Xara Designer Pro X9 Released

**Grenou** · 09 July 2013, 02:15 PM

I bought Designer 9 when it came out, I am very happy with the new tools. The healing brush is a-m-a-z-i-n-g and works a treat.
Why the complaints?
Does it diminish one's status having to be on a par with the less expensive Designer 9?

Very silly (shaking my head in disbelief)..
:-)
Grenou

**gwpriester** · 09 July 2013, 02:27 PM

Very silly (shaking my head in disbelief).

I'm with you on this one, Grenou.

**Big Frank** · 09 July 2013, 02:41 PM

Originally Posted by Grenou

I bought Designer 9 when it came out, I am very happy with the new tools. The healing brush is a-m-a-z-i-n-g and works a treat.
Why the complaints?
Does it diminish one's status having to be on a par with the less expensive Designer 9?

no, it's a feeling of having been forgotten

**mwenz** · 09 July 2013, 02:51 PM

Originally Posted by Grenou

Why the complaints?

For one, how many requests in Dear Xara are for actual enhanced or new drawing capabilities versus what we now know is XDPX9?

It isn't silly being disappointed in nothing new, improved or enhanced as regards vector drawing capabilities. If there had been one, count it one, improvement (for instance the pen tool) it would have mitigated the issues. If there had been one new capability (say vector brushes), there would have been hand-clapping instead. If there had been one enhancement (say all the properties of an object being in one place where those properties can be changed) it would have been good.

Add to those "for instance" examples above just some of the dozens upon dozens of other improvements, enhancements or new capabilities that have been in threads for a dozen or more years, and there would have been exclamations of praise.

Get it now?

Mike

RE the healing brush. This has been a core function of bitmap editors for decades. For me, in a vector editing/creation application, it rates "who cares."

**Big Frank** · 09 July 2013, 03:02 PM

Originally Posted by mwenz

RE the healing brush. This has been a core function of bitmap editors for decades. For me, in a vector editing/creation application, it rates "who cares."

its not even new, it's just an extension of the magic erase

if anybody says stop whining
i'm entitled to
i paid for it

**gwpriester** · 09 July 2013, 03:58 PM

The simple truth is, most of what I do, could be done very well with Xara way back when it was CorelXara. But as someone who works in this program, all of the time in a professional capacity, I appreciate and will soon grow totally dependent on many of the new features and improvements. This is what is important to me. If there were a drawing tool that would let me draw like someone who knew how to draw, that would be terrific. But there isn't.

Download the trial version(s), work with it for a week or so, then see if you can live without them. If you can great. If not, buy the product or upgrade.

**mwenz** · 09 July 2013, 04:29 PM

Originally Posted by gwpriester

The simple truth is, most of what I do, could be done very well with Xara way back when it was CorelXara. But as someone who works in this program, all of the time in a professional capacity, I appreciate and will soon grow totally dependent on many of the new features and improvements. This is what is important to me. If there were a drawing tool that would let me draw like someone who knew how to draw, that would be terrific. But there isn't.

Download the trial version(s), work with it for a week or so, then see if you can live without them. If you can great. If not, buy the product or upgrade.

As I mentioned in another thread, I'll still upgrade. Xara deserves rewarded for their efforts by me. I too would like a little love by Xara in areas mentioned here and in the oh so many Dear Xara request threads.

Mike

**Craray** · 09 July 2013, 04:46 PM

The new FX plugins and text flows look nice!

**DigitalJeweler** · 09 July 2013, 04:54 PM

I personally like when a software company keeps trying to improve their product. It shows forward progress, hopefully. What really irritates me however is the VERY LAME grace period of approx 30-60 DAYS...6 Months would be a much more customer friendly position. I just upgraded both Designer Pro and WD Premium in April and now get the intro offer of only $99. Really? That's horrible for continued customer loyalty. I finally bit the bullet upgrading, and with no indication that there was another release around the corner...

That's just very poor ways of doing business. I like the products and want to be excited to use them but the upgrade game is starting to get old....Take a hint from the folks over at Pixelogic, creators of ZBrush. They have had free upgrades for life and have a very healthy and thriving customer base and always pushing the boundaries with meaningful/powerful upgrades.

I posted a similar concern on the FB page, wonder if that will get deleted?

Mark

**zumwalt** · 09 July 2013, 04:05 PM

Thus far, I'm liking the overall feel and responsiveness of the 64 bit version. (running 12gig/ram). I guess it's what your looking for and where your concentrated areas of use are found. I like the web publishing and see improved output compared to posting a web friendly pdf. I'm still playing around with the masking stuff. I've gotten proficient enough with the drawing tools that it's almost easier to make your mask using them than fooling around with erasing. We'll see how it goes as I get a little deeper.