Add a little bling! Xara Plus Filter Forge video 1

Here it is everyone! The first Xara Plus Filter Forge video. In this introductory tutorial I show how to create a plastic type text effect and a diamond gem stone while demonstrating some of the basics of both programs. You will see the basic interface in Filter Forge and some of the ways that you can adjust even a very simple filter to get many custom effects. And for anyone who is new to Xara you will get a look at some of Xara's basic tools and how intuitive it is to work with fills and transparency in Xara.

And there is a special bonus! The kind folks at Filter Forge have offered a coupon code that will allow you to purchase filter forge at 50% off cHsnrmawFtd
Just enter the code on the purchase page after you click "buy Filter Forge now" at filterforge.com

And now on with the show!

Hi Frances! Yes, exciting news! Attachment 92212 But couldn't you do tutorials on cheaper programs? Any trials so as I can judge whether I don't have other filters to do the same jobs already?

Hi John, as mentioned in the video Filter Forge has a full 30 day trial just like Xara :)

The folks at Filter Forge have also generously offered a 50% discount if you use the coupon code in my opening post. Filter Forge also has a great reward system and it is possible that you could earn enough reward points with your free trial to get the Full version for free!

Fantastic!!!

Yeah ... not comfortable with affiliate selling - Xara being the exception of course as it is such a stand-out program :) - don't want to make money out of passing on gems of information [damn this hippy heritage! :D ] From what I can see it's not really worth me paying out for as many effects are achievable in Xara and free / less expensive / more frequently cited tools and ps plug-ins working with Xara, like Akvis and Cybia.

I do not currently have an affiliate account at Filter Forge, I volunteered to do these videos. :) This first video is mostly just an introduction. If you continue to follow the series you will see that the Filter Forge has a library of over 9000 effects and textures, and that library is always growing. I'm going to also show some photo editing techniques that Gary Bouton didn't touch on in his photo retouching tutorials in the Xara Xone and how to combine them with a filter forge filter for some really creative results. And I will be getting into editing and creating your own filters with filter forge, combining filter forge textures and effects with extrusions, and generating procedural textures, and how to use them in Xara to give a website some wow factor :)

This video series is also very much about showing the users of filter forge how Xara works and how they can use it with the Filter Forge product. :)

May I also add something... (oh, and a thank you Frances, btw)?

Regardless of the exact company's product, the series has utility with other low-cost, free, or other higher-cost plug-ins. The learning just isn't specifically limited to FF's plug-in. I can "translate" it to products I already own. It's the "doing" that may well rattle the brain into being a bit more creative.

Take care, Mike

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Originally Posted by zaphodeist

From what I can see it's not really worth me paying out for as many effects are achievable in Xara and free / less expensive / more frequently cited tools...

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John, both Akvis and Cybia are plug-ins that filter photos...bitmaps. Filter Forge, from a first look of about a hour, generates images, it doesn't[I] filter existing ones, which makes the comparison like comparing apples and avocados.

And if you only value a program that is frequently cited, you'd be on the slow-track for new innovative software. Um, like I discovered Xara after using CorelDRAW for 5 years? :)

I challenge anyone on this forum to create something like this—using Xara alone, or with any plug-in that retails for less than the Basic Filter Factory at $89. You have the same 30 seconds that it took me. :) The closest thing is Genetica Studio at $149 for the Basic Edition.This image seamlessly tiles, and I used the free 30 day trial version.

Attachment 92222


"Filter" is a misnomer—the filters modify a pattern internal to a Filter Factory design.

Frances did the community a favor by bringing these developers to our attention, and us to them. I think that's what "community" represents, in "online community". There was no affiliate program involved, and the Administrator brokered the deal very carefully, especially to avoid suspicions as you've posted that it's anything other than a really good, affordable, easy-to-learn deal.

I've kicked the tires of filter Factory, I consider myself to be pretty handy around software and also create tutorials for beginners so I'm not unsympathetic to all skill levels when I strongly suggest that members see this as a deal presented in good faith as anything other than its face value.

—Gary

Whoa! Slow down there! Just can't get my head round the need for it ... your image is lovely but would I need it? :D Times are hard ;) I shall follow the tutorials with interest for any Xara techniques :)

Oh and for the record I mentioned the affiliate program because Frances suggested I could possibly cover the program's cost with it. I didn't suggest Frances was on the affiliate program ;)

Okay...this...is...me...slowing...down, John. :)

I have no idea if you'd specifically need a specific image.

That's hardly the point and I'm completely sympathetic to troubled economic times. I had to borrow a bag of consonants from my next door neighbor (who is a wealthy IT) just to write this.

The point is that it's new and affordable and offers greater possibilities for fills that Xara does without the plug-in.

The point of this thread and this post, too (probably) is that it's very easy to say, "Oh, not for me. Pooh-pooh to things I have no time for and are too expensive. What a load of rubbish, probably. All it can do is argyle patterns."

The point of Filter Factory, is that it can be used to speed up work in Xara: that's why the video tutorial, that's why some interest among members has been generated.

Don't hold your breath until there's a tutorial on how Xara all by itself can produce photorealistic textures such as the ones that take seconds to render in FF. The steps would be an exercise in futility; yes, you can indeed cut a Giant Sequoia in half using a nail file.

Okay, don't go cutting down Giant Sequoias.

:)

-g

PS You've got years of experience in producing such images Gary, I haven't. It would take me years to understand nodes and such like. I've tried it before and it's an alien language to me :-D

Which is why I will be getting into editing and creating your own filters further on in the series, but unless I'm mistaken (and I don't think I am) Gary used a filter that was from the FF library and jusr edited a few settings to generate that texture.

I have created and submitted a few filters that are in the library and to be honest it is not that difficult, it's just a different way of working. Keep following the series I'm going to try to get the next video out in a few days but I do need to attend to some other work first (the kind that put's food on the table ;) )

And just to be clear I mentioned the Rewards program which is different than the Affiliate program. You gain rewards points by creating filters and submitting them to the library (I'll be covering this in a future video) if they gain a high usage rank you get a reward point, 3 reward points gets you a Free license to the Pro version.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Gare

This image seamlessly tiles

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Uhm... no it doesn't ;))

Frances, I just finished watching your tutorial and I have to say that I both enjoyed and was impressed with the tool.

I have to say that I am somewhere in the middle on this one. I can certainly see and appreciate the power of the tool. However, since I am retired, still in the "learning" Xara mode, and do not use the it for any commercial or "need to do" things, I have some mixed emotions about spending he money for it. Then again, based on some things we tried in another thread, I can see the power. I will probably download the trial version and mess around with it. That may give me the incentive to purchase it (although right now I do have a "burning" need for it).

Gary, I do also agree that we need to stay up with stuff as digital art and graphics is changing rapidly and if you want to stay in touch you need to be proactive.

Again, Thanks Frances - if someone reading this has not taken the time to watch her tutorial, I think you will be impressed with the power of the tool and how easy she makes it look.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Big Frank

Uhm... no it doesn't ;))

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Got me to my rights, B.F. I forgot to check the "Seamless Tiling" box in the Settings panel.

Care to cut me some slack on this oversight, as I've been working with it for a whopping 2 hours today? :)

The attached image does tile, and I didn't use a preset in Filter Forge. The convolution was designed in the procedural tree view of the texture. This JPEG is not the tiling example because I cropped it. Go by the Argyle number 2.xar file to see no seams.



Attachment 92225

My Best,

Gary

Just a note Gary, it's Filter Forge ;) Filter Factory is something completely different. :)

Filter Factory doesn't even exist anymore: Adobe killed it in Photoshop v 7.

I stand corrected and will try never to post after my bedtime in the future!

-g

Program looks excellent, seems very easy to use for great results. Tried the 50% discount and the price actually increase from the 40% discount to almost the original price, also the price that's advertised was about $40 more than the advertised $129....any idea why?

Thanks as always,

Hi Ed,

I'm not certain about what may be happening with the coupon, I have passed your question on to Filter Forge and asked if they would reply to this thread.

Thanks very much Frances.....I really like this, it's a great addition for creating quick and seamless images....fun for creating weird and wonderful stuff for sure....

It certainly is a great companion plug in to Xara, and I'm glad you are finding filter forge and the videos useful! :) I am working on a new one :)

Ah, have watched the first video, will give it a try in a couple days when work slows down a tad.....Looks very nice and quite easy to follow and do...tx Frances.....

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Karateed

Tried the 50% discount and the price actually increase from the 40% discount to almost the original price

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I've checked the discount coupon, it is still working. Please note the discount is valid for the software only, not for the options like the backup disc and preorder to the next version. The fastest way to address such questions is to contact our support team but I'd be happy to help here if I can.

-- Mark

Hi Mark,

They did find a problem in support with how the page was doing the discount. It was fine with the 40% discount but when you put in the code for the 50% discount, the price increased, not decreased. I suspect a program loop was not pointing to the correct exit point in the program and I believe that was solved. The other issue I saw was the advertised price on the mid-sized version was $249 - $100 = $149 but when I got to the form, the starting price was $272.29, not $249. I just noticed the discrepancy and was wondering why. I've also addressed this question to support.

Thanks for your answers.........

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Karateed

the advertised price on the mid-sized version was $249 - $100 = $149 but when I got to the form, the starting price was $272.29, not $249.

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The 50% discount off $249 will result in $124.50. This is how the order form should look after applying the cHsnrmawFtd coupon:

Attachment 92861

Does it look different for you?

-- Mark

Hi Mark,

That's correct.....I got the explanation this AM from the support team. It has to do with ordering in CDN $.....there is an insurance for fluctuation if ordered in your own currency, thus the discrepency. The way around that of course is to order in US $ then it all works out in the end.

I just wanted to be sure that everything was 'matching' up from web page to form....I'm one who needs to understand the 'why' of things so hopefully this will also clear things up for others that are wondering why.

Thanks very much for your quick response....

Well, that's done it, I've gone and gotten version 3 Standard, quite a nice program......

Congrats Ed :) I think you will enjoy it. Now you can do the video tutorials including the newest one I'm just now going to post! :)

Hi Frances,

Those are definitely on my list of to-dos for sure......

Well, I got the gem downloaded, got the right font and this is my first effort with those in place. It didn't quite come out as expected I think because I may have flattened something too much, but I like the diamond....I'll have to work on the text some more. Very good tut Frances and I will try it again to get a better result. Just to give you an idea of where I am, you will see my file attached.....Also I noticed in the tutorial your pixel sizes were about 100 more than mine. Is there a setting somewhere to adjust that? It's early on in the tutorial.....tx

From your image it looks like a good start :) I'm not sure what you mean about the pixel sizes, do you mean the ruler settings in Xara? If so you can set the rulers in the options on the grid and rulers panel. If this isn't what you mean could you post a screenshot showing where your settings are different?

Ah, I see the setting in FilterForge as the pixels......it depends on what work has been done on the graphic it would seem so no need to worry on that one. I seem to be having trouble having Xara keep the same look as what I get in FilterForge....I'll go through the tutorial again to make sure I'm not missing something. I probably forgot to lock the image and then it most likely went haywire at that point.

Well, at least the diamond looks ok. When I look at it in my FilterForge it doesn't seem to be as 'accurate'. When I use the preset it definitely looks different than yours. Are there basic preferences/options that should be set up first in FF or is it a function of my computer's video drivers? Any idea?

Thanks again......

Another effort, last one for today.....

I like that one, it looks like you are having fun.

One thing that I can think of that could make a difference in how the effects look in Xara is the resolution of your effect in Xara. You need to set the resolution that Xara will render the effects from the options effects & Plug ins tab there are two drop down boxes one for default Live effect resolution and one for default locked resolution I found it works best if you set both of those at the same. I keep mine set at 300dpi as I often need to have things done for print. You can actually type in any amount you want in those boxes (a lot of Xara's input boxes are like this) Be aware though that the higher the resolution the longer the effect will take to render.

I don't think it is a case forgetting to lock the effect because if you don't lock it Xara will try to re render the effect if you do anything to it and for some reason this kicks up an error from Filter Forge, and you lose the effect. I have reported this to the folks at FF and as they have said they want to make Xara a fully supported host program I am hopeful that when the next version of FF is ready for final release that this might get fixed.

Thanks Frances,

Yes, I am having fun....this is a really neat plugin and the last one I did without using the tutorial (well, not the video) just my memory and playing around with the settings to get what I want. It's getting there, not where I want it yet....but I'll do what you've said above and see what happens.

Thanks again for the encouragement and the great solutions.

I also noticed the errors and was going to say something but you've already dealt with it, it seems....and I also lied....I did another one....pls see attached.....I'm getting happier with it....poor choice of bg I think but live and learn....I never said I had an artistic eye....but maybe with practice....and yes, it does take a bit longer to render but certainly very bearable....what an awesome plugin for Xara.....

I added a couple more just to show my line of thinking....I finally got the level of depth on the text I wanted.....creating with 300dpx certainly has made a huge difference....I'm on a P4 computer and it's not terribly fast but fast enough with Xara and FF.

Very nicely done. :) I like the last one the best.

I know this is off topic but I have been noticing your avatar is that based on local Squamish First nations art?

Thanks very much Frances....I like the last one best too......anyone that doesn't see value in doing and re-doing a tutorial, well, there's the proof.....it's getting better to do and I'm doing it much quicker also.....lots of room for improvement still though I see. If you have suggestions for improvement, I'm certainly all ears.....hmmm, maybe someone should do a graphic on that one?

No, that was an avatar done with another 'moulding' type program. I wish it was based on First Nations but it was just an accident that I liked....

BTW, that was an awesome tutorial, clear, concise and well thought out.