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Help video: New features walkthrough in Xara Designer Pro 6
Hi, I’ve rushed out as quickly as I could a nice HD video which discusses all the new features and other hidden things in Xara 6 which might help people learn what’s new. There’s over an hour of video (it took way more than an hour to make—but there’s a lot to go over) and so it might not be fun to watch it all at once (my voice can get a bit droning after a while with my mic I noticed… although I was getting tired toward the end :) ). I had to split the video in two to please YT, but it’s all in a playlist.
Let me know if it was useful/you learned anything--might help direct any future videos.
Video here (part 1 on left)
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Re: Help video: New features walkthrough in Xara Designer Pro 6
Brill vid, I'm learning new stuff :) love the vanishing cow and the mask colouring on the shell, have to go out but will watch the rest later.
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Re: Help video: New features walkthrough in Xara Designer Pro 6
Thanks Xhris! :) Will watch after the footie! :D
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Re: Help video: New features walkthrough in Xara Designer Pro 6
Quote:
Originally Posted by
neodeist
Thanks Xhris! :) Will watch after the footie! :D
lol, sidelined by a football match :'( haha
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Re: Help video: New features walkthrough in Xara Designer Pro 6
Great, Xhris - much appreciated. For me the second video had the most interesting developments. I feel a lot clearer about the changes.
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Re: Help video: New features walkthrough in Xara Designer Pro 6
Great stuff, thanks a lot.
Wow, you just sold me transparancy mask, way cool!!
JimR
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Re: Help video: New features walkthrough in Xara Designer Pro 6
Quote:
Originally Posted by
tonylondon
Great, Xhris - much appreciated. For me the second video had the most interesting developments. I feel a lot clearer about the changes.
Some of them are quite subtle but significant aren't they? Like the new GNOMRA rules and brush changes, the JPEG workflow for photo editing and masters folders, and dynamic soloing. Lots of usability and workflow improvements make me appreciate this as a really excellent release.
The new live line drawing BTW really demonstrates laying the foundations for skeletal stroking I feel. Wouldn't be surprised if it appeared in V7/8, but that's just my guess. :)
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Re: Help video: New features walkthrough in Xara Designer Pro 6
Quote:
Originally Posted by
JimR
Wow, you just sold me transparancy mask, way cool!!
If truth be told, this was the main reason why I did this video, and I'm glad you said that because it justifies my efforts to me. This is such a powerful feature, but not obvious at all why it's so powerful. When you first look at it, you'd be forgiven for thinking it was pointless...but how much you would miss, and I didn't want people missing out!
PS. I want them to be called transparency masks (or custom transparencies) really. It's so much more intuitive to describe them in terms of what they are. Instead, Xara have gone for the Adobe-consistency approach and called them opacity masks, even though Adobe aren't exactly renowned for their intuitiveness or sensibleness when it comes to naming things (as most Xara users know).
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Re: Help video: New features walkthrough in Xara Designer Pro 6
Great videos!!
I will be spending a lot of time watching them ...to grasp all that was demonstrated..
JimM
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Re: Help video: New features walkthrough in Xara Designer Pro 6
Hi Xhris.
Many thanks for the videos. I didn't know what the opacity mask was all about and now I do.
But you also show many other features that seem to be so useful.
I wish I could remember them all.
A real big thanks for your efforts.
Very enjoyable indeed.
:-bd
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Re: Help video: New features walkthrough in Xara Designer Pro 6
One thing I haven't done but intend to do at some point (...maybe weekend) is to cover the new web features as well in a part 3. I also missed off some minor features in the video about auto optimisation of imported photos, and auto-replacing photos in website documents, so I'll stick them in there as well when I get round to it.
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Re: Help video: New features walkthrough in Xara Designer Pro 6
Thanks, Xhris, very enlightening and enjoyable to watch. Your videos bring to life the new features in a very direct way. Great resource for the community!
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Re: Help video: New features walkthrough in Xara Designer Pro 6
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Xhris
Some of them are quite subtle but significant aren't they? Like the new GNOMRA rules and brush changes, the JPEG workflow for photo editing and masters folders, and dynamic soloing. Lots of usability and workflow improvements make me appreciate this as a really excellent release.
The new live line drawing BTW really demonstrates laying the foundations for skeletal stroking I feel. Wouldn't be surprised if it appeared in V7/8, but that's just my guess. :)
It isn't until you see these things brought out in action (as in your video) that it becomes clear. The transparency mask is a good case in point. [unlike in your video, however, typing 'O' doesn't work as a short-cut in my case] Less sure about the enhance mask ...
I wonder whether VAT will go up on Tuesday....
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Re: Help video: New features walkthrough in Xara Designer Pro 6
Thank you very much Xhris.
I have to say that I'm sold on the custom transparency too. Awesome new feature. Probably one of the best in this update.
Also thanks for explaining the new photo tools, especially the brightness level curves.
Lots of other nice tips in there too.
Thanks again.
Eric
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Re: Help video: New features walkthrough in Xara Designer Pro 6
Quote:
Originally Posted by
tonylondon
...however, typing 'O' doesn't work as a short-cut in my case...
Just to avoid confusion, I should point out that "o" doesn't work by default in the download release, but I've given more information in the caption on the YouTube clip about that, and how to work around it for the time being.
Oh, and I think I gave a bad example with the enhance transparency. It's essentially a way of combining the effects of contrast, brightness and saturation transparency types all in one, and also uniquely allows colour temperature control. There may be times when you want to distort colours on either vector or bitmap shapes by using the different transparency types.
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Re: Help video: New features walkthrough in Xara Designer Pro 6
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Re: Help video: New features walkthrough in Xara Designer Pro 6
The first video rocks!!!! I am just about to start the second and wanted to give you some props :-bd
Your part 1 video shows why this upgrade is a "no-brainer".
It's kool to see how deep this upgrade is :D
Regards, James
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Re: Help video: New features walkthrough in Xara Designer Pro 6
Well done.
Are the features you showed in both pro 6 and photo & graphic designer 6, or are there some just in pro 6? Just wondering. Still debating about going to pro 6 since I don't use the web designer stuff. Thanks
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Re: Help video: New features walkthrough in Xara Designer Pro 6
Hi Xhris,
Great videos.
Point of info that may be academic but might be useful: There are actually 3 "current attribute groups" (3 classes of Gnomra), open lines, all other shapes and the third is for text.
So, for example, a line colour set on text will be copied to newly created text but not to closed shapes or open lines. And similarly in the other possible combinations.
Phil
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Re: Help video: New features walkthrough in Xara Designer Pro 6
Quote:
Originally Posted by
jyoung
Are the features you showed in both pro 6 and photo & graphic designer 6, or are there some just in pro 6?
Hi. I was using Pro 6 and I listed all the features in that version. Some of those will be in the non Pro version, but some won't. This page lists what's new for each version to help you decide.
Quote:
Originally Posted by
PhilM
...Point of info that may be academic but might be useful: There are actually 3 "current attribute groups" (3 classes of Gnomra), open lines, all other shapes and the third is for text.
Ooooh yeah. I forgot about text, and didn't know myself about their own line and fill properties. In fact, when I was recording the text tool improvements, I forgot to clear the text attributes (by pressing escape as normal after clicking the document--Martin reminded me of this), and so inherited the ruler margins etc. Just goes to show the developers know even more than long-time Xara users. :)
If YouTube's annotations feature ever starts working again, I will add these changes as a callout (it's hard to adjust the video's how I've done it, as it would need a re-render and a re-upload and re-process by YT...time, plus broken links).
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Re: Help video: New features walkthrough in Xara Designer Pro 6
:-bd Thanks very much Chris! I was one of those people wondering about the Opacity [sorry ... Transparency] Mask. Terminology can be very misleading. I also probably wouldn't have even noticed the symetrical drawing nodes. I have also had gnomra turned off, now it's on! And I found out what "gnomra" stands for :D I was also pleased to find out about the mysterious, empty Masters folders that have been popping up when using XWD6 ... guessed it was something to do with photos but got no further. Two excellent videos Chris, thanks again!
PS The World Cup is ephemeral and only watchable live, Xara is forever - that's how I prioritised ... nothing personal against your videos :D
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Re: Help video: New features walkthrough in Xara Designer Pro 6
Great videos, Xhris! Xara should give you a sales commission... :D I also appreciate the timecode links so we could jump to different parts of the videos.
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Re: Help video: New features walkthrough in Xara Designer Pro 6
Just what all new users of XD6/XDP6 need to quickly get them up to speed on the new features. I really appreciate the time and effort you put into these video tutorials, Xhris. Very informative and well worth viewing, probably more than once for some of the more innovative Xara Designer 6 features.
Thanks,
Harry
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Re: Help video: New features walkthrough in Xara Designer Pro 6
I owe you an apology on this one Xhris. Your tutorials are excellent.:o
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Re: Help video: New features walkthrough in Xara Designer Pro 6
Thanks, Chris. Your videos are a good way for folks to get their heads around all the new and revised features.
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Re: Help video: New features walkthrough in Xara Designer Pro 6
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Egg Bramhill
I owe you an apology on this one Xhris. Your tutorials are excellent.:o
Water under the bridge :)
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Re: Help video: New features walkthrough in Xara Designer Pro 6
Thanks for the walk through of the new features, and yes there are quite a few. Looks like I'll have to hit the buy button this weekend:D
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Re: Help video: New features walkthrough in Xara Designer Pro 6
:-bd
watched the videos with printed off release notes to hand - excellent - thanks
['do you prefer video or written tutorials' - answer I prefer both together, just greedy :D]
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Re: Help video: New features walkthrough in Xara Designer Pro 6
Xhris, many thanks for your invaluable videos. Well made, very engaging and highly informative. I'm now a couple of weeks ahead in my knowledge of the superb XDP6.
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Re: Help video: New features walkthrough in Xara Designer Pro 6
Just sat and watched these 2 vids Xhris, thanks very much for taking the time to produce these. Very useful lots of info and tips.
Peter
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Re: Help video: New features walkthrough in Xara Designer Pro 6
Hi Xhris,
Great movies. Thank you very much!
Regards,
Frits
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Re: Help video: New features walkthrough in Xara Designer Pro 6
Hi Xhris,
These were wonderful videos. I was extremely tired when I started watching them but I couldn't 'put them down' until I finished going through them. I will have to watch them a few times more to get all the meat that's in there but, very nicely done.
Thank you......:-bd:-bd
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Re: Help video: New features walkthrough in Xara Designer Pro 6
Quote:
Originally Posted by
PhilM
...There are actually 3 "current attribute groups" (3 classes of Gnomra), open lines, all other shapes and the third is for text.
So, for example, a line colour set on text will be copied to newly created text but not to closed shapes or open lines. And similarly in the other possible combinations...
Ok, YT's annotations are working now, so I added a couple of callouts to the relevant parts of the video mentioning this that I missed. I'll see if I can squeeze in a part 3 over the weekend about new web features (and other things I forgot to mention) in between work. ugh...overworked.
Thanks for people's feedback so far! :)
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Re: Help video: New features walkthrough in Xara Designer Pro 6
I will throw my appreciation onto the pile for the hard work that I know must have gone into a video of that length.
Very informative indeed on all of the new subtle little tweaks that are so easy to overlook!
:salute:
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Re: Help video: New features walkthrough in Xara Designer Pro 6
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Odat
Very informative indeed on all of the new subtle little tweaks that are so easy to overlook!
Aren't they just! :) The first day V6 was released, it didn't seem to be getting much buzz and even was getting some criticism that there was nothing apparently new (e.g. not a pile of obvious new toolbar tools). But most of the new things were quite subtle and seemingly going completely unnoticed or under-appreciated in general, but they were really powerful, so I just knew I had to make a video quick to reignite the buzz. Seems to have stopped a lot of the disappointment and people seem really happy now they know what you can do in this version! :) Glad I did it, and I'll do part 3 today!
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Re: Help video: New features walkthrough in Xara Designer Pro 6
All I have to say (RIGHT...all....like my wife says) is Xhris, you and the other contributors are awesome.....I'm wondering if you just love this program.....;-)
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Re: Help video: New features walkthrough in Xara Designer Pro 6
what the heck is going on with it saying xhris is suspended?
he is one of the most valuable members here, bar none.
one of the videos is now gone, and there's no way to ask what's happening
>:) >:) >:) >:) >:)
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Re: Help video: New features walkthrough in Xara Designer Pro 6
there was a thread... and then it vanished, at least I cannot find it, but all is not lost... I have a screen shot of it....
but...
the way things are here at the moment I am not inclined to post any of it up even in pararphrase :'(
'breaking the rules' is the usual reason for suspension so they say ;)
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Re: Help video: New features walkthrough in Xara Designer Pro 6
If you go to Xhris's site you should find the videos......
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Re: Help video: New features walkthrough in Xara Designer Pro 6
There was originally 2 videos Xhris did on XD6 Pro but only the first is currently available on YouTube.