Streamline 4.0 is an excellent bridge between the worlds of freehand drawing and resolution-independent graphics. At its heart, the software is basically a conversion utility, a tool for importing bitmapped (raster) images and exporting them as vector-based line art. But it's a disservice to the application to downplay what is so simply stated.The value of Streamline becomes apparent after the first conversion--it quickens the heart to see a hand-drawn, bitmapped image imported into a program like Adobe Illustrator, where one can tweak the curve and width of any line, and scale it up until it fills a billboard.
The process starts with a drawing or image being scanned in or photographed with a digital camera and saved out from a program like Adobe Photoshop. It is then opened in Streamline (it works with many file types, including native Photoshop) where the image is converted to vector lines.
The options for conversion are numerous: control point density, smoothness, line width, stroke or fill, curve smoothing. Additionally, areas of the original image can be selectively converted, with each area using different conversion settings--some for smoother, thicker lines, some for rougher, more edgy lines, and variations thereof. Also, Streamline 4.0 now features a "convert to" command, for converting a roughly drawn shape into a standard shape; for example, a crude egg shape on a cocktail napkin could be converted to a perfect circle, or four rough strokes into a smooth, even rectangle. Streamline 4.0 also supports converting colors to vector-based areas of color. One can specify the number of colors to use and which color palette would best match.
Adobe-standard keyboard shortcuts improve one's efficiency with the application, and being able to drag and drop across applications is a handy feature that anyone can grow to love.
Freehand drawing on a computer is not as easy or straightforward as taking pencil to paper--a natural quality is lacking, a texture more felt than seen. But graphics software offers features not found in "real-life" art, like the ability to scale an image up and down without losing the sharpness of a line. For any serious digital artist, Streamline is a must-have. It is one of those tools that is used the least, but appreciated the most. --Mike Caputo
