Mockup: 24-Seven
More from the backlog! There goes all that empty space again!
Anyways, this is also partially some very minor world building for all my stories as this is a, you guessed, 7-11 expy: 24-7, The Only Convenience Store That's ~Always~ Open!
Not much to say really, just my take on 7-11. And I guess Japan's Family Mart as that's where I swiped the colors from. I think it looks totally swank, but then again everything I make looks pretty swank~
However, there is something worth talking about for this piece: This is the first piece I've made using non-Adobe software!
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For the last little while, I've been trying to find replacements for the Adobe suite. Results have been mixed to say the least.
Of the four Adobe programs I've used, I've only found one solid replacement that also happens to be a two-in-one. That being Hitfilms Express which doubles as After Effects and Premiere Pro. Of every free video editor I've tried, it's the only one that comes as close as possible to being the same as the Adobe program, minus one or two tiny quibbles. It was so good in fact that I actually brought a pro license just to support the dev team's triumpahnt effort!
As for finding Photoshop and Illustrator replacements...that's where things got a little mixed. There's plenty of options out there for sure, but none of them really meet my expectations. Admittedly this is on me for using PS in ways most people don't. I mostly use PS for making my OC designs which make heavy use of PS's layer effects and blend modes, which very few alternatives offer. That's not to mention the absolute megaton of files I have that won't be 100% compatible either, and I'm not about to remake a ton of stuff just so it's compatible with a new suite.
I could take the time to learn GIMP or Krita, but I just don't have the paitence to learn something new anymore given the field I've choosen to work in. That was until I found Affinity Photo and Designer.
Alternatives for PS and Illustrator respectively, these two suites offer just enough of the same punch that Adobe's programs do, with some flaws that are just headscratching and might deter some Illustrator users from jumping ship. But before I mention my beefs with the programs, I do want to praise the good because I do think they've got the 'it' factor to be real competitors towards Adobe.
+No Subscription Model
+Familiar, Easy to Use Interface
+Fairly Decent Compatability With PSD and AI files (not perfect mind you, nothing will be in this regard but Affinity comes damn close!)
+PS-style layer effects present in Designer
+Better Node/Point Recognition When Scaling An Object
And now for the not-so great points:
-No Warp/Transform Tools like in Adobe suites
-No Dedicated Offset Path Option
-Finicky Object Selection
-Weird Anti-Aliasing In Renders
-The Pricetag ($55 USD)
Now admittedly some of these are just minor quibbles that you can work around and I'm just being pedantic.
For example, can't warp anything in Affinity? Export the thing as a PDF and then use Photopea, an online PS alternative that has transform and warp and etc, etc.
But if Affinity REALLY wants to take on Adobe and lure away some of their followers, they have to include these features in their programs from the get-go. And it does seem like they're taking these suggestions into consideration on their forums as they do have a suggestions sub-forum, so who knows? Maybe the next big update they'll do will address some of my issues (seriously, no warp tools???).
However...I do think I'll have to stick with PS for my OC stuff. Going back to the compatability with PSD and AIs, Designer has a better time with AIs than Photo does with PSDs. Again, it's all in the layers and it's something I'll just have to accept.
But hey, a three out of four still ain't bad!
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