Xaralx, now known as Xara Xtreme for Linux, is a free and open source image editing program for Linux. It is based on the commercial Xara imaging editing software for Windows, and is primarily used for vector image creation and editing. Over the next few weeks, I will provide some handy tips that you can use in Xara. The first is an easy way to slice an image into whatever shape you want. As with any vector image editing, the resulting shape will be an object that you can move, rotate, add to a larger image, and treat like a normal shape.

Being the chosen platform for creative high-level graphic artist and such, or so everybody say, Mac has many options of heavy-duty graphic softwares. But not everybody needs Photoshop-level applications. Sometimes you’ll only need to do simple and quick drawing.

Believe it or not, one of the Windows softwares that I missed most when I first moved to Mac, aside from Minesweeper and Freecell, is MS Paint. So, for the nostalgia sake, I compile a small list of simple drawing application for Mac.

Archicad is one of the few softwares that I consider ‘heavy’. Not only in the download size – around few hudreds megs, but also in what it can do, the computer resource it consumes, and of course its price tag. The software will assist the user in designing and presenting “Virtual Building” starting from line drawing to 3D movie walkthrough. Every tools needed are there, you just add creativity and taste to the ingredients.