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SubScribe (Mac) for Illustrator CS6 FREE for everybody!

SubScribe Designer (Mac) for Illustrator CS6 via Adobe Exchange

The big move for Astute Graphics towards CS6 compatibility is starting to deliver results. Not only is SubScribe Designer now available for Mac OS, but initially it is being made available on Adobe’s exciting new Adobe Exchange in-app store system.

Better still, we have made SubScribe Designer for CS6 FREE to ALL Illustrator CS6 users!

About SubScribe Designer

SubScribe is Astute Graphics’ newest professional plugin. Initially released free to Astute Graphics customers, it allows all designers and operators to improve their creative workflow. Drawing circles and arcs defined by 2 or 3 points, orientating – or straightening – artwork easily, drawing tangents and perpendiculars to curves are all within a few clicks.

For more information about SubScribe Designer, please click here to visit the product page.

SubScribe Designer for Illustrator CS3 to CS5 (Mac and Windows) currently remains free to Astute Graphics customers.

About Adobe Exchange

Adobe Exchange previewing SubScribe Designer (Mac)

These are early days for Adobe Exchange (officially still in the Adobe Labs section   ie. “beta”) and we are proud to be working with Adobe to help ensure the process of delivering tools direct to users with Illustrator is further refined.

For more information about Adobe Exchange for all CS6 users, please click here.

How to get SubScribe Designer (Mac) for CS6

The first step is to download and install the Adobe Exchange in-app extension. To do so, visit www.adobeexchange.com and click on the Download button. Follow the instructions to install.

Once you have access to the Adobe Exchange panel from with Illustrator CS6 (Window > Extensions > Adobe Exchange), search for SubScribe. Then follow the instructions.

Note that it is currently delivered as a standard Mac OS installer (.dmg) file which Exchange downloads to your desktop. Run the SubScribe installer from there.

It is necessary to provide your email address in order to register for a FREE SubScribe Designer license key.

The Windows version of SubScribe Designer will be made available in the near future. CS6 versions of all Astute Graphics plugins are currently being developed; we anticipate that Phantasm CS will be released in CS6 (Mac) form in August. For further details, please click here.

Enjoy!

Update 30 July 2012

Adobe Exchange is currently in beta, being present in Adobe’s Lab section. As with all beta services, there are bound to be a few niggling issues. Please note that Astute Graphics can not offer support for Adobe’s products or services — please contact Adobe directly if you have any issue or concerns.

The best way we can see to raise any concerns directly with Adobe is via their Exchange Twitter account twitter.com/adobeexchange

Direct installer download

For those continuing to have issues with the Exchange download, please click here to download the SubScribe Designer (Mac) installer for Illustrator CS6 directly from the Astute Graphics.

Comments (31)

  1. Thanks, Nick, for making SubScribe available to all.

    Meanwhile, I’m annoyed that I still have to wait for DrawScribe and VectorScribe to become available. I paid for these plug-ins many weeks ago and have yet to use either, despite AI CS6 being publicly around since May.

  2. I downloaded and installed the FREE SubScribe Designer using Adobe Exchange, but the icons don’t appear in my illustrator CS6 toolbar. How do I get them to appear.
    Best Regards,
    Bill

  3. I have the same problem as Bill. I do not see a way to activate the product, not in my Window menu or in the exchange app. Can you guys help?

    Best regards

  5. Did you run the installer from the downloaded subscribe.dmg? The Adobe Exchange process just downloads the dmg, that you have to run separately.

  6. Exchange installed it instantly thru the extension manager, but it doesn’t appear in illustrator.

  7. I did a search on my harddrive and found the file subscribe.dmg.
    I installed it and it now works!

    The installation process thru Adobe Exchange is very confusing.

  8. Got i working.

    Thanks Zach :-)

    As Bill says, Adobe Exchange is very confusing.

    Tanks for this great app, can’t wait to the rest comes out :-)

  10. Hi all – fully agreed that the current Adobe Exchange and SubScribe deployment process needs to be optimised.

    To quote from the above article, and to confirm:

    “Note that it is currently delivered as a standard Mac OS installer (.dmg) file which Exchange downloads to your desktop. Run the SubScribe installer from there.”

    Ideally the process will become a virtually one-click process. But please remember that Adobe Exchange is current in the Adobe Labs section – ie. a beta release (although proving to be stable). Adobe know there’s much more to do to make it more streamlined, and we will continue to work with Adobe to ensure this.

    As a side-note, the reason we currently deploy as an installer is that we require a security system in our products. Currently the Adobe Exchange system does not offer developers security. This was understood when we committed to delivering SubScribe, so what has been deployed with this build is the best compromise at this point. We felt it would be better to get a completed product out there as soon as possible rather than wait for all variants and related products.

    Finally, it’s important to remember that SubScribe is our internal test product. This was the easiest product to first convert to CS6 – hence why it appeared first. We learnt valuable initial lessons for the necessary upgrades across our product range.

    Thanks for all the comments. Keep persisting with this release – it’s worth it as Bill found out. The iron is already hot and ready to smooth our the creases!

    You can provide more feedback via http://www.astutegraphics.com/blog/are-you-winning-the-race-against-time/ All appreciated!

  11. hey astute
    i too am having problems Ive downloaded and installed off the DMG and when i start up illustrator the program freezes (but donesnt show not responding in the force quit) upon removing the plugin it works fine again :( . That said I love your guys products and cant wait for my cs6 upgrade for vectorscribe :D

  12. Hi John – almost sounds like the “About SubScribe” window (which automatically appears when first installed) is hidden behind the main Ai window. Can you try Apple’s Expose system (or similar) to display all windows open and then ensure the SubScribe window is brought to the front. Without activating or closing the SubScribe window, Ai can’t complete its load cycle.

    I would be very interesting to learn if others have experienced this. SubScribe has been out for several months and we’ve never had this reported before.

  13. Hi Nick,
    That mustve been it ive replaced the plugin and now that about screen appears and once i click through it it works just fine1
    Thanks again!
    JC

  15. Downloaded Exchange beta
    Installed
    Run AiCS6
    Bring up Kuler Exchange panel to test – works fine
    Bring up Exchange panel
    Spinning beach ball
    Only way out is to force quit – hmmmm

  16. OK – don’t know if this is just a fluke – ran up Indesign CS6 – checked out the Adobe Extension panel
    And that one ran

    back to AI
    Yup – that one ran

    You obviously have to jump a few hoops – but got there with SubScibe
    Great tools btw!! will have to check out the rest
    thanks

  18. Just some feedback (OSX Snowleopard) and a question.

    I like the way the extensions are available inside each app vai the new panel. Having established that approach – then not having the whole install fire up and run from there just feels like a bit of a step back. Especially confusing if something runs the extension manager and you get the feeling the job is complete.

    Definitely something up with the activation process. First load on Ai looks like the activation window in unavailable. Force quit only option. Second time up it loads and you can put in your code. Anyone having this issue is going to find the install frustrating.

    …and lastly, must add again, great tools – they have a very nice feel – much appreciate the freebie

    Q
    Does the licence allow for one install on main workstation and another (laptop) provided they are not used at same time?

  20. Hi Paul – we posted almost at the same time, so you had no chance to see my response anyway ;-) As for the license, it’s for yourself and the machines you operate (up to two concurrently).

  21. Hi everyone,

    I just wanted to reiterate what Nick mentioned, namely that when you click on the ‘Free’ button for VectorScribe, it downloads and runs Adobe Extension Manager CS6. Extension Manager CS6 then installs the .dmg installer file to your desktop. I agree it’s not the best install experience, but getting the experience to where we and Astute Graphics wanted it to be would have taken weeks and potentially months and we knew users wanted this product. We are looking at different ways to improve the install experience for this product in the future. In the mean time, why not sign in using your Adobe ID at https://www.adobeexchange.com/producer and download the Adobe Exchange Packager. That works with Adobe Exchange and your CS files like swatches, InDesign template files and so on to package files and then install them in the right places. You can then distribute them publicly (free or paid) or privately, via Adobe Exchange.

    Jonathan Ferman | Adobe Exchange Product Manager

  22. Dear team at Astute, regardless of the download and installation procedure this toolset is a wonderful extension to Illustrator and I am looking forward to the CS6 versions of your other products.

  23. Many thanks Rene! Very kind of you.

    Phantasm CS for CS6 (Mac) is due tomorrow (10 August) which is the start of the release sequence for all our commercial plugins over the coming months.

  28. Hi!

    I Installed Subscribe on Illustrator CS6 but had to delete it because it kept crashing Illustrator in the startup as soon as the license screen of Subscribe comes up. Has anyone else reported to you of similar issues? Vectorscribe works OK!

    I’m running a Mountain lion on a late ’09 MacBook pro.

  29. Hi Ville – yes, we recently had this reported and found the issue which affects a very small number of users (to the best of our knowledge) on Mac OS only. We are currently testing a new set of releases where a fix was introduced. In the meantime, please keep the SubScribe plugin deleted and continue to use VectorScribe.

    As a side-note there is a work-around. The problem only occurs if both VectorScribe and SubScribe are present and VectorScribe has not been previously activated or SubScribe’s 3 reminder window sequence not completed since activation (using a free license key). Therefore either activate VectorScribe whilst SubScribe is not present (requires a purchase) or get past the 3 reminder windows of SubScribe when VectorScribe is not present in trial mode (by repeatedly loading/quitting Ai).

    Or please wait for our updates.

  30. Regarding the crash with SubScribe and the workaround.

    Just move either Vectorscribe.aip or DrawScribe.aip temporarily from the plug-ins folder. (Applications > Adobe Illustrator CS5 or CS6 > Plug-ins)
    Swapping one of them to the root of the Adobe Illustrator folder will do.

    (re)Launch Illustrator and activate SubScribe.

    Great plugins by the way guys!

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