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I frequently need to produce graphics that have a combination of raster and vector elements to place into FrameMaker. We are using FrameMaker version 6. We have a system here that prevents us from installing any software on our computers, and we have to go through a lot of bureaucracy just to have anything installed that isn't already on the applications server. When I started working here, I was using Visio 5 with good results. I was able to grab a screen shot, edit it in Photoshop, save the raster file, then place that file into Visio, and add the vector bits to the drawing. I would generally save the Visio drawing to an .emf format, and the drawing would look great in both the printed version of FrameMaker and also in the .pdf and .html versions. Then IT upgraded us to Visio 2000, and now the drawings look horrible when saved to .emf and imported to FrameMaker (and the .pdf and .html that is generated from the FrameMaker file).
I either need to figure out how to fix the problem with Visio, which I've tried saving to different formats, with no success, or I need to request another drawing package, and go through the red tape.
I've requested that they reinstall Visio 5 on my system, but it was like pulling eye teeth. Even though this version of Visio resides on their application server, they tell me it is not supported. They begrudgingly installed it onto my computer, but yesterday, I discovered it was no longer functioning, which means they've probable come along and cleaned house.
So my query is in 2 parts:
1. Has anyone else run into this sort of problem, and if so, did you find any solution with using Visio 2000? Idealy, using Visio 2000 would be the best way to go.
2. What would you recommend to be the best drawing package for my needs? I've identified Adobe Illustrator, Corel Draw, and Canvas as possibilities. The main issue is it must be able to handle a mixture of raster and vector and produce decent output from it. It also has to have precision drawing tools. I need to be able to align things, trim, polylines, fills, text, use shapes, etc.
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