by gusto » Thu Feb 28, 2013 12:32 am
You are brave for trying to recreate all the features of Freehand. Some of the Freehand things I use most:
• I like to paste bitmap images directly into the console, so I can use the trace tool upon them. It doesn't make a good trace, but I find it's perfect for making complex shapes which I can then recolor and warp with the lens tool to make paint-brush looking effects, great for splatter and rough shading.
• the fisheye lens, I find is useful for warping shapes for convex and concave appearences
• the 3D rotation tool, I find is very intuitive. all it takes is one click + drag and you have a 3D plane, far better than Illustrator.
• attach text to path, convert text to vector is a must for typography design
• the bend tool is a neat thing, for making quick cloud shaped word bubbles in comics, or drag in the opposite direction for spiked splatter looking shapes. it's real intuitive too, just one click+drag
• the graphic hose for repeated stamping design, + the option to make custom hoses by pasting in shapes/bitmaps I use often in Freehand
• calligraphy strokes and brush strokes on paths, I think you know about Freehand, +the ability to customize brushes with simple sliders or making your own brushes.
• I find the gradient fill in Freehand is way more intuitive than Illustrator; all you have to do is drag colors from the mixer, and drag the handles on the fill.
• apart from the roughen effect, there is also a roughen tool that's real easy to use. just 1 click+drag like the bend tool. I like to just slightly roughen with the bend tool to quickly add lots of points along a shape and then use the bend tool to warp it.