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  1. #1
    Join Date
    Jan 2002
    Location
    Hamilton, New Zealand
    Posts
    6

    Default

    The following image is the result of Gary's Tutorial (Thanks for those excellent tutorials, Gary!) on the road sign with bullet holes, only mildly updated because I felt it needed it.

    Bearing in mind that I've only been designing this sort of thing for about a week (using XaraX right from the start though), I'd appreciate comments or critiques.

    And I have a question - One thing I tried desperately to do without success, was to impart something that resembled the curvature of the earth in the background image. This would involve stretching the corners (to give that all-around look) and curving it up slightly in the middle. Any ideas on how I could acheive this look?

    And does anyone have a better way to do a dust trail? I did that one by creating a brush with a large variety of random pale shapes and embuing them with very random variables (scaling, rotation, offset, saturation, etc...) and then breaking the brush down to shapes and manually resizing small groups of shapes. It doesn't look so good close to the bottom of the image. =/

    Miggles,
    Don't raise your voice - They might see it!
    Attached Thumbnails Attached Thumbnails Click image for larger version. 

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  2. #2
    Join Date
    Jan 2002
    Location
    Hamilton, New Zealand
    Posts
    6

    Default

    The following image is the result of Gary's Tutorial (Thanks for those excellent tutorials, Gary!) on the road sign with bullet holes, only mildly updated because I felt it needed it.

    Bearing in mind that I've only been designing this sort of thing for about a week (using XaraX right from the start though), I'd appreciate comments or critiques.

    And I have a question - One thing I tried desperately to do without success, was to impart something that resembled the curvature of the earth in the background image. This would involve stretching the corners (to give that all-around look) and curving it up slightly in the middle. Any ideas on how I could acheive this look?

    And does anyone have a better way to do a dust trail? I did that one by creating a brush with a large variety of random pale shapes and embuing them with very random variables (scaling, rotation, offset, saturation, etc...) and then breaking the brush down to shapes and manually resizing small groups of shapes. It doesn't look so good close to the bottom of the image. =/

    Miggles,
    Don't raise your voice - They might see it!

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Aug 2000
    Location
    Placitas, New Mexico, USA
    Posts
    41,507

    Default

    Miggles

    Send the image to me as an attachment and let me try to post it.

    Something is corrupting the image when you try to upload it which might be some sort of limitation with your ISP?

    Also the image is a bit large in the width department.

    What a way to welcome you to Xara and the Xara X Conference, eh ;-)

    Gary

    Gary Priester

    Moderator Person

    <A HREF="http://www.gwpriester.com" TARGET=_blank>
    www.gwpriester.com </a>


    XaraXone

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Apr 2001
    Location
    Nitra, Slovakia
    Posts
    1,152

    Default

    The image seems promising. Please try to send it to Gary so we all can enjoy it.

    Have a beautiful weeekend.

    Roman

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Feb 2001
    Location
    Kinlochleven, Scottish Highlands
    Posts
    747

    Default

    <BLOCKQUOTE><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>The images are exported from XaraX as LZW compressed TIF files (very high resolution) then shrunk in PaintShop Pro 7 and recompressed as JPEG with Quality 10.<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

    Why not just size the images in XaraX, choose a suitable JPEG quality and export them direct? It's the best way to do it!

    Oh yes, and welcome! [img]/infopop/emoticons/icon_smile.gif[/img]

    Peter</p>

    Peat Stack or Pete's Tack?</p>

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Jan 2002
    Location
    Hamilton, New Zealand
    Posts
    6

    Default

    Gary Priester:

    <BLOCKQUOTE><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR> Something is corrupting the image when you try to upload it which might be some sort of limitation with your ISP? <HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

    While it's possible, I don't think it's likely. I'd actually be tempted to start pointing the finger at Opera 6 (browser of choice).

    Anyway, I will send it to you as you suggested. I don't want to to shrink it much lower than 800pixels wide, as it starts to lose a lot of definition even then.

    Peter Duggan:

    <BLOCKQUOTE><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR> Why not just size the images in XaraX, choose a suitable JPEG quality and export them direct? It's the best way to do it!
    <HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

    I suppose it's more habit than anything. I quite like the results that PaintShop Pros Smart Resizer gives me.

    At any rate, I've sent to image to Gary, so we'll all be able to enjoy mocking it shortly.

    Oh yeah, thanks for the enthusiastic welcome, guys. [img]/infopop/emoticons/icon_cool.gif[/img]


    Miggles,
    Take one twice daily, and if pain desists, please see your coroner.

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Aug 2000
    Location
    Placitas, New Mexico, USA
    Posts
    41,507

    Default

    Have heard lots of comments about Opera and this forum software.

    Anyway, here is your image.

    Gary

    Gary Priester

    Moderator Person

    <a href="http://www.gwpriester.com">
    www.gwpriester.com </a>


    XaraXone




  8. #8
    Join Date
    Jan 2002
    Location
    Hamilton, New Zealand
    Posts
    6

    Default

    Only it's now stretching an image 800pixels wide to 1024pixels wide. Or shrinking it to 600. Or something. At any rate, you can see it doesn't look so good. Or it does, and Opera isn't playing fair.

    Oh well.

    Bearing that in mind, can anyone make any suggestions as to how I'd improve the dust trail and add some curve to my earth?


    Miggles,
    Reserve Bank of New Zealand.

    [This message was edited by Miggles on January 12, 2002 at 12:56.]

  9. #9
    Join Date
    Nov 2001
    Location
    Nelson, New Zealand
    Posts
    144

    Default

    Hi Miggles,

    <BLOCKQUOTE><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Miggles:

    While it's possible, I don't think it's likely. I'd actually be tempted to start pointing the finger at Opera 6 (browser of choice).<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

    whoa!! Opera is browser of choice for me too [img]/infopop/emoticons/icon_smile.gif[/img]
    I run both version 5 and 6 and have found very few problems with this forum. I have just uploaded my first image and a file (I'm in NZ too) to the TalkGraphics server and it went without a hitch.
    If you continue to experience problems, you might like to try the option of linking to an image on your own server/website - using the Instant UBB code (the IMAGE button).

    <BLOCKQUOTE><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>
    I suppose it's more habit than anything. I quite like the results that PaintShop Pros Smart Resizer gives me.<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

    I used to swear by it too ... but now that I'm using the Xara Export, I actually prefer it. And it's so quick!

    <BLOCKQUOTE><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>
    so we'll all be able to enjoy mocking it shortly.
    <HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

    In the short time I've been here, I've never seen any of the regulars stoop to anything that could be called mocking. One reason why I feel 'safe' here.

    Regards,
    Britta
    "I'm mad but not bad"
    Regards,
    Britta

  10. #10
    Join Date
    Aug 2000
    Location
    Placitas, New Mexico, USA
    Posts
    41,507

    Default

    Miggles

    I don't think the horizon needs to curve, unless you are up in space. And on my screen the image looks fine. The problem with the original image is 1000 pixels is pretty wide for most people's browsers and then you have to scroll to read everybody's comments.

    If you want to have a bit of curvature to the horizon, make the ocean a separate object and add a bit of roundness to the top part.

    Gary

    Gary Priester

    Moderator Person

    <a href="http://www.gwpriester.com">
    www.gwpriester.com </a>


    XaraXone




 

 

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