X-Blobs technique (for gel, wax and other things ...)

Hello!

My hard work in my rose garden diminishes. Thus I will be able to come back to the forums.
I apologize for the brushes I didn't put on the Swap Shop as propised some weeks ago and I will try to do that next days.

Here is a mini tutorial which explain how to combine "feathering profiles" and "joining shapes" to create blobby shapes which join progressively like "metaballs" in 3D programs. As shown in the picture in my second post, these shapes can support many different textures, gel, wax, liquid metal and others.

Enjoy!

ivan

Here are some samples. I will provide with some other ones I imaginated some days ago.

As usual Ivan you have come up with some brilliant ideas.

Christine

Hi, thanks Christine!

Just a little bit more texture for this sample.

ivan

Get the .xar file

What is interesting, and this is something I have been thinking about for some time, is this technique, and many others enhanced and invented in this conference are very similar to creating the same effects in Photoshop, but without all the negative masking and stuff. I suppose once one learns how to do these effects in Photoshop it is a fairly similar process. It just seems so much easier to do in Xara :-)

Great work, Ivan.

Gary

Gary Priester

Moderator Person

Beaver It Over So Bumble...

Many thanks Gary,

I think also Photoshop should take so much Ram for that kind of game!

The following effects are obtained with brushes composed of a few very simple lines ...! One more example of Xara X versatility.

ivan

Get the.xar file and see how that works!

ivan

Mmmmmmmm, I like the blobby on the first post that looks like gummy bear stuff......

Ain't life a kick?

Hi Ivan,

I tried the blob techniques but got stuk on step 6. Could you give an explenation on how you did this?

Regards,
Frits
[img]/infopop/emoticons/icon_confused.gif[/img]

Hi Ivan,

I Already figured it out. I had to turn the feathering back on for the white X.

Avé,
Frits
[img]/infopop/emoticons/icon_smile.gif[/img]

It is to late, but yesterday i had a time to do and follow this wonderful effects,
But ivan louette
i have a questions. i was lost with your step by step tutorial

1- (step 4) change the feather profile, why? and is it another copy or the same one?

2- (step 5) again, i was lost after changing the line width, it seems that i lost the feather effect after this step.

3- (step 6) did you blend the 2 objects? (it looks like it)

4- (step 8) convert line to shape, which one?
and where this black X object came from?
I thought we made a blend effect to it

5- (step 9) Here you realy got me lost [img]/infopop/emoticons/icon_confused.gif[/img]
what did you mean?
use the bitmap copy as transparecy mask, add color and shadow [img]/infopop/emoticons/icon_confused.gif[/img] [img]/infopop/emoticons/icon_confused.gif[/img] [img]/infopop/emoticons/icon_confused.gif[/img]
Plz explain how it is possible or the steps for it to simplify thing for me [img]/infopop/emoticons/icon_biggrin.gif[/img]
as you know i am not an expert in Xara

All I can say is, Wow! Ivan! Going to have to give this one a try. Had tried to duplicate the Gel effect in Gary's tutorial a while back, but I must have done something wrong somewhere. Didn't look like it should have, let's put it that way!

Will have to try this again, as these look great! Thanks for the tips!

[img]/infopop/emoticons/icon_biggrin.gif[/img]

Push yourself to notice the extraordinary in the ordinary.

Irene M. Kraus
www.design-comp.com

By the way i check this fourm back on the 21/11/2001 which is today, i posted my request on 20th . My post is not in the first page among the latest posts. I thought this will be brought in the top ( latest post) or am i looking somewhere else?
Thanks
Ivan still waiting for your reply.

Hello AjIsCoool and Frits,

I am very sorry. I don't know how this so imprecise tutorial was rated with so much stars!

Here are some explanations; I hope they can help but don't hesitate to add some other questions.

And afterwards you will find here much more about feathering based smooth transitions between objects ; joining them like described at step 3 is not the only nor the best solution as I discovered it later!

Organic shapes

"- step 4 change the feather profile, why? and is it another copy or the same one?"

This is the same object ; after adding feathering and joining shapes (at step 3, select the two lines toghether, click on "Arrange" + "Join shapes"), feathering is still at its default settings: zero. If you type the value I have shown (-0,95) below right of the feathering profile window, you will see that the blur decreases drastically but the smooth transition between the two initial lines remains.

"- step 5 again, i was lost after changing the line width, it seems that i lost the feather effect after this step."

Normally feathering profile settings are independent from the width of the line and couldn't be lost at this stage! Didn't you change the feathering width instead the line width?

"- step 6 did you blend the 2 objects? (it looks like it)"

No blends here; the black and a new white object are only superposed but with different feathering profile settings: select your object, clone it (Ctrl+k), select the cloned object only, right click on white on the color bar, don't change the feather width but reset the feather profiles to zero, move this white object slightly to above and left.

"- step 7 (I point to something important here!)"

The bitmap copy may be true color but WITHOUT alpha channel!

"- step 8 convert line to shape, which one?
and where this black X object came from?
I thought we made a blend effect to it"

Select the black object only (but don't delete the white one which will become the white shining you see below on the left), then click on "Arrange" + "convert line to shapes" (the feathering disappears at this stage), keeping it selected, left click on "cyan" in the color bar.

"- step 9 use the bitmap copy as transparency mask, add color and shadow."

Keeping your blue shape selected, open the bitmap gallery and select the bitmap you created at step 7, then click on the "transparency" button above this window and close it ; open the shadow tool and add shadow to the object you have created!

"-step 10"

The white object is this one you created at step 6 but with a wider feathering, it will be superposed to the blue one ; yellow and magenta things are copies of this white object, but keeping the initial feathering width, these two later will be placed behind the blue object (the magenta exactly behind the shadow and the yellow centered with the blue object).

Kind regards,

ivan

A lot Ivan for your reply

i did not do it yet but i will as soon as go home where i have my XaraX installed
What you mean by "superposed" ? Do you mean a Cloned object as you stated below<Just want to make sure>

" I really love this forum for their support Plus, the speed of answering back your question with generous explanations "

Thanks Ivan & everyone in this fourm

...ivan,
they're totally edible, excellent post ivan
cheers
eric

AjIs,

perhaps must I say "overlaid" instead of superposed?

And Eric,

I dont often eat this kind of things but I know children appreciate them a lot!

kindly,

ivan
[img]/infopop/emoticons/icon_wink.gif[/img]