layers and crashes

[Ed Nadie]

I noticed a certain pattern of crashes using layers, so I did a test with five layers, one simple object on each layer. The pattern I see is that Xara always crashes when I try to move objects with at least two layers above and at least one below my target layer. I plan to move objects in only one direction from now on, but would be interested to know if this is true for others. I'm running the demo and win98se, with an inclination to purchase XX but not XP.

My layer numbers are one on the top, and five on the bottom (opposite of Xara's numbering). '1,3,4 > 2 crash' means I tried to simultaneously move the objects on layers one, three and four to layer two, and Xara crashed. After every crash all five objects always ended up on the bottom layer (number five).
-------------------
2,3,4,5 > 1 ok
1,3,4,5 > 2 crash
1,2,4,5 > 3 crash
1,2,3,5 > 4 ok
1,2,3,4 > 5 ok
-------------------
2,3,4 > 1 ok
2,3,5 > 1 ok
2,4,5 > 1 ok
3,4,5 > 1 ok

1,3,4 > 2 crash
1,3,5 > 2 crash
1,4,5 > 2 crash
3,4,5 > 2 ok

1,2,4 > 3 ok
1,2,5 > 3 ok
1,4,5 > 3 crash
2,4,5 > 3 crash

1,2,3 > 4 ok
1,2,5 > 4 ok
1,3,5 > 4 ok
2,3,5 > 4 ok

1,2,3 > 5 ok
1,2,4 > 5 ok
1,3,4 > 5 ok
2,3,4 > 5 ok
-------------------

1,3 > 2 ok
1,4 > 2 ok
1,5 > 2 ok

1,4 > 3 ok
1,5 > 3 ok
2,4 > 3 ok
2,5 > 3 ok
-------------------

Ed Nadie

[Ed Nadie]

I noticed a certain pattern of crashes using layers, so I did a test with five layers, one simple object on each layer. The pattern I see is that Xara always crashes when I try to move objects with at least two layers above and at least one below my target layer. I plan to move objects in only one direction from now on, but would be interested to know if this is true for others. I'm running the demo and win98se, with an inclination to purchase XX but not XP.

My layer numbers are one on the top, and five on the bottom (opposite of Xara's numbering). '1,3,4 > 2 crash' means I tried to simultaneously move the objects on layers one, three and four to layer two, and Xara crashed. After every crash all five objects always ended up on the bottom layer (number five).
-------------------
2,3,4,5 > 1 ok
1,3,4,5 > 2 crash
1,2,4,5 > 3 crash
1,2,3,5 > 4 ok
1,2,3,4 > 5 ok
-------------------
2,3,4 > 1 ok
2,3,5 > 1 ok
2,4,5 > 1 ok
3,4,5 > 1 ok

1,3,4 > 2 crash
1,3,5 > 2 crash
1,4,5 > 2 crash
3,4,5 > 2 ok

1,2,4 > 3 ok
1,2,5 > 3 ok
1,4,5 > 3 crash
2,4,5 > 3 crash

1,2,3 > 4 ok
1,2,5 > 4 ok
1,3,5 > 4 ok
2,3,5 > 4 ok

1,2,3 > 5 ok
1,2,4 > 5 ok
1,3,4 > 5 ok
2,3,4 > 5 ok
-------------------

1,3 > 2 ok
1,4 > 2 ok
1,5 > 2 ok

1,4 > 3 ok
1,5 > 3 ok
2,4 > 3 ok
2,5 > 3 ok
-------------------

Ed Nadie

[Ross Macintosh]

Ed - I've never had problems moving things between layers. (I have not tried the specific actions you document).

I'm curious by what you report. You state "After every crash all five objects always ended up on the bottom layer (number five)." I don't understand. If Xara crashed wouldn't the application have to be restarted and any work you would have done been lost??

Regards, Ross

<a href=http://www.designstop.com/>DesignStop.Com</a>

[Ed Nadie]

Ross, that was something I noticed without understanding what it meant, but as you suspected it simply represented the last saved state of the file. (I checked to make sure.) The crash pattern remains consistent on my computer.

These are the rest of my notes from my test on layers and layer movement:

You can copy, edit, and even delete objects on layers that aren't current, but you can only create an object in the current layer. If you tried to create an object, but don't see it (and get the warning dialog), look in the current layer, it's probably there.

You can clone and duplicate objects in a non-current layer (ctrl-k, ctrl-d) but if you paste from the clipboard (ctrl-v, ctrl-shift-v) it will be pasted in the current layer (even if view and edit are unchecked for the current layer).

A layer's edit box doesn't apply unless that layer's view box is also checked, meaning the edit boxes can just be left checked without danger of accidently selecting and altering or deleting objects you can't see.

Top layers are absolutely in front of bottom layers.

The move button is more flexible than ctrl-shift-u or ctrl-shift-d because the button ignores the state of the view and edit checkboxes of the target layer, but the keys require both boxes be checked.

If you draw a line in one layer and join it in a different layer, the shape will be in the layer of the original line, whether it's up or down.

===========================
These combining functions (clipview, join objects, add, subtract, intersect, slice) all work the same on layers as on just one layer, except the results often end up on a different layer. For the following, any layer can be current, even one not involved.

The result moves to the HIGHEST of the levels involved:
» Add (ctrl-1) [top properties (color, line, etc.) are used]
» Clipview [properties are maintained, except where they're clipped by the outline of the bottom object]
» Group (ctrl-g) [keep same properties]

The result moves to the LOWEST of the levels involved:
» Subtract (ctrl-2) [bottom properties] (top object is active, then disappears)
» Intersect (ctrl-3) [bottom properties] (only top object has to intersect -- ie multiple objects don't all have to intersect. anything outside intersection with top object disappears)
» Slice (ctrl-4) [bottom properties] (top object is active, then disappears)
» Join [top properties] (objects don't have to touch)

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