Any chance for a mesh tool?

[eobet]

Ie. the ability to divide a shape into discreet regions, that you can drop colors into, which would then interpolate across the grid. This grid can then be fully manipulated, creating very complex ways of shading.

This would make coloring irregular, organic and otherwise complex objects much easier!

[Charles Moir]

Not in the next release which, as I've mentioned elsewhere, is a minor update. However I'm an absolute fan of the mesh fill concept and we are working on it for later versions. In my opinion, however, no existing implementation of the mesh fill is intuitive, fast or remotely easy to use. When we do it, we need to be sure it's very slick, and much better than anything else out there. That takes time.

Oh look it's snowing outside. That wasn't forecast.

[jclements]

" however, no existing implementation of the mesh fill is intuitive, fast or remotely easy to use ..." my exact sentiments.

An idea I have been toying with is allowing the user to draw in their own mesh lines if they so desire.

[RAMWolff44]

Hmmm, John that's a wonderful idea!! Charles, how about borrowing some of the code from the freehand tool and using it using it in the Mesh tool, making it kinda like a "Freehand Mesh" tool. http://www.talkgraphics.com/images/smilies/biggrin.gif

Also, another idea would allow the user to copy entire lines and paste them by clicking on a new area of the perimeter. In the mock up shown here I have put together a menu and you see one line being selected for the "Copy Line" command. In my way of thinking, since newly created Mesh lines follow a logical path but the user can change this with working with those TINY node points to get it flowing the way they want, but with the copy/paste line option if they are looking for a uniform area (tightly controlled) then this is a good way, I think, of bringing that kind of control to the user.

I thought in the right click menu there should be a quick menu entry for the Color Editor and the new Properties Gallery (Sheffield's idea!) Also a way to quickly change a point from a straight line to a curve and vice versa ("Point to Curves" and "Point to Lines") Using the Ctrl key would allow the user to select as many points as they want to and then apply the chosen operation, or just one at a time. http://www.talkgraphics.com/images/smilies/smile.gif The top most selection would allow the user to select an object, right click on it and select "Create New Mesh" the right click menu would then change to something like the one shown here, or what ever your masterful creative coders think is best.

I love all this mock up stuff, it's downright fun!! http://www.talkgraphics.com/images/smilies/biggrin.gif

In this I created a Mesh Tool icon, Mesh example of what I'm talking about here and a mock up of a possible right click menu. Take a look at it and let me know what you think! I will also include the file, which amazingly is very small, smaller than the example I'm posting now!! http://www.talkgraphics.com/images/smilies/eek.gif

Richard http://www.talkgraphics.com/images/smilies/wink.gif

http://www.ramwolffsworld.com//Publi..._Prowl_sig.gif

http://www.ramwolffsworld.com/RAMWolffsWorld

[This message was edited by RAMWolff on January 14, 2004 at 19:53.]

[RAMWolff44]

Here's the .xar file..........

Richard http://www.talkgraphics.com/images/smilies/wink.gif

http://www.ramwolffsworld.com//Publi..._Prowl_sig.gif

http://www.ramwolffsworld.com/RAMWolffsWorld

[Charles Moir]

Yep, this is all good stuff. I'm not going to spend too much time on this subject right now as I have other priorities, but keep the suggestions coming - it's all archived here and good reference material for future when we get around to this feature.

I've always thought there should be some way in which we could just drag the fill colours onto the shape, which can be dragged around etc and for it to automatically create the mesh. But I've not really thought about it enough to be honest.

[eobet]

It took quite some time, but DAMN, Mr. Boyer delivered:

Mormegil's Website

(If you don't know what I'm talking about, browse to this old dinosaur thread!) http://www.talkgraphics.com/images/smilies/smile.gif

Now, how long until we see this in Xara? http://www.talkgraphics.com/images/smilies/smile.gif

I know Mr. Moir talked about him wanting an intuitive tool, and I think I know how to do one now!

I recently tried to very innovative programs. The first one was http://www.sketchup.com/ and the second was http://www.wings3d.com/.

Both use a similar approach to editing, which I believe can work brilliantly for mesh editing:

<UL TYPE=SQUARE><LI>Take any one object and select it
<LI>Choose the mesh fill tool
<LI> <span class="ev_code_GREEN">A point will now start to wander along the edges, tracking your mouse.</span>
<LI>Click anywhere you want the point, which will be the start of a line
<LI> <span class="ev_code_GREEN">A second point, connecting to the first with a line will now start to move around the edges, again following the mouse movements.</span>
<LI>Click anywhere you want the line to end.[/list]

That is all, and with this simple procedure, you can draw up an as complex grid as you like, with complete control over start and ending points! You should then be able to edit this grid just as any normal line, with the exepction that any fill which is applied to the areas in between get interpolated from patch to patch.

Try SketchUp and use the draw tool on a cube, or try Wings and use the connect tool on a cube, to see what I mean in action. If you know a little bit about 3D, or traditional 3D, those tools are bloody mind boggling!

[Grafixman]

Yes, 3d graphics apps has ways of manipulating nodes that could be extremely useful if applied to 2d vector graphics. Another example would be the ability of create live mirror copies of itself. But getting back to the mesh fill, Eobet's suggestion for creating meshes is great and I think is an improvement on how the mesh fill is implemented by other apps.
Or maybe you could just introduce an airbrush type tool and the user could simply airbrush the colors. Then the fill gets converted to a mesh fill. That would be the most user friendly way. And no one has that.