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Microsoft PhotoDraw

Developer(s)	Microsoft
Stable release	2.0 / December 31, 1999
Development status	Discontinued
Operating system	Microsoft Windows
Type	Vector graphics editor
License	Proprietary
Website	[1]

Microsoft PhotoDraw 2000 is a vector graphics and raster imaging software package developed by Microsoft. PhotoDraw fills a hole in the Office productivity suite, which includes software programs for word processing, spreadsheet, presentation and alike, but lacks a capable image creation and editing program. Office 97-2002 typically included Microsoft Photo Editor, a lightweight bitmap editor.

  History

  Microsoft PhotoDraw 2000

Microsoft PhotoDraw 2000 was released in 1999 along with Microsoft Office 2000 Premium and Developer, but came separately on 2 CDs. It developed from the Picture It! 2.0 engine's .MIX format and expanded further into vector imaging technology. It required a separate installation from the main installer for the core Office suite, and was also released as a stand-alone product as part of Microsoft's Graphics Studio line of products (Greetings, etc.).

  Microsoft PhotoDraw 2000 Version 2

Microsoft released the subsequent version called Microsoft PhotoDraw 2000 Version 2 to General Availability on December 31, 1999.

  PhotoDraw Release Vehicles

PhotoDraw 2000 shipped via these release vehicles

• A standalone packaged product composed of 3 CDs.
• As part of Office 2000 Premium (CD 3 and CD4)
• As part of Office 2000 Developer (CD 3 and CD4)

PhotoDraw 2000 Version 2 shipped via these release vehicles

• A standalone packaged product composed of 3 CDs.
• As part of Office 2000 Premium SR-1 (CD 3 and CD4)
• As part of Office 2000 Developer SR-1 (CD 3 and CD4)

  Relationship to the Office Suite

Both versions of PhotoDraw were branded "Microsoft Office Application," and considered a "member of the family," as were other Microsoft applications (most notably Publisher) at the time.

  Discontinuation

After PhotoDraw 2000 Version 2 was released, Microsoft discontinued the program.

  Purpose and features

PhotoDraw is a full-featured dual-type (vector and bitmap) graphics software application like Adobe Fireworks, developed for semiprofessional business use. It includes a vast library of clip-art, and a good collection of additional fonts.

As positioned mainly as an MS Office family companion and a business graphical solution suite, it was not useful enough for home users, who are more interested in manipulating digital pictures - which are bitmaps - than creating vector graphics. Microsoft has responded by bundling Windows Picture and Fax Viewer with Windows XP, developing Microsoft Picture It!, as well as creating Microsoft Office Picture Manager for Microsoft Office 2003 to expand on Microsoft Photo Editor. Furthermore, PhotoDraw was also not good enough to challenge Illustrator, the de facto standard for graphics professionals.

  File Format Support

PhotoDraw's native file format is .MIX.

Photodraw can open files in these file formats:

• PhotoDraw 2000 Version 2 Format (*.MIX)
• PhotoDraw 2000 Version 1 Format (*.MIX)
• AutoCad Format 2-D (*.dxf)
• Computer Graphics Metafile (*.cgm)
• Corel Draw (*.cdr)
• Encapsulated Postscript (*.eps)
• Flashpix (*.fpx)
• Graphics Interchange Format (*.gif, *.gfa)
• JPEG File Interchange Format (*.jpg,*jpe,*.jpeg,*.jfif)
• Kodak Photo CD (*.pcd)
• Macintosh PICT (*.pct, *.pict)
• MicroGrafx Designer/Draw (*.drw)
• Microsoft Image Composer (*.mic)
• PC Paintbrush (*.pcx)
• Photoshop Files (*.psd)
• Picture It! Format (*.MIX)
• Portable Network Graphics (*.png)
• Tagged Image File Format (*.tif,*.tiff)
• Targa (*.tga)
• Windows Bitmap (*.bmp,*.dib,*rle)
• Windows Metafile (*.wmf)
• Windows Enhanced Metafile (*.emf)
• Wordperfect Graphics (*.wpg)

Photodraw can save files in these file formats:

• PhotoDraw 2000 Version 2 Format (*.MIX)
• PhotoDraw 2000 Version 1 Format (*.MIX)
• Graphics Interchange Format (*.gif)
• JPEG File Interchange Format (*.jpg)
• PC Paintbrush (*.pcx)
• Picture It! 4.0 (*.MIX)
• Picture It! 3.0 (*.MIX)
• Picture It! 2.0 (*.MIX)
• Portable Network Graphics (*.png)
• Tagged Image File Format (*.tif)
• Targa (*.tga)
• Windows Bitmap (*.bmp)

  Changes in PhotoDraw 2000 Version 2

• Improved performance and stability
• New Batch Save Wizard
• Setup based on the Windows Installer engine
• Web effects
• Improved integration with Office applications
• Windows XP Compatibility
• Larger collection of clip-art and fonts

  Use of the .MIX file format

PhotoDraw's native file format is ".mix", a proprietary format developed by Microsoft. Only PhotoDraw can save and load its MIX files and retain the full ability to modify those files.

The MIME media-type for the MIX format is "image/vnd.mix" (IANA assignment for the MIX format)

  Product Lifecycle for PhotoDraw 2000 V2

• General Availability Date: 12/31/1999
• Mainstream Support Retired: 6/30/2004
• Extended Support Retired: 7/14/2009

  Availability

PhotoDraw is no longer available for purchase from Microsoft.

  Compatibility with newer versions of Microsoft Office

In addition to Office 2000, PhotoDraw works with later versions of Microsoft Office, up to at least version 2003. The early beta (and Beta2 Tech Refresh) versions of the Microsoft Office 2007 suite compromised the file handling and bitmap import/export filters of PhotoDraw, rendering it incapable of properly opening or saving files in any format other than its native .mix and the standard .bmp types. Saving in other formats resulted in distorted aspect ratio or errors. It also became impossible to copy and paste images between PowerPoint and PhotoDraw. Users reported these problems to Microsoft.

As of February 2007, the RTM version of Office 2007 seems to solve these problems. PhotoDraw once again works seamlessly with this build of Office, without the issues described above, apart from that objects copied from PowerPoint must be pasted as special EMF (enhanced metafile) in PhotoDraw, otherwise the latter won't recognize the content of the Clipboard. This fuels a new hope that PhotoDraw can be used with the final release of Office 2007.

  External links

• Microsoft Announces PhotoDraw 2000 on September 12, 1998
• Microsoft Announces PhotoDraw 2000 Version 2 on October 4, 1999
• Microsoft PhotoDraw 2000 Version 2 Debuts in Office 2000 SR-1 Editions
• Microsoft Product Lifecycle Dates for PhotoDraw