What replaces Microsoft Image Composer 1.5

[Guest]

I have used MS Image Composer since buying my first copy of FrontPage. I just
bought a new computer with VISTA and I want to buy the latest edition of
FrontPage. am worried that Image Composer my not work with Vista. What
graphic program has replaced Composer? Thanks.

 

[Mark Fitzpatrick]

I don't think anything ever really replaced it. MS had one app, if I
remember correctly, that came with Office 2000 called PhotoDraw, but nothing
since then. They re-focused on publishing with MS Publisher as opposed to
image editing.

 

[Thomas A. Rowe]

Have tried installing IC to see if it will work?

The replace was PhotoDraw, then Digital Image

--
==============================================
Thomas A. Rowe
Microsoft MVP - FrontPage

http://www.Ecom-Data.com
==============================================

 

[Guest]

I really like a picture editor called paint.net, not to be confused with the
paint that comes with your pc. I've tried several and paid for some, but
this freebie has just the right combination of simplicity and power for me.
It's at
http://www.getpaint.net/index2.html

Ken

 

[Greg Wallace]

I was perhaps rated as somewhat an expert with MS Image Composer. Windows 10 will not let it install and MS as dropped support. So I wanted a replacement program. Adobe has Photoshop, Illustrator and Fireworks. So I followed using Fireworks but it is tricky and Adobe seems to be dropping support. My complex search has led me to Xara Photo and Graphic Designer. So for around $70 I now have it and experiencing a learning curve but I am confident that it is even better than Image Composer.

So very briefly,

Image Composer saw the work area as pretty unlimited. One could work with the whole work area and then place objects in a central frame and save the narrow result as say a JPG. The entire file was saved as a MIC file. This format kept all objects as discrete objects. One could control objects by moving to background or foreground. If you save as say JPG, the objects get flattened.

Fireworks uses the PNG file format which is very good and Adobe products seem to be able to open PNG files and keep discrete editable objects. But it works with Adobe layers which are not so intuitive to use.

Xara uses the XAR file format which seems a much similar concept as MIC files. It seems to see the work area as pretty unlimited and one can move/arrange objects backward or foreward. So I see much similarity with Image Composer.

Xara has so much more to learn that I find incredible and worth exploring further. In Image Composer, one could create a text object but if you changed it in some ways, such as rotating, it became a non-text object. Xara seems to be able to keep it as a text object and also add effects.

 

[Lostmymojo]

I have been using the same version of Image Composer 1.5 for the last 17 years! It came bundled with FrontPage 2000 and even though I stopped using the webpage app 15 years ago, I continued with Image Composer because it suited my needs - even on a Windows 10 PC (yes I managed to get my copy to install). Why Microsoft decided to drop it rather than continue to develop it is beyond me.

Anyway I recently retired and now have the time to look for a newer and hopefully better alternative. There are several very expensive options out there but after a little searching I stumbled onto this post and read Greg's response above so took a look at the Xara option. At the moment it's available as a 30 day free trial - albeit as a stripped down version. So worth a download.

On opening it looks vaguely familiar, which made using the simple commands straightforward and when I tried to get creative it was mercifully intuitive. It doesn't open MIC files but if you still have Image Composer you can save individual sprites in PNG format and import that way. I realise that can be time consuming but for me it's an acceptable workaround. I haven't committed to buy it yet, but first impressions are positive.

 

[Greg Wallace]

Hi Lostmymojo

So exciting to get one reply. My history with Image Composer seems the same as yours. I have not found anything that opens .MIC files. So I have a Windows 7 PC and can open Image Composer and then save images/sprites as say Jpg's. So I have not mastered my paid version of Xara and go back to Image Composer on Windows 7 if I need to do something tricky.

Why Microsoft decided to drop it rather than continue to develop it is also beyond me.

I am now on Windows 10 and have two free products:
Adobe Photoshop Essentials and MS Movie Maker. These serve most of my needs these days with downloads of photos and videos from an iPhone and manipulating them.

Your reference to time-consuming is a keyword as to how much time I spend on learning a new product.

Kind Regards
Greg

 

[tezmez]

I too love Microsoft Image Composer. Made it work on Windows 7 - but not as yet on Win10. What did you have to do to get it to install Lostmymojo? I would LOVE to get it working on Windows 10 ! Have tried other programmes but I know this one so well and it does all I need it to do.Thanks

 

[Stewart Wood]

Well I was in the same boat and hated having to try and jig my old ProgramFiles folder from one PC to another having long ago lost my FrontPage CD. So after many hours I created this [link removed] so now I have the original, much loved Image Composer 1.5 installed again with none of the b-s that everything else on google returned.

 

[Greg Wallace]

IC does not run on Windows 10. I paid for XARA and it seems very good but a steep learning curve. Why MS dumped IC is a mystery.

 

[Stewart Wood]

Au contraire, I have Windows 10 Pro on two separate PC's and it install and operates perfectly. I'd give it another go if you like it : )

 

[Greg Wallace]

You are a champion. I used your download and it worked.

 

[Stewart Wood]

If you could leave a comment at the bottom of the page I'd be most grateful I only wrote the page 24 hours ago and i think you're like the 5th visitor

 

[AzSean]

Lost my original cd for FP 98 and I really missed IC. Didn't think it would work on Win 10 until I saw this thread. Thanks for taking the time to provide this info and a download.

Forgot to mention, it's working fine on Win 10!

 

[SueInNZ]

HI, I'm new here. I was introduced to Image Composer 1.5 with Front Page 98,purchased in 1998, the latter long obsolete but I still use Image Composer 1.5 on Windows 7 - and I still have the CD. It hangs if I go anywhere near colour tuning, but I like the simplicity of working with several images or sprites, and being able to cut stuff out, say head and shoulders of a person, to use in a collage. I can edit in another program to simply adjust colour. Yesterday I went to a workshop on Photoshop Element which works with layers in what looked quite a frustrating and clunky way. The tutor didn't know if it could do what I wanted to do. Anyway delighted to see this post and that I'm not the only one looking for a replacement in 2017.

 

[tlchrist]

I am using MS Image Composer on the latest 64 bit build of Windows 10.

All that you need to do is go into the "enu" directory and create a shortcut for the "setup.exe" file. Then set the "properties" in this shortcut to "Windows 7 compatibility mode". It should install fine !!!

 

[Mark Hall]

I just found this page. It is so great to see others express how I feel about IC; it seemed like I was the only one out there. I have been using it for at least 18 years, same original CDs. I am on Windows 7 but am glad to see tlchrist's advice to make it work on 10. I want to keep on using it as long as I can, it does everything I want and is so handy to turn to quickly.

 

[Greg Wallace]

I just found this page. It is so great to see others express how I feel about IC; it seemed like I was the only one out there. I have been using it for at least 18 years, same original CDs. I am on Windows 7 but am glad to see tlchrist's advice to make it work on 10. I want to keep on using it as long as I can, it does everything I want and is so handy to turn to quickly.

I totally agree. I still use it when I want to do something complex and quickly. It has limitations tho.

 

[Mark Hall]

I totally agree. I still use it when I want to do something complex and quickly. It has limitations tho.

Yes, that's true about limitations, and that's another reason I like this thread, the new products mentioned by people that know IC. It is nice to have options if they're needed in the future.

 

[BeatPP1]

OMG, Image Composer users! I thought I was the only one. I've tried to replace it so many times and just haven't found "the one". Everything seems to use "layers", yuk. Sprites are the way to go! I'll have to check out XARA next time I feel that itch, but MIC is working fine on my 64-bit Windows 10. MIC users unite!