This US$255 plug-in has a deceptively simple, single palette, but it takes a while to get the hang of all the options. It's fun playing with the settings and seeing the results. Even simple boxes filled with a gradient, or a series of color circles can generate some interesting patterns. If you come across a pattern you like, you can save the settings for future use. You can also create Illustrator patterns from the art, which can be exported and shared with others.

Complaints are few. The biggest one is a wish to save the SymmetryWorks art and settings in a swatches or graphic styles-like palette. Although the settings can be saved, the art must be saved as a separate file (or layer) -- or saved as a standard Illustrator pattern (no longer editable in SymmetryWorks).

Also, creating Illustrator patterns could be slightly more automated: the plug-in can create the bounding box for you but you have to send the box to the back and then save the pattern. You'd think the last two steps could be automated. Finally, perhaps the PDF manual could be bookmarked and the index hyperlinked, especially because the page numbers don't match the PDF numbers (an easy fix).

If you're involved with any pattern-related industry (such as the textile industry), or even if you just like making patterns for ad designs, you really need to look at this plug-in. If you're a Photoshop user, they have a similar plug-in for that application.

SymmetryWorks 4 is compatible with Mac OS X 10.3 or higher. It's Universal Binary so runs natively on both PowerPC and Intel macs.

Macsimum rating: 9 out of 10

This review brought to you courtesy of [url=http://www.layersmagazine.com/symmetryworks-4.html]"Layers Magazine."[/url]