Hey, look what I made..............

One of my all time favorite Marvel Characters is Dr. Strange, pisses me off that Marvel can't get a good writer and artist team to start it back up. But I have always liked the Eye of Agamotto (geez, I think I spelled that wrong...hmmm) So I made my version of it.

There are about 100 layers here. The Baubles are all my doing, the glass beads brush is just cheating as far as something like this goes. It took me about 6 hours. And considering I am fairly new to XaraX and am sticking with it, I think I did a bang up job.

Also did a Calendar and it turned out so good I printed it out and am going to be using it for around my work station.

Comments are welcome, don't pick to hard at me, it is, after all, one of the very few projects I have been able to finish. Thank god for vacation time [img]/infopop/emoticons/icon_biggrin.gif[/img]

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

One of my all time favorite Marvel Characters is Dr. Strange, pisses me off that Marvel can't get a good writer and artist team to start it back up. But I have always liked the Eye of Agamotto (geez, I think I spelled that wrong...hmmm) So I made my version of it.

There are about 100 layers here. The Baubles are all my doing, the glass beads brush is just cheating as far as something like this goes. It took me about 6 hours. And considering I am fairly new to XaraX and am sticking with it, I think I did a bang up job.

Also did a Calendar and it turned out so good I printed it out and am going to be using it for around my work station.

Comments are welcome, don't pick to hard at me, it is, after all, one of the very few projects I have been able to finish. Thank god for vacation time [img]/infopop/emoticons/icon_biggrin.gif[/img]

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

I think it is Good art, but why needed 100 layers. it does not seems to be that huge [img]/infopop/emoticons/icon_biggrin.gif[/img]

I like it, stickking with XaraX is the right choice man [img]/infopop/emoticons/icon_cool.gif[/img]

The real deal, closer to the way the Amulent looks in the comic book, of course with a zing!!

Enjoy!!

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

As I see you have fun with Xara X techniques!

Please continue to enjoy us.

Kindly yours,

ivan

Last upload for this project, maybe [img]/infopop/emoticons/icon_wink.gif[/img]

I noticed ALLOT of flaws in the last one I put up. Layers that should have been "back" were visible (black disk sitting on top of the Amber Pearls) the placement of the pearls themselves were off quite a bit, the chain catch was "off" for lack of a better word, the eye did not come out at you enough, the background needed to be recessed more.

I think I made quite a few improvements on it.

I got in touch with Vladimyr about studing some of his work, so he graciously sent me a file to play with, and I sent him the Eye, he liked it, but did not understand why I used a bitmap fill in that particular area (to bring the eye out more and recess the back area of the eye) Said he would never use a bitmap fill for that purpose. I really admire his work and appreciate his input.

So...How would I achieve a similar effect with out using a bitmap fill??

Use the Plasma fill in it's place??

OR???

I would appreciate input in this area.

Thanks so much

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

Say I want to try a similar project as the "Eye", how could I get the pearls to form a perfect circle. I tried using the mold tool, that didn't seem to work, unless I'm doing something wrong.

I also tried using the text objects and the mold tool (Arrange/Fit Text to Curve), that worked, but the circles (Woolbats, letter "b" is a perfect circle) are spaced out. and then the text objects react differently. Like filling them and they don't respond to the placement of layers at all. HOLD ON...let me try something here.......

OK, that's all cleared up. I found that if I used the text object and mold tool, if I choose the "Fully Justify" text mode I can fill the spaces up with more circles to create a tight line of circles. Then I converted the text line to shapes (Arrange/Convert Line to Shape) so it's not this bulky "thing" to drag around..but still no way to fill them. I suppose I could use it as a template for placement of solid filled circle shapes.

Anyone got anything they can suggest here??? I mean what if I wanted to design jewelry with this program??? I would need to be able to create pefect, alligned circles of gems here and there. So there has to be either an easier way or a more "fillable" way to create a perfect circle of shapes.

Thanks folks

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

Hi RAMWolf

Take a look at this objects around a curve thread and see if it answers your question.

Soquili

Sorry, that seems a bit hard for me to understand. The Blend and Mold tools are a too confusing for me in certain areas and certainly can't understand what's being explained here.

I just think that XaraX shorted itself by not including a second dialog for "fit object[s] to curve" as with the dialog of "fit text to curve".

Shouldn't be that complicated or that many steps. Seems that some code writer at Xara Ltd. must have an answer up his/her sleeve.

Maybe someone could do a numbered Tutorial on that one. Seems to be the best way for many of us to understand this kind of stuff.

Thanks

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

that soquili's message is from completely different thread ;-)) Ignore it RamWolf ;-)

It's fairly easy once you get the hang of it. Hopefully this illustration answers your question.

Mickie

I do much better with these layed out tutorials. I "get it" easier. and it sticks better in my head.

Thanks again

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

Explained in the image.

Any help on this one??

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

it just looked like one I saw somewhere else.. Soquili was short on words today it seems. My deepest apologies.

RAMWolff - I apologize for misspelling your name earlier and being short on words. I was at work and was rushed by a trouble call.

To answer you last question. Before changing the fill or colour, convert to Editable Shapes and ungroup. Then unselect the objects by clicking on a blank area, then select the object you want to change.

Soquili

is because you changed all objects to blue - the original two blend objects plus the circle you attached the blend to.

The 'problem' can be avoided. But as is typical of Xara there are a number of ways you can avoid such things.

At the most basic you need to be sure just what it is you are applying a colour to when you click the colour bar. At the risk of sounding preachy, do make an effort to understand how xara works and what it really is that you have selected before modifying it. Thankfully xara's undo/redo buttons used with the 'convert to editable shapes' menu command makes for an interesting journey of discovery. A little bit of curious investigation will greatly expand your mastery of the program. Enough of the sermon and on to some advice you might find more relevant.

Perhaps the best thing you could have done was use a named colour in your original pearl-like shape. The advantage of a named colour is you can edit it (the colour) after the fact and any place it is used in your drawing will be modified accordingly. If your 'pearl' was created by drawing a circle with a tawny fill colour as its first step, then with the object selected click the colour editor and click the 'named colour' button. It will allow you to name it and will add it to the colour bar as a custom colour. At any later time you can edit that custom named colour and any place in your drawing that used it will change along too. Yes, it is a powerful thing. [img]/infopop/emoticons/icon_biggrin.gif[/img] To learn more about named colours visit Gary's webxealot pages about the colour editor tool.

There are other ways of dealing with the objects before turning them blue but they don't match the power of the named colour approach. Due to that I won't discuss those other approaches at this time.

Regards, Ross

<a href=http://www.designstop.com/>DesignStop.Com</a>

HI,

I want to thank you both for the instruction.

I understand what you are saying Ross, there is so much to learn within the program and I DO discover quite a bit on my own, but sometimes I don't understand what is being conveyed to me, so the tutorials that are within this forum have spurred me on to keep learning. As a result I am getting to a place where I can start really creating some kool stuff and finally build my web site.

Soquili, it's perfectly all right that you misspelled my handle. As explained in another recent post. and THANK you for clearing up what was preventing me from individually applying effects to the shapes. Now I understand and have created a newer updated tutorial mentioning the last bit of info. I won't post it if it will offend you, maybe it's not necessary. I am just one of those that learn by example and from visuals and I really appreciate the patience that everyone in here has for teaching and passing on their gained knowledge to others. What a wonderful group.

Thanks again.

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

Hi RAMWolff,

Please do post your update tutorial.

The information was passed on to me by Egg Bramhill. Everyone here has been very helpful and I'm just trying to contribute something back.

Soquili

Well, this post of mine came back from the dead with a whole new learning curve applied to it, I LOVE IT!!

Learn, love, and then learn some more!!


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

PS< Must be brain dead, where DO I go to change my username for this forum. I think I'm loosing it finally, I can't see the link. [img]/infopop/emoticons/icon_confused.gif[/img]

Isn't making mini-tutorials a great way to reinforce to ourselves techniques?? Furthermore, they almost always end up helping others which, of course, makes them a very worthwhile endevour.

It is great to share our personal discoveries. Whilst there will be some forum participants who see a technique as familiar, there are always others who will benefit. Even those of us with 'advanced' xara skills have been known to be introduced to great new techniques by newbies.

Xara X's tool set is incredibly flexible. Each of us as a result have our own particular ways of using them. Participation in this forum has the benefit of exposing ourselves to the experiences of others and the approaches they use. I want to encourage others to make their own mini-tutorials. Have no dread that the info is "too basic" - it is the biggest complaint we hear around here: the lack of beginner resources.

Regards to all, Ross
<a href=http://www.designstop.com/>DesignStop.Com</a>

PS - RAMwolff - I like that little "Results will vary". [img]/infopop/emoticons/icon_biggrin.gif[/img]

What a well spoken, eloquent man you are. Thank you!!

One of the other reasons that this software has won me over. My mind and imagination are satisfied and my heart is truly captured by the artists that make use of it's abilities and share and learn from one another. And though there are frustrating moments, someone always seems to have an answer and supplies it graciously and enthusiastically.

I wonder if the folks at Xara Ltd. truly know what a wonderful thing they have created?? And the magnetic effect it has on those who make use of it and the beauty that filters out into the world from it's use. I wonder.............

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

PS: I thought someone would find my little "funny" amusing [img]/infopop/emoticons/icon_biggrin.gif[/img]