An affordable yet powerful web animation program that's fun for anyone.

Price at time of review £30.00

You've probably heard of Flash and almost certainly seen it in action. It's the program used to create the complex animations and special effects seen on many web pages. It's a complicated and expensive piece of software that's best suited to professional web designers. There is a little-known alternative, though, called Rave. Originally hidden in the depths of Corel's expensive Graphics Suite, Rave 2 has recently been released on its own and at a very affordable price.

Rave works in much the same way as Flash but its animation tools have been simplified to allow even beginners to create impressive animations. Launching the application presents you with a blank workspace called the 'stage'. This is the area where you assemble the graphics or text that you want to work with. Rave has a useful set of drawing tools so you can create your own graphics from scratch. Alternatively, you can import graphics from other programs or clip-art collections.

Pros:
Affordable. Versatile animation tools.

Cons:
Manual provides little help.

Verdict:
Ease of use: Powerful yet easy to use.
Performance: Produces impressive animation effects.
Features: Lots of powerful animation features considering its price.
Value for money: An absolute bargain at this price.
Overall: A rave review for Rave 2 - a must for anyone who is interested in animation.


full review at vnunet