How do I do this is Xara?

This abstract effect shown and described here:

http://blog.spoongraphics.co.uk/tuto...in-illustrator

I don't know if the brush controls in Illustrator have equivalents in Xara and I just can't find them.

Thanks, Dan.

Hi Citywolf

For the curving lines I would use a blend rather than a brush.

To get the lines the correct shape to blend with and to get a stripey effect: Draw your curved line at 48pt, convert it to a shape (arrange menu > convert line to shape) and give it a 12pt line. Select the two nodes at each end (marquee/drag select with shape editor tool) and break at points (option in the shape editor infobar). Delete these two short end lines.

You should now have two 12pt lines which are the correct wave shape to blend properly. Change colour of one line so you can see what you are doing and apply a blend (make sure you have 1:1 enabled in the blend info bar). Then reduce blend to 3 steps. Ahh you've actually got five lines there ... but you can just delete one if you like.

Convert blend to shapes and ungroup, then adjust lines as necessary.

Hopefully that all makes sense, please let me know if you need more info.

Regards

Su

Brilliant. Thanks for the tech help. Dan

Hi Sue,

I am just trying your method, but was not sure whether the lines at the beginning should be straight, or can be already curved before doing the blend? I assume that is not possible to curve the 48pt line, doing the blend and having them without those white space?
Attachment 94791

Attachment 94792

thanks,

The reason why to use a blend is because Xara's brushes are very rudimentary.

Try this. Zoom in so your blend fills the screen. Hold the CTRL key down and click on the right most line. Now slowly move it closer to the one to its left. The whole blend will move and eventually they will begin to overlap. Stop the overlap as the last of the white space goes away.

Attachment 94793

Take care, Mike

Sue sorry please ignore me, finally understood your method, anyway really brilliant I would never find out by myself :D

The "give it a 12pt line" is the key where has been lost at the first try and did not do that, after there is no need any manual adjustment because the blend exactly fit as the 48pt distance is distributed equally for 12pt lines

Attachment 94812

Attachment 94811

Hi Su.

I can't get your method to work.
When I apply the blend, firstly, I get the result in Fig1.
Then if I convert the lines into shapes again, then I get a better result.
But, you can see that it's not acceptable.

I must be missing something.

Hi, let me attach how I understood Sue's method, beautiful is that logic that an outline gives the end lines and between them the 3 steps blend exactly gives the middle ones

Attachment 94821

Attachment 94822

Great work csehz, i like your work with the blend tool, sometimes you need to adjust the blend manually as Mike said in post #5 not only for the white space but as general with the blend work.
Best regards
BP

Most of the time I still get the same result as Rik.

Never mind I have it figured out now.

Hi all, sorry I missed all the questions.

csehz: yes the diagram you posted in your last post (post #8) is correct and is how it should look/work. I've attached an example as well, which also shows what shaped line I originally used.

Rik: is it possible that you didn't have the 1:1 node mapping option set in the blend infobar? I only ask because I got something a bit similar (not quite as extreme though) when I first blended the two lines, until I used this setting.

Larry: was this the same thing that was causing your problem too or was it something else?

Regards

Su

Thanks Su just again, I have just continued with the circles in the attached file, for sure someone can do it more beautiful but it is sure so that possible to do in Xara :) Moreover even easier with the Blend tool

Attachment 94849

Attachment 94848

Su, it was something else.

No worries csehz glad to help.

Nice job on your image.

Larry: ok then (maybe keep that in mind in case Rik is still having issues).

Regards

Su

Oh great now I have to nursemaid Rik. Oh well...it's a tough job but someone has to do it.

Su: 1:1 Node Mapping can only be selected after applying the blend. Then when I do, nothing changes.

Rik,
here is what I had to do.

1, 48pt line
2. Convert line to shape
3. apply 12 pt line
4. convert to editable shapes
5. with the shape editor tool select and break the 4 points, Su described.
1-5 same as Su

6. At this point more often than not I was left with 48pt line, so I set it to a 12pt line and cleared the color of the origional shape (48pt line).
7. select and delete the two smaller end lines.
8. This is where I deviated from Su's instructions. Because when attempting to blend those two lines I would get what you ge, so because they were lines I selected both and converted line to shape. Then the blend operation worked for me.

The rest was as Su said.

If Su is reading this I hope she sets me streight. Cause I don't want to be the bearer of false information.

Rik: yes the 1:1 can only be set once your lines are a blend, before I set it I had a similar issue, just not as 'messed up' as in your example.

One thing you might want to check: If you select both lines and click on the shape editor tool (so you can see how many point handles/nodes are in each line) then add any 'missing' nodes to the line that has the least (in approx the same sort of place as in the other line - doesn't have to be absolutely accurate position). So when both lines have the same number of nodes ... hopefully the 1:1 option will work. I just had a play and on my third blend I got the issue you had (even with 1:1 set) ... one of my lines was missing a node and once I added that it worked ok. So I guess sometimes it depends on the original line shape and how many point handles/nodes Xara decides to use.

Larry: don't panic ... hopefully this node thing will solve it.

Regards

Su

Ah ... just seen Larry's reply above ...
Larry: I think it might be possible that this is the same issue with nodes as I mentioned to Rik above, if the blend only works for you after converting the lines to shapes, might be worth checking out to see if 'mirroring' nodes helps.

Thanks Su, I'll check it out and see.

At first I thought it helped but I started over from scratch and it didn't help. I did everything I could to make each line have the same number of nodes and always came up with an improper blend. I am definitely in 1:1 blend mode. Once I deleted one line and copied the other and put it where the other one was and made it the same size and the two blended, still I must be doing something wrong I just can't seem to work out what.The only thing that always works for me is to convert the two lines to shapes before blending.

Ok thanks Larry for letting me know.

I am wondering if it is how the line is being drawn in the first place, if for example you use the freehand and brush tool, you can end up with more nodes. The way I drew the line I originally used was with the shape editor tool.

I clicked once once and then again further away, which gave me a straight line with only two nodes, then I adjusted the curve handles (you might need to drag the line first or convert to 'C' type line beforehand to get curve handles) ... this gave me a smooth 'S' type curve. When this is converted to a shape, there may be less nodes than if the freehand tool is used (just tested that out) and so be easier to match the final two 12pt lines in terms of nodes. You also get a smoother curve shape, which might also be a factor.

Other than that and without seeing your line I'm not sure what could be the problem.

Regards

Su

I played with this, as a brush, and I am comfortable with the result. I use the brush (attached) and then edit the Spacing until the smoothness is acceptable. I also eliminate as many nodes as the design permits. My feeble attempt.

Okay, I'll stop. But, I think the attached can match my original question. It is a brush with 4 colors plus brushes for each of the colors, smoothed by Spacing. Critique welcome. WDFII

A sweet solution. The blend method is limiting as it can create gaps if the line is complex.
Here's my attempt using your brushes.

Well done and thanks for the compliment. In retrospect I realize I do not need the individual color brushes and that I could have just used a line set to proper width with a butt end.