February 2014 - Tips and Tricks - Seven Things You Might Have Overlooked in Xara Desi

Seven Things You Might Have Overlooked in Xara Designer

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This month, Gary has written about 7, no make that 8 features and/or things you can do to make your work go faster. These “tricks” (Gary hates that term, BTW) can also make playtime stretch out because you’ll learn how to separate text from a multi-tone background, duplicate, mirror, and connect two lines to make a shape you can fill, and that’s only two of the eight pearls you’ll learn and work through mini-tutorial style this month. Check these time savers out now!

Gare thanks that is really good summary, reading through several times I learnt from each 7+1 something, so yes can say that around 7+1 were overlooked :D Had alternative way for these scenarios but slightly different ones and also often slower.

The most I like the Number Four, the Options used to open with CTRL-SHIFT-O so not through button, but never thought setting the Nudge size wider than the photo and then with one arrow press all traced shapes stay aligned.

Now Gary I have been using Xara in some form or other since Xara Xtreme or X1, I can't remember what came first, too, too many years ago. Ctrl + Right clicking on the control handles and dragging gets you a reflected and duplicated shape that's new to me. Ctrl+drag+right clicking on a object, yes, done it for years.

If you don't want to do all the exercises that's fine but read the page I will bet you you will learn something new, I did!

Thanks for the affirmations, guys.

It was a hard call to make, because I believe the term "trick" which we all use to describe something that hasn't been discovered yet, is sort of pandering to a collectively sophisticated and sensitive audience here on tg.

One one hand, I was encouraged by several members to make a "secrets list" because of the casual way I seem to drop them in video tutorials. Hey, everyone bootstrapped themselves into Xara, so it stands to reason I know something someone else doesn't and definitely vice-versa.

So how do your write something like this, when on one hand, you might face blowback like, "Oh, Bouton thinks he's so smart...", and on the other side, "Oh, what a waste. I already knew that!"

So I'm happy to have walked the fine line so far. Let's see what others think.

And BTW, the tutorial pieces are not mandatory to benefit from what I wrote. I threw them in because I thought there was some interesting design work to draw people in (we have about 100 lurkers for every active member here!), and that's about it.

My Best,

Gary

Thing number two: Didn't know about that one. I seem to have done it accidentally some time back, but didn't know what I had done?!
But, for me, it only zooms in, till the whole shape fills the screen. Not as far as the two points I had selected.
So, for example: If I draw a small shape and a larger one, with the small shape the zoom might be 464%, and with the larger shape, the zoom might be 196%.
But, in both cases, the zoomed shape fills the screen. It does not zoom in as far as the two points I had selected.
Is that, what's supposed to happen?

Thing number five: Pressing the 'Escape' key, I learned from one of your previous tutorials! And I now use that a lot.

Thing number seven: Definitely didn't know about that one.
I normally clone the shape, then flip horizontally, and move the shape into place.

Cool stuff, Gary. :-bd

@ Rik, thanks, buddy!

As far as the zoom goes, it's an unpredictable thing, but it will indeed get you zoomed in to where you want to draw or edit a lot faster than using the scroll wheel, or stopping drawing and editing to choose the Zoom tool.

I will not say my machine is power or fast, but Xara is so responsive that I sometimes auto-pan clear off the page when attempting to marquee select two control points, for example, on a rectangle that's been simplified to a shape. In this case, pressing Ctrl+Shift+Z gets me not only back on the page, but back to my intended editing area.

It might not be the best of my 7+1 "tricks", but Barbara saw me doing it once, and halted me to explain what I'd just done.

I'm glad we can have a discussion about the article, because it's not the video tutorial of the month, which I'm desperately trying to find the time to finish.

Stay tuned!

Cheers!

Gary

The Ctrl+shift+z trick was something new to me too! I've often had the autopan clear off the page happen this will be a time saver!

The escape key trick reminded me of before Xara added a sketch mode to the freehand tool I used to place a small rock on my escape key while drawing with the freehand tool.

Putting the options button on the toolbar is a great suggestion it's one of the first things I do with a fresh install. It gives you quick access to so much the nudge size is just a small part of the handiness of that button.

Yes, having Options on the Toolbar is a time-saver for a lot of Xara features and I cannot for the life of my remember Ctrl+Shift+O, not because it's hard, but because my brain is full, from other program shortcuts that I need. I wonder how much effort it would take to put a Nudge box on the Standard Bar...that's what CorelDRAW has had for years now.

Ctrl+Shift+Z when working with control points is an absolute blessing with those of us who run Xara Designer on machines with better memory and screens with ore resolution than this:

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That's my old machine...

-g

Thanks for those tips Gare, I learned a thing or two.
One thing I might add which all of you probably know is when selecting a shape such as a text letter and you cannot get the control points to show. Zoom way in and somewhere on the letter create a small rectangle or circle, with that selected, shift select the other object and press Ctrl 1(add shapes) and bingo all the control points now show and you can alter to your hearts content.

EDIT: I am amazed by the etch-a-sketch drawing. I knew someone who drew a fantastic automobile on one of those, and I remember being duly impressed then also.

I have Options on the tool bar but didn't know Ctrl+shift+O. The tip by Larry is a good one if anyone didn't know this one, I use it a lot. My favourite one is from one of the Retouch tuts. by Gary. When slicing from an image and you have left a white space showing, select the image and with the shape editor tool marquee the sliced area, press backspace and you have your image whole again.

Stygg

Larry thanks for that tip it is super, I was not aware.

Stygg relating that sliced image not sure that doing well, what do you mean selecting the sliced area, assumingly not like on the attached picture so marquee selecting those handle points because after the Backspace made the slice bigger

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What Stygg is referring to is when you chop a portion from the inside of the photo for example with the owl if you draw a circle over one of it's eyes and slice out the eye. What the Backspace button trick is actually doing is deleting the selected nodes. So in the case of slicing off a corner that action removes the corner node and when you select the remaining two nodes and hit backspace those two nodes are removed and more of the photo is trimmed. When a portion is trimmed inside the photo and your photo basically has a hole in it when the nodes around the hole are removed the hole fills in.

Look at image 1 Csehz, I've sliced a part of it out, now look at image 2, selected the image then with shape tool marquee around the empty space, you can see all the nodes selected, now press the backspace button and the space is filled again and you still have your sliced piece.

Stygg

Frances thanks the explanation, I understand so in this state pressing the Backspace and the whole image comes back

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Stygg thanks also for you, I posted at the same time :)

Quote:

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Originally Posted by csehz

Stygg thanks also for you, I posted at the same time :)

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You've got it right Csehz as well as decapitating the poor owl :D

Stygg

Bring them on, folks!

I might even do a revisit of these tips you all have submitted (with credits, of course) later on, perhaps after we've accumulated 7 (or 8) more!

@Larry—the reason control points don't show on a text object is because it belongs to a class of objects that need to have their special properties removed, they need to be simplified—IOW they need to be not text objects, in order for the control points and handles to show. Yes, adding a shape to a text object will provide you with un-editable text that you can freely manipulate, but so will Ctrl+Shift+S...Edit>Convert to Editable Shapes.

So let's call this Overlooked Feature Number 9 for the moment.

@Csehz: another way to restore an image is to go to the Bitmap Gallery and just drag the original out, onto the page again. Xara doesn't destroy images ever: you're importing copies of originals on your hard disk (okay, if you create a bitmap within Xara...Ctrl+Shift+C you can screw it up, but not imports). But even if you drag 15 copies of an image onto the page from the Bitmap Gallery, your saved file size will be basically the size of the original bitmap.

And that's why it's important never to delete a bitmap you want to use later from a file and then cose the file. The bitmap will not be saved in this event.

;)

My Best,

Gary

Thanks the advices. Not long ago learnt this tip on TG but unfortunately did not find from who, seems small thing but fast became my habit so maybe someone would use it too :D

If you drop any color from the color line to the Color Editor icon, that makes it named color

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A small message comes that would we would like to copy that to the document so Yes

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but it spares the finding out name + typing in it for the named color and I like that through just a click :D

You know there is a group called "Tips and Tricks". It would be nice if this was updated with these tips when we are done adding to this thread.

Little as I like the term "trick" when it comes to an undiscovered feature (I think I've mentioned this trhree times, sorry! :), I'd agree that these are worthwhile additions to the other thread, and if you post 'em, please link back to the Xara Xone page, if you would.

Incidentally, I get the distinct impression that Named Colours, as csehz points out in #18, is a much overlooked feature, especially when it comes to prototyping. This is from the version 5 Official Guide. It took a little trouble and bother to tag all the color's but csehz's tip above makes it all the more easy.

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Then I adjusting the named colors in the attached document. I think you'll be surprised, and if anyone isn't clued into the possibilities of Named Colours, let me know. It might be worth a tutorial, eh?



My Best,

Gary

I'm all for a tut. on the possibilities of named colours Gary, count my vote in and thank you for the file.

Stygg

What a train that is superb Gare, I would already fall away to find the correct perspective for that :D Not even drawing it with those beautiful gradients, thanks for the .xar file I will learn from it.

And of course vote for a named colours tutorial

named colors tutorial +1

1.) Okay, the "ayes" have it. I will create a Named Colour tutorial.

2.) Don't get awestruck by the train illustration. I modeled and rendered it, and then carefully traced over it in Xara. I often trace over something I've modeled, to get the right proportions and perspective. Which leads me to another future tutorial, possibly: "Tracing is NOT cheating." It diminishes your vision not at all; tracing is a time-saver. You might as well say that using a computer, or using a person as a posed subject is cheating. And there is a certain way to trace that yields very, very good results. So if anyone is interested in how to trace effectively and quickly in Xara, this could be a video tutorial this year.

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Now, these renders in this image? The top one looks almost exactly like my Xara art, doesn't it? It takes time, and a little more time to name the colours, but think of the possibilities when you learn how to trace with artistic feeling, good interpretation, and accuracy!

The caveat here is an obvious one: if the source of your tracing is someone else's work, this is cheating. Render a model your created yourself, take a photo of a friend, do NOT snag a photo of the web without remorse and a clean conscience!

3.) The tutorial will definitely not feature this train, because I've been there, done that. It was a tutorial in the Xara Xtreme 5 Official Guide I wrote in 2009.


4.) There is no number 4 to the best of my knowledge, which is fading faster than I'd prefer it to.

My Best,

Gary

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Gare

So if anyone is interested in how to trace effectively and quickly in Xara, this could be a video tutorial this year.

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Yes definitely would be interested how to trace faster and more effectively :)

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Gare

The caveat here is an obvious one: if the source of your tracing is someone else's work, this is cheating. Render a model your created yourself, take a photo of a friend, do NOT snag a photo of the web without remorse and a clean conscience!

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Also that would be rare mentioned and rather new, a kind of ethical rules in design, when with one Google search thousands of images can be found in any topic. Where is the border of the inspiration and what counts what. However probably that is hard to put in a tutorial, but can be quite much important.

Named colours and Tracing, sounds like two good tuts. to look forward to Gary but what about don't use an image from the Web? What I mean is I'm a member of "Free Images" who e-mail to say there are new images for me to download and use, does this count as cheating and mean the image to trace as to be one of your own? Cheating in the Xone!! perish the thought Gary :)

Stygg

How about in a forthcoming tutorial I myself provide the image to trace?

I'd prefer to leave ethics up to an individuals' conscience. Google is terrific for research, but researching and appropriating are words whose difference is lost on some.

Overall, this is a place to discuss art, and I do not feel comfortable discussing politics, religion, ethics...IOW belief-based stuff. And belief is an entirely different thing than inspiration, or other intangibles that go into the creation of self-expression through drawing, music, dance, and other expressions.

Psychology=yes, because it's part and parcel of a good artist.

Settled?

:)

Gary

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Gare

How about in a forthcoming tutorial I myself provide the image to trace?

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That would be nice, so Cusp or Smooth join, principles to follow making the arc smooth even if that is built from Cusp joins, Shape tool or Pen tool, how many control points should be, where is the sense to put them, should be the contrast increased on the image to help the trace, how to solve the curved corners, putting the control points in the corner or before.. Of course just guessing from my long open questions list what did not find out by myself so far :-)

To the Number Four overlooked thing of course will remember already in the tracing :D

Quote:

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Originally Posted by csehz

That would be nice, so Cusp or Smooth join, principles to follow making the arc smooth even if that is built from Cusp joins, Shape tool or Pen tool, how many control points should be, where is the sense to put them, should be the contrast increased on the image to help the trace, how to solve the curved corners, putting the control points in the corner or before.. Of course just guessing from my long open questions list what did not find out by myself so far :-)

To the Number Four overlooked thing of course will remember already in the tracing :D

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No contest! :D

I could have sworn I posted in here lately but I see it's not here, it was in ref to Gare's posted xar file with 3 hexigons, what happened to that cause I find nothing even remotely remotely resembling that.

http://www.talkgraphics.com/showthre...078#post500078

Never mind my post 11. I found it.

Sure a lot of Xaraists knows but for me that was overlooked for a while, actually on the weekend became inspirated with this - if someone created a Bevel or a Contour as base, that can be continued in Shape Painter tool. So just selecting the bevel or the contour object and start to paint

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And just three small shortcuts in Shape Painter tool
- keeping ALT and moving the mouse that is painting with a straight line from a fixed start point
- keeping ALT + CTRL that is painting with a straight line in constrainted angles
- keeping SHIFT that allows to erase/adjust the painted shape

Clever!

+1

-g

Little bit late this everyone but I was looking over some old tuts. and Tips and Tricks and I found the 3D pawn Gary had included in Feb.14 Tips and Tricks and he suggested to trace it and give it fills, well eventually I have :D
I traced the top of the pawn and the base and after trying various fills from linear to Conical, gold, silver, brass etc. it did'nt look right or I could'nt get it right :D Anyway I realised there was some interesting patterns on the 3D shape so I filled my trace with simple linear gold fills then gave them a flat stained glass trans. so the pattens came through, the result was interesting. Just added a couple of shapes and highlight, what do you think?

Stygg

Hi Stygg—

Nope. It works a little but not enough. What I'd suggest are Blends...let me duck out for a sec' and sketch it...

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Okay, my version here is off the cuff and totally amateurish, but do you get the point I'm trying to convey? Highlights on a metallic object have to follow the curves of the shape. This can't be done using a Linear gradient, unless you se a distortion plug-in to curve the gradient.

Stygg, you have some absolutely wonderful shading going on in this illustration. You're closer to a finished great piece of Art than you realize.

Just give it another push, eh?

My Best,

Gary

Nice job Stygg. Gary's correct, it's just about finished and something to be proud of. I like all the interaction on these threads. Lots of good information.

Gary, Great tip. Some time it's just a little highlight or reflection that makes all the difference. Nice use of the blend tool. I need to utilize that tool more.

I used blends and added shapes in this one, not to successful I think, I feel a request coming on for a tut. on blends, shades and transparencies :D as I think the three seem to go hand in hand when applied to curved shapes.

Stygg

Stygg—

That is totally beautiful, you got your work behind you, man, in more ways than one!

I had to zoom in to see all the great detail work.

You did almost exactly what i tried to do years ago with version 4 or something: you "build up" your photorealistic texture using a combination of gradient fills and stepped transparency shapes.

Consider yourself "accomplished" :)

My Best,

Gary

Thanks for that Gary, it was your "just give it another push, eh?" in #36 plus your quick drawing. Learnt a good deal from that push :D

Stygg