Color blending

[cursor]

I'm preparing some maps of Mesoamerica (southern Mexico & northern Central America) for my father's latest book. I'm having some difficulty blending three different ranges of ocean depths. The attached .XAR file should serve as a good indication of what I'm working with. I've toyed with blending and contours but just cant seem to achieve what I'm looking for. I've also tried, unsuccessfully using feathering (the tool seems to feather all edges of the shape, which doesn't work well at the map edges). This image nicely indicates the type of visual blending (perhaps, using shades or tints of some named water-color) between ocean shapes that I'm hoping to get. Thanks for any and all help.

[steve.ledger]

Perhaps this method may suit?

Copy the back shape to the clipboard.
Select all grey shapes and apply a Gaussian blur (I used +46)
Paste-in-place the shape you copied to the clipboard and send it to the back.
Select all and apply clipview (Q)

[cursor]

I very much appreciate that quality feeback, Steve. I'll give it a shot.

[Egg Bramhill]

Another possible way of softening the contours Curtis is to use a brush so it blends from one colour to the next. I found feathering added white edging and wasn't practical.

[wizard509]

For doing a map I think what egg shows is may be the best way to go, simply because you are showing a contour map and it seems to me that the different areas should be defined and not all blended together. Just my opinion though.

[cursor]

Thanks for your input, Egg. I tried to open the .xar file attachment but am told

Error from Xara Designer Pro X
Unable to find the filter to import that file with.

[Rik]

I've opened Egg's file in Designer Pro X, as well as Designer Pro 7.
Opens in both versions for me.

[cursor]

That's interesting ... after two failures with the same error message, it seems to load just fine now. I'll have to look into the brushes solution. Thanks.

[cursor]

I've experienced a disturbing turn of events. Several of the maps are to span two adjacent book pages. And it doesn't matter whether I use a custom pen (employing blending colors) + clipview, or feathering + clipview. If I draw a vertical line at the mid-plane, then slice the soft-grouped underlying map, I get undesirable results. In the later case, for example, feathering occurs at the new cut-line. Ideas? thx.

Might there be a way to eliminate the "clipped group" ocean element by replacing it with a bitmap (or other substitute graphic component) ... which can be more conveniently sliced?

[Egg Bramhill]

I can only suggest you do the slicing prior to adding feathering etc Curtis.