Background fills

[ajreed]

Seems almost too trivial to post, but having used XaraX for many years, and now using Xtreme I got for Christmas, this little problem is bugging me.

Open new document, open fills gallery, select a fill, click Background - and it just imports the fill into the current layer.

XaraX - open new doc, open fill gallery, select fill, click Background and it floods the background layer with the selected fill (tiled) also creating the background layer if non existed. Which is what I expected Xtreme to do - but it doesn't - why?

Thanks - Im sure its something stupid - but I cant see it.

Alan.

[handrawn]

if you have moved from xaraX straight to xtreme 4 you are going to notice quite a few of changes - and the way fills are organised is one

there are threads covering various aspects of this of course, but they are scattered around and not coordinated

might be an idea to road test the program and make a list of all the things that you find different that need clarifying

[ajreed]

Just a further observation - using the bitmap gallery instead of the fill gallery and all works as expected, the selected bitmap floods the background layer creating the background layer if one did not exist. Seems the problem exists just with the fills gallery.

Also - how do you create a background layer? Ok filling it using a bitmap is one way, is there another?

[gwpriester]

Hi Alan

I believe the background layer exists automatically.

You can apply a bitmap fill to the background which you know. You can also hold down the Ctrl key and drag a color onto the background (right click and select Default Page Background) to return to the white page.

What you might want to do is simply create a rectangle the size of your page and apply any fill you want. This will be in essence the bottom or background layer, but unlike the actual background layer found in the Layer Gallery, you can edit the fill applied to a rectangle.

[ajreed]

Ok Gary thanks for that - by your reply I assume that unlike XaraX1, Xtreme can't auto create the background layer by filling with a fill, only by filling with a bitmap. Not sure what the distinction is, but thanks for your input.

I know I could always create a rectangle the size of the page but somehow this seems like a workaround. I could always create a new layer, drag it to be a background layer and fill it and knock off its select handle, but again that seems like a workaround, compared to the ease which XaraX1 could auto-create it.

Anyhow - I have submitted a ticket on this to Xara and await with interest if they can shed further light on this peculiar difference.

Thanks again for your input,

[iamtheblues]

...I could always create a new layer, drag it to be a background layer and fill it and knock off its select handle, but again that seems like a workaround, compared to the ease which XaraX1 could auto-create it.

Whilst we appreciate your quest for the truth, I don't think Messrs. Xara will be to interested in what you (or anyone else) has to say regarding the changes since Xara X1. It really is a question of accepting that Xara has moved on and accepting the changes. Have a read of this thread about workarounds and I'm sure you'll agree that there is little point in wanting things to be the way they were (or the way that you would rather they were), and accept the way that they are.
Saludos,
Bob.

[Burpee]

Since learning to use XX2, is have always created a rectangle, used arrange to center it and typed in exact dimensions for my background layer. Always a bother. Now I learn that there is a way to use the fill gallery to create it for me. Well, there was a way in X1. Why would the creators remove such a fine and useful feature?

I read the thread link about 'work-arounds' but that seems more about using the term than anything directly applying to a specific feature.

I found a similar bug/omission in my Vue6Infinite and emailed Tech support about it (something that was there once but now omitted). In the next update they included the fix for it. Do the Xara creators not care about what the users think? I would think that they do...or should. Something like this would be so easy to reinstall in the program. Pity it's gone.

[steve.ledger]

It's not gone, it's updated.
Open the fill gallery, select a fill, hold ctrl and double-click.

The fill then fills the page background and puts a copy of the bitmap into the current document bitmap gallery.

[Burpee]

That is so cool...thanks

[stratocast]

Well, this is interesting. I don't use page backgrounds, so I'm not really up to speed, as it were. However, upon checking out the Fill Gallery I can see why there's confusion.

Using the "Background" button or the context menu "Set page background" option does nothing of the sort. Neither option creates a background layer, but just dumps the fill in the middle of the current layer.

Ctrl+double-click and Ctrl+drag, achieve what I would percieve as the required result, i.e. a background layer completely covered with the selected texture.

Although, these methods are described (at least, Ctrl+drag is) in the help file, they seem a little obscure when the fill gallery provides a button and a context menu option which, one would think, would do the same job.

Now, I'm all for just getting on with it and stop wingeing (as iamtheblues comments), but maybe the Fill Gallery could do with an overhaul.