Help with names

[jamesc]

Hi
I've trying to use Names which seems very powerful but I get inconsistent results with different effects. Am I missing something?
I made a picture with 3 objects and select them all and gave them a name.I assume I should be able to apply an effect equally to all 3 by doing it to one of them?
See attachment I tried shadow, bevel and transparency. The first two work (you do it to one object and the others get the same effect) but transparency is applied to all three as though they were grouped.
Is there a way to make this work?
Cheers
jamesc



<font face="dom casual, verdana>James</font>

[jamesc]

Hi
I've trying to use Names which seems very powerful but I get inconsistent results with different effects. Am I missing something?
I made a picture with 3 objects and select them all and gave them a name.I assume I should be able to apply an effect equally to all 3 by doing it to one of them?
See attachment I tried shadow, bevel and transparency. The first two work (you do it to one object and the others get the same effect) but transparency is applied to all three as though they were grouped.
Is there a way to make this work?
Cheers
jamesc



<font face="dom casual, verdana>James</font>

[Mick Robinson]

With transparency, that is the effect you get if the objects are grouped. What you have created is a transparency that runs across all the objects.
I think what you are trying to create is for each object to have the same transparency across its surface. The way to do this is:
1. Apply the transparency to one object.
2. From the Edit menu select "Copy" - this copies the object and its attributes to the clipboard.
3. Select the next object.
4. From the Edit menu select "Paste attributes" this applies the transparency to the second object.
5. Repeat 3 & 4 for the third object.

The other thing to note is that using the Name Gallery selects the objects as individual objects rather than as a group. This is important where objects overlap and you want to apply a shadow, bevel or contour. The effect is different between ungrouped and grouped objects. (Try it with two overlapping objects and you'll see the difference.)

[jamesc]

thanks Mick but doesn't that leave my question open?
Yes you understod my problem and yes the behaviour is as you describe it. BUT - should it be that way?
I thought names selected a group of individuals (as you said) and so I should get the attributes I apply to one appearing on the rest whether it is bevel, contour, transparency or whatever?
Why should transparency apply in a different way? IMHO this is counterintuitive and impoverishes this names feature. (I'm feeling polysyllabic this afternoon)



<font face="dom casual, verdana>James</font>

[Klaus Nordby]

For years, I have "suggested" to Xara that we need Named Transparency! But we're now in 2001, and they still haven't implemented this obvious extension of the Named Color principle. Maybe in 2010, when the Xarans have conquered the Earth?


K