Kent Lee 고려대학교 교수학습개발원 Graphics software Graphics or image editing programs fall into three general categories. 1. Vector graphics simpler programs for drawing and manipulating shapes, lines and text. In the file image, each shape, line or text item is treated as a separate object. Common vector file formats are EPS, PS and SVG, but common vector graphics programs often save images in raster formats. 2. Raster graphics working with images based on pixels and layers, which is how the image is composed in its respective file format (JPG, PNG, GIF, TIF, BMP). Such programs are more sophisticated, and also include some support for vector graphics. 3. High-end graphics: 3D, animation, and video editing programs the programs often used by professionals, e.g., video game design, film editing, medical graphics. Vector editors are better for simple drawings, graphic design, page layout, typography, logos, sharpedged artistic illustrations (e.g., cartoons, clip art, complex geometric patterns), technical illustrations, diagram, flowcharts, and general web graphics. Raster editors are better for photo processing and retouching, photo-realistic illustrations, collages, and hand drawn illustrations with a graphics tablet. 1. Vector graphics programs The following are purely vector graphics programs. 1. Dia for simple diagrams. Windows: dia-installer.de/index.html.en; Linux: live.gnome.org/dia 2. Inkscape basic drawing program (free). inkscape.org 3. Xfig for relatively simple diagrams (Linux, Windows; free). xfig.org 4. OpenOffice / LibreOffice Draw part of these office & word processing packages (free). www.libreoffice.org 5. Google Docs Drawing comes free with Gmail account Inkscape Dia 1
1b. More advanced vector graphics These are vector graphics programs with some support for image layers and other rastering-type features. 1. Corel Paint Shop Pro higher quality vector graphics program, with some support for raster graphics and photo touch-up; more expensive 2. CorelDraw similar to Photoshop and other programs 3. Paint.NET (Windows, free) allows for layers and some special effects. www.paint.net Paint.NET 1c. Mind mapping programs 1. MindMeister (web based, $5-15, free demo). www.mindmeister.com 2. XMind (Windows/Mac/Linux, free). www.xmind.net 3. imindmap (Windows/Mac/Linux, $99-295). www.thinkbuzan.com/intl 4. Mindjet MindManager (Windows/Mac, $349). www.mindjet.com 5. SmartDraw (free for KU faculty via CTL website; see next section) MindMeister MindManager 2
2. Raster graphics The following are raster graphics programs, with support for vector graphics. Most of these are expensive, and are more complicated to use than vector graphics programs. 1. Adobe Photoshop commonly used; fairly learnable interface; but very expensive 2. Adobe Illustrator more of a pure raster graphics program 3. GIMP (Windows, Linux and Mac; free) less intuitive interface, i.e., more difficult to learn; has some advantages for higher end graphics. Completely free, available for Windows and Linux. www.gimp.org 3. High-end graphics Autodesk Maya (Windows, $3500). usa.autodesk.com/maya Blender (Windows, Mac, Linux; free). www.blender.org 4. Image and photo editing A number of programs are useful for editing graphics and even photos, such as Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator, Paint Shop Pro, Corel Draw, and GIMP. Other programs exist primarily for photo editing. Photo editing typically involves rastering and some vector tools, while general image editing is usually more vector based. Many of these programs can easily convert one file type to another. 1. Google Picassa (Windows, Mac, Linux; free). For editing and organizing photos and graphics files. picassa.google.com 2. IrfanView (Windows; free). This can open most any graphic file format, including old or obscure file types, do basic editing, and convert file formats. www.irfanview.com 3. Adobe Lightroom (Windows, Mac; $300). For professional photo editing. 4. Photo to Sketch (Windows; free). This can convert photos to line drawings. www.thinkersoftware.com/photo-to-sketch/index2.htm Photo to Sketch (screenshot from PtS website) 3
Presentations with SmartDraw Installation. Go to ctl.korea.ac.kr > Resources, search for SmartDraw. You ll find a video in Korean, and a zip file containing the installation file and serial number. Go to the tutorials on www.smartdraw.com, for text or video instructions on creating and manipulating charts, flow charts, organizational charts, mind maps (concept maps), starting with the project wizard that you see when you start the program. 4
Using Latex Latex is a standard program in engineering, math, and science, for creating professional looking scientific manuscripts for publication. Its particular advantages are for formulas, equations, and scientific diagrams. Other programs have some Latex functions that can produce formulas for embedding into your presentation files. Latex itself also has templates for creating presentation slides in PDF format (PPT-size pages in PDF format). Applications with Latex equation editors 1. LibreOffice An alternative word processing program, which uses OpenDocument Format (ODF/ODT). Its equation editor can use Latex syntax and/or the graphical interface. [www.libreoffice.org]. This is also available in the older OpenOffice [www.openoffice.org]. 2. Online Latex equation editor: http://www.codecogs.com/latex/eqneditor.php Use the graphical interface or Latex syntax to create formulas, equations, and special symbols, and save them as GIF, PNG, PDF, or SVG files. For example, the following syntax yields the equation below. \left(x-1\right)\left(x+3\right) \sqrt{a^2+b^2} Latex programs Many Latex users use Linux, either writing in plain script, or using a program like Kile (a GUI front-end for Latex) for managing Latex documents and publishing. Windows users can use MiKTeX, WinEdt, or others (check reviews first; some of these Windows programs can be buggy). Latex Presentations For slide presentations, one can use the Beamer or Prosper document classes to create slide-style PDFs. Online you can find some reference guides for the syntax. Beamer and Prosper also come with their own themes. 1. Online Beamer theme gallery http://deic.uab.es/~iblanes/beamer_gallery/individual/goettingen-default-default.html 2. Prosper guides http://amath.colorado.edu/documentation/latex/prosper/ http://www.math.rug.nl/~ernst/latex/rouben-prosper.htm 3. Beamer guides http://www.math.umbc.edu/~rouben/beamer/ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/beamer_%28latex%29 5