drawing

TreeDraw enhances family trees imported into the program from "Kith and Kin Pro" databases or from GEDCOM files produced by other genealogy programs. Once you import your family tree data into TreeDraw, you can add text, photos, and graphics to the file or combine family trees.

TreeDraw's interface is easy to navigate and use. The Help file automatically launches the first time you open the program. It offers tutorials on getting started with TreeDraw as well as a PDF version of the user manual. TreeDraw is a great application for genealogy buffs who have family data saved … Read more

Vextractor converts raster images to vector files by drawing center lines and outlines that can be manipulated in AutoCAD, Adobe Illustrator, and other popular graphics, engineering, and design programs. You can scan images or diagrams into Vextractor and it will covert them into vector files that you can use with other design and graphics tools. It has several options for converting images, including Line Art and Map. You can also fully manipulate the vector drawings that Vextractor creates.

Vextractor's interface is attractive and easy to navigate. The program's built-in Wizard guides you through the various functions; for instance, … Read more

Lotto Sorcerer claims to help you make better guesses at the nightly lottery picks. We were impressed with the program's tools and options, but ultimately weren't convinced that it was capable of picking winners.

We were not blown away by the program's interface. Even though it was simple to navigate and came with an instructional Help file, the layout felt a decade old. Regardless, we soon discovered its positives, like automatically pulling lotto results from any state and any specific drawing. We were shown several years of results and then the program provided us a guess about … Read more

iDork Lite is a free, 15-level preview for iDork, a path-tracing game similar to other arcade/puzzle games for the iPhone and iPod Touch in which you use your touch screen to draw a path to help a stick figure avoid various obstacles--in this case, animated pencils, protractors, erasers, and other deadly school supplies, since your "iDork" is "lost in a world of school paperwork."

Once you trace a line for your iDork to walk on, you move him by placing a virtual thumbtack where you want him to go, and pressing a jump button for … Read more

PowerPlayer for Pick 3/4 2008 helps users select lottery numbers for pick-three and pick-four lotteries based on the results of previous drawings. Or at least, that's what it's supposed to do. We found the whole thing so confusing that we're not sure what, if anything, the program actually does.

The interface is a disaster, a jumble of columns, numbers, and check boxes. It was easy enough to select our local pick-three from the list of available lotteries, but after that, we were stumped. A visit to the built-in Help file was practically worthless. Even the sections … Read more

FotoSketcher provides users with a simple tool for re-imagining their photos as handmade drawings. While the program provides easy controls and a lot of flexibility, nobody will mistake the results for actual art.

This program is very simple, especially if users have prior experience with drawing and photo-touching software like Paintbrush or Photoshop. The controls mimic those programs with their simplicity and logical progressions. Users having any difficulties will find an informative Help file that walks people through the process. Converting our pictures was easy. Once we selected a photo to work with from our own hard drive, we were … Read more

MB Feng Shui Ba Zi provides a program that sheds light on a user's destiny. However, without much direction, we predict users will need outside sources to translate their future.

Thankfully, this program could not have a much simpler interface. Users can enter their personal information in very plain boxes and pull-down menus for dates. From there, navigating the information is much easier than interpreting what it might mean. We were disappointed to find that the Help file did not give us much information beyond the program's core functions. The program asks users for their birthday, time of … Read more

Whiteboard Collaborative Drawing is a free app that turns your iPhone or iPod Touch's screen into a small, shared drawing space, like a whiteboard or sketchpad. The simple touch-screen interface lets you choose the width of your "marker" (from a fine, pencil-like point to a wide spray-paint-style brush), with six different colors plus an eraser. You just tap on the screen to begin drawing, and you tap with two fingers to bring back the settings screen.

Whiteboard Collaborative Drawing becomes even more useful over Wi-Fi, as users on two different devices on the same network can draw … Read more

Hott Notes offers users an opportunity to keep themselves organized with a virtual pad of yellow sticky notes. This program offers a simple set of tools to create notes, but does not live up to all its promised potential.

This freeware pops up instantly and allows users to quickly sketch down a note and paste it to their desktop. This is much like any note-making program on the market. However, what makes Hott Notes enjoyable is how it handles its added features. Where many programs are cluttered and sometimes confusing, four simple tabs allow users to customize their notes. Note … Read more