Please help a newbie

[lemelman]

I've just started with Xara P&GD6 and am trying to draw a symmetrical golden shield.
I drew one half of the outline, cloned it, flipped the clone horizontally, carefully lined it up, and used Arrange|Combine shapes|Add shapes to make the shield shown in the attachment. No matter what I try, I can't fill it with colour. I've clearly done some stupid, but I can't figure out what.
Can anybody help please?

[TXAlba]

Hi Lemelman, if you use the Help in menu and type 'joining lines' and selecting it in topic list you will find all you need, attached is an image of the same that will help you close and fill the shape you are creating.

[Su Lawrence]

Hi lemelman

Dragging the end of the lines to finish the join, as mentioned by tx200man, is probably the most popular way and is pretty easy to do.

But you can also still create a symmetrical object using your add shapes method, (ie without moving line ends around to join). (I'm using an older version of the program, but the icons/buttons should hopefully all still be in similar places). Sorry it looks like a lot of info, it is quite quick and simple to do ... just longer to explain.

1. So grab your half a shape outline. If you haven't already done it, make sure that the two node (point handle) line ends are lined up vertically; you can use a vertical guideline (with window - snap to guides set to on). (Note: the point handle x-axis value is shown in shape editor tool infobar, which you can also use for alignment).

2&3. Then simply click from one end of the line to the other using the shape editor tool (F4) to create a whole shape. Make sure that the line (that you've just created) is a straight line with cusp joins (both of which you can set in shape editor tool infobar).
Tip: drag (marquee) select to select two nodes at once or use shift and mouse click to select ... in order to set the in-between line shape - in shape editor tool infobar.
Fill this shape with any colour and remove the outline (you can do it with an outline there, but this way is easiest to explain).

4. Clone shape (ctrl+k) and in the selector tool (F2) infobar use the set origin position button (small grid-like icon) to set origin position to the straight vertical edge (ie the 'future' central vertical axis). Then flip the clone horizontally.

5.This should line up your two shapes automatically and exactly ... so that when using add shapes it will not only create a single shape, but should also (hopefully!) only have one node top and one node bottom at the original central join, so it's a clean join.

Anyway, just another way to do the same thing. One thing I like about Xara is that there are often several ways to accomplish a task, so you can choose which one suits your work methods best. Hopefully I've explained this ok, but if you have any questions please let me know.

Regards

Su

[Rik]

Hi lemelman.

You can see the great help and tips already.

This was one of the things that interested me, a while back.

So, I created a tutorial, after having learned what to do.

It's in my signature and it's called A Shield - have a go at it.

[lemelman]

Many thanks for the advice.
Strangely, it would appear that the reason it wouldn't fill was an illusion. What I thought was an outline turned out to be a very thin shape - so thin that I couldn't see the fill, and it just looked like a line. I have no idea how I managed to draw it, which is a little worrying 'cos now I don't know what I did wrong.
Anyway, with the advice I've been given I've managed to get a good start, as can be seen in the attached.

[lemelman]

Hi lemelman.
This was one of the things that interested me, a while back.

So, I created a tutorial, after having learned what to do.

It's in my signature and it's called A Shield - have a go at it.

Great tutorial - very useful; I learnt lots. Thanks Rik, and all the others who helped me.

[Black Panther]

Hi lemelman,
Let me say- you
have drew a line, cloned it, flipped the clone horizontally- selected both
and then used Arrange-Combine shapes-Add shapes.
Well the next step you missed here is Arrange- break shapes
Hope that help you more
Best regards
BP

[Rik]

That looks pretty good to me, lemelman.

It's a pretty wide shield.
Being this wide, is it for something specific, or just a design you wanted to create?

[lemelman]

It's for part of my business card. I'm a jeweller and the shield is my registered maker's mark at the assay office.
I think it's done - but I shall wait before I commit it to cards, just to make sure I don't want to change or "improve" it.



Incidentally, the swarf and filings of precious metal that result from making jewellery is called lemel, hence my userid.