Xara Xtreme verison 4

[willdean]

It's certainly the case that TG is often not a very good place to discuss feature wishlists, at least partly because there are some incredibly defensive people here. (Hugely more defensive than Charles is, for example, who's pretty honest about the limitations.)

I like lots about 4.0, but I'm disappointed by a lack of XAML export, which I had hoped was coming, and by a lack of improvement to snapping/guiding which seems very weak to me (no snap to intersections, for example). As ever, I share other people's concerns about the strategic direction - but then user-base seems so diverse it must be very hard to decide which audience to play to. If you've spent most of the last week using a solid-modelling app, then unfortunately 3d extrude is not going to feel very exciting.

On the + side, bitmap crop within the Xara is a fantastic improvement - if I never again have to see the execrable XPE with its horrible "under-managed programmer was wasting time one Friday afternoon" jumping icons that'll suit me just fine. And there's a heap of other 'serious' stuff too (font handling, rendering, booleans, etc)

This group is particularly funny in the way which people who quite clearly haven't the foggiest notion about software development expound with great confidence upon 'bloat', and 'cost' - there must be much chuckling at Xara Towers at some of the wisdom around here...

[ss-kalm]

If the additions that you request were easy, they would already be included. If they are not easy then someone has to work hard and long to add them. If someone works hard and long he will expect to be paid, hence added cost. You don't get anything for free. Why do you think that me mentioning added cost is a joke? or alternatively why does someone who doesn't know me assume that I have no idea what I'm talking about ....

[Josè Campoy.]

Why are you talking about the icons and the interface?
it´s not so important, have you see the adobe icons? are not awesome icons, but the software is relly stable and the intarface it´s well distributed.

maybe they need to put attentions in other details,like the image.

For me is to fast for a new version, but they are the experts not me.

and they always improve the Xara photo editor. but i can´t see really improvements in the drawing tools, even with xara 2.0 i can work as well as xtreme pro,

I cant export as xxpro but it´s good for make artwork.

another things like the text tool improvements and the multipage support is nice in the new versions, but is better if they do another program to make editorial design like indesing or quark.(not easy but in a future)

the photo edditing market is wide property of photoshop, it´s nice to make phoo edditing with xara, but when i see the xpe i fell like a software for my old aunt, i fell the xpe like a home user, i can´t see the professional use for this plug in.

maybe they should put attention only in the illustration and vector tools, the export options for pre-print (it´s good , maybe onlya few improvements.).

the jpg export it´s not so good , i can see my colors different when i export, make atest with a 100% red square.

i download xxp v4 and the 3d tool it´s usefull for perspective, but really canpt find a use for illustration or graphic design.

Most people don´t know xara xtreme, we should know, they need to know xara xtreme like a professional software, it´s better than illustrator for me but not for most poeple.

details like this are important for me.

i really like the psd support and other features in the new versions, i always will like xara, because is the best for me.

This is my point of view,

like people say: 'Don't bite off more than you can chew.

[David O'Neil]

Completely agree guys. Now if we could only find a really good icon designer who can create really classy minimalist icons designs. It's very, very difficult.

Have you seen this post (at the bottom) by Know1? They may be another potential candidate.

[Josè Campoy.]

Icons are easy when i make an icon i made the illustration and just export the image smaller. and then is a minimalistic icon.
i like xara xtreme actual icons, maybe with some hightlights adn a little shadow they will see as realistic objects.

[willdean]

Charles is talking about the difficulty of producing good icons at sizes like 16x16 or possibly 32x32. The 'shiny little 128x128 picture' is not the same kind of challenge at all.

[Josè Campoy.]

Charles is talking about the difficulty of producing good icons at sizes like 16x16 or possibly 32x32. The 'shiny little 128x128 picture' is not the same kind of challenge at all.

You are right. .

Anyway i love xara xtreme, even with the most basic icons.

[willdean]

Why do you think that me mentioning added cost is a joke? or alternatively why does someone who doesn't know me assume that I have no idea what I'm talking about ....

Sorry, Keith, I wasn't intending that come across as a go at you - that was a mistake on my part.

Of course every potential feature has a cost to implement, which in some way relates to the cost of the product. How much/little that has to do with the selling price is another issue altogether - personally I think Xara is underpriced, but that's because I'm using it commercially in the UK.

I very much doubt that features are selected or ignored mainly because of their potential impact on the selling price (with the obvious exception of things like Pantone licensing) - I'm sure it's more to do with trying to expand the market in whatever direction they're trying to expand it.

Anyway, if you do know something about software development, you'll certainly have already observed what I mean about the general standard of technical (other than Xara using) advice and the quality of the speculation around here.

Doesn't 'icons are easy, just make the picture smaller' make you smile?

[mikalele]

1. Make everything savable within the default document. Including settings for contour, bevels, drop shadows.

2. Have an option for Saving Undos. One of the great things about Xara is the limitless amount of undos, it would be invitative and useful to save these even if it created massive files.

3. Editable Brush Stroke Profiles.

4. True Vector Bevels / Drop Shadows / Extrudes.

5. Live Plugins which are Vector as well as bitmap. Mathematical formual that changed the vector shapes them selves, like twirls / twists, random deforms, Erm ... rounded corners for any object not just stars and rectangles.

6. Mesh fills and transparencies.

7. True fractle fills (with editable variables). Not just the psuedo bitmap fills that are currently on offer.

8. Better Brush handling. A present the colour replace doesn't work properly. The profiles and pressures don't work properly. If your groupled item has too many shapes in it - it throws a fit. In this day and age it should be able to handle more items. Also bevelled items if they were proper vectors and not just bitmaps would work properly which it does.

9. Multi-layered brushes.

10. Added shape creation tools like the ones seen in Spray, SPX, LGV and more besides.

11. Filter fills such as Zoom, Blur, etc.

Very good ideas man! Brushes need some upgrades!

And undo saving even to a huge file would be amazing!


As far as a new set of icons goes - i think it would be better to look for a less ridiculous name to make a more professional impression. XaraXtremePro, come on...

[FLySOLO]

joke artist is a bit hard and direct but it sums up my opinion on the last years of xara developement of xara.

for me i can say i just love xaras speed and ease of use. eg the fill tool handles that let me adjust a gradient by just moving the handles etc ...

but it would be very nice to get some new illustrating tools or vector filters. maybe some easy to use round edges thing where you tip at and edge and can visually deform it to a rounded corner.

or math stuff like a spiral tool or wavy lines or or or ...

really cool would be some color controls like in photoshop but in vector. hls and brightness and contrast or a levels for a groop of vector objects would be amazing and rally usefull.

the mould tool could be made better operable.

the new 3d being bitmap and the bevel being bitmap - true
vector would be cool. or an optional bitmap or vector behaviour.

the only really cool thing about the new release is the better exactness of slice operations.

the photostuff is better done in photoshop. those who cannot afford photoshop have lots of choices for cheap and good phototools.

it's good that we can photoshop now as the bitmap editor in options.

i think i even give up talking about real/better cmyk.

bb,

FLy