Vector graphics using Xara and Illustrator

[iamtheblues]

When starting a project, I almost always start off using Xara Designer. Quite often I also use Adobe Illustrator which has some alternative tools such as 3D rotate, a very decent Image Trace tool and the option of using the wide array of inventive tools that are available using the Illustrator plugins programs made by Astute Graphics.
Wherever possible I prefer the finished result to be all vector and using the above combination of software helps me achieve this.
The attached graphic is one that was made using all three of these tools.
Starting with the orb, I used XDP to create a circle with a circular gradient fill, which I then took into Illustrator to apply the Astute Graphics Phantasm plugin to convert the gradient into halftone dots.
Then I brought the graphic back into XDP to apply a circular envelope using the Mold Tool, which provided a spherical effect to the halftone dots, making them decrease in size towards the edges of the orb.
Still inside XDP, I used the Glitterato plugin from Flaming Pear to create a (raster) space background, which then exported and placed into Illustrator to apply a vector trace to simplify the result and then applied the Phantasm halftone effect to this.
Finally I assembled everything back in XDP.
The finished piece was inspired by listening to the album "Mainstream" by Quiet Sun, a Phil Manzanera and Brian Eno album from 1972. (the link is to a Wikipedia article featuring a picture of the album cover).
Bob.