I use programs other than Xara for these purposes:

1. Edit bitmaps in Photoshop and png them back into xara.
2. Export drawings/designs for further animation in Flash.
3. Drawings requiring pressure-sensitive outlines are done in Freehand or Illustrator.
4. Large images are printed as multipage images on my A4 printer from Coreldraw.
5. Preview font styles for a bit of text as I scroll down the font list in Coreldraw or Freehand.


Critical improvements Id like to see in Xara:

1. A proper pressure-sensitive pen, like the one in Freehand and Illustrator.. ie: it is smooth, and in wireframe view the line has few points and while accurately recording the shape and path of the stroke, it remains a simple shape.

thanks,
Q