12 ms·

Sketch 3 released

212 points by jrnkntl 13y ago

jasonlotito 13y ago
It mentions it's for mobile design and talks in general terms, but I'm getting a sense it's limited to just iOS? Is there support for Android?
- andrewingram 13y ago
  It's just drawing software, you can use it to design whatever you like. But it does happen to come with some useful presets for iOS app design
- jrnkntl 13y ago
  The mobile design you do in Sketch is of course not limited to any platform. However, I think you're refering to the companion app Sketch Mirror [1] that shows live changes to your design on your phone; that one is iOS only. [1] http://bohemiancoding.com/sketch/features/#mirror http://bohemiancoding.com/sketch/features/#mirror
  - jasonlotito 13y ago
    I wasn't referring to Sketch Mirror, but Sketch itself. But thanks for the clarification. It just seemed very iOS centric, and while I understood Mirror was a specific feature itself, it reinforced the notion of iOS only. But thanks for clarifying. I'm glad I asked.
- bnt 13y ago
  Sketch Mirror, the app that let's you mirror the contents from Sketch (Mac) is iOS only, so in that sense you're limited to Apple devices. However, you can use Sketch to design anything from apps (desktop, mobile, web), websites to PDFs to PPT presentations.
- amimetic 13y ago
  Just tried Sketch 3: in some ways it is now even more iOS centric (now has iOS templates out of the box), but the multiple (export) resolution support is a major improvement for Android (previously it just offered 1x, 2x which was completely useless for Android). I've used Sketch 2 a lot for Android work; it is fantastic and I highly recommend it, though I wish they would give first class support to Android. However, I imagine the developers have to worry about how Apple might react (maybe less likely to get featured etc).
mengto 13y ago
Sketch is by far the best UI design application out there.
relix 13y ago
In case anyone else was looking for this: Sketch 3 is not a free upgrade like Sketch 2 was. If you bought Sketch 2 after March 31 you get Sketch 3. For everybody else, there's no upgrade license, you have to get the full version even if you own Sketch 2. The price is $50 until until April 21, then it'll be $80. Source: http://bohemiancoding.tumblr.com/post/82681566874/sketch-3-is-now-available http://bohemiancoding.tumblr.com/post/82681566874/sketch-3-i... For me the Mac app store (non US) still shows Sketch 2, so I'm assuming there's some caches that need to expire before everyone will be able to see it.
- entrode 13y ago
  Developers should start prorating upgrade costs instead of setting arbitrary cutoff dates for free upgrades to recent purchasers. So if you release V1 on Jan 1 2013 and I buy it July 2 2013, I should get the V2 you release Jan 1 2014 for half price. Likewise, someone who buys on Jan 31 2013 should get V2 for 11/12 full price, and someone who buys on Oct 1 2013 should get it for 1/4 full price, etc. This is in the developer's interest because it discourages people from waiting to buy if they expect a paid upgrade release soon and it leads to fewer requests for free upgrades from people who "just missed" the free upgrade window, for several values of "just missed." It's also just fair and nice.
  - angerman 13y ago
    That's basically a subscription model, no? Say USD80/12mo makes ~USD6.99/mo. I'm still not sure how I feel about renting software. Even though I feel that's where our industry is heading with the app stores and their restrictive pricing model.
    - arrrg 13y ago
      Well, the issue many people have with renting software is that they can’t continue using it after they stop paying. With what the grandparent proposed you wouldn’t have to upgrade, you could just continue using the old version.
    - entrode 13y ago
deleted 13y ago
[deleted]
TheBindingVoid 13y ago
Reusable Symbols like Fireworks! I really do hope they keep picking up the good parts of Fireworks and create a dedicated, high quality screen design tool. Because there is none at the moment.
kaivi 13y ago
Just downloaded the demo version and got this: http://cl.ly/image/161S1B0d1j3E http://cl.ly/image/161S1B0d1j3E Also, the App Store is still selling Sketch 2, nor is there anything about v3 on their website. How do I get the new version and the list of improvements?
- adoyle 13y ago
  I found v3 on the App Store by going to the Sketch 2 page and noticed "More by Bohemian Coding" on the right side had a link to the Sketch 3 app store page.
AhtiK 13y ago
Seems to be caching old version of the website for some locations. https://twitter.com/marciplan/status/455694272487251968/photo/1 https://twitter.com/marciplan/status/455694272487251968/phot... is how the new website must look like. I still get the old version regardless of how many times I refresh. Could someone with a new page post the itunes url for Sketch 3 so I can check the minimum reqs if it's still 10.7? (I'm on OS X 10.7.5 and not all apps support it these days..)
- arrrg 13y ago
  10.8 or later. https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/sketch/id852320343?mt=12 https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/sketch/id852320343?mt=12
coldcode 13y ago
I wonder if it still does the stupid duplicate functionality that S2 did which was totally unlike the past 30 years of drawing program functionality. I really wanted to like S2 but this turned me off from using it. I guess it will cost $49 to find out. I wish Apple would allow trial versions but I know why they don't. It doesn't matter to them.
- callahad 13y ago
  There's a big "Download Free Trial" button at the bottom of the page. Edit: Which includes version 2.4.3, rather than 3.0. Doh. Still, it looks like Bohemian does intend to offer a demo version.
  - arrrg 13y ago
    That button already downloaded version 3 for me, so it’s worth a try.
  - woodylondon 13y ago
    It looks to have been fixed, Just installed the 3.0 trial from their website. We have been evaluating a number of wireframing tools for iOS development over the last few weeks. Having only played for 3.0 for 20mins, along with this stencil > http://www.teehanlax.com/tools/iphone-sketch-app/ http://www.teehanlax.com/tools/iphone-sketch-app/ (just need them to convert to the new Stencil) its pretty good. Best I have found so far. I was about to start work with Omnigraffle which we had ended up with, but looks like I will be buying Sketch 3.0 end of today if no problems. We also tried Brief (http://giveabrief.com/ http://giveabrief.com/) which concept wise is amazing but its not ready for prime time yet. Photoshop was the other way, but unless you are a PS master just slow workflow.
    - coldcode 13y ago
      I like OG for a lot of simple things, but it's not really designed for fancy graphics but I do use it.
- arrrg 13y ago
seymores 13y ago
I am a big fan of Sketch. That said, I really hope they give some discount for upgrade.
- bratsche 13y ago
  It's already discounted right now. It's only $50. The normal price is already pretty reasonable at $80.
  - swombat 13y ago
    That's launch pricing, not upgrade pricing.
EC1 13y ago
I LOVE Sketch, but I the two issues I have with it are: First, text is buggy when at an extreme size: [1][2] To view it properly I have to resize or slightly move my canvas and it somehow "refreshes" the view. Second, there is a huge lack of support and little to no tutorials on Sketch. It's also hard to Google any problems because it's called... Sketch. I find it ridiculous I have to shell another $50 / $80 for a new version. Just give me an upgrade for $25. Also, for any iOS designers, I highly suggest buying Sketch mirror: [3] You can preview your designs live on your iOS device and move through different screens, live, while you design. This, and then using LiveReload to code mockups is super efficient and fun. [1] http://cl.ly/image/0g3y1w3i3Y3m http://cl.ly/image/0g3y1w3i3Y3m [2] http://cl.ly/image/3z3k0x2J151s http://cl.ly/image/3z3k0x2J151s [3] https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/sketch-mirror/id677296955?mt=8 https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/sketch-mirror/id677296955?mt...
- philgr 13y ago
  Astonishes me they couldn't even give 50% off as introductory price.
  - cerberusss 13y ago
    Why would it "astonish" you? There's probably a sound business reason behind it. It's a small software house, just some guys trying to make a living.
    - philgr 13y ago
      I was actually referring to the actual price ($80) and the introductory price ($50). Remember Coda 2? Everyone with Coda 1 had to pay 50% off to upgrade. "Half" is a common upgrade price, 62.5% isn't. This example may not convince you, but I'm sure you can find others more fit. Weeks before the release they had to reply tweets regarding if it would be a paid upgrade and they said "they would only know in the release". This bothered me the most, we could all be told previously that it would be a paid upgrade at least. Also, their reply doesn't sound like they had a solid business strategy at all. -- Of course, I already bought Sketch 3, it doesn't mean I can't be frustrated by how they handled the whole thing. I just hope they learn the lesson for Sketch 4.
psteinweber 13y ago
Useful app that I use in web design production a lot. I hope version 3 gets rid of some of the annoyances (e.g. weird behavious and crashes after long use). A more detailed changelog would be great. Most annoying thing hasn't changed though: the name. It makes it really hard to get relevant Google results when searching for bugs, features etc.. Adding "bohemian coding" helps sometimes, as does adding "app" (but less so). Would have liked to see "Bohemian Sketch" or "Sketch BC" or something alike. Let's complete my wishlist with a discount for upgraders (a.k.a. the biggest fans). Anyways, will very likely continue using it, no matter how it's called. And the price is still very competitive compared to Adobe's Photoshop and/or Illustrator.
- ollysb 13y ago
  Just in case you haven't seen it, http://bohemiancoding.com/sketch/whats-new/ http://bohemiancoding.com/sketch/whats-new/
  - psteinweber 13y ago
    I didn't, thanks!
pornel 13y ago
I'm disappointed that even modern applications have poor PNG compression. With pngquant (--quality=95) and ImageOptim I'm able to make Sketch's "Exported for web" files literally 3 times smaller.
- backwardm 13y ago
  I see the exact same with .png images exported (as web files) from Fireworks. The size reduction varies though—it's not always a 3x reduction with Fireworks. I'm guessing they are both storing a lot of non-image data inside the .png files even though I haven't peeled any of them open to see.
- balls187 13y ago
  How does pngquant compare to pngcrush? And are you not able add this as a build step?
  - pornel 13y ago
    pngquant & pngcrush >= pngcrush pngquant changes pixels in the image, which gives it freedom to make files much, much smaller than the completely lossless pngcrush can (60-70% vs 10-30%). pngquant-converted files can still be pngcrushed to make them even smaller. > are you not able add this as a build step? I am, but I think it's a shame that it's needed. I think users should be able to trust that their apps produce good output in the first place, and not need to hook up 3rd party tools to compress the files well.
    - spiralganglion 13y ago
      What ever happened to "Small tools that do one thing well"? ImageOptim is extremely well-known in the industry. I'd much rather the developers of my vector drawing tool focus on making a great vector drawing tool, and let [you] obsess over making the best image compression tools. It's not just as simple as just bundling pngquant into the export process. You also have to make an effective UI that implicitly explains to users, "You know that lossless PNG image format you love? Well, here's a slider to make it do lossy compression!" My preference would be, don't even have an Export For Web option. Or if you do have it, just make it link to ImageOptim! (Edit: Didn't realize who I was responding to. My team loves and lives by ImageOptim and ImageAlpha — thank you for them! Even if Sketch had better PNG export, we'd still be using your tools as part of our development process to deal with all the other programs that don't get it right.)
shawndumas 13y ago
Watch out! the link on the home page goes to the older version. I just bought the more expensive version 2 when. (In my excitement it never occurred to me that they didn't update the link and also I am a moron.) https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/1083020/sketch3.mp4 https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/1083020/sketch3.mp4 here is the correct link --> https://fnd.io/#/mac-app/852320343-sketch-3-by-bohemian-coding https://fnd.io/#/mac-app/852320343-sketch-3-by-bohemian-codi...
- lstamour 13y ago
  FYI, Apple does allow refunds for accidental purchases like this. IIRC, submit a "Problem with this order" under your account settings.
  - Reich 13y ago
    They sure do. You can also go to reportaproblem.apple.com to request a refund, for the record.
  - shawndumas 13y ago
    oh, I did that first thing (then bought the correct one) and I've already gotten the refund.
zeel 13y ago
They still haven't fixed the "Set Style as Default" bug for fills on the vector tool.
jasallen 13y ago
Anyone know if you can open a multiple artboard .ai file with Sketch? Well, it opened, but I can only see the first artboard. Hoping I'm missing an option somewhere?
- sushi 13y ago
  Export .ai files to PDF and then you can open it with Sketch.
mbrutsch 13y ago
Meh, Mac.
- josefresco 13y ago
  While your brief comment will probably be downvoted to oblivion I too am wishing there was a Sketch for Windows. With Fireworks being canned, I'm worried about what tool I'll use next for web design.
  - drivingmenuts 13y ago
    "Fireworks being canned" what?!?!?
    - camus2 13y ago
      Fireworks is being discontinued http://thenextweb.com/dd/2013/05/06/yes-adobe-is-killing-fireworks-only-plans-security-updates-and-bug-fixes/ http://thenextweb.com/dd/2013/05/06/yes-adobe-is-killing-fir...
    - coldtea 13y ago
      Fireworks has been killed. Since like a year or so. Adobe just still offers CS6, to eventually kill, and has never upgraded it to CC. http://blogs.adobe.com/fireworks/2013/05/the-future-of-adobe-fireworks.html http://blogs.adobe.com/fireworks/2013/05/the-future-of-adobe...
- welly 13y ago
  "Meh, Mac"? What are you, 12?
  - mbrutsch 13y ago
    I am someone who does not get excited about software that's limited to a platform I don't use.
    - 13y ago
pawelkomarnicki 13y ago
Pah, another iterative upgrade with a hefty price tag...
- gress 13y ago
  $50 is hefty?
  - coldtea 13y ago
    For a non professional who has no business need for the tool, yes. Then again, those are not the target market.
    - gress 13y ago
      If you have no business need for the tool, then it is presumably for hobby or entertainment use. So it is comparable with entertainment products or other professional tools used by hobbyists. $50 doesn't buy many hours of entertainment in movies. Video games are better value for money. Fishing rods, woodworking tools, knitting supplies. Compared to these things $50 seems like a low end expense. What were you comparing it to?
      - cerberusss 13y ago
        Thanks, great comment. I have to admit I'm a bit disappointed when a small company brings out a great software product, and I find a topic with lots of complaints related to its price.
  - pawelkomarnicki 13y ago
    Yes, it is hefty, because I already paid for Sketch 2 and I still remember the time when Apple was peacocking that "buying from the AppStore you get the future updates for free"
    - gress 13y ago
      I'd be curious to know if you have a citation showing that Apple ever made this claim.
SneakerXZ 13y ago
How does Sketch compare to Photoshop for web design and mobile design?
- shawnc 13y ago
  It's incomparable - in that Sketch is far better prepared for it. Photoshop has never been aimed at that, any the ways people make it happen are sort of 'hacks' they discovered to get to what they need to do. Sketch has been developed from the ground up as a Screen design tool, and it shows.
- matthewking 13y ago
  Sketch is more of a replacement for Fireworks than Photoshop, as in its purely a vector design tool and therefore much better suited to web design. I never really understood why so many people used Photoshop for that task. If you're looking for a replacement for Photoshop though id recommend Pixelmator.
_zen 13y ago
Do Pixelmator and Sketch 3 complement one another? I already use Pixelmator and love it. Unless mistaken, Pixelmator is like Adobe Photoshop and Sketch 3 is like Adobe Illustrator?
- leemcalilly 13y ago
  I'm wondering the same thing. Is Pixelmator + Sketch the best indie alternative to Photoshop + Illustrator?
  - coldcode 13y ago
    Probably. Pixelmator is awesome but drawing objects with it is still not great.
  - mortenjorck 13y ago
    If you're looking for something to use for more traditional Illustrator purposes (graphics, identity design, illustration), you might want to look into iDraw, which is less UI-focused than Sketch, though both are quite powerful indie Illustrator replacements. Pixelmator makes sense if you're actually working with photos, but just like Photoshop, I wouldn't recommend it for UI design.
  - backwardm 13y ago
    I think Pixelmator is an excellent replacement for Photoshop, but right now Sketch is more of a replacement for Fireworks than Illustrator in my experience.
- chaostheory 13y ago
  Can Pixelmator actually do smudging now? It's the main that kept me with GIMP instead.
  - mattjaynes 13y ago
    Yep: http://www.pixelmator.com/tutorials/retouching/smudge-tool/ http://www.pixelmator.com/tutorials/retouching/smudge-tool/
leemcalilly 13y ago
Is this a good replacement for Illustrator? I need something that allows me to edit and create vector logos, etc. The other option I'm looking at is iDraw.
- lukeholder 13y ago
  very good replacement and deceptively advanced.
chestnut-tree 13y ago
I've always wanted to try Sketch after reading so much positive praise. But I'm on Windows and I doubt the Sketch team have the resources (or interest) in producing a Windows version. For those of us on Windows looking for an alternative to Adobe Illustrator, here are two possibilities. Neither of these match Illustrator feature-for-feature, but they're perfectly capable for designing interfaces or web graphics. Inkscape: free, open source and cross-platform (Windows/Mac/Linux). It holds up well against Illustrator and can produce professional-looking results. If you're familiar with other vector drawing apps, the interface won't feel too intimidating. If you're a complete newbie, it might take a little while to learn the interface. Downsides: It doesn't do multi page layouts (not an issue for everyone). It doesn't feel like a native windows app and can be slow at times with large or complex drawings. Some of the dialogs are cluttered and not always clearly laid out. There are tutorials on the web (and books) but nowhere near the volume you'll find for Illustrator. http://www.inkscape.org/en/ http://www.inkscape.org/en/ Xara Photo and Graphics designer: Windows only ($90/£70). This is fast (faster than Illustrator) and well featured. The interface in my opinion is better than Illustrator in many respects. For example, to add a drop shadow, simply drag out a shadow from a shape. In Illustrator, it's done non-interactively via a modal pop-up dialog box. You can create multi page layouts (much easier than Illustrator's clumsy artboard management). Downsides: like inkscape, it has an enthusiastic community of users but nowhere near the number of learning resources as Illustrator. It produces anti-aliased images but for web graphics this can sometimes be problematic because the anti-aliasing is applied to straight lines too (so you sometimes get slightly blurry straight edges rather than crisp ones). Illustrator has solved this with its "align to pixel grid" option. There is a free trial of the program available http://www.xara.com/uk/photo-graphic-designer/ http://www.xara.com/uk/photo-graphic-designer/
- tillinghast 13y ago
  There's really no "I doubt…" about it. From the FAQ: "Is Sketch available for Windows or Linux Sketch relies on a lot of technology that is exclusive to OS X and the fact that no other OS provide a clear business model for software development, we're not considering supporting it." http://bohemiancoding.com/sketch/support/faq/02-general/5-windows.html http://bohemiancoding.com/sketch/support/faq/02-general/5-wi...
1st1 13y ago
One thing I was expecting to see fixed in the next major Sketch version is accuracy of resizing vector shapes. Suppose I have a big vector icon (or outlined text-logo), and want to scale it down. When I do this in Sketch, the scaled down version looks crippled.
- sponno 13y ago
  Use the scale button to resize vectors to a radically different size. It will resize you borders and shadows correctly. Or Edit > Scale. By default you don't want you shape boarder size changing when you resize. So sketch uses the scale button to fix this. Awesome.
betadreamer 13y ago
For those of you who have the latest Sketch2, here are the major improvements: 1) Symbols - Group of objects that will sync. Although I prefer Unity3D's prefab approach, it will be useful. 2) Export tool is soo much better. Especially multiple size format. No longer just 1x or 2x. 3) Bitmap editing. No longer have to open PS for cropping/editing. 4) Vector modes is in UI. No more click/trial/error. There are other small ones but these are the main advantages. In my opinion if you are a professional its definitely worth an upgrade. But for hobbyist like me, these new features are not worth the jump.
- Tloewald 13y ago
  Another example where the lack of upgrade-pricing in the App Store is infuriating. I'd cheerfully pay a $20 upgrade fee, but it's a tad much to pay more than I paid for the original app for some minor UI enhancements.
- mortenjorck 13y ago
  2) Export tool is soo much better. Especially multiple size format. No longer just 1x or 2x. This finally makes Sketch a viable tool for Android design as well.
DigitalSea 13y ago
One of the very few and highly rare occasions I am jealous of Mac users. As a Windows user who used to religiously use Adobe Fireworks for all facets of web design, I am very jealous that Mac users have a decent alternative to Fireworks after it was discontinued last year. I think there is a big gap in the market for a company (whether that be Bohemian Coding or not) to create a program like Sketch for Windows. I read somewhere a little while ago that there won't be a Sketch for Windows any time soon, but still holding on to the hope that one day there'll be something at least like it for Windows. Sketch 3 looks fantastic.
hit8run 13y ago
Aaaaaaaand BOUGHT :D
dogduty 13y ago
Please stop complaining about having to pay $50 for an upgrade. That wouldn't even get you 2 months adobe subscription. Nobody is forcing you to upgrade.
greggman 13y ago
I just checked out Sketch. I suppose I should give it the benefit of the doubt but ... First thing I did was change a font on the intro doc. 2 other places changed (that was the point). Then picked Undo. It only undid my change, not the 2 others that it auto applied. Next thing I did was open the iOS Icon template. I made a circle, set it to gradient fill, dragged the handle of the fill direction, got residual garbage all over. http://imgur.com/ucl4aVF http://imgur.com/ucl4aVF Not a good first impression. Should I be more forgiving?
- lukeholder 13y ago
  I have not seen those issues and i am a long time user, file a bug report, they are quick to fix things like this.
lza 12y ago
Well I don't qualify for the free upgrade and I don't know if I want to pay for it. The fact is that Sketch 2 is a buggy mess!! I sent a bunch of bug reports to them and all they were saying I'll like the next major release and it will be fixed. Don't waste your time with Sketch just download Inkscape and you'll be good to go. I am probably moving back to it as well.

212 points by jrnkntl 13y ago

It mentions it's for mobile design and talks in general terms, but I'm getting a sense it's limited to just iOS? Is there support for Android?

andrewingram 13y ago
It's just drawing software, you can use it to design whatever you like. But it does happen to come with some useful presets for iOS app design
jrnkntl 13y ago
The mobile design you do in Sketch is of course not limited to any platform. However, I think you're refering to the companion app Sketch Mirror [1] that shows live changes to your design on your phone; that one is iOS only. [1] http://bohemiancoding.com/sketch/features/#mirror http://bohemiancoding.com/sketch/features/#mirror
- jasonlotito 13y ago
  I wasn't referring to Sketch Mirror, but Sketch itself. But thanks for the clarification. It just seemed very iOS centric, and while I understood Mirror was a specific feature itself, it reinforced the notion of iOS only. But thanks for clarifying. I'm glad I asked.
bnt 13y ago
Sketch Mirror, the app that let's you mirror the contents from Sketch (Mac) is iOS only, so in that sense you're limited to Apple devices. However, you can use Sketch to design anything from apps (desktop, mobile, web), websites to PDFs to PPT presentations.
amimetic 13y ago
Just tried Sketch 3: in some ways it is now even more iOS centric (now has iOS templates out of the box), but the multiple (export) resolution support is a major improvement for Android (previously it just offered 1x, 2x which was completely useless for Android). I've used Sketch 2 a lot for Android work; it is fantastic and I highly recommend it, though I wish they would give first class support to Android. However, I imagine the developers have to worry about how Apple might react (maybe less likely to get featured etc).

mengto 13y ago

Sketch is by far the best UI design application out there.

relix 13y ago

In case anyone else was looking for this: Sketch 3 is not a free upgrade like Sketch 2 was. If you bought Sketch 2 after March 31 you get Sketch 3. For everybody else, there's no upgrade license, you have to get the full version even if you own Sketch 2. The price is $50 until until April 21, then it'll be $80. Source: http://bohemiancoding.tumblr.com/post/82681566874/sketch-3-is-now-available http://bohemiancoding.tumblr.com/post/82681566874/sketch-3-i... For me the Mac app store (non US) still shows Sketch 2, so I'm assuming there's some caches that need to expire before everyone will be able to see it.

entrode 13y ago
Developers should start prorating upgrade costs instead of setting arbitrary cutoff dates for free upgrades to recent purchasers. So if you release V1 on Jan 1 2013 and I buy it July 2 2013, I should get the V2 you release Jan 1 2014 for half price. Likewise, someone who buys on Jan 31 2013 should get V2 for 11/12 full price, and someone who buys on Oct 1 2013 should get it for 1/4 full price, etc. This is in the developer's interest because it discourages people from waiting to buy if they expect a paid upgrade release soon and it leads to fewer requests for free upgrades from people who "just missed" the free upgrade window, for several values of "just missed." It's also just fair and nice.
- angerman 13y ago
  That's basically a subscription model, no? Say USD80/12mo makes ~USD6.99/mo. I'm still not sure how I feel about renting software. Even though I feel that's where our industry is heading with the app stores and their restrictive pricing model.
  - arrrg 13y ago
    Well, the issue many people have with renting software is that they can’t continue using it after they stop paying. With what the grandparent proposed you wouldn’t have to upgrade, you could just continue using the old version.
  - entrode 13y ago

deleted 13y ago

[deleted]

TheBindingVoid 13y ago

Reusable Symbols like Fireworks! I really do hope they keep picking up the good parts of Fireworks and create a dedicated, high quality screen design tool. Because there is none at the moment.

kaivi 13y ago

Just downloaded the demo version and got this: http://cl.ly/image/161S1B0d1j3E http://cl.ly/image/161S1B0d1j3E Also, the App Store is still selling Sketch 2, nor is there anything about v3 on their website. How do I get the new version and the list of improvements?

adoyle 13y ago
I found v3 on the App Store by going to the Sketch 2 page and noticed "More by Bohemian Coding" on the right side had a link to the Sketch 3 app store page.

AhtiK 13y ago

Seems to be caching old version of the website for some locations. https://twitter.com/marciplan/status/455694272487251968/photo/1 https://twitter.com/marciplan/status/455694272487251968/phot... is how the new website must look like. I still get the old version regardless of how many times I refresh. Could someone with a new page post the itunes url for Sketch 3 so I can check the minimum reqs if it's still 10.7? (I'm on OS X 10.7.5 and not all apps support it these days..)

arrrg 13y ago
10.8 or later. https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/sketch/id852320343?mt=12 https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/sketch/id852320343?mt=12

coldcode 13y ago

I wonder if it still does the stupid duplicate functionality that S2 did which was totally unlike the past 30 years of drawing program functionality. I really wanted to like S2 but this turned me off from using it. I guess it will cost $49 to find out. I wish Apple would allow trial versions but I know why they don't. It doesn't matter to them.

callahad 13y ago
There's a big "Download Free Trial" button at the bottom of the page. Edit: Which includes version 2.4.3, rather than 3.0. Doh. Still, it looks like Bohemian does intend to offer a demo version.
- arrrg 13y ago
  That button already downloaded version 3 for me, so it’s worth a try.
- woodylondon 13y ago
  It looks to have been fixed, Just installed the 3.0 trial from their website. We have been evaluating a number of wireframing tools for iOS development over the last few weeks. Having only played for 3.0 for 20mins, along with this stencil > http://www.teehanlax.com/tools/iphone-sketch-app/ http://www.teehanlax.com/tools/iphone-sketch-app/ (just need them to convert to the new Stencil) its pretty good. Best I have found so far. I was about to start work with Omnigraffle which we had ended up with, but looks like I will be buying Sketch 3.0 end of today if no problems. We also tried Brief (http://giveabrief.com/ http://giveabrief.com/) which concept wise is amazing but its not ready for prime time yet. Photoshop was the other way, but unless you are a PS master just slow workflow.
  - coldcode 13y ago
    I like OG for a lot of simple things, but it's not really designed for fancy graphics but I do use it.
arrrg 13y ago

seymores 13y ago

I am a big fan of Sketch. That said, I really hope they give some discount for upgrade.

bratsche 13y ago
It's already discounted right now. It's only $50. The normal price is already pretty reasonable at $80.
- swombat 13y ago
  That's launch pricing, not upgrade pricing.

EC1 13y ago

I LOVE Sketch, but I the two issues I have with it are: First, text is buggy when at an extreme size: [1][2] To view it properly I have to resize or slightly move my canvas and it somehow "refreshes" the view. Second, there is a huge lack of support and little to no tutorials on Sketch. It's also hard to Google any problems because it's called... Sketch. I find it ridiculous I have to shell another $50 / $80 for a new version. Just give me an upgrade for $25. Also, for any iOS designers, I highly suggest buying Sketch mirror: [3] You can preview your designs live on your iOS device and move through different screens, live, while you design. This, and then using LiveReload to code mockups is super efficient and fun. [1] http://cl.ly/image/0g3y1w3i3Y3m http://cl.ly/image/0g3y1w3i3Y3m [2] http://cl.ly/image/3z3k0x2J151s http://cl.ly/image/3z3k0x2J151s [3] https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/sketch-mirror/id677296955?mt=8 https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/sketch-mirror/id677296955?mt...

philgr 13y ago
Astonishes me they couldn't even give 50% off as introductory price.
- cerberusss 13y ago
  Why would it "astonish" you? There's probably a sound business reason behind it. It's a small software house, just some guys trying to make a living.
  - philgr 13y ago
    I was actually referring to the actual price ($80) and the introductory price ($50). Remember Coda 2? Everyone with Coda 1 had to pay 50% off to upgrade. "Half" is a common upgrade price, 62.5% isn't. This example may not convince you, but I'm sure you can find others more fit. Weeks before the release they had to reply tweets regarding if it would be a paid upgrade and they said "they would only know in the release". This bothered me the most, we could all be told previously that it would be a paid upgrade at least. Also, their reply doesn't sound like they had a solid business strategy at all. -- Of course, I already bought Sketch 3, it doesn't mean I can't be frustrated by how they handled the whole thing. I just hope they learn the lesson for Sketch 4.

psteinweber 13y ago

Useful app that I use in web design production a lot. I hope version 3 gets rid of some of the annoyances (e.g. weird behavious and crashes after long use). A more detailed changelog would be great. Most annoying thing hasn't changed though: the name. It makes it really hard to get relevant Google results when searching for bugs, features etc.. Adding "bohemian coding" helps sometimes, as does adding "app" (but less so). Would have liked to see "Bohemian Sketch" or "Sketch BC" or something alike. Let's complete my wishlist with a discount for upgraders (a.k.a. the biggest fans). Anyways, will very likely continue using it, no matter how it's called. And the price is still very competitive compared to Adobe's Photoshop and/or Illustrator.

ollysb 13y ago
Just in case you haven't seen it, http://bohemiancoding.com/sketch/whats-new/ http://bohemiancoding.com/sketch/whats-new/
- psteinweber 13y ago
  I didn't, thanks!

pornel 13y ago

I'm disappointed that even modern applications have poor PNG compression. With pngquant (--quality=95) and ImageOptim I'm able to make Sketch's "Exported for web" files literally 3 times smaller.

backwardm 13y ago
I see the exact same with .png images exported (as web files) from Fireworks. The size reduction varies though—it's not always a 3x reduction with Fireworks. I'm guessing they are both storing a lot of non-image data inside the .png files even though I haven't peeled any of them open to see.
balls187 13y ago
How does pngquant compare to pngcrush? And are you not able add this as a build step?
- pornel 13y ago
  pngquant & pngcrush >= pngcrush pngquant changes pixels in the image, which gives it freedom to make files much, much smaller than the completely lossless pngcrush can (60-70% vs 10-30%). pngquant-converted files can still be pngcrushed to make them even smaller. > are you not able add this as a build step? I am, but I think it's a shame that it's needed. I think users should be able to trust that their apps produce good output in the first place, and not need to hook up 3rd party tools to compress the files well.
  - spiralganglion 13y ago
    What ever happened to "Small tools that do one thing well"? ImageOptim is extremely well-known in the industry. I'd much rather the developers of my vector drawing tool focus on making a great vector drawing tool, and let [you] obsess over making the best image compression tools. It's not just as simple as just bundling pngquant into the export process. You also have to make an effective UI that implicitly explains to users, "You know that lossless PNG image format you love? Well, here's a slider to make it do lossy compression!" My preference would be, don't even have an Export For Web option. Or if you do have it, just make it link to ImageOptim! (Edit: Didn't realize who I was responding to. My team loves and lives by ImageOptim and ImageAlpha — thank you for them! Even if Sketch had better PNG export, we'd still be using your tools as part of our development process to deal with all the other programs that don't get it right.)

shawndumas 13y ago

Watch out! the link on the home page goes to the older version. I just bought the more expensive version 2 when. (In my excitement it never occurred to me that they didn't update the link and also I am a moron.) https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/1083020/sketch3.mp4 https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/1083020/sketch3.mp4 here is the correct link --> https://fnd.io/#/mac-app/852320343-sketch-3-by-bohemian-coding https://fnd.io/#/mac-app/852320343-sketch-3-by-bohemian-codi...

lstamour 13y ago
FYI, Apple does allow refunds for accidental purchases like this. IIRC, submit a "Problem with this order" under your account settings.
- Reich 13y ago
  They sure do. You can also go to reportaproblem.apple.com to request a refund, for the record.
- shawndumas 13y ago
  oh, I did that first thing (then bought the correct one) and I've already gotten the refund.

zeel 13y ago

They still haven't fixed the "Set Style as Default" bug for fills on the vector tool.

jasallen 13y ago

Anyone know if you can open a multiple artboard .ai file with Sketch? Well, it opened, but I can only see the first artboard. Hoping I'm missing an option somewhere?

sushi 13y ago
Export .ai files to PDF and then you can open it with Sketch.

mbrutsch 13y ago

Meh, Mac.

josefresco 13y ago
While your brief comment will probably be downvoted to oblivion I too am wishing there was a Sketch for Windows. With Fireworks being canned, I'm worried about what tool I'll use next for web design.
- drivingmenuts 13y ago
  "Fireworks being canned" what?!?!?
  - camus2 13y ago
    Fireworks is being discontinued http://thenextweb.com/dd/2013/05/06/yes-adobe-is-killing-fireworks-only-plans-security-updates-and-bug-fixes/ http://thenextweb.com/dd/2013/05/06/yes-adobe-is-killing-fir...
  - coldtea 13y ago
    Fireworks has been killed. Since like a year or so. Adobe just still offers CS6, to eventually kill, and has never upgraded it to CC. http://blogs.adobe.com/fireworks/2013/05/the-future-of-adobe-fireworks.html http://blogs.adobe.com/fireworks/2013/05/the-future-of-adobe...
welly 13y ago
"Meh, Mac"? What are you, 12?
- mbrutsch 13y ago
  I am someone who does not get excited about software that's limited to a platform I don't use.
  - 13y ago

pawelkomarnicki 13y ago

Pah, another iterative upgrade with a hefty price tag...

gress 13y ago
$50 is hefty?
- coldtea 13y ago
  For a non professional who has no business need for the tool, yes. Then again, those are not the target market.
  - gress 13y ago
    If you have no business need for the tool, then it is presumably for hobby or entertainment use. So it is comparable with entertainment products or other professional tools used by hobbyists. $50 doesn't buy many hours of entertainment in movies. Video games are better value for money. Fishing rods, woodworking tools, knitting supplies. Compared to these things $50 seems like a low end expense. What were you comparing it to?
    - cerberusss 13y ago
      Thanks, great comment. I have to admit I'm a bit disappointed when a small company brings out a great software product, and I find a topic with lots of complaints related to its price.
- pawelkomarnicki 13y ago
  Yes, it is hefty, because I already paid for Sketch 2 and I still remember the time when Apple was peacocking that "buying from the AppStore you get the future updates for free"
  - gress 13y ago
    I'd be curious to know if you have a citation showing that Apple ever made this claim.

SneakerXZ 13y ago

How does Sketch compare to Photoshop for web design and mobile design?

shawnc 13y ago
It's incomparable - in that Sketch is far better prepared for it. Photoshop has never been aimed at that, any the ways people make it happen are sort of 'hacks' they discovered to get to what they need to do. Sketch has been developed from the ground up as a Screen design tool, and it shows.
matthewking 13y ago
Sketch is more of a replacement for Fireworks than Photoshop, as in its purely a vector design tool and therefore much better suited to web design. I never really understood why so many people used Photoshop for that task. If you're looking for a replacement for Photoshop though id recommend Pixelmator.

_zen 13y ago

Do Pixelmator and Sketch 3 complement one another? I already use Pixelmator and love it. Unless mistaken, Pixelmator is like Adobe Photoshop and Sketch 3 is like Adobe Illustrator?

leemcalilly 13y ago
I'm wondering the same thing. Is Pixelmator + Sketch the best indie alternative to Photoshop + Illustrator?
- coldcode 13y ago
  Probably. Pixelmator is awesome but drawing objects with it is still not great.
- mortenjorck 13y ago
  If you're looking for something to use for more traditional Illustrator purposes (graphics, identity design, illustration), you might want to look into iDraw, which is less UI-focused than Sketch, though both are quite powerful indie Illustrator replacements. Pixelmator makes sense if you're actually working with photos, but just like Photoshop, I wouldn't recommend it for UI design.
- backwardm 13y ago
  I think Pixelmator is an excellent replacement for Photoshop, but right now Sketch is more of a replacement for Fireworks than Illustrator in my experience.
chaostheory 13y ago
Can Pixelmator actually do smudging now? It's the main that kept me with GIMP instead.
- mattjaynes 13y ago
  Yep: http://www.pixelmator.com/tutorials/retouching/smudge-tool/ http://www.pixelmator.com/tutorials/retouching/smudge-tool/

leemcalilly 13y ago

Is this a good replacement for Illustrator? I need something that allows me to edit and create vector logos, etc. The other option I'm looking at is iDraw.

lukeholder 13y ago
very good replacement and deceptively advanced.

chestnut-tree 13y ago

I've always wanted to try Sketch after reading so much positive praise. But I'm on Windows and I doubt the Sketch team have the resources (or interest) in producing a Windows version. For those of us on Windows looking for an alternative to Adobe Illustrator, here are two possibilities. Neither of these match Illustrator feature-for-feature, but they're perfectly capable for designing interfaces or web graphics. Inkscape: free, open source and cross-platform (Windows/Mac/Linux). It holds up well against Illustrator and can produce professional-looking results. If you're familiar with other vector drawing apps, the interface won't feel too intimidating. If you're a complete newbie, it might take a little while to learn the interface. Downsides: It doesn't do multi page layouts (not an issue for everyone). It doesn't feel like a native windows app and can be slow at times with large or complex drawings. Some of the dialogs are cluttered and not always clearly laid out. There are tutorials on the web (and books) but nowhere near the volume you'll find for Illustrator. http://www.inkscape.org/en/ http://www.inkscape.org/en/ Xara Photo and Graphics designer: Windows only ($90/£70). This is fast (faster than Illustrator) and well featured. The interface in my opinion is better than Illustrator in many respects. For example, to add a drop shadow, simply drag out a shadow from a shape. In Illustrator, it's done non-interactively via a modal pop-up dialog box. You can create multi page layouts (much easier than Illustrator's clumsy artboard management). Downsides: like inkscape, it has an enthusiastic community of users but nowhere near the number of learning resources as Illustrator. It produces anti-aliased images but for web graphics this can sometimes be problematic because the anti-aliasing is applied to straight lines too (so you sometimes get slightly blurry straight edges rather than crisp ones). Illustrator has solved this with its "align to pixel grid" option. There is a free trial of the program available http://www.xara.com/uk/photo-graphic-designer/ http://www.xara.com/uk/photo-graphic-designer/

tillinghast 13y ago
There's really no "I doubt…" about it. From the FAQ: "Is Sketch available for Windows or Linux Sketch relies on a lot of technology that is exclusive to OS X and the fact that no other OS provide a clear business model for software development, we're not considering supporting it." http://bohemiancoding.com/sketch/support/faq/02-general/5-windows.html http://bohemiancoding.com/sketch/support/faq/02-general/5-wi...

1st1 13y ago

One thing I was expecting to see fixed in the next major Sketch version is accuracy of resizing vector shapes. Suppose I have a big vector icon (or outlined text-logo), and want to scale it down. When I do this in Sketch, the scaled down version looks crippled.

sponno 13y ago
Use the scale button to resize vectors to a radically different size. It will resize you borders and shadows correctly. Or Edit > Scale. By default you don't want you shape boarder size changing when you resize. So sketch uses the scale button to fix this. Awesome.

betadreamer 13y ago

For those of you who have the latest Sketch2, here are the major improvements: 1) Symbols - Group of objects that will sync. Although I prefer Unity3D's prefab approach, it will be useful. 2) Export tool is soo much better. Especially multiple size format. No longer just 1x or 2x. 3) Bitmap editing. No longer have to open PS for cropping/editing. 4) Vector modes is in UI. No more click/trial/error. There are other small ones but these are the main advantages. In my opinion if you are a professional its definitely worth an upgrade. But for hobbyist like me, these new features are not worth the jump.

Tloewald 13y ago
Another example where the lack of upgrade-pricing in the App Store is infuriating. I'd cheerfully pay a $20 upgrade fee, but it's a tad much to pay more than I paid for the original app for some minor UI enhancements.
mortenjorck 13y ago
2) Export tool is soo much better. Especially multiple size format. No longer just 1x or 2x. This finally makes Sketch a viable tool for Android design as well.

DigitalSea 13y ago

One of the very few and highly rare occasions I am jealous of Mac users. As a Windows user who used to religiously use Adobe Fireworks for all facets of web design, I am very jealous that Mac users have a decent alternative to Fireworks after it was discontinued last year. I think there is a big gap in the market for a company (whether that be Bohemian Coding or not) to create a program like Sketch for Windows. I read somewhere a little while ago that there won't be a Sketch for Windows any time soon, but still holding on to the hope that one day there'll be something at least like it for Windows. Sketch 3 looks fantastic.

hit8run 13y ago

Aaaaaaaand BOUGHT :D

dogduty 13y ago

Please stop complaining about having to pay $50 for an upgrade. That wouldn't even get you 2 months adobe subscription. Nobody is forcing you to upgrade.

greggman 13y ago

I just checked out Sketch. I suppose I should give it the benefit of the doubt but ... First thing I did was change a font on the intro doc. 2 other places changed (that was the point). Then picked Undo. It only undid my change, not the 2 others that it auto applied. Next thing I did was open the iOS Icon template. I made a circle, set it to gradient fill, dragged the handle of the fill direction, got residual garbage all over. http://imgur.com/ucl4aVF http://imgur.com/ucl4aVF Not a good first impression. Should I be more forgiving?

lukeholder 13y ago
I have not seen those issues and i am a long time user, file a bug report, they are quick to fix things like this.

lza 12y ago

Well I don't qualify for the free upgrade and I don't know if I want to pay for it. The fact is that Sketch 2 is a buggy mess!! I sent a bunch of bug reports to them and all they were saying I'll like the next major release and it will be fixed. Don't waste your time with Sketch just download Inkscape and you'll be good to go. I am probably moving back to it as well.