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  1. #1

    Default Winding road effect ... is there a better way?

    For the umpteenth time, I find myself trying to illustrate a winding road going into the distance. Invariably, I look at the result and don't feel the curves and perceived depth are quite right. (It's a simplistic version of the uncanny valley phenomenon.) And all the while, I know it's just geometry, which the computer should be able to solve.

    Here are examples of the kind of "scene" I'm working on: http://www.123rf.com/stock-photo/winding_road.html
    (And, yes, I've tried tracing. The problem, there, is finding the right traceable roadway.)

    I've attached a method I've used for lines going straight into the distance. But nothing I've tried can give me the "to the right" ones I'm after. And, of course, I'd like to produce both edges of the roadway in a single operation.

    Is there a better way with Xara?

    Thanks in advance for any suggestions.


    Click image for larger version. 

Name:	Winding Road.jpg 
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ID:	101859

  2. #2
    Join Date
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    Default Re: Winding road effect ... is there a better way?

    Carapace is a nifty free tool you can get to produce a perspective grid with up to nine vanishing points http://epicgames.com/community/2012/...o-epic-friday/ Just copy and paste the image into your Xara program and lock it by right clicking it and select lock photo from the context menu.

    to turn a single line into a shape simply right click it and select convert line to shape from the context menu. You can then adjust the curves on both sides of the road as needed.
    [SIGPIC][/SIGPIC]
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  3. #3
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    Default Re: Winding road effect ... is there a better way?

    Don't know if this helps Contours, I used this method on a winter scene, only one edge it looked better than two and gave it a little depth, looks as if the snow is banked and you would not see the left road edge as the snow would hide it, it depends on how you want to depict the road. It's far from perfect but seems to work

    Stygg
    Attached Thumbnails Attached Thumbnails Click image for larger version. 

Name:	Road.jpg 
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ID:	101868  
    Last edited by stygg2003; 04 May 2014 at 07:05 AM.

  4. #4
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    Default Re: Winding road effect ... is there a better way?

    In the shape [editor] tool you could try marquee selecting the nodes for the upper curve and nudging them to one side.. bit seat of the pants maybe when it comes to true perspective but it should give you a closer effect

    what you want does not just have perspective into the distance, it also has lateral displacement [very few roads that curve have a 'dead-straight-ahead' axis on a totally flat level terrain]

    rough example attached

    Click image for larger version. 

Name:	skewperspective A.jpg 
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ID:	101872
    Last edited by handrawn; 04 May 2014 at 08:31 AM. Reason: fix attachment

  5. #5
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    Default Re: Winding road effect ... is there a better way?

    Stygg way of doing it is the way I would do though I might just clone the path a few times and vary the line width. Let's say once you're happy with your line including the taper towards the horizon give your line width a good heavy weight, 72pt, then clone the path 3 times. Pick from the the Layer Gallery, 2nd line and give this weight of 75pt and give this line colour of dark grey, go to the 3rd change wt. to 78 to 80pt and give line colour of a lighter shade of grey. The with the last clone give this line a wt. of 6pt change to white, go to Line Gallery and change stroke to dashed pattern. The front of the line has to be finished to give its horizontal edge by clipping path (clipView).
    Design is thinking made visual.

  6. #6
    Join Date
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    Default Re: Winding road effect ... is there a better way?



    well stygg hasn't actualy said what he did [in respect of perspective] - other than 'just drew it' - often the best way if you can see it in your head up-front I'll admit...
    Last edited by handrawn; 04 May 2014 at 10:28 AM. Reason: dont you just love bb code

 

 

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