TOKYO (MacHouse) – Yes, we are back to software development after sending the main machine to Apple, Inc. If you remember our last public announcement, it was supposed to be a simple fix for light burns that were found on the lower side of the iMac display. And we wanted to send this 2013 iMac to Apple before its one-year warranty expired. In fact, it’s his one year birthday today. It’s nice to have a one-year warranty to fix broken parts. And an Apple tech guy actually fixed something that we didn’t asked for. They said they detected an unusual noise coming out of the power supply unit. It’s very nice of them to run a diagnostic test to see everything is all right. The scary part is that we could have ended up with another broken iMac if we had not sent it to Apple with unnoticeable burns. If you remember what happened to us exactly one year ago, we had to send a 2011 iMac to Apple for repair. And they discovered that an internal speaker (just one of them) and an internal DVD drive were broken. That’s why we ended up buying that 2013 iMac in the first place.
Anyway, we submitted our first software title of the month to Apple’s Mac App Store a few hours ago. This new software release is called TextAround2. TextAround2 is the second major release of a desktop application that lets you create a text image along a circular path. It’s been developed from a scratch with several new features. You now have an option of laying a text image on a circular path or a horizontal path. The user no longer has to manually create a color gradation map. The application comes with a built-in library containing more than 100 color styles. The second release also lets you generate a bunch of text images in rotation for the purpose of creating an animation movie.
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Features
- Choose one of more than 100 color styles to make a text image appealing.
- Set a text image on a circular path or a horizontal path.
- Change the color gradation angle.
- Cast shadow around the text image.
- Create a favorite font list.
- Save a text image as a file (click on ExportPict) or generate a bunch of image frames at a time for animation (Click on ExportRT).
- Save progress as a project file. Double-click on a project file to reproduce last progress.
- Make current settings as default ones. (See Save As Default Settings under TextAround2.)
- Change the view rate (10%, 20%, …, 100%, 200%, 300%).
- The introduction window gives you a 7-page quick tour over how the application works.
- Languages: English only.
- The application supports the fullscreen.
- The application supports the Retina display.
- Application file size: 42.5 MB.
- The application comes with a complete user’s guide written in English. (Choose Help > User’s Guide.)
System requirements
- 10.7 (tested with 10.7.5), 10.8 (not tested), 10.9 (tested with 10.9.4)
- 64-bit system
Limitations
- Supported export formats are BMP, GIF, JPEG, JPEG 2000, PNG, TIFF.
- Bold and Italic typefaces apply only if the selected font supports them.
- The maximum font size is 599 points.
Version history
2.1.6 (Released on April 14, 2015)
- The application is no longer compatible with Mac OS X Lion (10.7).
- Fix: For retina display models, the application saved circular images twice the dimensions they are supposed to at 144 dpi in resolutions.
2.1.4 (Released on November 28, 2014)
- The maximum font size is newly set to 599 points.
- Deprecated methods and functions are fixed.
2.1.3 (Released on October 13, 2014)
- Fix: When the application loaded default saved settings, the add favorite font button (+) did not become active.
- FIX: A custom font was not working.
- 10 additional text styles are added.
2.x.x (Apple, Inc. has recently messed up with their iTunes Connect system with a major upgrade. We now don’t know what the true version is although it says it’s 2.0.4, which we have not even been able to submit to them.)
- Fix: The export toolbar buttons remained active if when the user deselected a color style.
- 20 new text color styles are added.
- The user now has an option of loading sample color styles as text images or non-text images.
- A few other changes are made.
User’s guide
Application user’s guide is available (only in English). Click here to access it online.
Sample QuickTime movie
Click here to play back text rotation movie. It can take 20 to 30 seconds to load up data.
Trial/Demo version
Click here to download a trial version. This trial version will remain fully functional for 10 days, starting from the very moment you first launch it.
Video tutorial
A video tutorial with text commentary is available in the form of a QuickTime movie. Click here. The data size is 129.8 MB, and the movie duration is 14 minutes and 0 seconds. The video dimensions are 1,440 x 900 pts.
TextAround2 is a product of MacHouse.
Apple and the Apple logo are trademarks of Apple Inc., registered in the U.S. and other countries. Mac App Store is a service mark of Apple Inc.
Hi I just bought this application on my mac.It’s not working.I can’t see the preferred typed words to change the colour n fonts.please help.thank you.
Hello,
Thank you for your choosing TextAround2. Have you happened to watch a how-to video? If you haven’t, it’s available right above. If you don’t see text after entering a text string and selecting a font, please make sure that you have set a text size, shadow and radius. I suppose you have selected a color style. If you still have difficulty, please tell us about your system configurations by seeing ‘Questions?’ at the top menu. Furthermore, if you send a screenshot to [email protected], that might lead to a quick solution.
Help! I bought TextAround2 to make a seal with text around the outer circle. Almost works perfectly, but….
Two issues:
1. I can easily and correctly get text upright on top, upside-down on bottom. But I cannot figure out how to get text upright on bottom, upside-down on top. At first I thought negative radius, but that does not work. The seal I am working on has organization name on top half of circle and organization motto on the bottom half of the circle. Two half circles. Top circle perfect. Bottom circle stumped. I have gone all through instructions and either missed it, or misunderstood it. With this capability, TextAround is perfect. Without it I will have to find another solution.
2. Resolution on type is not as sharp as it should be. I can get by, but this is for a print job so the lower print resolution makes the job not quite as crisp. Am I missing something?
(Screenshots sent to [email protected])
Hello. Thank you for your posting questions with a screenshot. To answer your questions, No. 1, I’m afraid that the application offers no preparation for your request. I understand that you want to reverse selective letters. I could test and see what happens if I had a text editor that lets me reverse a text string ‘FIRST FAMILY’ so that I could replace part of the input text string with TextAround2. Interestingly, Apple’s TextEdit doesn’t do it. Neither, does Text Wranger. No. 2, as for the printing resolution, I admit that the application doesn’t do a good job. If necessary, please save text as a TIFF image. Then use Preview to print it out.
As for No. 1, let me see if it’s the matter of reversing selective letters. I’ll get back with you.
The application does let you reverse the enter text string. Yet, I don’t think it’s just the matter of reversing selective letters. You do have to individually flip those letters to get a satisfactory result in line with your request.
Hi,
I would like to know if Text Around 2 allows you to flip text right side up on the bottom half of the circle rather than it going around in the same direction?
Hello, Stephen. I’m afraid not.
I don’ think it will be difficult to update the application so that the user can flip individual letters horizontally and maybe vertically as well. When Mr. Banta made the same request above a few months ago, my question was how to let the user select a letter to flip. I cannot think of any easy, non-confusing way of selecting letters.
I can’t see any text at all while trying to use Text Around 2. All I see is a grey and white checkerboard. What’s wrong?
You mean, you don’t see a text box at the top-right corner?
I just bought TextAround 3.
I am using MacOS10.14 (Mojave).
TextAround 3 does not work on my system.
How do I get a refund?
Please contact Mac App Store.