The January 2012 Tutorial Discussion

[Big Frank]

Magnificent - this thread just gets better and better

[angelize]

Well I have certainly been enjoying this thread. It's given me some ideas, and some inspiration for sure Now I just need to find the extra time!

[HayTay]

I see some very nice images as a result of this tutorial. Nice job everyone.

I've got to admit that, even though software video tutorials aren't my favorite, this has been one of the liveliest (given both replies & views) tutorial threads in a long time. Judging by that data, I'd say the tutorial is a winner. I'd still like to see some less seasoned XX, XXP, XP&GD, or XDP users give this a go and post their questions and/or results.

Good job Gary (and crew).

[Gare]

We're encouraging everyone, Harry, all skill levels.

Two things are going to happen quite soon: The Xara Outsider will carry a skinny on the monthly tutorials here, so registered users (IOW a spectrum of skill level users) can discover the tutorials and tg—not everyone knows we're here, although the number of hits this new area is getting is encouraging.

Also, we decided to make the tutorials public on YouTube. So we may attract people who don't know The Xara Xone or tg exists, strange, but sometimes it happens. So I'm packing the metadata with all sorts of Xara stuff so the spiders pick it up, and as the hits on the videos increase, we'll gain more prominence in searches.

We'll try to maintain the same standards I adhere to in future tutorials, rest assured.

And Barbara went to the store and bought me thee dozen audio pauses to put in the next video.

My Best,
—Gare

[wizard509]

Javier that looks good but the triangles particularly on the top faces do not seem to have a reason for being there. I suppose they could be reflections form somewhere we the viewer are not seeing but that seems unlikely. If they are the result of the icosahedron being transparent that is also unlikely. I guess I'll just have to do one like I think it should look like. So thank you for that.
EDIT: Looking again at what Gare posted, you did it perfectly.

[jvila]

Wizard, I agree with you, it is the result of changing the floor perspective, I change the floor but not the faces reflections, I should change it according actual conditions.
As soon as I'm free I'll do the changes
Best regards

[Gare]

I'm going to offer a redirection to the tutorial now.

Because I think we're polyhedroning ourselves into a pleasant stupor.

The video covered perspective, lighting, and texturing—on a planar, non-curved surface.

Is anyone game to take the attached Xara file and make it more photorealistic through texturing and shading? It's a quadrahedron by the way—a box .

The perspective is accurate, but that's about it. If you want to flex your shading talents, I say go for it!



My Best,

—Gary

P.S. Here's a big-time technique/trick/revelation: if you draw a line exactly over any of the edges, and then use the Selector tool to extend the line exactly on the original line, you'll not only establish the perspective I used to draw it (a good enough study), but you'll also reveal the hidden line areas in the drawing, and could, in theory, design a glass box. It'd make a neat icon.