Illumination Software Creator
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Create software applications without coding.   Free
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Illumination Software Creator allows anyone to create their own software applications… without writing a single line of "code".

The idea is simple: Arrange colorful building blocks of functionality however you like to create your own, unique, piece of software.

No reading large computer programming books. No steep learning curve.

Note: The developer has changed his licensing policy to donationware. Please consider making a donation.
What's New
Version 6.0.0: Release notes were unavailable when this listing was updated.
Requirements
  • Intel
  • OS X 10.6 or later
  • Python, PyGTK (Optional). Adobe Flex SDK (Optional)



MacUpdate - Illumination Software Creator




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Illumination Softw... User Discussion (Write a Review)
ver. 6.x:
Your rating: Now say why...
Overall:

sort: smiles | time
burypromote

+184
Prince_Isaac commented on 25 Apr 2012
Incidentally, Formation 1.something is still listed here on MU at http://tinyurl.com/7zj7ttp. The comments section there is still pretty, um, "illuminating."
[Version 4.3.0]


burypromote

+184
Prince_Isaac commented on 25 Apr 2012
@ Brian Lund: If you're reading these comments, you might realize that people have long memories.

I'm still waiting on answers to my support question WRT Formation 1, which I bought but never worked.

I'm still waiting for the release of Formation 2. You remember that project? Just one more bug to squash? Just a little editing needed on the documentation?

Huh? we're still waiting.
[Version 4.3.0]


burypromote
+1

+98
Mac007 commented on 07 Feb 2012
In case anyone is interested in doing further research on this app here is a link to their discussion forums.

http://radicalbreeze.com/forum/
[Version 4.2]


burypromote
+3

+122
Neox commented on 13 Jan 2011
Beware of this app. The version I downloaded from their site, 2.2.0 was obviously packaged and compiled on REALstudio for Windows without being properly packaged on a Mac. It is suspicious to me wether or not any testing was done on the Mac because no developer would leave their app in the RS built .app.tar, they would put it in a proper dmg or zip. I know this because I also develop RS apps and it is a great development tool, but you have to still test on the platform you are distributing for. The application did not even have an icon except the generic one. 3.0 seems to be a proper dmg with app icon so maybe they fixed the issue, although looking at the app contents I see there is no bundle identifier which there should be. Which it still leaves me with doubts as to the quality of this software and the promises made by the developer that seems to have abandoned the Mac years ago.

As to the software, it does not seem to build anything, rather it produces the Xcode project for you to compile. While that may be fine, it is not a great way to develop high quality apps. If you are trying to develop any kind of sophisticated app then you are going to have a mess of widgets and wires running all over the window which looks pretty confusing and hard to track. I guess that is the trade off for not needing to write any code.

Personally I feel it would be easier to learn REALstudio, which this app was made with, or if you have the patients and time learn XCode and Cocoa. Trust me in the end you will be a whole lot better off.
[Version 3.0.0]

1 Reply

burypromote

+184
Prince_Isaac replied on 25 Apr 2012
Can you remember the Helix database program that used all sorts of widgets and connecting arrows? Fun to play with on an original 512k Mac!
burypromote
+2

+281
Easer commented on 14 Nov 2010
I'm glad I read these reviews, and I appreciate the heads up. Alas, this looks like interesting software for someone like me who's totally in the dark when it comes to programming. Do any of you know of any viable alternatives that are something like this program? Thanks.
[Version 2.2.0]


burypromote
+3

+837
Espiridion commented on 14 Nov 2010
Probably the most dishonest developer I've ever encountered. Bryan typically over-promised and under-delivered. Worse perhaps is that he took potentially great software (Formation) and killed it, while still making promises about a new version to current and potential customers.
BUYER BEWARE!
An older post about Bryan and company:
http://phillryu.com/2006/08/03/good-riddance-bryan-lund/
[Version 2.2.0]

4 Replies

burypromote
+1

+71
JasonE replied on 13 Jan 2011
While I try to keep my posts positive, Phill Ryu is the last person to ever talk about someone, especially in this context. Phill not only has a long list of abandoned projects, but got an entire community together with the promise of making the software people really wanted, just to run away and leave everyone hanging without so much as an explanation.

He also orchestrated a pr stunt that had people working all night looking for vulnerabilities in a very common piece of software when there weren't any. He thought it was a joke and a good way to drum of some pr, but the only one left laughing at the end of the day was himself, his buddy John and a few others.

I would argue that Phill has no more integrity; no more class; deserves no more respect than Brian Lund. In fact, I would say that My. Ryu is far worse.
burypromote
+3

+837
Espiridion replied on 13 Jan 2011
The post by Phil is merely an additional source of information. I do remember that PR fiasco, but that's another story. Regarding John, I gave his iClip 4 a 1-star rating and posted my comments here at Macupdate. iClip 3 was pretty good, and it all went downhill with the next version. I guess both Phil and John found more success selling other people's software. There's no denying they had (and may still have) a big impact among Mac users.

Unfortunately the posts at the Radical Breeze forum are gone. Those were also quite illuminating (pun intended) as to the kind of developer Bryan is.
As a former customer I would NEVER buy anything from Bryan. In addition to Formation I also bought RadicalSafe, DeskDoodle, Zephyr, RadicalSqueeze, Macabinet, RadicalPhoto, Illumination, DoThisNow, Footlights, and DiscBlaze. Waste of money.
burypromote
+2

+71
JasonE replied on 13 Jan 2011
Understood and good clarification -- thank you. I guess I just found Phil's posting rather hypocritical, but you made good points.
burypromote

+184
Prince_Isaac replied on 25 Apr 2012
My first thought on seeing this was, Is Brian Lund still purveying crapware? I recall seven or eight years ago when Formation 2 was "this close" to being released. Always some little bug came up or some part of the documentation wasn't ready or something else kept the schedule slipping. When forum members began calling him out, he started stamping his feet and called us all a bunch of whining Mac idiots, that he was going to abandon the Mac (and Formation) in favor of Linux. Most of us just shook our heads and figured the whole Formation 2 deal was just a scam to get people to buy Formation 1 and get excited over F2.

Phill Ryu's screed might have been over the top but it was basically on the money.
burypromote
+2

+128
Miner commented on 27 Aug 2010
Just looked it up: one of the licenses I have to their software is to Illumination. Which was a disk cataloguing tool. With the same icon as the current. And which they abandoned, together with
DiscBlaze
DeskDoodle
Macabinet
RadicalSqueeze
RadicalSafe
Footlights
and biggest scam of all Formation ('the upgrade is just around the corner, promise!'...Not!)

Bought, paid for and then they ran. I am still angry!
[Version 2.1.0]

1 Reply

burypromote
+2

+18
Eelco Deuling replied on 27 Aug 2010
...and their website is a total ripoff of Panic.com...
burypromote
+2

+128
Miner commented on 27 Aug 2010
These guys abandoned the Mac platform and their paying users a couple of years ago, without any word or explanation.
And now they dig up their old mail-database, send jolly 'hi, we are back' mails, and expect us to trust them with our money again?

Don't think so!
[Version 2.1.0]


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Downloads:5,098
Version Downloads:1,240
Type:Development : Editors
License:Free
Date:06 Aug 2013
Platform:Intel 32 / OS X
Price:Free0.00
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Illumination Software Creator allows anyone to create their own software applications… without writing a single line of "code".

The idea is simple: Arrange colorful building blocks of functionality however you like to create your own, unique, piece of software.

No reading large computer programming books. No steep learning curve.

Note: The developer has changed his licensing policy to donationware. Please consider making a donation.


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