Not able to fill outlined graphic

[notJenn]

Ok, so being snapped doesn't mean that the lines are joined... that helps a lot!
After playing with this for a little while, I figured out that I can select the vertical curved line and the recently joined top and bottom lines and splice them in order to color the different vertical panels separately.

Thanks so much to you both for your help! This is an awesome community...

[wizard509]

I've been playing around with this so here is another way of doing it.
If anyone sees any problem with doing it this way please let me know.
I know this works because I have done the same thing several times, and it works every time.

[handrawn]

Hi Larry - my way too, spot on, only thing I'd add - I always 'convert line to shape' between your steps 1 & 2, this is likely not necessary unless you are performing step 2 on a mixture of lines and shapes, but I always do it just in case

[mg.architect]

@wizard509: What are you doing in step 2? Are you using the Add Shapes command on the lines from step 1? Or are you creating shapes of each segment? You've lost me in the two steps.
Thanks,
mg

[zaphodeist]

Another way that might help perhaps ...

[angelize]

There is also what I like to call the cartoonist method, draw your lines on one layer create a second layer below the first draw your colour shapes there

cartoonist_method.xar

[Toonicorn]

I'm having the same issue. I've outlined a rather complex shape, and I'm trying to fill it with color. But the color goes all over the place instead of within the shape's lines. Now, if I export that shape to Photoshop, the paint bucket has no trouble filling in the shape without spilling over it and into the background. So what's the deal? BTW, I appreciate all of the advice I've gotten here so far, but I'm seriously beginning to wonder if I should return Xara for a refund. I'm finding it to be a very frustrating program to use.

[ad1066]

There is also what I like to call the cartoonist method, draw your lines on one layer create a second layer below the first draw your colour shapes there

This is what I do. I generally have at least two layers: Outlines and Fills. I might add a Highlights layer in between if the shading is fairly complex. And if I want a heavier line around the outside of the object, I'll duplicate the Outlines layer, put it underneath everything, and change the line widths to something heavier (you have to set them to twice the actual width you want to display, because half of the lines are covered by the other layers.

-- Ben

[wizard509]

@wizard509: What are you doing in step 2? Are you using the Add Shapes command on the lines from step 1? Or are you creating shapes of each segment? You've lost me in the two steps.
Thanks,
mg

1. All I did was drag select all the lines and 2. From the Arrange menu Combine shapes/Add shapes. 3. Then from the Arrange menu break shapes. From there you have filled shapes so get rid of the top one and the what remains will be all the broken filled shapes which you can select individually and color. It might be easier to drag select all of them and clear the fill color so you can see where they are. I don't think it is necessary to convert line to shape unless you want to add some effects to the lines.

[notJenn]

Wizard - That is definitely the method I was trying to figure out, but I never would have thought to add the shapes and then break them... Thanks a bunch!

Toonicorn - I hear you there... I mainly used Flash to create my graphics and Photoshop to polish them up. Xara's the least intuitive software that I've come across in a long time, but I'd encourage you to keep at it. It definitely gets easier, and any time I'm stumped I come here for answers and am never disappointed. Its capabilities have pretty much negated any need I had for the other two programs.

I have definitely learned a lot in this thread, thanks to all for your help