Neil sometimes it is easier to lay down the lines using the Pen Tool which always creates Cusp nodes unless you drag while the left mouse button is down. Then switch to the Shape Editor to bend the straight lines.
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Neil sometimes it is easier to lay down the lines using the Pen Tool which always creates Cusp nodes unless you drag while the left mouse button is down. Then switch to the Shape Editor to bend the straight lines.
I agree with that - I think a better way to start off, and then learn to handle the shape editor tool fully when you've had more experience - it worked for me
I found the following class to be extremely useful. It is now self study, but it is very helpful for a beginner and the teacher is very responsive.
http://www.eclecticacademy.com/self-...ses.htm#xara-1
thanks for all the help guys,
i've attched my attempt at tracing the dragon, pls tell me if this is what you meant?
if im on the right tracks could someone then explain how to "group" the shapes next please.
i think im best doing this job one small step at a time?
its just taken me 90 minutes to get this far, but at least i think i kind of understand the shape tool a little more now. on that note why does it always fill the shape when connecting the last link per item?
regards
Neil
that looks good
down at the bottom left at the end of the color bar you will see a white square with a black grid - first press escape to make sure nothing is selected then put your mouse over this square [it will show 'set no color'] - left click on this and when prompted to make current graphic attribute click 'set'
you have now told the program not to fill the shapes with any color when you close them, ie join them up at the end
to undo this follow the same procedure but on the black square of the color bar, rather than the grid [you can choose another color of course if you wish]
it is very important that nothing is selected when you make this change, otherwise the change will be applied to the selection rather than setting the fill the way you want it
cheers
ok i've grouped it and pasted into 3d, i have played around with various options but the dragon is hard to keep defined as soon as i try to put depth to it, even small amounts.
am i missing something or is this due to the intricacy of the design? ie: to many lines/edges to keep focus on?
Neil
I don't know if I have missed something as I don't know why Handrawn posted the information concerning [fills].
Nadger; [animation] documents should only be used when creatring animations within Xtreme.
Also I don't think that you want to have lines (outlines) of the dragon. I thought that you wanted the dragon shape. A shape is generally one line with its ends joined. A line has 2 unconnected ends.
Forgive me if I have mis-understood, as the last 2 posts have thrown me.
-Once you have selected a line (or shape) a small black square will indicate the start postion. If you zoom in you will see the start node and the end node.
-If you further select the shape using the [shape editor tool] (located to the left, an 's' shaped figure below the pencil icon) and then click on either the start or end node you will then be able to join the 2 nodes by dragging one over the other (using an automatically appearing 'cross hair). Once you see the 'thick black cross' you can release the mouse and the line will beome a shape.
The bottom left message should tell you that you have '1 shape' (rather than '1 line).
If you have 2 separate lines which need to be joined, you must select both lines and again drag one start/ end node over another start/ end node.
Anas
I was replying to the last line of post #14......
Thanks Steve,
I understand your post now but Nadger has confused me even more.
Neil can you post your .xar file where you made your dragon shape?
It will help us see what may be causing the problem you are having.
As an example the first attachment shows the black coloured dragon shape I made using the Shape Editor Tool in Xara Xtreme.
The second attachment shows that shape as pasted into Xara3D6 along with a circle also made in Xtreme. In Xara3D6 I decreased the bevel on the dragon shape so it has sharper edges.