The Revo, since release, has lacked any graphics software apart from quite expensive,
all-singing, all-dancing packages or simple note-takers like QuickNote. The cause of this
deficit is that Psion didn't supply Symbian's Sketch, a drawing program included on every
other EPOC device, with the Revo. But now that problem has been solved - hundreds of Revo
users have been asking for Sketch, and so
Paragon Software
have ported (partly rewritten) Sketch to the Revo, and it's free!
Anyone who has used any other EPOC device, including the Series 5/5mx/7/netBook, Geofox One,
Oregon Scientific Osaris or MC218, will already know what Sketch is like, and Paragon's version
is almost exactly the same. It uses the same files, can be embedded into other programs, has
the same features and almost the same user interface, apart from a few tweaks to make the
program fit on-screen.
Microsoft Windows users should recognise the sort of features Sketch has, as they are similar
to Windows Paint, so don't expect Adobe Photoshop. However, the program is more than enough
for most work on the Revo.
As the user interface is almost the same as the normal Sketch for the other EPOC devices, it's
very easy to use, and includes a far better undo system than Word or Sheet - not only can you
undo every action for quite a way back, you can redo the last thing you undid. This is
debatably an essential feature for graphics packages, so it's good that Sketch can undo quite
well, for EPOC software.
You get a lot of drawing tools - freehand draw, line, 'spraycan', eraser and both filled and
outlined rectangles. There's also an area selection tool, but unfortunately it's only a
rectangle. There's no freehand selection tool, which would have been a nice addition, but
Symbian's EPOC Sketch doesn't have that, so you can't really complain. Another limitation
is that, when you use the text tool, the text you enter isn't stored in the text window, so
if you wanted to change the font size after inserting text, you probably have to type the
text in again.
While I'm making gripes, it would be a welcome surprise if Paragon had added a fill tool, but,
again, it's not in Symbian Sketch.
You can also insert clipart in Paragon's Sketch, and it's the same as that included with
Symbian Sketch. The collection isn't that wonderful, although the quality of the pictures is
mostly reasonable. Mysteriously, a lot of it seems best for making slightly cartoony maps.
It's all fairly small and can't be resized very well - it turns blocky and pixellated.
Talking about pixels, you can zoom in up to the pixel level (that's close enough to edit the
individual dots which make up the picture). Four different colours (white, light grey, dark
grey and black) can be chosen from, although sixteen-colour files can be imported.
If you use a conversion program on a PC (see our PC software list), or even MBMView on the
Revo, you can convert popular graphics formats such as .bmp, .gif and .jpg to .mbm format,
which can be imported into Sketch. PsiWin by itself can't do this, either PC to Psion or
vice-versa, although it will convert Sketch files to .bmp, which is useful.
One of the most useful applications of Sketch is to embed drawings and illustrations into
Word, Jotter, Data and Agenda, and to view these embedded images. Doing this is as easy as
inserting a Word or Sheet object, and means thaat you can insert your signature, a diagram
or a memory-jogging icon into your files. Help files for third-party programs are often
improved with Sketch, too, since their developers often include icons in their help files.
You can't insert Sketch objects into Sheet, but that's a limitation of Sheet, not Sketch.
The only real fault with Sketch is that it doesn't come with a help file - it is built in the
Series 5mx/7 etc, but is not included in the Revo. Some of the functions are slightly
ambiguous, such as 'Make transparent' (what does it make transparent?), so it would be helpful
if there were instructions included.
With the exception of the help file problem above, there are no faults which are not just
limitations of the original Sketch, and Sketch for the Revo is great news for many Revo users.
It's almost certainly worth installing onto your Revo unless you're sure you will never need
any graphics software, and really fills the gap which Psion left. Highly recommended.
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