Mac user

[jantilden]

I'm new to the IAN symbol libraries. I'm a Mac user running Illustrator CS2. On the downloads page there are clearly downloads for Windows users and then some downloads that don't specify a platform. I chose the first of these - the "full" download. No problem with the download but when I tried to open a file, Illustrator wouldn't let me. The folder also contained a ".exe" file. So clearly this was not the download for me. None of the downloads on the page mentioned Macs. Is there a mac friendly version? I feel like this should be blindingly obvious but it can't be or I wouldn't be here asking.
Thanks for your help,
Jan T

[AdrianJ]

Hi Jan,

Sorry it is not more clearly stated - Mac users can use any version, accept the two at the top that start with "Windows". Since you are running Illustrator we can narrow it down to the 3rd and 4th options. It sounds like you already chose the 3rd one - "Full Version 5.1 in AI format (.zip archive)". This will work perfectly for you - you can simply ignore the .exe - it is just the flash tutorial.

The libraries are provided in a special format that means they cannot simply be opened, but must first be copied to a special folder within Illustrator and then accessed via the Symbol palettes. Please read the Documentation tab on our symbols page - particularly the section on the Zip versions) and let me know if you need further assistance.

Cheers,
Adrian

[jantilden]

Thanks very much Adrian. That all seems to be working now.

The bases are rather small in the symbol palette, making the process of getting the right one trial and error. Is there anywhere I can view them large?
Jan

[AdrianJ]

Hey Jan,

That is one of our frustrations - we wish Adobe would make it possible to view the thumbnails in the symbol palettes at a larger size.

We are just starting the process of uploading all the symbols to our image library - this will allow users to search by keyword and view MUCH larger preview versions.

In the meantime, you can still make use of the PDF catalog which is available for download - it is the last in the list and is called:
Symbol Libraries Index (Vector / Print Quality). This should help as a reference for finding what you need more easily.

Hope that helps.

Regards,
Adrian

[arangeborne]

The Windows versions can be opened in VMWare on the Mac :-)

[AdrianJ]

Good point about VMWare, although since we no longer provide the self-installing windows versions, this isn't really relevant anymore. Now you simply unzip the downloaded file into the appropriate folder on either platform and you are set.

Just to follow up on Jan's other question about larger previews, all our symbols are now in our image library so you can search and browse them all. You can also try our online diagram creator which replaces the need for Adobe Illustrator and provides a built in search function, as well as much larger thumbnails.