Newbie with spinning logo issue

**Natdiamond** · 07 May 2010, 08:49 PM

I've got a logo I'm making spin. I outline the logo in xtreme, copy and paste it into 3d no probs. But the logo is not symmetrical... for arguments sake we'll say it's an arrow pointing to the left. My logo on the front will say "<". When it flips around, I want the reverse side to show ">". But my problem is that when I copy and past the outline from extreme, the shape never really rotates, it just "almost" rotates, then flips back to the start. So as far as the shape goes, you never see the arrow point to the right. It's always pointing left? How do I master this problem? Did that make sense?

**HayTay** · 07 May 2010, 10:04 PM

Welcome to TalkGraphics and Xara 3D Natdiamond.

What you need to do is uncheck the box labeled 'Front face only' listed in the 'Animation options' section of Xara 3D. That's easy enough to do and should make your arrow rotate through a full 360°.

Give it a try and report back.

Don't be a stranger,
Harry

PS - Click on the arrow below to see the animation...

.

**Natdiamond** · 13 May 2010, 08:52 PM

Worked like a charm. Thank you.
From what I've read, there is no way to import an outlined image from photoshop into xara3d. But is there a way to import it into xara xtreme? I like the magnetic lasso in photoshop. When I outlined the image in xtreme, I had to make the points very close together to get a smooth outline. It worked but it took a hundred or so points to achieve the look. Any tips to make that easy?

**Natdiamond** · 20 May 2010, 08:45 PM

Ok, so I'm working on another project. I've imported a shape from xara xtreme into xara 3d. I've pasted my image on the face and got it to spin.
now I want to add text. How do I get either the logo to spin, and the text stay still, or even have the text spin around the logo like in the xara3d examples? Right now when I add text I have to adjust the x and y and it spins in time with the logo. I dont want that.

**simsmj** · 21 May 2010, 06:03 AM

If you apply an animation in Xara3D, without selecting anything then the animtionapplies globally, to everything. But you can select individual objects in your screen by enabling the cursor, by clicking on the a|b button.

Move the cursor with the arrow keys to the side of the object, then hold shift and hit the arrow key to move the cursor across the object. It will change colour to show it has been selected.

Now you can go to the animation dialogue box and untick the Text box. This will tell Xara3D not to apply the animation to that object. You can select multiple objects as long as you keep holding the shift key down.

Mike

**Natdiamond** · 21 May 2010, 04:36 PM

Man I'm sorry, but I can't figure that out. I tried every combination of unchecking the text box, both check boxes, design box. and it just doesnt seem to separate from the main animation? Also with the A|B cursor I can only highlight text,not another object like the logo itself. I've tried it on both my imported logo, and just on the xara 3d logo that loads when you open a new project. Once I highlight the text, it all moves together.

**simsmj** · 22 May 2010, 07:22 AM

Are you importing the logo and the text into Xara3D together or separately?

If together, then Xara3D will treat them as a single object, explaining the behaviour you describe. If you import them in separate operations, then you will be able to select each object independently. However that may also create positioning and sizing issues, which can be a bit of a pest but are normally easily solvable.

Perhaps you could post your x3d file?

Mike

**Natdiamond** · 22 May 2010, 03:31 PM

OK. I've been importing a shape I outlined in xtreme, putting a texure on it to make my logo. Then just typing the text in xara 3d's text tool. So your saying If I want seperate text to perform differently, I have to import that as well? Do I have to trace the letters in xtreme or can I just type and copy from xtereme?

**Natdiamond** · 22 May 2010, 06:30 PM

Alright, I see if I go into design options, and select TEXT, thats how I can import multiple shapes. Cool. Then by unchecking text and highlighting with a|b I can stop one or more of the imported objects from spinning.
AND, I see now that I don't have to copy and paste text from xara xtreme. Also cool. I'm learning.
Now can I make each one do something different? Like top one rotate, middle one ripple, and bottom one swing? If so how? Because it seems if I change one, highlighted or not, they all do the same dance.
BTW, thank you for your help.
I havent posted any file because I keep experimenting.

**simsmj** · 22 May 2010, 07:51 PM

Hi, NatDiamond, that's the way to learn the progam's capabilities, just experiment.

With regard to the animation styles, you can't mix them in any one file. If you use swing for one object, then all you can change for a different object in the same file is the extent or direction of swing, or turn it off for that object. You can't have swing for one and rotate for another.

What you can do though is combine an animation with Step, where you use multiple pages. If you rotate an object like a coin, then step will spin the coin in one page, then step to the second page and spin the coin in that page. This is how you would normally spin a coin with a different image on the front and rear faces, Xara3D is just swapping between two pages while the coin is edge-on to the viewer, and the coin in the scond page is a different object, so can have a different texture on it.

Mike