Once upon a time, computers brought order and precision to our designs, making our lines straighter and our circles rounder. But our drawings became a little colder.
Squiggle is a program for architects and designers who want to reintroduce a looser, more energetic look to their computer-generated presentations. This add-on for AutoCAD and other CAD products makes mechanical and architectural drawings look squiggly. Or fuzzy, shaky, steady, or wavy. It's up to you. By randomly tweaking the data file that usually specifies straight lines and curves, Squiggle can make the final output look like a carefully hand-drawn sketch or, if you prefer, like something quickly blocked out on a napkin.
The weight, zig-zag, and waviness of the lines varies with the style of "squiggling" the user selects. "Napkin" style uses short, bold strokes, while "sketch" features tighter, more careful lines that start and end with loops in the style of traditional drafters. There are seven preset squiggle settings and a customizing function that lets users adjust the amount of squiggle.
There's a price to pay, however, beyond the US$99 it costs to buy Squiggle. The program adds about five minutes to the typical plot time, and your hard drive's going to take a hit as well: the output files can be anywhere from two to seven times the size of the original.
Squiggle for DOS or Windows: US$99. The Premisys Corp.: (800) 878 7736, +1 (312) 828 0034, fax +1 (312) 828 0096.
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