Vector graphics applications such as Adobe Illustrator and Corel Draw define drawings using mathematics to make up lines and shapes.

Conventional painting or photo software, by comparison, works with the individual pixels that make up photos and painted images.

They're two very different ways of working but Magix (particularly Xara, the company Magix bought last year), here attempts to handle both in one program.

There are actually three applications in this collection: Xtreme Graphic Designer 2, Xtreme Photo Designer 7 and a special edition (meaning more basic) version of Facefilter Studio 2. Xtreme Graphic Designer 2 is a close relation of Xara Xtreme 4, which has acquired a strong reputation for everything from photo editing to website design.

The key feature separating Xtreme Graphic Designer 2 from other vector programs is its speed. Where other programs use before and after previews of images to show the effects of changes, in most places the Magix software does the same things in real time. For example, if you stretch the frame of a graphic around which text is wrapped, most programs will redraw the image when you release the mouse on the frame. Here the text rewraps itself as the graphics frame is moving.

Among new features is the ability to create and edit 3D objects. Although so far there’s only extrusion – you can’t create volumes of revolution as you would on a real lathe – the 3D objects generated are automatically lit from up to three different light sources and of course all changes including lighting happen in real time.

On the photo side, it's possible to do a lot with the new histogram tool, which shows the spread of colours in an image. By dragging sliders the lighting can be easily adjusted and with the eyedropper complete colour ranges can be changed easily so a red car can be turned blue without having to treat all the shades in its shiny bodywork separately.

Photo Designer 7 is a very competent dedicated photo editor in the Paintshop Pro style and Facefilter Studio doesn’t just remove skin blemishesbut can change expressions in subtle (and dangerously tabloid-newspaper-like) ways. To have these three applications in one box for £40 is exceptional value.

Vista compatible: Yes