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What Xara Design Pro 11 is lacking - suggestions for next version
I really like Xara Web Designer and Xara Designer Pro 11, both of which I purchased.
While Xara's design tools are about as good as it gets and the responsive ability of Xara puts it way ahead of the pack, there are a few areas where it just falls flat. The included form tools are a joke - I will NEVER use a form service for my clients or myself. I believe in creating my own forms and having total control over the data and where it goes. ALL of my current web design tools have this EXCEPT for Xara, yet all the others are missing the key features that make Xara my go-to tool for website design.
I think the largest lacking area in Xara for web design is forms. The options they offer are unusable for my clients. Having proper form creation tools would be the next biggest area for an upgrade as far as i'm concerned. I know I could do it programmatically, but that would be a pain! Right now, I am using another web design software that excels at form design to create the form and upload it, then grab that in Xara. Xara Designer Pro 11 is great for just about everything else (well, it could use Database tools like MySQL inclusion, but that's a whole other thing).
Would pre-made form templates that work in Xara without having to import a already made web page be possible? It would be far better to be able to have form controls for all kinds of custom forms, tbh, but any kind of form would be welcome.
Obviously, without proper form tools like buttons, text boxes, radio and check boxes, text area and other form controls, Xara cannot be used for this. Xara is also missing any jquery control integration, like a data grid, slider bars, etc.
This is what Xara needs next to be considered a serious web design tool. It does everything else well.
Mike
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Re: What Xara Design Pro 11 is lacking - suggestions for next version
Quote:
Originally Posted by
karmacomposer
I really like Xara Web Designer and Xara Designer Pro 11, both of which I purchased.
While Xara's design tools are about as good as it gets and the responsive ability of Xara puts it way ahead of the pack, there are a few areas where it just falls flat. The included form tools are a joke - I will NEVER use a form service for my clients or myself. I believe in creating my own forms and having total control over the data and where it goes. ALL of my current web design tools have this EXCEPT for Xara, yet all the others are missing the key features that make Xara my go-to tool for website design.
I think the largest lacking area in Xara for web design is forms. The options they offer are unusable for my clients. Having proper form creation tools would be the next biggest area for an upgrade as far as i'm concerned. I know I could do it programmatically, but that would be a pain! Right now, I am using another web design software that excels at form design to create the form and upload it, then grab that in Xara. Xara Designer Pro 11 is great for just about everything else (well, it could use Database tools like MySQL inclusion, but that's a whole other thing).
Would pre-made form templates that work in Xara without having to import a already made web page be possible? It would be far better to be able to have form controls for all kinds of custom forms, tbh, but any kind of form would be welcome.
Obviously, without proper form tools like buttons, text boxes, radio and check boxes, text area and other form controls, Xara cannot be used for this. Xara is also missing any jquery control integration, like a data grid, slider bars, etc.
This is what Xara needs next to be considered a serious web design tool. It does everything else well.
Mike
Yeah I agree it needs some form functionality, even if it can't process the forms it needs to be able to create basic elements.
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Re: What Xara Design Pro 11 is lacking - suggestions for next version
Hi,
Forms is something we can look into however integrating something like that into Xara isn't as easy as it sounds. It would also require a back end mail server.
Database facilities is something I would like to see without Xara slowing turning into MS access of course.
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Re: What Xara Design Pro 11 is lacking - suggestions for next version
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Rob-Xar
Hi,
Forms is something we can look into however integrating something like that into Xara isn't as easy as it sounds. It would also require a back end mail server.
Database facilities is something I would like to see without Xara slowing turning into MS access of course.
So not true. It is SUPER EASY to write a simple php script to serve the form. There is no real reason to have a back-end mail server unless it is for those who use your upload service. I don't. All of my clients are on their own servers and they all have webmail, so I can easily put their mail servers in the php script. Plus, in most cases we may not want to email the form, but send the data to a database on a server. All of this can be done programmatically.
Where form design becomes important is for the look and feel of the page itself - where Xara excels - is the DESIGN of it all. I want my form to be gorgeous AND functional. I can code the functional, but if I coded the entire thing and added it as a HTML code snippet, it would look ugly. Functional, but ugly.
I use Xara precisely because I can DESIGN the site like I would design a printed piece, but then upload the site when done.
Let's include forms in those design features to round-out Xara.
Mike
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Re: What Xara Design Pro 11 is lacking - suggestions for next version
Please feel free to send us your code if it's that super easy.
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Re: What Xara Design Pro 11 is lacking - suggestions for next version
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Rob-Xar
Please feel free to send us your code if it's that super easy.
come on getting your customers to send in the code, especially when it's super easy, slacker ;-)
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Re: What Xara Design Pro 11 is lacking - suggestions for next version
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Rob-Xar
Please feel free to send us your code if it's that super easy.
I have a web creation program produced by a one man band - it includes basic web form support. It generates a mail handling PHP file and works fine.
I could send you an example of the PHP it creates, but that would be unfair to the developer. Looking at the generated code, it is super-easy.
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Re: What Xara Design Pro 11 is lacking - suggestions for next version
Quote:
Originally Posted by
pauland
I have a web creation program produced by a one man band - it includes basic web form support. It generates a mail handling PHP file and works fine.
I could send you an example of the PHP it creates, but that would be unfair to the developer. Looking at the generated code, it is super-easy.
Pauland gets it :)
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Re: What Xara Design Pro 11 is lacking - suggestions for next version
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Rob-Xar
Pauland gets it :)
He does?
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Re: What Xara Design Pro 11 is lacking - suggestions for next version
Yes, the fact seeing the generated code is easy but the code that makes the code is the hard part...
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Re: What Xara Design Pro 11 is lacking - suggestions for next version
What I meant is that it would not be hard to create a php handler script to enter as a HTML chunk to serve the form, assuming that Xara would allow us to do so within the form code (ie. the "post" or "get" function). The page, itself, would have to have a .php extension. In fact, I can, and will, write the code and put it here as soon as I have some time.
Mike
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Re: What Xara Design Pro 11 is lacking - suggestions for next version
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Rob-Xar
Yes, the fact seeing the generated code is easy but the code that makes the code is the hard part...
Here is a doctored screenshot of the app I mentioned. In fairness to Xara I won't mention it.
I think the app simply cycles through the form fields and generates a VERY simple form script.
Seriously Rob, this is super easy.
Paul
Attachment 110457Attachment 110458
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Re: What Xara Design Pro 11 is lacking - suggestions for next version
I moved this thread to Dear Xara which is where members/users can request new features and where such things as bug reports and new feature requests should be made.
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Re: What Xara Design Pro 11 is lacking - suggestions for next version
Quote:
Originally Posted by
pauland
Seriously Rob, this is super easy.
Seriously, things are never as easy as they seem.
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Re: What Xara Design Pro 11 is lacking - suggestions for next version
Quote:
Originally Posted by
nazf355
Seriously, things are never as easy as they seem.
Yes, I know - I'm a software developer.
The generation of the PHP form handler is trivial.
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Re: What Xara Design Pro 11 is lacking - suggestions for next version
Quote:
Originally Posted by
pauland
Yes, I know - I'm a software developer.
The generation of the PHP form handler is trivial.
So why not create a widget that does this and let it loose on the community?
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Re: What Xara Design Pro 11 is lacking - suggestions for next version
So why not create a widget that does this and let it loose on the community?
I don't have oodles of spare time to be re-creating software that already exists. The generation of the PHP handler is easy. The form editor more tricky.
The established workaround using a placeholder is fine, but if Xara decided to make a widget, then the creation of the PHP handler is by far the easiest part.
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Re: What Xara Design Pro 11 is lacking - suggestions for next version
Quote:
Originally Posted by
pauland
So why not create a widget that does this and let it loose on the community?
I don't have oodles of spare time to be re-creating software that already exists. The generation of the PHP handler is easy. The form editor more tricky.
The established workaround using a placeholder is fine, but if Xara decided to make a widget, then the creation of the PHP handler is by far the easiest part.
yeah yeah excuses excuses :p
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Re: What Xara Design Pro 11 is lacking - suggestions for next version
Quote:
Originally Posted by
nazf355
yeah yeah excuses excuses :p
Definitely.
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Re: What Xara Design Pro 11 is lacking - suggestions for next version
Can we get an option for the behavior of the little pin on the fly-out galleries? Right now, to unpin a gallery, you have to click the pin icon. Can you additionally add a behavior that if you drag on the title bar, you also unpin it? This would speed up things.
TIA,
Gary
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Re: What Xara Design Pro 11 is lacking - suggestions for next version
When you import a PNG or any bitmap file format than can contain transparency, can we get a wireframe display of the non-transparent area?
Like so: right now if you go to wireframe on an imported bitmap that has something surrounded with 100% transparency, you get a fur cornered box that represents the overall size of the bitmap:
Attachment 110497
I'd like to see the opaque area, so if I had to create a mask, I could trace over the opaque area with precision.
Alternatively, could you use the Selection tool to Ctrl+click the bitmap so only the opaque area is selected, so Xara could make a vector outline of the opaque area? This would speed up making a ClipView that contains vector retouching a snap.
TIA,
Gary
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Re: What Xara Design Pro 11 is lacking - suggestions for next version
Gary, for tracing you can:
make your bitmap black
clone it
make the clone white
you can shift the outline outwards by applying a blur to the black and inwards with a bitmap feather to the white bitmap.
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Re: What Xara Design Pro 11 is lacking - suggestions for next version
Quote:
Originally Posted by
siran
Gary, for tracing you can:
make your bitmap black
clone it
make the clone white
you can shift the outline outwards by applying a blur to the black and inwards with a bitmap feather to the white bitmap.
Hi Siran—
Yes, you can do what you describe, but it's a very intricate workaround for not having this feature, can't you agree?
I already know how to (laboriously) create a vector outline of opaque areas using Xara:
• You auto-trace the thing, or for cleaner results you use Vecctor Magic, ungroup all the shapes and then select them all, and use the Add Boolean command under the Arrange menu.
• Alternatively, you can step outside of Xara and Use Photoshop to Ctrl+click the PNG layer to clip the document to thew outskirts of the opaque areas, then use the Paths command to trace arond the loaded selection. This, admittedly, isn't as good as using an Auto-trace, and this is why I could use this as a feature. I'd use to to draw over the bitmap, perhaps to add a logo, and then ClipView the bitmap and the design within a newly-created shape that accurately describes the non-transparency areas in the bitmap.
Stepping back? Keeping the user in a specific program—and this is what Charles wants—means keeping the user satisfied with the features so they don't have to use Photoshop as part of the workflow.
The more people who stay in Xara are more likely to become part of the user base and continue to buy Xara, and not explore other programs so the $ or £) stay at Xara.
It makes good economic/marketing sense, and whatever the new, requested feature is, makes the program more of a "solve-all" one that the user can spend all day in.
My Best,
Gary
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Re: What Xara Design Pro 11 is lacking - suggestions for next version
Hi Gary,
please be patient with me. I guess I just did not understand the intention of your post.
Everybody may post whatever feature request he likes.
Sorry, didn't mean to offend anyone.
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Re: What Xara Design Pro 11 is lacking - suggestions for next version
Siran, I don't think anyone is offended.
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Re: What Xara Design Pro 11 is lacking - suggestions for next version
Well I hope you are right.
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Re: What Xara Design Pro 11 is lacking - suggestions for next version
Quote:
Originally Posted by
siran
Hi Gary,
please be patient with me. I guess I just did not understand the intention of your post.
Everybody may post whatever feature request he likes.
Sorry, didn't mean to offend anyone.
Hi Siran—
Here we have an example of the inadequacies of the emotions people feel on online forums! :) <See? I put a smiley there, even though it doesn't adequately express my current emotion.
Is was not offended in the least by your post. I think you were offering a workaround because I appeared to be thwarted by the lack of the feature I described in Post #21.
I cannot speak for all members, but I myself am not offended by your effort to help me. If anything, I was impatient with myself, for not being able to adequately describe the feature that I feel would be useful. I am constantly trying to put vector text inside the opaque part of an underlying image.
We are totally cool, and I look for to more participation here with you.
My Best,
Gary
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Re: What Xara Design Pro 11 is lacking - suggestions for next version
You could make the bitmap white place it on a black rectangle and paste that as an opacity mask to you text. Sorry, just kidding...
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Re: What Xara Design Pro 11 is lacking - suggestions for next version
Quote:
Originally Posted by
siran
You could make the bitmap white place it on a black rectangle and paste that as an opacity mask to you text. Sorry, just kidding...
YOU could make the bitmap white...
I could NOT!
:)
Gary
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Re: What Xara Design Pro 11 is lacking - suggestions for next version
What do you mean now? You don't want to use a workaround again?
I meant to set light and dark contone colours, this makes everything white that is not transparent.
Besides I was just joking, because I still don't undersand what you really want to do, which hopefully is only because of language difficulties.
I got the impression that you are now kidding me. ;)
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Re: What Xara Design Pro 11 is lacking - suggestions for next version
Quote:
Originally Posted by
siran
What do you mean now? You don't want to use a workaround again?
I meant to set light and dark contone colours, this makes everything white that is not transparent.
Besides I was just joking, because I still don't undersand what you really want to do, which hopefully is only because of language difficulties.
I got the impression that you are now kidding me. ;)
Your impression is correct, siran. Now I am kidding you!
Attachment 110525
I only give a hard time to people I like, siran!
My Best,
Gary
(who has a language difficulty in English most of the time; that's why he draws things)
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Re: What Xara Design Pro 11 is lacking - suggestions for next version
Can we get a "thumb" on both the left and the right of the tabbed window area, so if we're running a low resolution, you have several documents open, it can be quicker to scroll to the left from the left edge to choose a page that's at far left?
Example:
Attachment 110552
What this would do is cover the blank page icon at he left of a tabbed document, but it's not functional, so why not lose it for something that does something in the interface?
TIA,
Gary
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Re: What Xara Design Pro 11 is lacking - suggestions for next version
I've dumped everything for Xara - WD10 and XP10 - intend to move to version 11 shortly. Goodbye all the other high end programs I've ever worked with. I'd like to see the Flash component developed just a bit more. I really like the templates in the Premium versions for slide shows and such. But a few elementary effects from slide to slide and picture to picture would be nice in the Flash package. Nothing spectacular. Just a fade out - fade in type of thing. Thanks for the great program. I love these programs. So intuitive. Much like the Macromedia package of years gone by.
Bill in Canada
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Re: What Xara Design Pro 11 is lacking - suggestions for next version
I'd like to see the Flash component developed just a bit more.
Everybody is moving away from Flash, so I wouldn't see Flash as a priority - quite the opposite.
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Re: What Xara Design Pro 11 is lacking - suggestions for next version
I'm happy to be wrong about this, but doesn't Xara also export to AVI?
If so, the next big thing is alpha channel support. Boris makes a ton of money from After Effects plug-ins that just animate text. If Xara redworks the keyframe part of its animation engine, I think you have an inexpensive replacement for a lot of text fx engines.
It might be good for Magix to start supporting alpha channels, too. PIP doesn't cut it in 2015 (or in 1998!); make your film editors deal with alphas for compositing work.
-g
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Re: What Xara Design Pro 11 is lacking - suggestions for next version
Xtreme will export alpha channel, just select uncompressed and then 'Make background transparent' in the export options dialog.
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Re: What Xara Design Pro 11 is lacking - suggestions for next version
I moved the Forms discussion to
here
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Re: What Xara Design Pro 11 is lacking - suggestions for next version
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Luke.Hart
Xtreme will export alpha channel, just select uncompressed and then 'Make background transparent' in the export options dialog.
Thanks for the info, Luke. Seriously, at some point, Magix might want to consider supporting in their video products an alpha channel. It would be at least a first step in rudimentary integration between products.
And I know of no video editor in the pro-sumer arena (under $200) that can recognize alpha info in an AVI uncompressed video. I don't think even the great and mighty Apply Final Cut can.
It's a selling point, for sure.
Thanks!
Gary
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Re: What Xara Design Pro 11 is lacking - suggestions for next version
+1 for the ability to create forms. Like drag and drop text fields with design freedom to position and resize them on the page, add background images etc. and the ability to name the form and fields for server side processing, maybe support for multi-page or multi-stage forms too.
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Re: What Xara Design Pro 11 is lacking - suggestions for next version
But Paul, perhaps I'm talking about slide shows etc. Isn't that a flash component?