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The following posts are experiments with creating rays using different methods in XX/XXP. This one was created using two circles having no fill and dashed lines that were converted to shapes before applying a 500 step blend between them.
Kinda cool but redraws are noticeably slow and it's off because of the dash spacing (note the ray in the 12 o'clock position).
More to go,
Harry
.
OK, here's the ray from the first post with the blend's position profile altered to create some space between the blend steps. I also reduced the number of steps to enhance the effect. A few other shapes were added to cover the ends and add a just a bit more depth to the image. I threw in a nice lemony background and got a strange looking spoked ray, coned wheel, lemon-lime, thing-a-ma-bob.
How 'bout that,
Harry
.
For the rays used in this image, I created a 70 step blend between 2 vector shapes that were then blended and rotated along an existing circle (ellipse). Just another way to create a sun burst effect using rays. As you can see I added a few more elements and it started to look like one of Gary's famous eye-ball images. I must be reading too many of his posts as it seems to be subliminally affecting my creativity. Hmmm, it might also be the start of a neat stereogram. I'll have to see what I can do with the image in that regard. ;)
'Til next time,
Harry
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For the ray in this sun burst arrangement I started off with a 96 sided polygon. Then, using the Shape Editor Tool, I created a wedge segment using the two points for one edge and the center of the polygon. I then clicked twice on the wedge and set the rotation center point to the tip of the wedge at the center of the polygon. After setting the angle constraint on the General Tab of the Options (Ctrl+Shft+O) to 3.75 (360/96) I proceeded to duplicate the wedge 95 times to create all of the rays. :eek: The rays can then grouped as desired, deleted, colored and/or modified to create whatever effect you're looking for.
For the center image I added a few circles of varying diameter and no fill to give it that manhole cover, dart board look.
So, if anyone has any other cool ways to produce a circular ray (sun burst) arrangement I'd like to hear about it. Anyone?
That's all for now,
Harry
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Pretty mighty cool "eyeball"
Juergen
Nice work Harry :) Particularly like the eyeball, subliminally influenced or not :D
This is for anyone that didn't quite follow along with the sketchy explanations I gave to accompany the Ray graphics posted earlier in this thread. A special thanks to Rik for his compliments and never ending curiosity. ;)
The first mini-tutorial in this series is for Creating a Ray Sun Burst Effect Using the Blend Tool. I'll post the two (at least) mini-tuts for the other methods I used to create rays when I get them finished.
May you find this useful,
Harry
.
Very cool tutorial Harry. I usually use Spray a very convenient and useful little utility written by Dmitry. It is Free from Dmitry's site It works with all versions of Xara Xtreme, and Web designer too.
Quote:
Originally Posted by juergen
"Eye" thank you both.Quote:
Originally Posted by neodeist
Juergen, neat looking radioactive, alien looking, piece of space matter. I take it you made the rays with Dmitry's Spray Utility mentioned by Angelize?
Frances, good call. I've had the Spray utility installed on my PC for some time now. I use it occasionally for all sorts of effects.
Cheers,
Harry
Its lines, feathered with glow shadow. You can put 2 with slighly different shadow colors and different length on top of eachother to vary the glow.
Juergen
Nice work Harry and Jurgen.
Eyeballs, hmmm? Indeed. :D
HayTay I just did your tutorial on Creating a Ray Sun Burst Effect Using the Blend Tool. Pretty slick! Something I hope I will remember
Thankyou.
Thank you Gary and your welcome Larry.
You don't have to limit yourself solely to dashed lines, either. Here's a blend of a blend to form a loose ray of stars. You could even do a blend between dissimilar shapes or other objects for added effect. Now that I've got this started lets see what everyone else can come up with...
Cheers,
Harry
.
More fun with double blends, blended together to make a ray sun burst effect color wheel.
This blend is comprised of over 18000 circles! :eek: The screen redraw time to recreate the blends when anything is changed is definitely noticeable. :rolleyes: :D
Still havin' fun,
Harry
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I like rays.
Juergen
Hey, what a coincidence, me too. ;)Quote:
Originally Posted by juergen
Nice job, Juergen. I find the color scheme you used very pleasing. I look forward to more.
Anyone else?,
Harry
I made a website template with your method.
Eric
I made some, these were the best.
I used quick shape squares
Nice one juergen. Looks like copper.
Such an easy way to make rays, Harry and very versatile, too.
Saludos,
Bob.
Good one Bob, take it a little farther and it would look like a lace doily.
Nice template, Eric. I'll add yours to the others I've collected. Thanks!
I like that offset green to blue square one you did, Larry. The added effect from the off-center blends is neat-o.
I agree with Larry, Bob. A bit more work and you'll have a tatted Xtreme doily you can use around your virtual home. :cool:
The creative juices are starting to flow now,
Harry
I couldn't resist working through this 'How to Make an Eco Friendly Vector Poster' by Simona Pfreundner tutorial posted on vector tuts+. It's a splendid tutorial showing an example of how to use the ray effect to enhance a poster's background.
My version of the Eco Friendly Vector Poster was created entirely in Xara Xtreme Pro 5. I'm sure the techniques can be easily adapted to other programs as well. So, don't let NOT having Adobe Illustrator deter you from giving it a try, that is if you're so inclined. Simona did such a fine job on the tutorial it's a shame to pass it up.
I changed some of the poster wording to match that on Open Sky Film's site, corrected the spelling mistakes and fixed the ray spacing on my version of the poster (note rays at 3 o'clock position on the original poster vs. my rendition).
My thanks to Simona Pfreundner, vector tuts+, and Open Sky Film,
Harry
.
This thread might be something of similar interest:
http://www.talkgraphics.com/showthread.php?p=276436
Yes, I remember seeing and studying that thread, Xcellent. Thanks for reminding us and providing the link.
http://www.talkgraphics.com/images/icons/icon14.gif http://www.talkgraphics.com/images/icons/icon14.gif
Fun :D
Here's my attempt.
I like that.
You two are crackin' me up. Nice job.
Juergen, your tree reminds me of one of the trees in Lord of the Rings. Unless that's a self-portrait ;).
that tree is indeed a self portrait. It is the character I play in World of Warcraft :=)
And it is indeed pretty close to an ent, so you can call him treebeard.
Somewhere back in the beginning of this thread I mentioned a dart board. Since I'm still stuck on playing around with 'rays', I've been working, off and on, on my own version of a dart board. I'm not exactly happy with this one, for some reason, but, I've decided to post it anyway. Any thoughts for improvement will be taken into consideration.
Thanks for looking,
Harry
.
Harry.
You say you are not completely happy with your dartboard?
And you ask for improvements?
Well, from what I have seen, just on 'talkgraphics', there will be many who can suggest much.
One thing I can tell you Harry, 'everything is relative'.
You are looking for improvements, whilst I would be grateful if you posted DETAILED INSTRUCTIONS on how you made this Dartboard !!!
Here is the relativity bit.
"Relatively speaking, you are a master compared to me."
Rik.
:(
Harry,
Don't remember the dartboard, but I think it looks excellent. Not sure why you would be unhappy with it.
Even I had almost forgotten about that dartboard. It looks better than I remember it.
Now that I take another look at the drawing, I think the problem I'm having with it is that it's too 'sterile'. I think the board and the wall need a bunch of holes in them and everything needs to be 'grunged up' some. Dimming the lighting around the dartboard then adding a spotlight on the board would also help. Add a couple of darts for effect and a few more items hanging on the wall (with accompanying holes) and that would make the scene more believable than the way it is now. At least that's my opinion. I'll have to work on all that some time when I have some more time.
Thanks for making me take a more critical look at why I really wasn't all that happy with my drawing.
Cheers,
Harry
Or you could create rays with a custom brush. I think this would be faster to redraw
Thanks for the link. :)Quote:
Originally Posted by angelize
My virus program (Avast!) however says there's a trojan in spx-dxf.exe on this page:
http://xaraxtv.at.tut.by/spx.htm
A false positive I suppose, but who knows, the page may have been hacked or something?
Well I've consulted Avast about the trojan, they confirm that something suspicious seem to be going on here, so be careful with that file. I've sent an email to the owner of the site about it.
The reply from Avast can be read here:
http://forum.avast.com/index.php?topic=61598.0