An Idea ....

[Clements]

Aj,

Is your concern towards the dialog boxes, like that appearing for export functions or alignment?

Personally, I don't have an issue with the Toolbars since you can customize them so easily.

[AjIsCoool]

Guys you all think that XaraX has a nice interface that it can not be better than this...OK
Peter : I meant the icon size and the toolbars placement, for starter Corel has all the effects in one place where it will expand to show others. i am not trying to compare the 2 product, it is just an example of what i am trying to say. the other example it the dialogboxes where you can open then and dock them not close them so you have a space, try openning the Font,fill,object Alignment, and layer gallaries at the same time, you have to keep move them around. [img]/infopop/emoticons/icon_rolleyes.gif[/img]
Gary: what happened to your creativity?
example would be combine shapes should be in one dialog box, i dont have to go to the menu every time. Or try remmebering the short cuts.
John : 100% correct
Guys I love XaraX and that is why i want it too look more sharp [img]/infopop/emoticons/icon_wink.gif[/img] it does not mean that i would replace it with other app
[img]/infopop/emoticons/icon_confused.gif[/img]
but it is up to you, and i am sorry for sharing my concern loudly [img]/infopop/emoticons/icon_biggrin.gif[/img]

[a4hire]

I like Big Frank's toolbar, looks good.
I think I get the same dual head as Ross after too many beers [img]/infopop/emoticons/icon_biggrin.gif[/img]

What is that software.

[james_frost]

Although I find XaraX easy to use, there are areas in the interface where XaraX strays a bit from the standard Windows guidelines. When I first started playing with Xara 2 a few years ago it took me a long time to get used to using it.

Some of the keyboard shortcuts, for example, are non standard (some hark back from the days of Artworks it seems). I also find that some of the dialog boxes are a little cluttered and that some of the more "custom" UI controls are a little counter intuitive.

I'm not sure exactly why, but when I use XaraX it always feels a little unpolished. It does its job very well but doesn't have the same feeling of attention to detail that some of the other software packages I use give me.

My personal pet hate (hate is a bit strong - more like pet annoyance) is that you can't dock the gallery windows. I find myself closing and opening them all the time when playing with a big drawing.

What I'd actually really like would be a custom gallery view (preferrably dockable to one edge) where I could drop in my favourite fonts, colours, line widths, brushes etc. Kind of like the favourites in Internet Explorer but for any type of XaraX "thing". And then I'd like to be able to be able to define an individual custom favourites box for different templates.

I know there are some more important functional things that need adding, but I feel that its worth getting whats there efficient and pleasant to use before adding lots of new stuff.

James

[lucx]

One of the reasons Photoshop is so popular is its attention to detail. Example:

*Single key shortcuts for tools that (more or less) make sense, ie. b for brush, c for crop, rather than obscure Funtion key or Alt+number keys (what intuitive way is there to remember F4 is for the shape editor tool)

*Space bar to reposition selections while dragging, Space bar to pan around drawing(using the largest key on your keyboard to do a very common function, who’s da thunked it)

*Control, Alt, Shift key modifiers for just about everything (alt+click on layer eyeball to hide other layers, something Xara lacks)

*Drag through eyeballs in Layers pallete to hide/show layers in one action (more elegant than Xara’s equivilent of click to hide/show a layer, press shift and click another layers to hide the layers in-between)

*double click when no windows are open to bring up open dialog; ctrl+double click to create new drawing (those modifier keys just keep popping up don't they)

*etc, etc (etc).

I think some people say that Xara isn't polished, well it’s these little details that give it that overall polished feel.

[This message was edited by Alex W. on August 28, 2001 at 09:06.]

[Lobo]

Anyone with Photoshop really should use the extensis photo tools bar/icon plugin. It really makes things easier to get at and enhances ease of access, etc.

As for Xara. Well the Galleries really are a pain to use, but that's about it. I like the interface otherwise.

[jamesc]

It does take a bit of getting used to and I find things are a bit hidden but like anything else if you put the time in it rewards you.

The one big niggle I have is if you close a drawing without saving it you get a "Do you want to save" dialog which the rest of the world says Y/N to and Xara says S/D (save/don't save). I vaguely think photoshop uses S/D but can't recall. Glad I got that off my chest. Am I the only one who thinks this is odd?



<font face="dom casual, verdana>James</font>

[roman]

I don't know. It's simply not copying "PHOTOSHOP" design like other softs. It keeps the simple style and I like that. I also switch on and off galleries a lot, docking would be nice, but I would also appreciate thinner outlines of windows and smaller buttons in galleries the windows are quite big ;-).

Actually for me it's a pain to use Illustrator and Photoshop. I have never seen some nice Illustrator gallery proving that it's a well made productive tool. Instead I hear it's so great and so STANDARD, so USED. I need proofs of that it really is used for top vector design. As far as Photoshop is concerned. I agree, it's a great tool, just I don't use it. I use Painthshop pro instead (as I used it since 4.12 which was my favourite for a long time). I do 90% of my designs completely in XaraX.

[d-sine]

Erik - yeah, I'm running dual-head on my g450, works like a dream, differnet resolutions under w2k too.

If people wonder about xara's interface you should look at the amount of boxes etc that dreamweaver v4 places upon the screen, that's why I migrated to a multi-monitor setup!

[Erik Heyninck]

Selecting the pencil tool:

in version 3: hit P
in version 4: hit Y
in version 5: hit N
in version 6: hit B and toggle between pencil and paintbrush


change is life's characteristic...


d-sine: thanks for reacting to my little counterpoint. My idea is that most graphic software has so many managers, windows etc to open that dualhead/twinview is the ultimate solution. Just another idea: some people change their desktop every week, use screensavers, even Anfy applets on their wallpaper.
My pc is greyish brown: no wallpaper, nothing. Very relaxing for the eyes, and good to interpret colours. So tastes can vary.

It might be a good, or at least funny and creative idea that those who like design "their" Xara X design. All the tools have to be there, and, well...: how would it be ideal for you? Shall we start another thread for this?

[This message was edited by Erik Heyninck on August 29, 2001 at 12:42.]

[This message was edited by Erik Heyninck on August 29, 2001 at 12:42.]