can add to those included in the operating system installation. I have successfully set up burned discs to extract a lot of additional programs using the Synaptic Package Manager without being on-line and instead accessing three burned ISO images.
Fedora and AV require an internet connection to access their program repositories as an easy means of obtaining additional software without a package building program.
The one thing I cannot figure out is how to install an updated codecs in Debian that will allow me to play any store bought DVD movies and/or TV series using the media player preference of VLC among many others accessible in Debian. I tried following some instructions someone gave me about manually locating certain files and adding some coding yet could not even find the files by navigating through the file system, for some reason the instructions given and where to look did not match my files since nothing was there. Quite confused about this yet as an alternative AV Linux does play any DVDs in VLC. Actually tried copying the same codecs files I found in AV into Debian yet that did not work. Still Debian does play some older released DVDs yet needs some kind of update for newer releases. In Debian and AV you have an excellent music player, Clementine. Krita and My Paint are also available for installation on Debian, I have successfully added them with a few additional downloads from their stable distribution area where I located the necessary dependency files for installation of the programs.
I have been using a Linux for Dummies book to try the different operating systems and find this stuff very interesting and a good alternative in addition to Windows.

I believe having Linux installed as a second operating system on any computer might become a good rescue tool in the event that your Windows operating system gets somehow corrupted and you are unable to get into the partition by starting the operating system. You would be able to copy any folders out of the Windows partition through a Linux operating system and possibly save yourself a whole lot of grief and lost files if you did not have an additional external backup.