The October 2012 tutorial: Revenge of the Shape Tool

Excellent video Gary
I learnt a couple of new things
Shows you're never too young or too old to learn new stuff

Quote:

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Originally Posted by angelize

The dog photo was provided to us

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In this advert, who are you actually honouring?

And if I have to ask, then the message has not hit home.

@Frank—

Thanks!

@Frances—

It's always nice to see your work. But I'd like to keep this thread On-Topic, regarding either the clock tower tutorial or Qs and As about this month's video, okay?

Overworked moderator of this forum needs to stay focused! :)

Thanks!

Gary

Quote:

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Originally Posted by mwenz

Drew them flat (didn't trace), did the 3D thing and used the angle settings to mimic the angles of your original. Why not trace the 3D flat image? Because it is next to impossible for me to match the angles and perspective once the vector drawing becomes a 3D object.

This is the most 3D stuff I have *ever* done in Xara. So this has been fun.

But yes, the shape tool is my friend.

take care, Mike

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Nice work Mike, not done all the clock myself yet but tried a couple of things to see how they would look using just the shape tool, 1 ellipse and 1 mould plus fills. :D

Stygg

I think you did good, stygg, because they blend in more or less invisibly.

Now: try not using the Mould tool, but instead making an ellipse using only the Shape tool. You can set the tool to Curves and Smooth joins and click 4 points at the points on inflection along the original curve...plus a final click to close the curve.

What say?

Good going,

Gary

Ok I have had some time to experiment with the clock file and the shapebuilder and what I have done here is to create a vector illustration of the clock face.

That is QUITE remarkable, Frances.

As in "mind-blowingly wonderful".

All paths, or are there a few bitmaps fills?

Okay, don't tell me. It's a beatiful rendering!

My Best,

Gary

Thanks Gary,
yes it's all paths traced with the shape tool (in my previous post I said shapebuilder but I meant shape/editor) I did use a variety of fills fractal plasma, linear, and flat, so I guess technically you could say it is 99% vector . And I used transparencies too. The eraser tool came in useful for creating the mottled surface which isn't exact to your 3D render but gives the general effect.

The video has had 92 views on YouTube alone, who knows how many on the Xone, I don't understand why it's always the same few people who respond and even fewer participate in the discussion. Come on, people, those of you who are determined to explore and improve their craft, and especially those of you who lurk in the shadows, take your courage in both hands and please participate! Gary has gone to enormous efforts to create these engaging and immensely watchable videos, but it has to be a two-way street, one day he's just going to say "oh why the hell do I bother?" and that would be a great shame for the entire community.

@ Big Frank—

Thanks for posting the bald-faced truth about this area, and most other forums.

If I go only by the statistics—ones that are public and also some analytics Barbara has access to—I’m a complete failure. August had 33 replies, many of them from the same core of 5 to 6 members, and yet the topic was viewed over 7,000 times.

I am not disheartened, but I am of two minds on the subject, which means I’m using two more than I usually do.

That was a joke.

@ The Universe—

Okay, on one hand, I could try brow-beating, “Hey, lurkers! You’re missing out on a great participation here!!!” Um, I’ve tried that numerous times over the years, as has our Administrator and the best we’ve ever gotten is perhaps two new participating members. And then at least one drops off over the ensuing weeks, strongly suggesting that they posted out of guilt and not a need to be an active member.

It just doesn't work, trying to shame someone into being an active tg member.

On the other hand, I could try the Rewards System: for every member who has not posted in this area before October 2012—who posts at least five times each month, they get to be in a lottery for a cool prize. Or a promotion from Member to a new—purely puffery—status: Active Member, and Ready To Learn!—or something.

Looking at both hands, I’m at a loss. Calling our lurkers doesn’t work, and some members consider “lurker” an insulting phrase like “troll”. And a Reward, points-style system leaves me feeling like a hypocrite. It then suggests that my monthly work needs additional motivation to make people engage, discuss, and learn even more after the tutorial is done.

I do work hard, damned hard, not just on the glossy, silly production values on the videos, but also on content that is often requested right here on the forum. I did two parts on image-retouching because the active members here requested it, remember?

So here’s my idea:

What do the people reading this, who have not posted yet, think we can do to draw you folks out and participate?

First five new respondents get a Pepperidge Farms™ Sausalito™ Macadamia Nut cookie.
Don’t ask how I can deliver it. I know I left two in the bag last night.

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-g