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[New 1.2] Free Vector Tools for Windows 10 Users


GarryP

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New in Version 1.2:

  • Tracks Function – Create many types of rotational designs.
  • Routes Selector – You have a choice of the order in which most designs are drawn.
  • Colour Schemes – Seven new schemes.
  • New Shapes – Spikeys, Flowers, Rectelipses (Squircles), Quaternates, and path versions of other shapes.
  • Code Viewer – Improved viewing options.
  • Fields – You can now determine if the shape positions are automatically recalculated.

I recently published an update to Canny Vectors which is an application that allows Windows 10 users to create various vector designs that can be used in the Affinity applications – as native Affinity layers – or saved as SVG files to be used anywhere you use SVGs. I had the Affinity applications in mind when I was developing the software but you can probably use the output anywhere that can use an SVG.

It is not meant to be the greatest vector application ever, or anything like that; it’s just a small collection of simple tools which might come in useful every now and again and save you a little bit of time here and there. And it's completely free with no ads.

At the moment it has five functions:
Grids – regular orthogonal grids of shapes;
Fields – a collection of randomly placed shapes;
Panes – an area covered with randomly altered lines or shapes.
Centrics – Create ‘concentric’ shapes, and more.
Tracks - Create rotational designs.

Each function has various options with which you can vary what the software creates, so there’s lots to experiment with.

The application comes with a user guide – written using the Affinity applications – which I have attached to this post:

I’ve attached some example images and a video of each function showing just some of what you can do.

Please do not make bug reports or make feature requests for this software in these forums; I’m sure the Serif staff don’t want that extra hassle. Use the in-app functionality instead, or you can rate/review the software in the App Store.
If you want to make a feature request, please read the notes in Part 8 of the user guide before making the request (some requests/suggestions may be ignored). (You might be able to PM me via the forums as long as the discussion doesn't go on for too long.)

If you do use the software, and find some good uses for it, then it might be nice if you could show some examples here for other people to see.

You can find and install the software via this link: https://www.microsoft.com/store/apps/9P3H0SH7XK02
Or you can get it via the Microsoft Store here: ms-windows-store://pdp/?productid=9P3H0SH7XK02

Why not give it a try and see what you can create?

 

 

Affinity Forum Showcase.jpg

Edited by GarryP
New version.
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On 5/28/2021 at 1:22 PM, GarryP said:

give it a nice rating in the Microsoft Store

I don't know yet, if I'll ever need any of this tool's features for some serious works, but it's highly addictive to play around with the settings nonetheless!

This is my first app installed via MS store, hence excuse my silly question. How can I rate it? There's no such link on the store's page after installation, neither when logged in with my MS account nor without being logged in.

»A designer's job is to improve the general quality of life. In fact, it's the only reason for our existence.«
Paul Rand (1914-1996)

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Thanks for the feedback.
It was my intention to give the user lots of control over what they were creating and I’ve played around with the settings a lot too.
You should be able to rate and review the software by going to the Microsoft Store, finding the app page, clicking on “Reviews” and then clicking on “Rate and Review”, see attached image.

Screenshot 2021-05-30 084149.png

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10 minutes ago, GarryP said:

You should be able to rate and review the software by going to the Microsoft Store, finding the app page, clicking on “Reviews” and then clicking on “Rate and Review”, see attached image.

Uhm. Interesting. I swear, that tab was not visible on my system when I searched for it yesterday (it is now, and I'll rate it soon—I'm just busy today with my father's birthday). I'm absolutely certain about this, because I tried all the other tabs in order to find some kind of "hidden" rating button.

Did you probably activate it somehow? Or, maybe, it needs some time before one can rate?

»A designer's job is to improve the general quality of life. In fact, it's the only reason for our existence.«
Paul Rand (1914-1996)

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Sorry, but I’ve no idea what goes on in the Store App.
I’ve not installed anything from there myself either (except for testing installation of my own applications) so I don’t know what’s supposed to happen or when.
There’s a good chance that you are correct in that there may be a ‘lag’ between you installing the software and being able to rate/review it – maybe your ‘local Store’ has to wait to be updated by the ‘global Store’, or something like that.
Anyway, glad you can find it now. Looking forward to getting a nice rating – ahem.

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58 minutes ago, Andy05 said:

Uhm. Interesting. I swear, that tab was not visible on my system when I searched for it yesterday (it is now, and I'll rate it soon

Initially I had the same experience but a bit later the button was suddenly there. Perhaps the  app had to be used first and then inform the MS Store server. Who knows?

 

 

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1 hour ago, Hilltop said:

Initially I had the same experience but a bit later the button was suddenly there. Perhaps the  app had to be used first and then inform the MS Store server. Who knows?

I rather think an app needs to be a certain amount in the store before it could receive ratings. As I used the app before I tried to rate, knowing that some rating systems demand something like this.

»A designer's job is to improve the general quality of life. In fact, it's the only reason for our existence.«
Paul Rand (1914-1996)

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  • 1 month later...

Good Luck with the App @GarryP

iMac 27" 2019 Somona 14.3.1, iMac 27" Affinity Designer, Photo & Publisher V1 & V2, Adobe, Inkscape, Vectorstyler, Blender, C4D, Sketchup + more... XP-Pen Artist-22E, - iPad Pro 12.9  
B| (Please refrain from licking the screen while using this forum)

Affinity Help - Affinity Desktop Tutorials - Feedback - FAQ - most asked questions

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  • 3 weeks later...

First of all, hit you with a review since this is extremely useful and ratings were desert-dry-empty for some reason. Second of all, just checked out the documentation, and I'm now thoroughly convinced that you are, in fact, a legend. Like really, that is some super-high effort and gorgeous. One thing to note, I installed the software completely ready to blast a negative review - my usual process for random tools from the windows store, but was pleasantly surprised by how awesome this is.

I think that this is extremely useful, and I use a lot of procedural software. A few questions though - Was this written solely by you? If so, and I'm not sure how involved it would be, but couldn't this be ported over to electron instead of uwp fairly easy? For cross compatibility of course. In my opinion Affinity products (and the entire graphics design market as well) are more targeted towards Apple users, and hate to see the rare instance of a /very good/ windows store app going unnoticed. 

Thanks for all the effort you put into this!
 

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@hiringManager Many thanks for your lovely words; it’s always great to hear that people like using the software.
Yes, it was all written by me alone.
Sorry but I have no plans to port the software to anything other than UWP.
UWP allows me to publish the software very easily so I don’t have to take time learning all the ins-and-outs of packaging and such forth.
Also, I only have one usable machine so I would have no way to test anything on other systems.
I’m deliberately keeping things simple so I can concentrate on the software functionality rather than the packaging and I can’t see this changing any time in the future.

@FraGar Thank you very much; I’m glad you like it.
Those are some ‘funky’ picture frames you’ve got there.

I have various ideas for new/extended functionality and hope to have the next version ready soon(-ish), maybe.

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5 hours ago, GarryP said:

@hiringManager Many thanks for your lovely words; it’s always great to hear that people like using the software.
Yes, it was all written by me alone.
Sorry but I have no plans to port the software to anything other than UWP.
UWP allows me to publish the software very easily so I don’t have to take time learning all the ins-and-outs of packaging and such forth.
Also, I only have one usable machine so I would have no way to test anything on other systems.
I’m deliberately keeping things simple so I can concentrate on the software functionality rather than the packaging and I can’t see this changing any time in the future.

@FraGar Thank you very much; I’m glad you like it.
Those are some ‘funky’ picture frames you’ve got there.

I have various ideas for new/extended functionality and hope to have the next version ready soon(-ish), maybe.

Thank's, it is so easy to make with the program and then just tweak it to the desired style.👍 

Plants_01_Canny Vectors_New_Frames.jpg

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  • 1 month later...
  • 1 month later...
4 hours ago, GarryP said:

Version 1.1 is now available in the Microsoft Store with new and improved functionality.
The first post in this thread now contains updated information about this new version.

This looks pretty cool!  Seems like something that could be a really interesting open source project.  Just something to consider.  

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19 hours ago, Hilltop said:

Kudos on the user guide as well, Garry! Extensive and attractively laid out.

Many thanks; glad you like it.

19 hours ago, Hilltop said:

What about a 'What's new' when introducing a new version?

I list what’s new in the first post of this thread and there is a page dedicated to what’s new in the guide. Were you expecting something more/else? Do you mean that I should mention how the user guide has changed?

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