Vector Software for iPad

Community Laser Talk
#1

Hi again all,

I am looking for advice on any apps for iPad that might be good to do vector drawings with.

Currently I am using Vectornator (Knock off Illustrator) and like the app but there are some features that it just doesn’t have that I was wondering if anyone else had tips on.

I am more used to using AutoDesk & SolidWorks than Adobe and am hoping to find an app more like them for iPad. Mostly I find it frustrating that I can’t trim crossing lines in Vectornator and also can’t add dimensions (for things like radiused corners).

Any tips would be amazing! thank you all

P.s. I know I can just use my laptop and work on AutoDesk, but I do a lot of free hand images so using the Pencil on the iPad is a major plus.

#2

Have you looked at:

#3

I have, it looks like a god app, but no more useful than Vectornator. I would be happy to pay the £20 for an app but I can’t even trial it first, so I’m quite put off by that.

I really just want a Vector software where I can trim/extend lines and put radius in when there is a point

#4

LightBurn provides these vector node editing tools. Have you played with these to see if they meet your needs?

https://lightburnsoftware.github.io/NewDocs/EditNodes.html

LightBurn also provides a couple radius tools as well. One is in Shape Properties and another is on the ‘Modifier Tools’ toolbar.

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https://lightburnsoftware.github.io/NewDocs/ModifierTools.html#radiused-corners

#5

Good tip! I just started using Affinity Designer (on Windows) and I think I’m a convert from Inkscape. Still too soon to know for sure yet, but that’s where I’m spending my time these days.

@Timothy87, You can download a ‘demo’ version Affinity Designer on Windows or probably Mac and get full function for 30 days.

#6

Looks like they do not offer a trial for the iPad version.

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#7

Yeah, that’s what I was wondering when OP said he couldn’t try it out. I figured trying it on another system might help his decision.

#8

Have you looked at using Graphic app (autodesk)
https://graphic.com/ipad/
I have had it for years or two and is my on-the-go vector graphic program, i wish i had an apple pencil as it would be better than my fat fingers.

#9

Yes but they don’t have an iPad app. So I am trying to find a compromise so I don’t have to 1/2 do a design in one software then finish it on another

#10

I can see they do do try and be more technical than just a vector drawing app and allow you to dimention things. Can you trim intercecting lines and input radius like you can in AutoDesk?

#11

It works in reverse so you can input a radius then draw, you can use eraser tool to cut lines and then choose section to trim. Not as smooth as lightburn or other programs but can be done and the more you use it the easier it gets. Its decent for what i need, but now i take my microsoft surface with me so have coreldraw and ligtburn. It is as good as you can get towards coreldraw or illustrator you can get on a touch device as far as i am concerned, but using aple oencil woukd make it much easier than fingers which are not as accurate.

#12

This looks like a good app, I like that you can control a radius by pixel size (Rather then % which is what Vectornator dose) I still don’t see a Trim/Extend feature but I think I will try and work out how to better use Boolean to acheve this, it’s just a very different way of thinking from what I am used to with AutoDesk/SolidWorks. I will stick with Vectornator for now (Since it’s free and dose eveything else, just corners are annoying). Thank you for the tip though I will carry on reserching it anyway!

#13

Graphic at 10$ is the best illustrator/Inkscape like software out there and they have a macOS version as well so you can work on both.

But if you are looking for cad sw on ipad i strongly suggest ONSHAPE it’s free as long as all your files are public it is a web based cad design tools that also has a iOS app its quite impressive.

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#14

So on Graphic can you do a rough shape then go back and dimension it properly; with like angles and straight line distances? That’s all I really want to do and it just doesn’t seem graphic designers like to do this lol

ONSHAPE I agree is a fantastic software, very user friends and yea why should a hobbiests be bothered if there files are out there. Only problem is on the iPad you can’t create DXF files… So frustrating you have to use a laptop for that, and that’s the part I’m trying to avoid

#15

What if you sign onto the web version off a browser on your ipad that might work?