Help with graphic image... how to!

[SunnyOz]

I have just found out about Xtreme Pro, and purchased it on the spot. I am totally amazed at it's abilities already!

One of the reasons I bought it is becasue I need the ability to create an image that can twist and turn on itself, and have a soft shadow that appears to have the light source directly above it.

A perfect example of what I want to do is shown here in an image the someone created with Xtreme (got it off Xtreme website examples page)
http://www.mentat.com.au/misc/Film_strip.gif

As I am new to this graphic package, I would greatly appreciate any help you can give me to show me how this image (or one like it) can be accomplished. I have looked around the demos on the website, but didn't find anything that showed this feature exactly.

Thanks from down-under!
SunnyOz

[DGehman]

The film stock looks like 4 shapes + 1 line (white). (I didn't add the rectangular sprocket holes - either do these by hand or study up on blends, especially blends on a curve.)

You then group these and clone them (Ctrl + k), change the clone to light gray, squash it, feather it, and place it behind the film stock.

The top darker shape has the same fill and line.

The second one down has fill of dark red and white line.

The others are respectively all the same fill and line colors.

The white line goes between the two dark red shapes (at the lower right of the top dark red shape).

[Egg Bramhill]

Welcome SunnyOz,
Whoops DGehman beat me to it! I attach a mini tutorial xar file of how I'd go about it.

[DGehman]

Comparing my explanation to Egg's is like comparing a used bicycle to a new Mercedes Benz...

And here I thought I finally grasped enough about Xara. Not yet, I guess.

By using transparency on the shadow, Egg's version would allow any background objects or patterns to show through - much better than solid light gray. His sprocket brush is primo. Adding a final touch with fills rounds his version out nicely.

[salaam]

Here's an alternative method:

1 ● Draw a line following the shape of the original bitmap.
2 ● Make 4 copies of this line.

3 ● Place 1 line to the top right edge of the bitmap image.
4 ● Place another line to the bottom right edge of the bitmap image.

5 ● Blend these lines together with 100 steps.

6 ● 'Convert to editable shapes' [control shift 5].
7 ● 'Convert line to shape'.
8 ● Add shapes [control 1] to create one new shape.

9 ● Draw 5 lines in the appropriate places and subtract these from the tape shape.


10 ● Get another line and go to the line gallery.
11 ● Select 'Dash patterns'.
12 ● Select the 4th dashed line on the left (your line should now have a similar spacing to the bitmap image square holes).
13 ● Change the line size to 1.5 pix.
14 ● Position this dashed line on your wavy shape, ready to make the square sprocket holes.
15 ● Clone this line and position it below the 1st.
16 ● Blend these together and follow steps 6, 7, 8.

17 ● Clone this new shape.
18 ● Position it for the lower sprocket holes.

19 ● Subtract these 2 sprocket hole shapes from the tape shape.

20 ● 'Ungroup' shapes so that you have 5 shapes.
21 ● Colour these shapes as desired.

22 ● You will have to delete a few nodes etc. to correct the errors on the central image.

[salaam]

Image instructions:

[Xhris]

Image instructions:

Yes, this makes very good use of the extruding technique in Xara. I wrote a quick tutorial on it a while back (see signature). The trick is to recognise it as a situation where you can use the technique.

[SunnyOz]

Image instructions:

WOW. I am amazed at the generosity of this group.. what a fantastic out-pouring of help. I have learnt so much, just trying out each suggesting.

I have made the most progress with Salaam's instructions using the extruding technique. However, I have gotten stuck on Step 19.

After I created the two lines of 'sprockets', I found that there were unwanted white dashes (that should be hidden by the tape section in front of it). I don't know how to get rid of those, before I subtract the sprockets from the main tape image.

If I go ahead and subtract the two dashed lines (as seen in my attachment), then I get holes where I don't want them. What did I do wrong.. or not do correctly?

http://www.mentat.com.au/misc/film_strip1_vsm.gif

I did try to continue on, and do the rest of the instructions, but I also got stuck on the very next step (20). When I look at my image.. it doesn't say it is a group anymore.. just a shape - so it doesn't have the ungroup option available. I tried to use "break shapes".. but of course that didn't work! What am I missing here?

Again, thanks so much for everyone's responses, and generously giving of their time! What a wealth of experience you all have!

[salaam]

I'm glad we could be of help, these queries also give us practice and help to expand our knowledge.

However, I have gotten stuck on Step 19.

After I created the two lines of 'sprockets', I found that there were unwanted white dashes (that should be hidden by the tape section in front of it). I don't know how to get rid of those, before I subtract the sprockets from the main tape image.

If I go ahead and subtract the two dashed lines (as seen in my attachment), then I get holes where I don't want them. What did I do wrong.. or not do correctly?

1 Draw some lines over the unwanted holes.
2 'Convert lines to shapes'.
3 Add these line shapes to the tape shape: 'Add shapes' [control 1]
4 Click on the 'Shape editor tool' [F4] while the shape is selected.
5 Now 'marquee select' the 'nodes which you want to delete and press the delete key when ready.

This may seem tedious but with experience and practice, this should only take a minute to complete.

The last image shows a 3D blend using the 'bevel tool'. This grey image was then place on top of a bitmap copy of the above created image and its 'transparency' was altered to 'luminosity' producing the lighting.

[salaam]

I did try to continue on, and do the rest of the instructions, but I also got stuck on the very next step (20). When I look at my image.. it doesn't say it is a group anymore.. just a shape - so it doesn't have the ungroup option available. I tried to use "break shapes".. but of course that didn't work! What am I missing here?

SunnyOz, Are you sure neither break or ungroup work?