Line Attribute Retention

[Sheff]

When you create a line, the subsequent line should retain ALL aspects of the previous line.

Right now you can create lines that have PNG strokes applied to them. You can apply transparency and soften the edges of that line, but when you make the next line, transparency and soft edges are not retained. You have to manually apply them by pasting attributes.

When you click on a PNG line in the line gallery, especially lines that can accept color changes to them because you made them using a Named Color, if you wish to change the line, the color changes to the default color of the line from the Line Gallery. Again, you have to copy and paste attributes or use the eyedropper tool to correct the line BACK TO THE ORIGINAL color AFTER you applied the change. The original color of the line is what should be retained, not the new color from the stroke in the line gallery. It's very unintuitive to know you have to change line colors after you make changes to strokes.

By default, all lines created using PNG's should be able to accept line color changes. It's also unintuitive to have to create a Named Color and applying it to a line prior to making the stroke.

There should also be an option to allow the pen tool to pick up the color(eyedropper tool) from the moment you touch the brush. This is handy if have a photograph on a locked layer and you're drawing on top of it. Currently, if you're drawing on top of a photograph, you make a line then apply a stroke from the gallery. Then you have to move the line so you can select the eyedropper tool to pick up the color beneath that line, then you have to move the line back to where it was. Or you Have to stop drawing, grab the eye dropper tool, drag to the the color you want to pick up and then switch tools to draw. You have to do this every time you want to change color. There needs to be a momentary quick key shortcut to use the eyedropper tool and then switch back to the brush/pen. Photoshop/Illustrator has had this for years. And more buttons need to be momentary, like the spacebar for the hand tool. I don't want to press buttons twice. I want the tools to switch back once I release the button.

In addition to changing the shape/thickness of the line based on pressure, there should also be an option to change transparency of the line based on pressure.

And if I haven't said it enough, thank you all at Xara for this great piece of software. I currently work at a company where they allow me to use it to do my work. I'm content at this job and it has forced me to push Xara to it's limits. I have been using Xara since 1994. It's been an indispensible tool to my career. I can't imagine changing to another program for my primary vector work.