Converting MacDraw Files
Did a conversion job today for a client who had some files on old Mac floppy disks, he needed them useable on his PC. There were an assortment of old Word and Excel documents, along with a few MacDraw & MacDraw II files that needed migration. I was able to use my trusty PowerBook G3 Wallstreet (Mac OS 9.2.2) for the task.
Not sure where the MacDraw like drawing application replacement is but never mind. The long life of Claris/Applework is both a reflection on the perceived dominance of Microsoft Office and a focus on Apple else where, but it is also interesting to note that is was always a very popular application all the way to its end because it was very.
Most people don’t need to manipulate their old drawings, just view and print them, so flat file formats tend to be fine. I typically create JPEG and TIFF files as the end product. The MacDraw Family knows nothing of these formats however, so some creativity is required.
MacDraw II can save documents as PICT files, the old Macintosh standard, in Black & White (1 bit) or Color (8 bit). These were all Black & White drawings, so I opened each file and saved to 1 bit PICT format.
Nov 15, 2016. I've heard good things about Intaglio as a MacDraw replacement. It is reportedly modeled on MacDraw. I've not used it though. But it claims to import MacDraw and is an universal binary as well. Six ‘18s signed onto this project and, in the fall of 2018, began to design and build a MacDraw replacement for Mac OS X. We called it DartDraw. We divided the project into three parts: ‑ Jean Zhou took on the task of decr ypng old MacDraw files for the purpose of imporng.
Next I use one of my favorite Mac Graphic Swiss Army Knives, Adobe Photoshop, to do further conversions. The WallStreet has v5.5 installed. I open each file, then do a Save As… to TIFF format. A dialog asks whether I want Mac or PC byte ordering, with a checkbox for LZW compression. Defaults are Mac format with LZW On. I always use this, and the resulting files have always worked fine on modern Macs and PCs. Photoshop adds the .tif file extension to the name automatically, a nice touch.
In order to save a copy as JPEG, one further step is required. The PICT file was Black & White, but JPEG requires Color or Greyscale – the JPEG option is currently dimmed in the Save As… dialog. Lame v3.99.3 for windows.exe audacity. No problem for The Shop, I convert the document to greyscale mode, no visible difference at all, and now I can Save As… to JPEG.
Macdraw Replacement
In the end, of the 4 formats (MacDraw, PICT, TIFF and JPEG) the JPEGs are the largest sized files. How’s that for progress!
Posted by Adam Rosen on August 21st, 2009 in Vintage Mac Museum Blog | 3 Comments »
The PowerPC Bows Out »
- I have several files (approx 25-30) from MacDraw II from about 20 years ago, that I’d love converted for use on a PC – I would settle to simply be able to open & print them (although editing them would be icing on the cake). Either PDF or some other file is fine. If I were to either e-mail or snail mail the files, would someone be willing to do this for a fee?
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MacDraw was the Mac’s first drawing program. The vector-based drawing program was based on LisaDraw, which had been created for Apple’s Lisa computer – both applications were produced by Mark Cutter. MacDraw was especially useful for technical drawing, such as floorplans and flowcharts.
MacDraw could be used in conjunction with MacWrite. You could open a drawing, copy it, and paste it into MacWrite.
MacDraw II was improved and also enhanced for the Mac II in 1988, and it became a Claris product at that time. It grew into MacDraw Pro in 1991.
In 1993, the program was renamed ClarisDraw, and the final version (1.0v4) runs without problems on later versions of the classic Mac OS as well as in Classic Mode on OS X 10.0 through 10.4.
MacDraw was discontinued in 1997 when Apple disbanded its Claris division.
Q: How can I open my MacDraw or ClarisDraw files?
A: There are several options, although some of these programs have been discontinued. You may be able to find older versions of some of these apps on eBay.
- EazyDraw 6.0.3 Retro, Mac OS X 10.4.3 and later, including Mavericks. G3 or later CPU. Only version of EazyDraw that can import MacDraw and ClarisDraw files. Newer versions available for OS X 10.6 and later. One license lets you download any version you need, even on multiple Macs. Free demo, $20 for 9 month license, $95 for full version download, $119 on media, $139 with manual.
- Intaglio 3.4.2, Mac OS X 10.3.9 and later, $89, free demo.
- MacDraft Pro 6.0, Mac OS X 10.4 and later, G5 or Intel CPU, $314.10
- ACD Canvas 15, Windows XP SP3 or later, $599, free 30-day trial. Originally developed by Deneba Systems for Macintosh. Windows version added with version 3.5. Version 8 was “carbonized” for OS X. Version 11 (2007) and later are Windows only. ACD is working on a Mac version of Canvas 15 for release in 2014.
- Freeverse Lineform 1.3.2, Mac OS X 10.3.9 or later, discontinued
Version History
Requirements are minimums.
![Macdraw Macdraw](https://image2.slideserve.com/4360056/slide37-l.jpg)
MacDraw 1.x, 1984
- requires Mac 128K, System 1.0
MacDraw II, 1988
- requires 1 MB RAM, Mac Plus, System 4.1
MacDrawPro, 1991
- requires 2 MB RAM, Mac Plus, System 6.0
ClarisDraw, 1993
- requires
Online Resources
Macdraw Replacement Os X
- MacDraw, Wikipedia
Keywords: #macdraw #clarisdraw
Macdraw Replacement
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searchword: macdraw