Many friends asked me what I think of the new version of FWsim, released weeks ago in beta and now available for purchase by all.
Before starting I remember that the update to version 3 is to be paid, except for those who have purchased FWsim since June 26 2019, who will have this update for free!
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I analyzed the changelog of version 3 of the software and decided to express my opinion and give a vote for each point. I am using the basic and creative editions, the points of the professional edition will be analyzed later in another post that I will publish shortly.
This new version has brought so many new features that make FWsim more complete and useful.
The first thing I noticed after installing version 3, is the speed that has significantly increased on my computers, with the exception of the first start which can sometimes be a little slower.
I liked the new, more minimal, more uniform design.
The design of the icons and menus has also been updated, and is now more appealing.
It would be nice if there was the possibility to choose the color of the theme of FWsim, it could be an idea!
The timeline has been improved a lot, it is now easier to arrange the fireworks in a more precise way. You can also attach sequences of consecutive fireworks to the timeline, without doing “ctrl + c, ctrl + v”, but simply by flagging an option in the effects window selection.
The effects selection window opens much faster and now you can finally search for fireworks by their name! Those with many effects will no longer have to scroll through the list of fireworks to find the desired article. I really liked this feature!
I noticed that also the fireworks editor has had several changes with new features, now it is possible to create perfect spheres, adjusting the variation of the position of the star. It is possible to create fireworks using Paint, although I believe this feature should still be improved!
It is possible to preview the frame of the area that will be visible in the video, and this is also a feature that I really appreciated.
What I would like most would be to be able to synchronize the effects in a database in the cloud, without having to back up your effects every time on a harddisk if you intend to change the device. In this way, the effects would always remain available, and changing computers, once authenticated in FWsim with a simple account, all their effects would be available immediately.
The ability to save shows on the net would also be a good idea.
A cloud-oriented approach is what FWsim would need, in my opinion.
FWsim’s effects don’t take up as much storage space, so I think this cloud solution is difficult but not impossible!
In addition, I suggest adding a search bar also in the online fireworks database, in order to make the window more pleasant to use.
My homemade valutations for this software are as follows:
Speed: 8/10
Storage space required: 9/10
Ram required: 8/10
Effects Editor: 8/10
Online features: 5/10
So someone might ask me if it is worth using FWsim 3, the answer is it depends.
If you have the possibility to have it for free, the answer is yes, there are only more good things and there are no big problems.
If instead you have to pay it, I suggest you stop for a few seconds and think if it is really worth it.
If you have a not very powerful computer, you will hardly notice any change in speed, but you will still have many more features.
I made this update over a month ago and today I’m happy with FWsim 3!
Have a good time and goodluck!
Lorenzo Scampoli – founder and creative director of Scampoli Fireworks