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WebXealot #35 is posted. Sorry to be a day late, there was a lot of material to cover. The whole second half of the Glossary N-Z. [img]/infopop/emoticons/icon_redface.gif[/img]
This is the final chapter in the Xara X On-line manual and so now I am faced with the question of whether or not to continue the WebXealot and if so, where do we go from here.
One thought I had is perhaps to do a kind of workbook approach with a few simple step-by-step tutorials that deal more with a single technique, such as the multiple envelopes used for the flag tutorial or the flare technique used in this month's tutorial. Excercies rather than full-blown tutorials.
Any thoughts or comments?
Also as a reminder:
March Xara X Tutorial
Steve Newport - Featured Xara Artist
Tony Roberts' Perspective Guest Tutorial
And all the rest of the XaraXone
Gary
Gary Priester
Moderator Person
<a href="http://www.gwpriester.com">
www.gwpriester.com </a>
XaraXone
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WebXealot #35 is posted. Sorry to be a day late, there was a lot of material to cover. The whole second half of the Glossary N-Z. [img]/infopop/emoticons/icon_redface.gif[/img]
This is the final chapter in the Xara X On-line manual and so now I am faced with the question of whether or not to continue the WebXealot and if so, where do we go from here.
One thought I had is perhaps to do a kind of workbook approach with a few simple step-by-step tutorials that deal more with a single technique, such as the multiple envelopes used for the flag tutorial or the flare technique used in this month's tutorial. Excercies rather than full-blown tutorials.
Any thoughts or comments?
Also as a reminder:
March Xara X Tutorial
Steve Newport - Featured Xara Artist
Tony Roberts' Perspective Guest Tutorial
And all the rest of the XaraXone
Gary
Gary Priester
Moderator Person
<a href="http://www.gwpriester.com">
www.gwpriester.com </a>
XaraXone
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the "workbook" approach would work for me (darn near anything would help in my case [img]/infopop/emoticons/icon_biggrin.gif[/img] )!
---As The Crow Flies!---
Maya
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Simple exercises to illustrate each concept or procedure works better for me than following 84 steps I don't understand. I feel it's better to understand each step before going on to something else.
As a newbie, I am more likely to retain something, if it is simple, and I can apply it to several different images right away.
For those who are more experienced, I imagine tutorials would work best, because you already know much of what is being described.
I would like to see some workbook-type exercises, so that I can gain some basic skills.
My 2 cents.
Dale
Why, I’m afraid I can’t explain myself, sir, because I’m not myself, you know...
- Lewis Carroll
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Gary,
The Manual has been a God-Send. I printed off and treasure the early chapters (nine) and I continually need refreshers. The workbook approach sounds like a good idea. Maybe each issue could have assignments at different levels: beginners, intermediate and advanced. Maybe one for children. Just tossing out ideas.
Keep up the good work, Neil
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and end the Xeaalot. Perhaps tutorials bi-monthly now.
Maybe a more complex project broken into segments, something like your timepiece posted on GraphicsNews. [img]/infopop/emoticons/icon_smile.gif[/img]
The newer people here will be up to speed in no time, and by the looks of their work, they don't have far to go.
No matter what you decide, thanks for all your effort to date.
Mike
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This has a great deal of appeal to me.
Things like the finer points of creating "textures"/surfacing rendering or the nuances of using transparencies are two that come to mind.
Also, perhaps take some of the strengths and weaknesses of the work you've seen posted in this forum and the Xara Gallery forum as a source for Workbooks.
[This message was edited by John S. Clements on March 16, 2002 at 17:31.]
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Gary how do you find the time to do all the many things you do. I get worn out just comtemplating everything you do ;-)
I anxiously await the announcement of when the CDs will be available.
Thanks for all you do.
Soquili
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If you compile enough of these mini-tutorials and it gets enough attention, maybe that could turn in a 3rd CD.
While we are all spoiled with helping each other here in the forums, it would be nice to have a printable, well laid out "how to" on some of these more complicated techniques broken down into smaller how-to's that maybe lead to a full finished project.
Envelopes are something that I think need more attention for us all to understand, the freehand tool and the shape editor tool, I think, maybe needs some hands on how-to's for us all to explore. All the tools do. You have explained how each tool works and what it does and all that in the 'Zealot, but to really elaborate on each on in how-to mini-tutorials would really give us (newbies and experts alike) further insight on what these tools do and how to work with them better. Plus we all seem to be learning stuff that even the experts were not fully aware that this program can do. Those techniques should also be brought to the forefront and given attention. Like the wrinkled paper thing you just did a few day's ago. A newbie is not going to know how you did that, heck I didn't untill you explained it, and for once I was able to understand without little pictures [img]/infopop/emoticons/icon_biggrin.gif[/img] .
No, I don't think your work is finished but if you say it is, then it is, but is ever really???
your call, Gary.
RAMwolff [img]/infopop/emoticons/icon_wink.gif[/img]
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How about telling us what the workbook will be about at the beginning of the month - we could then develop our own ideas and compare them to your approach when the Xealot is published. I'm sure this will then lead on to more discussions on different ways to do the same thing.
Christine
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Gary we all appreciate all of the work you do on the tutorials and the Web xealot. We can never thank you enough. I agree with most of the others that some form of a workshop would be good. I can not wait for your CD's. I will definitely buy them.
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I for one love the idea of a workbook type approach with simple step by step tutorials concentrating on single techniques. I think it would be brilliant and would help beginners like myself get a better understanding of the techniques.
..that is of course, if you can find the time, I don't know how you do it, but all your efforts are GREATLY appreciated.
Mags
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Simple is good! [img]/infopop/emoticons/icon_smile.gif[/img]
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Illustrating materials--gold, brass, wood, water, glass, ceramic, folded cloth, rust, chrome. Sure, these subjects have been treated in the XaraXone tutorials, Webxealot, and forums. But singly focused approaches to techniques would be welcomed by a lot of us.
How about lighting? And shadows? And bump-mapping?
Al Kolka
alkolka@attbi.com
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for all the work Gary.
why not take a break. Then start the
workbook idea. I like the idea Christine
put forward. It would get a people involved,
and show a lot of different ways of accomplishing
the same thing.
Thanks again.
Brian.
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If you have anything specific you would like covered, or as Soquili suggested, you have an image you have created and feel you can go no farther and need help, e-mail them to me.
In the Subject line enter Workbook and please, try to keep the file sizes considerate.
Gary
Gary Priester
Moderator Person
<a href="http://www.gwpriester.com">
www.gwpriester.com </a>
XaraXone
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Does anyone remember the Xealot before Gary started his super-manual?
Would it be possible to go back to that format?
Tony
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Tony
I'm not sure who would pick the door prizes. Wilbur and Orville finch have gone to the millet seed in the sky and we gave up the flock of hens when we moved. Still have the five cats and Harry the extraordinary Canary but they have attitudes these days [img]/infopop/emoticons/icon_eek.gif[/img]
Gary
Gary Priester
Moderator Person
<a href="http://www.gwpriester.com">
www.gwpriester.com </a>
XaraXone
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Al K's idea is interesting. What about a study of metals: typical finishes (polished, burnished, etc.) and color characteristics?
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A mini-tutorial/workbook approach sounds excellent. Creating vector gold, silver, marble finishes and other surfaces would always come in handy. Gary, you have ample tutorials to derive mini-tuts from. Just picking up a clever technique from each tut would keep you busy for a long time.
I don't see that repeating, and elaborating on some techniques from the tuts would be a bad thing.
A "make-over" type approach could also be interesting - perhaps it would be to much to do a full image but perhaps certain aspects of it?
Keep up the good work!
Risto
risto@ristoklint.com
Visit my web site!
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Gary is finishing the mountain of work defining and exploring our "tools." Between Xara X's help file, Gary's online manual, and experimentation, I can understand and use the tools.
I can also visualize the end result, the final illustration, that I strive for. Gary's Xaraxone tutorials always work towards a project completion. But sometimes, at least for myself, they speed right through one or more techniques a little too quickly to understand the underlying illustration principles.
And there is a middle ground where I often (way too often) get stuck.
It's like building a house. You obtain the tools and materials and some experience using them. An architect's plan and drawings light the way. But how the heck do you thatch a roof? Build a masonry chimmeny? Finish trim around windows and doors?
When I mentioned attacking the creation of materials, I was referring to this middle world beyond Xara X's tools.
I believe it was Gary who, a few months ago, reminded non-artists like myself that chrome has no color, and illustrating it depends on portraying its ability to reflect the adjacent world. I knew that, but I didn't understand it in the Xara X perspective.
I'd bet that Gary and the experienced members of the Xaraxone community can come up with a zillion topics filling in the techniques required to better understand this middle level of computer illustration.
Al
Al Kolka
alkolka@attbi.com
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yes, I too learned this computer graphics thing by going on to 'net and finding Gary's makeover maven articles and then the community help at i-us. I'm pointing folks here I've turned on to Xara to Garys tuts.
I'm sick of computer software books.. I have a bunch of Flash books gathering dust.. each new release makes the previous tome useless. Thats why Garys X-files online are such a great idea, and why online learning generally is a world with a bright future.. PLUS the fact that Xara worked out ergonomics early so their brilliant software keeps similar through each version.. just adding wizzy new features. So I can still open my Xara manual (v1) and brush up on earlier procedures that are still exactly the same.
Xara.. proof that programming dweebs CAN get it right!
Q
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1st off I would never have upgraded from Corel Draw 3 to vs 5 if it were not for the Corel Draw forum that Cris Dickman had and i/us and your tut's on it.
2nd I would have never bought Xara 2 if it wasn't for your flagrant praises on i/us. Corel Draw 5 was sooooo slow it wasn't worth the effort.
The Xara Xone, Talk Graphics combination is the best combination ever dreamed up on the internet as far as graphics goes. Viewing all the different applications and ways to do things not only by you but by forum members is mind boggling.
Sutdies and challenges seem like the next logical step.
Judi
P.S. I am soooo glad that Xara is not part of Corel anymore. Have you seen their Procreate website where they stuffed Painter? It is one of the worse designed, impossible to communicate with anyone sites on the web and Xara would have been advertised on that site too, as that where they have put all purchased programs. The users that complained high and loud, but they are deaf.
Off Soap Box.
My Stuff
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I was over in the XaraGallery and Ross had created a beautiful piece using scanned images then adding effects to it. Some were Bitmap effects some were more native Xara effects. One was stained glass transparency.
Request: Do you think we could disect and learn more about the different transparency effects?? Stained Glass, Bleach, Contrast.....ect....
Seems to me that the use of these effects would be used more by us 'newbie-ish' users if we were more educated about them. I know each effect has it's importance but not sure "why, how, when" to use them.
Thanks so much
RAMWolff [img]/infopop/emoticons/icon_wink.gif[/img]
