Xara or Freehand10

[Hawkeye]

Hi, I've been looking around on this forum for some hours, and XaraX seems to be capable of doing some great things.

But its integration with Flash seems to be a little problematic from time to time, as I read on the topics on this subject.

And to me this is crucial. So I doubt between Xara X and Freehand10. Freehand has a PDF manual, Xara has the manual-that-is-growing on the Xaraxone site.

My question is: on http://www.grokmedia.com/freehand/
I saw a Starwars effect of Freehands' perspective tool (it is tutorial2, the perspective text) together with Flash. Is this also possible with Xara, and could it be done with the trial version?
If yes, would anyone then be so kind as to post the "hows" on this forum? Then I could download both trials and compare.

Thanks.

[Hawkeye]

Hi, I've been looking around on this forum for some hours, and XaraX seems to be capable of doing some great things.

But its integration with Flash seems to be a little problematic from time to time, as I read on the topics on this subject.

And to me this is crucial. So I doubt between Xara X and Freehand10. Freehand has a PDF manual, Xara has the manual-that-is-growing on the Xaraxone site.

My question is: on http://www.grokmedia.com/freehand/
I saw a Starwars effect of Freehands' perspective tool (it is tutorial2, the perspective text) together with Flash. Is this also possible with Xara, and could it be done with the trial version?
If yes, would anyone then be so kind as to post the "hows" on this forum? Then I could download both trials and compare.

Thanks.

[gwpriester]

Hello Hawkeye

I may be a bit predudiced, because I maintain the XaraXone and create the tutorials and WebXealot, but I also review software for a major graphics arts magazine. I have reviewed FreeHand, Illustrator, and CorelDRAW. FreeHand has really fallen behing the other applications in most respects. It has the weakest transparency (Xara has the strongest and most versatile) and with the exception of it's perspective grid which in all honesty is pretty cool, in terms of drawing tools and features I don't think it can hold a candle to Xara X.

Xara X is so far ahead of FreeHand and Illustrator it is not even a race.

As far as Flash support, you create your images in Xara, export them as SWF files, and then create your movies in Flash. You would do the same thing in FreeHand or Illustrator or CorelDRAW. FreeHand can create a movie from a blend, as can the other two products. Xara cannot do this, but that is about the only thing it cannot do.

And while we don't have a flashy manual, you ask a question here and if you don't have at least one answer in 1/2 hour to an hour, you will receive a cheerful appology from the entire moderator staff :-)

Oh, and while it is not as wizzy as FreeHand's Perpsective Grid, Xara's envelopes, including perspective shown below, are ten times as good and more interactive than FreeHand's.

Gary

I removed the image since it was too wide and since Eric B has done a much better job.
Gary Priester

Moderator Person

Be It Early So Humble...

[This message was edited by Gary W. Priester on June 23, 2001 at 18:13.]

[pduggan]

Hi Gary...

'deparately' [sic.], 'desperately' or 'separately'? [img]/infopop/emoticons/icon_confused.gif[/img]

Peter</p>

Peat Stack or Pete's Tack?</p>

[Ross Macintosh]

Gary - don't mind Peter - he can't help it. He is a teacher [img]/infopop/emoticons/icon_wink.gif[/img]

Hey Peter - maybe it's time to move to the US. I just saw an ad on TV where some US bank offers interest free mortgages to teachers to thank them for all they do for the kids!!! I think the whole idea is outragous but then I'm not a teacher. (Teachers here in Canada are relatively well paid and I'm sure most folks would resent it if they were given interest-free mortgages).

Hawkeye - Welcome to the forum! I'm glad you looked around. No doubt you saw some inspiring xara illustrations. Most of us here aren't graphic designers so much of what you see around here reflects the versitility of xara in the hands of non-professional users. I know I'm impressed.

With regards to the perspective text tutorial: I went and had a look and it is an impressive tutorial. Much as xarans like to help, it seems to me to be too much to ask of strangers to try to produce a comparable tutorial just to win your affections. It seems to me that the freehand tutorial was written to highlight tools that freehand features. My impression was that those tools were neat but I wondered how really useful they'd be in practical terms. I'll stick with Xara and its highly versatile tools.

Try Xara - I think you'll like it.

Regards, Ross

<a href=http://www.designstop.com/>DesignStop.Com</a>

[carygee]

The Freehand tutorial is very well done. (Perhaps the overburdened but highly talented Mr. Priestler might try such an animated approach on a future Xara tutorial?)

Also liked the fisheye effect on the corporate logo. (Plug-in anyone...?)

[AjIsCoool]

I read a post long time a go saying that you are doing an evaluation for Freehand 10, i looked for it and i could not find it.
It is always pleasure to read your comments Gary, so i want to propose this if i may
1- Gary, if possible to point to us all your Application reviews
2- Anyone in this fourm has made one should give us the link for it.
This will be very helpful to everyone [img]/infopop/emoticons/icon_cool.gif[/img]

[FLySOLO]

hawkeye,

every graphics app has its pros and cons. i´ve been working with nearly all of them and my conclusion is still: xara may not have all the features but it´s the fastest app with the nicest onscreen feeling and appeal. no surprises on exporting. everything looks good while you work and the final output matches. just look at the gallery to see what you can do... bla bla bla

xara rocks

FLySOLO

[gwpriester]

Basically what was in the tutorial, (I believe) showed the art created in FreeHand being made into a movie in Flash. (Did I read to fast?)

Xara can create a blend of two sets of perspective text and each step can be exported as an SWF image and placed on a frame in Flash.

FreeHand can automatically take a blend and convert each frame into a frame for a Flash Movie in what it refers to as Release to Layers.

If this is all you are looking for Hawkeye, then FreeHand's your tool. Use it in good health.

But FreeHand can only create limited blends. FreeHand has a very primitive flat perspective lens that only works on certain objects. FreeHand cannot create an interactive Gradient Transparency using several different kinds of gradients. FreeHand is not interactive, just about everything is done thought dialogs. FreeHand cannot add transparency to a bitmap. And on and on and on. FreeHand can only blend two groups or two objects if the fills are the same. I could go on. But I'll stop here.

Peter -- All I can say is [img]/infopop/emoticons/icon_razz.gif[/img]

AjIsCool -- I write the Tech Review column for
The reviews are not published on their web site. Communication Arts Magazine, very little of the content is. The magazine is read by just about every graphic arts and design professional in the USA and I suspect much of the world.

The FreeHand 9 review is due out next month I think.

Gary

Gary Priester

Moderator Person

Be It Early So Humble...

[Egg Bramhill]

Hawkeye
I quickly looked at the tutorial, without reading it, just to see what effect you were after. Basically your after the text slinding into the distance.
I created this flash movie in less than half an hour. The text was created in XaraX using the mould perspective tool. Imported into flash as a symbol. copied at 180 frames, reduced in size and then tweened.
The effect could be made smoother if I'd have placed some intermeadiate keyframes.

flash

Egg