5 simple Web design functions

[Rocko]

1. Smart Image slicing: The image slicing tool as a explicit tool with the chance to define the shape of cells according HTML tag properties or CSS types backgrounds instead of requiring always an image (Similar to Fireworks) Being able to find an image slicing button and the functionality to define a cell as an image or as a empty cell and give such cell its CSS properties.

2. Smart Backgrounds: The chance to define a layer as the web page background and generate a processed image or CSS tag when saving it to HTML. It could be made by hand and automatically. ie I have a mosaic background, if I save as HTML it would be expected a small picture only, not a full screen image.

3. Smart CSS: When saving as HTML to generate automatically the CSS file with all the formats created.

4. Zero fractions when working with pixels: Currently the guides can have fractions of pixels that are confuse when working with Web images.

5. Dynamic bitmaps effects inside vector paths (Similar to Canvas). Currently I can apply a bitmap effect like a Photo$hop plug-in inside a vector object, but it does not respect the shape of the object which is converted to a rectangle, neither can be be modified, it lost its vector properties.

Hope some day soon... Especially because it is the perfect time to make Xara the ultimate web design tool because the Adobe/Macromedia fusion.

[Mark (theKeeper)]

Very good thoughts there Rocko, i agree completely. http://www.talkgraphics.com/images/smilies/biggrin.gif

[gwpriester]

Compared to Canvas in terms of program size, Xara is like one button function. Xara does not try to be all things to all people. Its real strength lies in its ease of use and exquisite anti-aliasing engine.

I do agree with you about the zero fraction when exporting objects. A web image exported in fractional units is not a pretty site.

Here is a link to Workbook 33 - Page 5 which is a mini-tutorial for creating and eporting a sliced image. I think it is easy and intiutive and produces excellent results.

Welcome to the Xara X Conference.

Gary

[alexbozhenov]

I'd like to see at least aliasing types and "web"-looking fonts supporting like in PhotoShop http://www.talkgraphics.com/images/smilies/smile.gif))

-- To be able send to clients just screenshots of web pages

[Mark (theKeeper)]

Gary...

From that tutorial:

NOTE: I had a problem when I was exporting my images. I got an error telling me that my slices were overlapping. To avoid this, select the Apple rectangle and apple image and move it up and left 1 pixel in each direction. With the rectangle selected, press Redefine in the Name Gallery. Move the rectangle and the red type up and to the right 1 pixel in each direction and then press Redefine. This should eliminate this problem.

Ok, this is THE single most cumbersome thing about using Xara for slicing. In fact the whole procedure is very unorthodox, and begs to be remodelled, IMHO.

In the case of your example, i would simply just select the transparent rectangles one at a time, and export them out as an image. It produces the same results except you have to do the html yourself. But rarely is that ever an issue worth barking about.

This was one of my main 'wishes' for the next version.

[Rocko]

Gary

I agree with you “Its real strength lies in its ease of use� and this is the reason for my proposal.

I beg your pardon if I am a little direct but the slice feature has nothing of easy and intuitive, neither is fast enough to be considered professional.

Having in mind your concern about making Xara a heavy program, My suggestions are supported in features that it already has, they just need to be tuned.

1.Make the slice feature a real tool instead of a trick.
2.The background layer already exists, it would required just to control the output.
3.It is possible now to export HTML, then, put the formats in a file and the contents in other.
4.Easy.
5.The bitmaps effects are there, just make them dynamic.

Sincerely,

Rocko