Canvas X Draw Reviews

I love Canvas as a program. I've used in since version 2.2...like from the beginning, but since I upgraded top Canvas X with an update earlier in the year, Canvas X wouldn't work at all on my machine. Fortunately I still had Canvas Draw 6 installed on my machine and it would open all my Canvas document irrespective of what version they were originally created in...I especially like this universal compatability among versions...unlike, say MS Word, Xcel and other programs that essentially orphan projects as they move to new versions of their software

Obviously I didn't like it when Canvas X failed to function for me but you seemed to have fixed the problem.
I do often have problems with page set-up issues. It seems like to have the select paper size, orientation, scale etc in numerous menus for it to print properly. Mostly I guess an interface problem on my part.
It would be nice if the fill patterns would scale with the rest of the drawing...like you use one of the diagonal; brick patterns but depending on what view of magnification you have open, the pattern does not stay consistent with the reality you are trying to display.

Intuitive interface, vector graphics, ease of use, ability to combine bit mapped images with vector graphics. An intuitive interface makes it easy to create scale-diagrams, where you specify precise size of each object. For example, furniture/equipment layout in a room or shop, design of furniture, landscaping layout, etc. Wide variety of file output options.

Previous version of the program had some stability issues. So far, X Draw seems stable.

Easy to get started with. Does not require monthly subscription. Many file format options

Difficult learning to use some of the draw tools.

Professionally, I used Canvas (Mac) for making slides used for many technical presentations, ranging from small groups to international symposia. Using Canvas enabled me to do many things that Pages, for example, cannot do to enhance the scientific content.
For personal use, Canvas is really a great way to produce patterns and templates for one of my hobbies, wood carving. The ability to adjust transparency, to excise portions of photographs, and test different color schemes is a great advantage in all aspects. Customizing various insignia, for example, is a great advantage in carving walking sticks for military veterans.

There has always been a completely new set of bugs in every updated version. For example, in the current version, switching from pages often also triggers unwanted magnification changes. I was touching up a pattern I had drawn using the spray paint tool and the screen immediately changed to a chaotic patchwork! Cmd-z reversed this, and a second attempt worked just fine. Also, the use of the MySymbols folder has to be added after updates, this should be part of the installation process.
Replies of questions for support problems don't work, as I found out very recently, leaving me to have to stop work and find an alternative fix.
Some of the tools, such as Effects-> Extrude are not well explained, and require much experimentation to use successfully .
I suppose it is futile to bemoan the absence of obtaining a printed manual of how to use the various features, as opposed to trying to navigate the net Help index. Even formatting your Help pages to enable easy printing would be a benefit.
I cannot help but conclude that new versions are poorly tested.

In a prior life, I used Canvas for about 10 years when it ran on a MAC and PC. Then for whatever reason they stopped marketing the MAC version of the software. Myself and my coworkers were disappointed because for the most part we were a MAC shop. I retired from the position and in retirement I started working part time for one of my former graduate students. About the same time, the world recognized that MACs could run Windows, therefore I got the windows version of Canvas X. My application was to convert our spectral data into figures which, in turn, could then be published. My experience was a was a bit unsatisfactory. Not with Canvas X, but the weird (to me) intricacies of Windows.

I took an enormous sigh of relief when I discovered Canvas X Draw. I use this program almost daily. It is virtually the same as the PC program but with secure, easy to use, and reliable interface. I am not an engineer, rather I am a PhD chemist, and I don’t use all of the complex capabilities of Canvas X Draw. One critical aspect of Canvas X Draw is its stability. Without that facet, I would not use the software. So far, I have gone through two updates and nothing was broken … the updated program worked flawlessly.

In summary, I have used Canvas software for many years, and to me, I find the Canvas X Draw version to be the best. I would recommend it to anyone.

So far I have no issues in the software that I would describe unsatisfactory.

I began using Canvas in the early 1980's when it was only available only on the Mac. Eventually they created a version of Windows, and it was just in time, because our firm was switching from Macs to PC's in order to gain access to AutoCAD. I never learned to use CAD, but I continued to use Canvas almost daily in my work as a project manager. I also used it at home on my Mac for creating every kind of graphics design from business cards to business logos to birthday cards to architectural sketches and many others. For a while, they stopped selling Canvas for the Mac, but the company continued to support my copy and even sent me upgrades for free. Now they're back on the Mac with Canvas X Draw, and I'm still a loyal user.

I was very sad to see them abandon the Mac, but grateful for their continued support. I've seen tools for distorting raster images (by pulling at the corners) in other packages, even in simple software aps on my iPhone, so I know it's possible, but it is not available in Canvas. It's their glaring gap. Otherwise, for technical illustration, Canvas is just about perfect.

The upgrade to 7.02 was available almost as soon as macOS 11.1 (Big Sur) was issued. This dealt with the problem that I observed opening new or previously-created files under Canvas Draw X 7.01

I think there are two improvements that would help me, personally, out. First, I miss the object info tool (command-i) that tells you the kind of object (group, rectangle), dimensions, area, etc. This hasn’t been available since probably Canvas 7 or so. Second, I’m now trying to design a house, and a tool that would make walls (and allow wall joins and insert windows, doors, etc.) would be great, although I realize that it’s a complicated tool, and may cause some issues in pricing and marketing.

In addition to producing occasional technical exhibits, artwork layouts and other documents, X Draw is great for non-CAD users who occasionally need to produce or edit scaled technical drawings. One of the best features is the ability to import a pdf of an architectural drawing as a background for new shop drawings or technical bidding documents. Drawing layers are preserved and can be manipulated, and scale can be set to match the original document. Area and quantity take-offs are a breeze. Add photos or other illustrations? Not a problem.

It is cumbersome to create new pdf files necessary for final use. For example, if there are 30 files of drawing sheets, I have not found a way to batch process the conversion. Each file has to be saved as a pdf. It would be much more efficient to be able to "print to pdf" directly from the Canvas file, which is the defacto standard for virtually every other productivity app.

Canvas is still what [SENSITIVE CONTENT HIDDEN] once called the 'Swiss Army Knife' of graphics programs.

When I was first using the Mac in 1995 I was shocked that between Adobe Illustrator and Photoshop it was impossible to actually send a client a fax using either program. I needed to be able to send sketches with accompanying text. Illustrator wouldn't allow me to enter pixel based images, and when it eventually did I couldn't edit them, and working with type in Photoshop was, and still is, an unintuitive nightmare. Canvas solved that problem brilliantly, allowing me to both edit pixel images and work with blocks of editable text.

Here's a more recent example: clients often send me as a PDF complete designed layouts of packages that need me to add an illustration. If I attempt to open them in Illustrator I'm told I can't because I don't have the fonts. But the default in Canvas has always been to ask if I'd like the fonts converted to outlines, which I immediately do, allowing me to place pixel images that I can still edit in Canvas in the layout and email it back exactly how it will look printed.

Canvas has saved my skin in many other ways as well with its willingness to open and edit such a big variety of files.

The vector tools aren't quite as useful as those in Adobe Illustrator.

The title of this review states the best feature for my use - combination of raster and vector. I typically use Canvas X Draw to develop figures for environmental science/engineering reports. Many figures have a raster base (airphoto, topobase, etc) that I place vector objects and text upon. Sometimes I'll use output from a data graphing program as a vector base, placing vector and text as an overlay. I also benefit from having used the "Canvas product" on the Mac OS for more than 20 years and my familiarity with the user interface.

Minor complaints - (1) page setup (sizing, magnification, etc) could be more user friendly/explicit, (2) the latest version of Canvas X Draw (version 7) keeps asking me for my license key, (3) the Auto Trace function is cumbersome and often doesn't allow me to make editable objects from raster images, (4) the latest version of Canvas X Draw (version 7) does not open some previous "Canvas" formats, (5) conversion from AutoDesk (CAD) formats is quirky.

The interface looks almost exactly as the windows version. I happen to have used windows version more often because there was no acceptable version for MAC till this version.

What I don't like:
1. The font size for the interface is very small and hard to read.
2. Can not save in eps format

Needing to save in .cvd not .cvx so now I have two versions of my graphics. One for windows machines and one for MAC machines. I happen to use both but would halve preferred to use one Canvas file format for both (like MS Word, Power Point, Excel, etc). Is this too much to ask or even dream about?

Is a cooky cutter knife to annotate many types of files and change them from one format to another

I am an old Canvas using before you bought it. I have a very old version running in VM with on an old MacOS server. It allows me to use the included clip art CDROM that was provide with the original Canvas before you bought it. I like some way to access this from you version.

You do not have an Adobe AI import/export or an eps output. This is useful to embed object graphics in work processor documents (e.g. pages).

I have been using Canvas for Mac since it first appeared some 30 years ago, The ease of use, appropriate tools made the program unique in creating overlays of other maps, aerial photographs and satellite images. Canvas GIS was a great innovation which unfortunately not yet (???) returned to Mac. It.is a drawback for my current project on the coast of Kenya.

I miss the the GIS compatibility that exist on the PC version, particularly to import shape files as base maps or geocoded satellite data. Hopefully you will fix it for us! We are many geographers, like me, who has been addicted to maps with coordinates.

I started using Canvas 30 years ago instead of illustrator. I Love Canvas vs Photoshop and Illustrator which I still have to use sometimes when it is required for advertising, etc. Much prefer to use Canvas and I wish it were more widely used by Printers. It is so much easier to use and learn than either Photoshop or Illustrator. That files can be saved in so many formats is a plus. I haven't tried with the animated GIF's yet. For advertising, I am able to get the file sizes smaller than Illustrator, InDesign etc.

In some ways I miss the old Canvas 10. This Canvas quits on me sometimes with larger files. Very little to complain about with this app. Doesn't have the same intuitiveness that the old Canvas had when doing large documents or manuals.

I've been using various versions of Canvas since V1.0 (yep, late 80's) on the Mac. For awhile it was exclusive to the Mac but during ownership change went over to windows. It was still a great piece of software but limited to PCs. The current ownership brought it back to the Mac but it doesn't have the full functionality of the more sophisticated version on a PC. Nonetheless, Canvas X Draw is an excellent piece of software and I can do everything I need to on it. Eventually, I hope they give it the full functionality of the PC version of Canvas.

Just would like to have the full features its big brother Canvas has on the PC.

My one stop shop for design, layout and working from scratch.

The handling/selecting of fonts could use a little help. It also occasionally fails at laying out page sizes and handling PDF or AI/EPS formats.

There are occasional license issues and the support can be awkward because of the smaller team, but it always gets straightened out.

I seem to work with tables a lot, and this is not the best software for that. I can get the job done with some effort.

The feature I like most is the ability of Canvas X Draw is the ability to easily crop images while reducing the memory associated with the image. In my opinion Canvas X Draw is more user friendly than similar software programs.

While files from Canvas X can be opened in Canvas X Draw the reverse is not possible.

I make fine furniture, Canvas X draw gives me the ability to make highly detailed drawings for every project.it is easy to set custom scales, to put dimensions on every piece that I need to cut or fit.

I have also used this app to make brochures and playbills for dance studios. Easy to incorporate images with test. Also have used this app for detailed engineering drawings for flood measurement projects.

There have been several problems I ran into, however, they all were due to my mis-understanding how something works.

We have been using CANVAS on WINDOWS for more than 25 years and are quite happy to have an equivalent and compatible graphic software package running on Mac computers

It doesn't (yet) have all the GIS features as in the CANVAS 17 version on Windows PCs

Easy to use.
Great options to organise and arrange the figures.
Possibilities to save in several different formats.

Hard to find pictures commonly used in research as a cartoon already in canvas.
Can not convert figures made in mac to windows.

Long term user, very familiar with the software package.

Software is fine to me as it was when I was able to use it before updating to Big Sur!

Its versatility and capability to accomplish a wide variety of drawing/illustrating

The photo cropping tool is not very intuitive

Has many features but be easily operative.

Bring all parts together for a composite figure, and each part can be feasibly controlled in size, moved in precision, labeled feasibly, and aligned well.

Its interface and tools are user friendly and relatively esay to learn and use especially for users who go all the way back to old Canvas 3.5.

There are more crashes than I expected, but almost all data are saved when crashed occur. There are times when some of the tools/shortcuts fail to work (e.g., cloning).

Replaces Photoshop Illustrator and Indesign
for companies that do not need perfectly exact compatibility
with big printing companies

A bit slow on following Apple new system versions