drawing a network possible in xara?

[tremendous]

i'd like to draw a network on xara, also known as a graph, i.e. nodes with lines connecting them. i can draw one without a problem, but it's just a pain if i want to move one node - i have to edit each line which was connected to it. i wonder if there is a plugin somewhere especially for this? i did a search and couldn't actually find any plugins made specially for xara... thanks

[tremendous]

i'd like to draw a network on xara, also known as a graph, i.e. nodes with lines connecting them. i can draw one without a problem, but it's just a pain if i want to move one node - i have to edit each line which was connected to it. i wonder if there is a plugin somewhere especially for this? i did a search and couldn't actually find any plugins made specially for xara... thanks

[RAMWolff44]

While I don't use Xara X1 for this purpose I do agree it would be nice to see this sort of functionality made available for those that do.

[tremendous]

John, that's not really what i had in mind. i'm talking the sort of network where there are nodes all over the place, and any might be connected to any other, or many others.

[mckinney]

I started thinking about this problem and couldn't come up with an easy solution in Xara. For me, the real question became:

Can shapes or lines be joined in such a way as to enable distortion of the combined figure by moving a single node at a junction of the lines or shapes?

For example, take the simple case of three lines radiating from a point. Can the lines be joined in a way that would allow me to move the point at which the lines meet without moving their endpoints? You could obviously move each line separately, but that is three operations, rather than one.

If there was a way to do this in Xara, I think Tremendous might be able to do what he wants to do.

- Pete

[tremendous]

thanks pete, that's exactly what i'm getting at. is there a way, anyone?

[tremendous]

sure: here's a xar of what i mean. i'd like to be able to have something like this, and drag the nodes around, and have the lines connecting them to update automatically.

thanks

[RAMWolff44]

This sort of functionality is present in Deneba Canvas and I think in Draw. I don't think Illustrator or Serif's DrawPlus offers this, yet!

So I think it would be a nice thing for Xara X to offer, it would just be one more sector of the vector users out there that would jump on board and since it's all vector based it should be pretty light code, I would think but then again I don't have a clue so I'll shut up now!! http://www.talkgraphics.com/images/smilies/biggrin.gif

[tremendous]

yeah i reckon it would be a breeze for them to include. it'd be one of those features which makes you think, "man they did a fantastic job of this, it can even do this!"

[Grafixman]

It is possible to do this with Draw, somewhat. I think it would be a step ahead of every vector apps if the next version of Xara is able to group selected nodes of separate objects, much like what's possible now in 3D programs. Sort of a parent/child set. You select the nodes, click group or parent, then move, rotate or scale as you please.