What is the appeal of "3-D Text" ? « Giveaway of the Day Forums

Back to Giveaway of the Day

Giveaway of the Day Forums » General discussion

What is the appeal of "3-D Text" ?

(10 posts) (6 voices)

Started 14 years ago by Bigun
Latest reply from Idunnobutiwastold

Bigun
Member

I think that today use GOTD offering, "3 D-Text", is an odd duck all around. It appears to me to be a program that sounds like it could be something worthwhile but turns out to be a very limited program that fits in nowhere. Every font in the long list of fonts provided with the program looks like every other font in the list. I see little use for a program that gives standalone 3-D block lettering.... the appeal that it appears to generate. Can it be used as an impressive title bar to set off a webpage? Does it generate anything that can be used as a logo? Not only does it appear to me to not do anything I do not see how to make it interface with anything else. Whether I see an offered program as being a useful utility that cries out to be used 1000 times a day or not is irrelevant. I can see that - no one need tell me.

The reason that I am calling attention to a program that generates truly ugly text is to try to find out how it is that this program has reaped dozens of comments singing its praises. I have seen programs that appear to have real possibilities get slaughtered on the GOTD comment page. Surely the attraction that this program has does not stem from its usefulness, robustness, or the potential to become something that everyone wants to receive as a gift at Christmas time. How is it that a program that appears to have no outstanding features and carries a price tag of thirty dollars become the subject of praise and adoration on a comment page known to be able to melt cement.

There, that should be sufficient to get this out of my system. It has been said that putting one's disappointments into writing is a time proven way to vent one's frustration and avoid the necessity of turning an automobile into a killing machine driving home from work.

I am just one person. Surely there is no reason to post this. I can see my comments just as they appear to others - foolish but inexpensive therapy. Whiterabbit tells me to take deep breaths and say the mantra that he gave me. There is no need to post this at all.

Posted 14 years ago #
Whiterabbit-uk
Games Guru

I agree with you wholeheartedly Bigun. When I first saw that it was going to be a 3D text program I was quite excited because my daughter loves this type of program; but when I installed, then checked it out, I found it ugly and unresponsive. It wont be staying on any of my computers for long.

Posted 14 years ago #
goodgotd
Member

Ya got me too. Last time I did 3d text, it was with WordPerfect 6 for windows 3.1. And that made the giveaway look like a tinker-toy set.

I believe most of the apps mentioned in the 'desktop publishing program out there??' thread can do a better job than "3-D Text"- if not all of them. (ok, maybe not the non-suite word processor)

I'd surely be amazed if the 800 pound gorilla couldn't.

Posted 14 years ago #
notblocklox
retired

True, it's not very impressive and not worth the $$$ they are asking for - not yet in ver. 1.0.
All the Binerus programmes we got, are rather simple but useful for simple, fast tasks; it runs bug free on my system. Thanks to Fubar and his help-screenshot, there shouldn't be any questions about the use. I wished the users wouldn't just take for granted what the first review tells them. I put it into my programme collection for my grandkid's first puter.

I should have written a comment yesterday, but that wasn't my time.
If I had his address I would thank Fubar, that was a lot of work in that screenshot, something Binerus should have done.

graylox

Posted 14 years ago #
goodgotd
Member

Ok, I'll go for the simple and not system-abusive. But the question was what's the appeal of it, and for that, well, I'm clueless.

OTOH, it *is* more of a toy than a useful utility at this point, but if Binerus manages to take the comments and improves it, then I'll deal with being an alpha tester.

On the gripping hand, I stand by my statement that there are free programs that are of use in other ways that probably-to-near-certainly can do the same thing.

Alas, as with the tons of video converters, everyone wants to put one out.

Heh. Right now the *most* used video converter is XMedia Recode 2.2.2.0 (site is not in english), a freebie that not only converts formats, but also does resample and aspect ratio adjustments as it goes. I wish there was an english help file, but at least it's under active development.

I think I'll add it to the freeware list. If I can find the freeware list.

I know that crop is available in other programs like iWisoft Free Video Converter 1.2, but that one was pointed out (released?) 5 months ago and it's still at 1.2- no ongoing interest. And I can't pin down whether it can change the aspect ratio- I ran into Anamorphic 2.35:1 in a 16:9 DVD format, and that really set me off. I knew about Anamorphic 16:9 using 720x480, but the other is crazy.

Posted 14 years ago #
Controlled Chaos
Member

Hi Goodgotd

There is an update, this is on their web site

What's New

January 10th, 2010

iWisoft Free Video Downloader version 2.1 was released. It changes the name from iWisoft Flash Video Downloader. And it is freeware now.

Perhaps it's worth a try for you.

PS what a pratt I am just noticed the name of the program, downloader NOT Converter.

Well I am waiting for a couple of cataracts opperations, so that's my excuse. :-(

Controlled Chaos

Posted 14 years ago #
goodgotd
Member

Yeah, I saw the free vid downloader- but I had to work on it.

the link from 5 months ago sent me to SoftPedia, whose 'software homepage' link leads to a site that as far as I could see only had the iWisoft Flash/SWF to Video Converter and only a fine-print link to "iWisoft released freeware video converter (but cannot convert Flash SWF)" that only has *that one app* on it. I had to search for the link I posted that has all 3 free applications on it- iWisoft Flash/SWF to Video Converter, iWisoft Free Video Converter, and the iWisoft Free Video Downloader. it's like they wanted to bury the free stuff.

Still looking for the freeware list- FoxLingo does a good enough translation on the german text for XMedia Recode.

I best find it soon, don't wanna push this thread away from the subject. (too late, I know.)

Posted 14 years ago #
Bigun
Member

Thanks for mentioning Fubar's work on the help system for "3-D Text". On first and second reading I was unclear of the meaning of his post. You stirred my curiosity so I went back to the "3-D Text" download page and took another look at his comment. I downloaded the image that he mentioned. Like you, I was favorably impressed with his work. As mentioned, there have been more than just a few GOTD offerings would have been greatly benefited by a similar "help image".

I think that what irritated me the most concerning that day's offering was the long string of positive comments grouped together early in the download period. After reading all of the positive comments, I came to the conclusion that my first thoughts concerning the utility of the "3-D Text" program must be wrong. When I downloaded and started studying "3-D Text" I kept thinking over and over "where is the rest of the program"? I guess that I too can be swayed by trends on the comment page.

Posted 14 years ago #
Bigun
Member

My comment above was addressed to "graylox". I enjoyed the other comments as well.

I seem to be able to change a string by dropping a post - any post. The same thing happens when I go fishing. The line on my fishing reel always becomes tangled.

Posted 14 years ago #
Idunnobutiwastold
Gaming Acolyte

As Graylox mentioned earlier, this particular program is good for creating visuals very quickly. The program generates one effect which you can then incorporate into a larger project (like a slides presentation, a DTP document, or a video).
Here is an improvised example put together with the GOTD Giveaway and a pro-level bitmap editor:
http://i40.tinypic.com/214cwic.png

Posted 14 years ago #

RSS feed for this topic

Reply

You must log in to post.