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Show Program is a CAD, but creates business graphics BlThe yiBMsiiiess Computer b.v Frankl.vnn Peterson and Judy KTurkel Shack model to more than $30,000 for a Nicolet Xeta 3620. (The Radio Shack handles ll-inch-by-14-inch paper, compared to Nicolet's 36-inch width and almost infinite length. Radio Shack's pens move at four inches a second, Nicolet's at 35.) Frankly, even with all the right accessories, no personal computer or program can turn out handmade quality artwork. But some artists are, using smaU systems for specialized jobs. Earlier this year, Michael Saenz used a Macintosh to draw the first issue of Shatter (June 1985), which is billed as the first computerized romif hook of all time Kven the lettering was done on Saenz's Mac. Wow! Zap! . The authors will answer questions and send a checklist of back issues. Send a stamped, self-addressed envelope. A new 4,000-word special report, "Educational Programs for . Children," gives details on price and performance of computer-age products for children. For your copy, send $3 for Report FP01, in care of the Park Record, P.O. Box 3688, Park City, UT 84060. Make checks payable to Newspaperbooks. (C) 1985 PK Associates, Inc. Distributed by Tribune Media Services, Inc. i It seems the minute you've sorted out the latest shower of computer jargon, a whole new storm of strange words clouds your horizon. This time it's computer graphics. Hundreds of graphics makers for small computers are being offered alone or as part of a package, at prices ranging from $100 to well over $1,000. But they're not all the same kind of graphics, or of the same quality. To get what you need, you have to know the differences between business and presentation graphics, and between CAD and CAE. If you don't, you may be very disappointed when you open your program's shrink-pack. The only graphics most programs can do are business graphics displays dis-plays that convert figures into bar charts, pie charts, line graphs and a passel of variations on the theme. These are swell if you want to dress up a presentation of survey results or financial data. But that's about all they're good for. Typically, business graphics are packed as part of a numbers-handling numbers-handling program such as a spreadsheet. Even here, there are variations in capability. Lotus 1-2-3, SuperCal3, Symphony and Framework all draw the charts and graphs automatically from figures you've saved in a spreadsheet. But accessories. The IBM PC, for example, displays only letters and numbers unless you put a "graphics card" in an empty accessory slot inside the computer. Only then will the screen display curves, squiggles and solids and then not in color unless you've bought a "color graphics card" and own a color monitor. Apple's Macintosh comes from the factory with a graphics card (but not color graphics). Once you've drawn your sketch or pie graph onscreen, you're only halfway home. To be usable, it has to be transferred to paper (unless you photograph the image for use as a slide). That letter-quality printer you own probably won't print any graphics. You need a dot matrix, ink jet or laser printer. Even then, few dot matrix printers turn out pictures that look as good as the screen image, but they do print passable graphs and charts. The best are printers designed to do only graphics or lazer printers, next best are "near letter quality" (NLQ). Do try before you buy. Plotters are computerized devices made just for turning on-screen artwork into paper and overhead-projector overhead-projector images. A ballpoint or marking pen is hooked to a mechanical arm that follows computer commands like a robot. Prices range from a $1,000 Radio the business graphics that are part of the Benchmark package will only draw graphs if you manually type in sales, costs, taxes or whatever. With type-in-your-own-numbers programs, pro-grams, you lose time but gain flexibility, because they give you more control over the layout of charts and graphs. If you want a graphics program that tackles art, architecture and engineering drawing, you need to look at CAD and CAE programs. CAD is jargon for Computer Aided Design, a term by which some sellers mean almost any kind of drawing while others mean just technical drafting. CAE stands for Computer Aided Engineering, programs that do technical drafting but also have enough built-in formulas and data for correctly engineering offices, obelisks or optics. To do professional jobs, these programs generally have to run on machines with more power than you find in most personal computers. 1'i-csentation graphics is a newcomer to the field. Programs that fall in this category purport to sketch lovely logos, pictures, doodles and other artwork that businesses, clubs and schools can ; work into their reports, sales pitches and slide shows. Most of the good artwork we've seen was done with expensive programs on expensive computers. The under-$10,000 systems turn out computery-looking stuff that gets monotonous by the sixth slide. , If you're a commercial artist and want to sketch and color your drawings on-screen, you'll need a specialized graphics computer, not just a program for your IBM PC or Apple Macintosh. These design machines generally cost upwards of $25,000, but modern Rembrandts can do almost anything with them that they can do with paper, except spill ink. In order to do graphics of any sort, most personal computers have to be outfitted with specialized graphics |