Re: make a 3d box for a software packaging

I have been playing with the 3D functions in Xara Xtreme in trying to creating a 3d ecover. The thing that is driving me crazy that I can't seem to master/figure out quite yet is the lighting. I can get the 3d sizing and perspective to where I want it, but the lighting on the face/cover then goes dark. When I try to play around with the lighting, it either gets too light/bright or too dark. I wish it would just leave the face/cover lighting alone period, but I don't know how to get it to do that.

Is there someone who can help me with this, tell what I should be doing or adjusting? Or maybe someone (Egg? :) ) has a good tutorial for this?

Hi Fuss.

I am not as good as some of the Xperts you will come across on this site.

But, I have played about quite a bit in Xara 3D6 and the 3D tool in Xtreme.

The colour of the face has an effect on the look as well as the colour of the lighting.

In Xtreme though, the lighting is very much under your control.
For example, 'Light 1 Angle 1' can be adjusted by you very easily. This adjusts the lighting horizontally
Then you can change 'Light 1 Angle 2' for vertical adjustment.

The thing is though, if you rotate the object, then the lighting is now in the wrong place.
So the lighting also has to be adjusted.
That's why (probably) you are getting the results you mention in your post.

Hope this helps!

Yes, I know all this. That's the thing that is driving me crazy. I have the 3d positioning where I want it. But due to the positioning, it darkens the face of the "book." So I am forced to play with the lighting to try and get rid of that problem, and that's where I'm having trouble. I can't get the lighting right. It either lightens or darkens the color too much when I'd rather not have the cover color affected whatsoever. When you're trying to make an ebook cover, you don't want the cover of the book or product to be darkened/shadowed. So, does anyone have any good settings or tutorial on the whole lighting problem?

Remember the modifier key presses when you are positioning your extrusions.
Hold the keys when use the extrusion tool to position:

Attachment 72466
Note the status bar messages when you hold these keys

With the lights, you can drag'n'drop a colour from the colour line to a light.
Grabbing the light and moving them around will lighten/darken the effect.

Thank you... I didn't know about those controls.

Still, I'm not having any better luck. No matter where I move things, it's still affected the color of my book cover. Very, very frustrated right now. Is there any possible way to get rid of the lighting effects? Or have someone else done ebook covers and have some setting recommendations so that the cover colors/lighting are shown in the best light?

You can change the light colours.

I personally dont use the 3d tool to much.
Download this template remove the cd and change the width of the box.

http://graphicrecipes.com/en/resourc...re-box-with-cd

You can mirror the box if you want.

Group the cover and use the mould tool for the perspective.

You can disable the gloss via the diamond icon.
But really, what with manually moving the lights, dropping a different colour onto the light (arrow) and using the Colour Editor to adjust intensity, hue, shading of the light - there's plenty of scope to arrive at what you need.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by fuss

No matter where I move things, it's still affected the color of my book cover.

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Put the cover on AFTER making the extruded box (from a rectangle shape) by using the mould tool. Attachment 72469
You can enable some transparency to the cover while you position your mould to the extruded box, then remove when done.

Attachment 72470

How do I put the cover on after? What I mean is, I still need the cover to have the same matching perspective. I thought the 3D tool was what that was for. No?

Thanks for the tip on the changing the colors of the lighting. That helped a lot!

Another question: I've been using the term "ebook, but really this is more like a report so I don't need the extrude to be very much. I've been using a 5 in the extrude width which looks about right, but the side colors are coming out black and I can't figure out how to change that color (want it to be white or maybe light gray). Do you know?

Use the Mould tool (Shift F6) as shown above

Search for 'Perspective' in the Xtreme help file

You know, I've tried using that perspective tool before (that's what I started using originally), but I couldn't get the proper perspective to match with a box. using the 3D tool so that everything matches seemed easier and more logical.

Also, just went back and tried again, just for GPs, and while I have my cover selected and have clicked on the Mould tool, all of the perspective options are grayed out. Meaning, they aren't available to click on. Do you know what that's all about?

Quote:

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I couldn't get the proper perspective to match with a box.

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Enable Rulers (Ctrl+SHIFT+R) drag a rules to position and set snapping to guides (press '1' on the numeric keypad to toggle guides on/off)
Attachment 72471

Quote:

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while I have my cover selected and have clicked on the Mould tool, all of the perspective options are grayed out.

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They should be available if the object is selected and the Mould tool enabled (pressed).

I know, right... I have the object selected and have clicked the mould tool and all the perspectives are grayed out. Won't let me select anything. Any ideas?

Sorry - none come to mind.
Maybe you need to close down and restart Xtreme.

I'll try that :)

Fuss, what 'object' do you have selected? If the object you selected is the 'box' you created using the 3D tool you're not going to be able to do anything with it using the Mould tool. You'll want to select your box cover art/graphic, then select the Mould tool. After that you should be able to apply a 'default perspective' and mould your cover art to the box sides and top.

That make sense?

Give it a go,
Harry

Doesn't make any sense to me to use a mould on an extrude and clearly neither did it to Charles :D

In any case, if you really want to do this, just righticlick>>Create Bitmap copy then mould/perspective to your hearts content ;)

Steve, you're cracking me up! It didn't make any sense to me either. I know XX won't let you use the Mould tool on an extruded shape so it's the only reason I could think of, off the top of my head, why fuss could have the Mould tool selected but all of the perspective choices would be greyed out. Fuss mentioned 'object' but not anything about cover art, graphic, bitmap, photo, etc. That set a little bell to ringing in the back of my head and I thought I'd try to clarify exactly what 'object' fuss had selected.

Here's mini-how-to graphic and the XAR file to go with it. Maybe it'll help.

Let's see,
Harry

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Yep, that's it in a nutshell Harry..

Straight forward, no fuss?

Quote:

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Originally Posted by HayTay

Fuss, what 'object' do you have selected? If the object you selected is the 'box' you created using the 3D tool you're not going to be able to do anything with it using the Mould tool. You'll want to select your box cover art/graphic, then select the Mould tool. After that you should be able to apply a 'default perspective' and mould your cover art to the box sides and top.

That make sense?

Give it a go,
Harry

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I am in a completely different file with my cover image. Doesn't have anything to do with the 3D tool. I'm doing exactly as you have indicated and it's just not allowing me to select any of the perspectives.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by HayTay

Steve, you're cracking me up! It didn't make any sense to me either. I know XX won't let you use the Mould tool on an extruded shape so it's the only reason I could think of, off the top of my head, why fuss could have the Mould tool selected but all of the perspective choices would be greyed out. Fuss mentioned 'object' but not anything about cover art, graphic, bitmap, photo, etc. That set a little bell to ringing in the back of my head and I thought I'd try to clarify exactly what 'object' fuss had selected.

Here's mini-how-to graphic and the XAR file to go with it. Maybe it'll help.

Let's see,
Harry

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I speak layperson, LOL. Sorry if I didn't use the correct person, but I'm not an expert/graphics person (hence, the questions).

Quote:

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Originally Posted by fuss

I am in a completely different file with my cover image. Doesn't have anything to do with the 3D tool. I'm doing exactly as you have indicated and it's just not allowing me to select any of the perspectives.

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Please post your .xar file with just the cover image as stated because this doesn't sound right.

fuss, we can speak 'layperson' also, just give us a chance. We're at the point where we're not sure of what you're seeing and trying to do with the objects/shapes in your file. Did the example XAR file I provided shed any light on the issue?

As Steve said, if you can attach your XAR file, or a representative XAR file, to a post so that we can take a look at it we can probably pinpoint what's not going right fairly quickly.

Don't give up,
Harry

Quote:

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Originally Posted by HayTay

fuss, we can speak 'layperson' also, just give us a chance. We're at the point where we're not sure of what you're seeing and trying to do with the objects/shapes in your file. Did the example XAR file I provided shed any light on the issue?

As Steve said, if you can attach your XAR file, or a representative XAR file, to a post so that we can take a look at it we can probably pinpoint what's not going right fairly quickly.

Don't give up,
Harry

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Yes, it did and thank you and to everyone for all your help!

I haven't had a chance to go back and deal with the moulding issue and the book cover is confidential so don't want to load it.

However, with everyone's help, I was able to get the lighting thing squared away and got everything the way I want is one fell swoop (without having to add the cover in later) with just the 3D tool in Xara Xtreme.

So thank you very, very much!!! I am much obliged!

I'm glad we could help and that you got it all sorted out, fuss. We knew you could do it!

Practice and perseverance,
Harry