Silhouette America released version 3 of Silhouette Studio and Silhouette Studio Designer Edition this afternoon and I managed to get it downloaded and installed before the now traditional server crash. The feature list is indeed impressive, headlined by the edition of layers to the Designer Edition (really? this is a DE feature? Even free Cricut software has layers, but I digress.) Users of the Silhouette Connect plug in for Illustrator and Corel Draw will find this new version familiar as it shares a new (but still kinda ugly) interface design and many features as well. But the new features come at a high cost, namely backward compatibility. And stunningly, SA did not create a new file extension so watch for tons of confusion in the days ahead.
This page is being frequently update so please check here and in the comments section for additional information.
Warnings for those who have updated
If you create a file in SS3 and someone with V1 or V2 tries to open it, they will get a message that an update is required before the file can be opened. You can only open V3 files in V3. Please consider marking the files you create in SS3 as such.
Note: At this point I do not anticipate problems with files in the Silhouette Online Store because those are not created in any version of Silhouette Studio.
If you use V3 to open a file that you or someone else created in V1 or V2, there are some significant issues as well:
-*the cut setting will be set to Card Stock, regardless of what it was before
-*there is no more Cut, Cut Edge, Perforate or Perforate Edge or No Cut so any of these you set will need to be re-set using a new method. Some combinations are no longer possible.
-*registration marks will be switched off and any adjustments will be lost.
-*dashed lines that were set under Line Styles will cut as solid lines.
What I really like
Nesting in the DE version – this is brilliant!
Select by color – yes!!
Adjustable pivot point in DE is now off by default, but can be activated when you need it. This is a change I asked for, then had to ask to back it out, so I am very happy about this change.
The arc tool is pretty sweet, but an option to draw a sector would have made it perfect.
SVGs are generally easier to use, especially layered ones. No more ungrouping and setting cut lines, before you can even get started.
Pasting text from the clipboard into a text box (what a novel idea!)
The foggy area outside the page is gone, making it easier to visualize designs off the mat, create tutorials, etc. Not as good as just letting us toggle the red line off, but nice.
Ability to pause between layers.
What they did not fix
*The eraser still freezes just as bad, major fail here. But the good news is at least you won’t lose your work since there is auto-save now.
*You still can not add or change keywords or descriptions of files in the library.
~*You still can not turn off the cutting red line or adjust it for a machine you do not have connected.
~*Goofy defaults like High Pass filter on under trace and offset to a quarter inch are still there.
The manual – that’s right, the same one that’s been outdated since 2012 has made its way into V3.
And of course, you still can not save as SVG (not only that but the v1.9/2.0 workaround has been greatly diminished since v3 files can’t be opened in these versions)
What were they thinking?
*Cut by color is by line color, not by fill color. This is just craziness. The work required to cut a Silh Store file or an SVG (that isn’t pre-layered) either by color or by layer is ridiculously and artificially high as you have to either manually place each piece on a separate layer or change the line color of each piece. Feature fail.
Layers are upside down. That’s right, in the layer window the top layer is on the bottom and vice versa. I wish I had a witty comment, but seriously. I am speechless.
Two freehand drawing tools – too smooth and not smooth enough. Give us something adjustable, please, our Wacoms are waiting!
Shadow tool – as in flat shadows only … the 1980s called, they want their design element back.
*PDF Import – This imports all PDFs as bitmaps that have to be traced, even if they were perfectly good vector files to begin with. Far cry from PDF import in MTC and SCAL.
Page and mat settings became even more confusing and inconvenient… not to mention buggy. Mine gets confused between Portrait and Landscape orientation sometimes (can you blame it, since Portrait is also the name of a machine?)
*Cut margins (the red line) only shows correctly in the Cut Preview, but you can not move the pieces from there. So you have to keep toggling back and forth between views to get your pieces in bounds. Why have the red line in the way on the normal view, if its not correct anyway?
“Vertical text” was added, but umm, its not what is generally meant by vertical text, it’s simply normal text rotated 90 degrees. In other software, “vertical text” means horizontal letters stacked on top of each other.
Major changes to how basic functions have to be done and not one single tutorial to be found from SA (or anyone else since no one had advance copies and authorization apparently).
What ticks me off
SA has once again removed features that we already paid for (or bought a machine with the understanding that these features were in place). Here are things we lost in V3
-*Ability to set individual objects to No Cut, Cut, Cut Edge, Perforate or Perforate Edge (you have to assign them a line color or move them to separate layers first)
-*Ability to share files with users of earlier versions
-Ability to drag a pattern into a shape (already removed from standard in v 2.7, now removed from DE)
-*Ability to set work space larger than cutting area
-*Ability to move and node edit in Cut Preview mode
-*Live Preview of file dragged over mat
-*Cut Preview no longer shows which lines will cut as dashed
-Blade advance arrows. This is a problem for Portrait users who do not have arrow buttons on their machines and so, can not reset the origin or cut multiple test cuts.
-Ability to manually detect registration marks.
-*Ability to mix Cut and Cut Edge, or Perforate and Perforate Edge, in a single document
-*Ability to select a block of text and cycle through font changes to it using the arrow keys
-*Ability to jump down in the font list using the first letter of the font
-*Dashed lines set under Line Styles no longer cut as dashed lines. (Dashed cut lines have to be selected under Cut Settings for each layer/color)
-*Inverted registration marks
-*Tool tips on modify panel (Y’all think I’m an expert, but the truth is I am lost without these)
-*Visibility of printable area
-*Hashmarks to indicate safe zones for print and cut
-Ability to open AI files in Mac version
-Number of color theme choices reduced from 8 to just 3
-*The offset button at the bottom of the screen now only makes 1/4 inch offsets instead of being adjustable as before.
Hopefully some of the above are bugs and not intentional omissions. But if not, please join me in holding SA accountable for this. I mean, what if you bought a car and a week later they came and ripped out your stereo? Update: *Asterisks above indicate items that SA representatives tell me they are aware of and working to fix.
My recommendation
For now I recommend that the newbies give us pros a little time to get ahead of you so we can answer your questions. For the adventurous, update but keep the old version loaded somewhere if you possibly can. You are not going to want to be learning this and adjusting your files on a deadline.
Important note: I am getting a lot of questions about how to rollback to the previous version, how to install multiple versions, how to restore your DE license, etc and I do not have the answers to these kinds of questions. Please check with the relevant forums, Facebook groups, blogs or Silhouette support for this kind of information.
Here are a couple of good videos that show SSV3 in action
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8vxTNEzOyzI
I tried to download earlier, but the server was so busy I couldn’t. I’m not real accomplished with my machine. So I think it’s best I leave it alone for awhile. Thanks for all the info.
I often use the drag pattern feature, and it often change files into svg….so I for one won’t be upgrading…ever…unless they fix this. It is madness to take away so much….more people will use MTC all the time I think.
Can I download the new version onto a separate hard drive in order to have both the old and new version? Or should I download in onto an older, seldom used computer and play around with it?
Thank you so so so much, Kay. I read your post just before I downloaded. I would probably have pulled my hair out in frustration!! You saved me from being a bald woman!! I am definitely going to wait for your further advice on this. Thanks again and again!!!
Thank you Kay for this wonderful release review. Can you do a quick post on how to install the new version while keeping the old one? I am definitely doing that….
Thank you sooo much, the cut feature was one of the reasons why I bought DE…(not mentioning dragging images) I won’t update now, hope I find somewhere the old installer and keep it….
Diletta, Italy
I don’t understand SA, they should hire you (Kay) as a consultant to find out what is really needed, instead of messing about with the software.
I think I’ll wait a while before I update my software. Thank you so much Kay, it is much appreciated.
Thanks for the great review Kay. As usual I value your opinion on die cut software. I shared your review via a direct link with my die cut followers as well at Lets Learn Cameo and Crafty Cuts Ups FB groups. Fingers crossed some of what you point out as fails or flaws gets resolved by Silhouette asap !
How will the new update affect any purchases I make at the Silhouette store for designs that were created lasted week or earlier. Based on your blog, I am not updating yet. So what happens if I buy a design from the Silhouette store that was created with the updated software? How will I know what version was used? Thank you for all your work.
I do not think this will have any effect on Silh Store files as they are not .studio files nor are they created in any version of Silh Studio.
Excellent synopsis – thank you, Kay. I am very bewildered at some of these changes.
thank you so much for this quick and extensive review. Very helpful and time saving!
Thanks Kay. This is a really useful review. I think I am better staying with the DE that I already have for now, but it bothers me that I will not be able to use the newest designs without the upgrade. I’ll wait and watch for a while anyway. Thanks again for giving your time and effort to do this.
Thank you, Kay, for this review and a “heads up” on it. I think I shall wait for awhile to install the new version. One thing I was hoping they would do is to make it so we can see an icon of the Studio file in our Windows Explorer instead of just the S.Maybe there is alredy a way to do that, but I could not find anything in our manual. I have Designer Edition.
Marzlie….I was thinking the same thing ….Kay should be hired as a consultant. Her input would be invaluable to the company….not to mention us as users of Silhouette.
There is still not a way to do this in the Windows version. I believe this is intentional, as SA’s business model depends on everyone using the library (and hence, the store)
Thanks so much for the review. I was working on a project today and couldn’t even load the store. I didn’t have time to mess with it. Glad I waited. I have the DE and made thousands of files for myself and some I have free for download on my blog. I will wait a little bit to download this new version.
“Ability to Perforate or Perforate Edge in cut settings” does that mean we can no longer use that feature at all, or is that replaced by something else? I use that all the time for cutting little boxes as that helped with folding.
Perforate and Perforate Edge are no longer options so will have to be implemented with a combination of settings under Line Styles and Cut Settings as far as I can tell. So the functionality is still there but it will take more steps to get to.
Would love to know how to do the perforate in the new version also.
When you are at the cut settings panel:
1. Select a cut setting
2. Scroll down til you see Cut Line Pattern
3. Pick the dot/dash line that you’d like
Thanks Darren ~ Found that. Had a file with both straight cut lines and perforate and now it seems like I have to select the cut line settings 2x to get the mix of straight cut and perforate. Now, it actually takes longer to just cut a simple tent styled place card. I bailed from V3 and now back to V2 installed again 🙂 Happy for now. Will defer the challenge a later time.
Kay – thanks for all of your hard work in putting this together so quickly. There are some things I like about the new – and some things from the old that I want back! I added a link to your post to my blog to send more visitors your way for this great information on the update. Thanks again!
Thanks so much Kay for this review.
I share free files just like Lauren in comment 8. I’m hoping they’ll still be usable for people with the new updated software. I haven’t downloaded it just yet – I may sit tight for a little while.
Thanks again Kay – this is so helpful
Thanks so much Kay…your review saved me a lot of frustration and confusion. I’ll be waiting to see how this all shakes out. I agree that taking away features is irritating. Also, thank you for all your videos. I always learn something from watching them. So glad you share your knowledge.
If you bought a new car and half the things weren’t working we would have major disasters so why do software companies think they should release software that has problems. Even of it is a free upgrade it should work correctly they should not have to rely on people testing it for them or for people to have to wait to use the software because it has flaws.
Thank you for your honest review. I have not mastered my silhouette yet, so I think I had best go with the majority of people here and just wait until you figure some of this out for us non pros! Thank you again for saving me from grief and frustration.
Thank You! I’m definitely a newbie and will wait.
Thanks so much for your speedy review. I was trying for ages to download the update and just after I got the dowload started (Which stated it would take over an hour) I found your review. Thankgoodness! Some of the features that have been lost in the update are one’s I find useful, so i’ll hold off on the update now, until the bugs and glitches are ironed out. You have saved me a whole heap of stress! 😉
All my fonts are gone! I read your review just after I had installed V3. Is there any way to go back to V2?
Bree, there is still a link on the website to download a copy of the legacy version. (V2)
You would download it, uninstall V3 and install V2. If you have DE, you would then have to update it and type in your Serial # again.
Hi Kay, thank you for the review. Quick question: Would you know where I can find my DE serial number if I no longer have that email?
You can find it under the My account section at silhouetteamerica.com
Hi, My fonts are gone too! Has anyone else experienced this and found a solution without having to downgrade? This is a major bummer as I am making something for my niece before she goes on a cruise and I am pressed for time… eek!
Thank you, thank you, thank you! I attempted to download v3 6 times last night and it was so slow, I cancelled the download. After reading your post, I’m so glad I did! I’m taking your advice and holding off. Thanks for your honest opinion!!! (Newbie!!) xx
Thanks for this review. There are several things that have *gone away* that I use on a regular basis. No fill shape with pattern?! What?! No space bigger than 12 x 24?! I will now be waiting and hope that some of these issues are addressed. It sounds rushed. Most likely in response to Cricut launching the Explore, which was unnecessary because CDS launched was no where near as powerful as the Silhouette software to begin with. Sigh.
To be clear, you can fill a shape with a pattern but not by drag and drop And you can have a space bigger than 12 x 24, but not wider than 12 inches. I agree that this seems rushed.
Ah, I see. Thanks for letting me know about that distinction.
Thank you for the quick review. I will hold off until you experts figure it out.
Jeri