   Adobe Illustrator: What is it used for and where are some good 'net resources?
  I just got Adobe Illustrator from an insider in Adobe for free (score one for inside connections) and I heard it was good for graphics. However, on first glance I don''t really understand its purpose...Can it be used for game development? Something about "vector graphics," which can be used for cartoon style graphics, that''s what i heardAny good web resources/tutorials/articles/etc on Illustrator? Looks to me like a powerful piece of software (like all Adobe Products) but I can''t figure out how to use it! Thanks a bunch peoples 
  Mostly for professional print-work-- magazines, ads, etc.It''s not very useful for game dev, as it has no animation features (yet). But it''s nice for logos, and still graphics.Online tutorials are scarce, I''m afraid. ;  Hi,I use Illustrator 7, for any vector based drawing (the type done in powerpoint rather than paint/photoshop).  I bought it to do figures and illustrations (funny that ) for my thesis, and use it all the time. I use it for logos, single sheet (news)letters, model plans, decal designs.  For the game I''m working on (slooowly!), all the UI text and icons were created in Illustrator.  I''ve also used it to make 2D game tiles (importing raw texture tiles and combining them into games tiles).Being a professional tool, there is a fairly steep learning curve for the graphically uninitiated , but I reckon its a great program to use.What I don''t like about it is that the gradients it makes are fairly blocky (stepped rather than a smooth change - may be my config), and I can''t turn dithering off when exporting BMP images, which causes problems for colour keyed transparency.Cheers Stephen;quote:Original post by BlendedRacer  Hi,I use Illustrator 7, for any vector based drawing (the type done in powerpoint rather than paint/photoshop).  I bought it to do figures and illustrations (funny that ) for my thesis, and use it all the time. I use it for logos, single sheet (news)letters, model plans, decal designs.  For the game I''m working on (slooowly!), all the UI text and icons were created in Illustrator.  I''ve also used it to make 2D game tiles (importing raw texture tiles and combining them into games tiles).Being a professional tool, there is a fairly steep learning curve for the graphically uninitiated , but I reckon its a great program to use.What I don''t like about it is that the gradients it makes are fairly blocky (stepped rather than a smooth change - may be my config), and I can''t turn dithering off when exporting BMP images, which causes problems for colour keyed transparency.Cheers Stephen Actually I would argue that it''s not difficult to learn to use at all. I was able to manipulate images in photoshop with only a 10 min intorduction. Illustrator looks complex, but it really ins''t. Once get a grip on the basic tools, it''s snap. The trick is to be able to understand the tools enough to use them creatively.I picked up a small Adobe illustrator book from the library and after completing all the lessons in the book, I''m pretty proficient. 