Xara reccommended.. trial need help

[dbfletcher]

I hope I am allowed to do this.... but I started on the Adobe Illustrator formum. I was told that what I was trying to do was very difficult if not impossible in illustrator and someone reccommeded I give Xara products a try. I downloaded the trail tonight and spent a few hours playing with the software. So far I am VERY impressed. I'm managed to do things in a few minutes that took me weeks to figure out with illustrator. However, I still cant figure out how to do what I initially set out to do.

Can someone please review the following posting and give me a hint to how I can do this using Xara Extreme(I downloaded pro if that makes a difference).

http://forums.adobe.com/thread/492724

The contour tool seems to do the same thing as i was doing with offset path in Illustrator (a good thing), but I need to then be able to create a non linear gradient between these to objects.

If I ma not allowed to post the link to adobe... I'll copy and paste all the text and images here.. but this just save me a lot of typing.

If this can be done, I and nearly 100% you just won yourself a new customer!

Thanks,

Doug Fletcher

[angelize]

Hi db, Welcome to TalkGraphics.

1. Draw your shape
2. Apply a contour with 1 step, colour the contour black and the shape white with no outlines. At this point you can adjust the contour to determine the width of your gradient.
3. Convert to editable shapes (arrange>convert to editable shapes)
4. Apply a blend from the contour shape to the original shape. Increase the number of steps in your blend to give a smooth gradient. You can hold down the ctrl key and select either the beginning or the ending object in the blend to adjust the blend.

[iamtheblues]

Hi Doug, welcome.
Here's another way. (There's usually more than one in Xara Xtreme). Click the thumbnail for larger version.
Saludos,
Bob.

[Soquili]

Hello Doug,

Welcome to Talkgraphics.

You will find that there are often many ways to accomplish a given task using Xtreme.

In my example you do not need to convert to editable shapes and create a blend.

Create your shape and remove the outline.
Apply a contour to your shape. I chose to use an inner contour.
Click the inner most shape of the contour.
Apply the colour you want by left clicking a color on the Color Line.
Adjust the number of steps to get the gradient effect you want.
Open the Attribute Profile Dialog to make fine adjustments to the gradient.

See attached image.

[Soquili]

I could not resist playing around with colors and the contour. A smaller clone with an eliptical multicolor fill and some feathering was added to the shape.

[Soquili]

More playing.

Rounded the corners of the star shape.
Applied a Red colour to the shape
Applied a 100 step inner contour.
Applied White to the inner most shape of the contour.
Selected Alt Rainbow in the Change Color Effect for the Contour (infobar dropdown).
Adjusted size of the inner contour using the Contour Control.

For anyone wondering how a Contour and a Blend are different please see the thread http://www.talkgraphics.com/showthread.php?t=41439

[jvila]

This thread shows that xara is the best software thanks to TG, here you get fast and precise answers everything you need about design and xara tools.
Best regards and thanks for sharing your knowledge.
Here my attempt.

[dbfletcher]

Wow.... I thought foru sure i would get up today and find out i couldnt do what I wanted to. I will try all the suggestions out later today. I think I'm sold though just seeing the reponses to my original question.

I'll post again after i try some of the methods out.

Thanks again everyone who responded!

Doug Fletcher

[dbfletcher]

I wanted to give a quick update. I havn't been able to reproduce everyones method yet.. but I di do several of them. The others I will keep trying and hopefully i'll stumble upon the correct sequence myself.

I will say... I AM IMPRESSED. I'll probably stay in 'trial" mode for a few more days.... but I cant see how I am not going to be purchasing this software thought.

AND.... this forum rocks! Its hard to beat great software with a supurb support base! Thanks again for all of you help in getting this newbie going.

Doug Fletcher

[steve.ledger]

Welcome to the TG Forums Doug,

Stick around