Cylekx for Windows

Used Cylekx for Windows?

Editors’ Review

Download.com staffAugust 27, 2015

Cylekx is a free graphic design program, and it proves that sometimes the best things in life aren't free. Graphic design programs typically have a steep learning curve, but Cylekx's curve is so steep that you'd better saddle your yak.

Familiarity with industry standard graphics programs suggested figuring out this program would be a breeze, but Cylekx's interface is confusing and cluttered. There's a Help menu, but nothing about this program is intuitive. Most graphics programs have common features and tools, with similar toolbars and palettes. Cylekx has a toolbox, but instead of icons, it has buttons bearing cryptic abbreviations. A full description appears when you hover the mouse over a button, but why not just use icons? We weren't sure where to start with this program, so we opened a template for a business card and tried to change the card's font. We figured out how to highlight the sample text and change it, but it took a while to find the font menu. A shortcut on the tool menu would have been much easier. This program is frustrating for experienced users, but those unfamiliar with graphics software will be face a steep climb up the learning curve.

Cylekx is free, but that's about the only good thing to say about it. The program doesn't uninstall cleanly, leaving a 34.9MB folder in the program files. That's a lot of debris to leave behind.

Cylekx for Windows

Used Cylekx for Windows?

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Full Specifications

GENERAL

Release: July 26, 2009

Latest update: August 27, 2015

Version: 3.3

OPERATING SYSTEMS

Platform: Windows

Operating System

Windows 10
Windows Vista
Windows XP
Windows 2000

Additional Requirements: None

POPULARITY

Total Downloads: 3,999

Downloads Last Week: 5

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Last Updated

User Reviews

3.3/5

4 User Votes

Not great at all...
mootrixNovember 24, 2012
Pros
I don't know, the cons are too overwhelming!
Cons
Terrible interface... Confusing to use and unintuitive.. 1998 called they want their interface back
Summary
(Note: Reviewed by download from another site.. not CNET and reviewing version 3.4) Cylekx is the prefect example of what not to do when developing a program. Image editors in general have a rather well defined interface (how the user interacts with the program), but the developers of Cylekx decided to reinvent the wheel and came up with a square one! Its quite possible that Cylekx could have more features than some other freeware image editors out there, but you have to hunt for them through a terrible GUI. It's not worth it. There are so many great freeware image and animation software out there like Photofiltre, Artrage, Artweaver, Pencil,Plastic animation paper,Synfig Studio, Magix Photo Clinic,Chasys Draw, Vicmans Photo editor , LiveBrush, Paint.net and fotografix (to name just a few) that there is probably no need to ever have to download this thing. No wonder the official website is gone and the last 'Pro' version was available for free!
Cylekx 3.2 - This is great software.
Jasper_mApril 10, 2009
Pros
3.2 has more than it's share of great photo tools. I would say that animation support is best for cool effects rather than bona-fide animation. Layer management, text integration, depth of customization are what place this software at the top.
Cons
I was rather amazed that their "known isuses" page indicates that "some find it is hard to learn" because I did not find that true. Unconventional features like lots of control windows may be bewildering at first but they do categorize options ok.
Summary
Bottom line: A top end graphics program.
I have no idea if this program works...
mckoilNovember 25, 2008
Pros
I can't comment on the pros yet
Cons
This download requires a login to a server??? I hope this glitch is fixed because it looks like a program I could use regularly, based on the description.
Summary
This is a yes from me!
linette_wintersAugust 29, 2008
Pros
not easy to use, but can do it all if you keep trying.
Cons
no linux, only windows.
Summary
can do all image effects, the composite modes are realy good.

Developer’s Description

Edit your photos and graphics.

Cylekx is a photo editor, graphics design, web animation, pixel and vector program. It will create layers and multiframes. Uses vector, binary, paletted, gradient, and argb image types. Includes wands, cloning, quantizing, user-writable filters, true alpha support, and batch processing.