Frieze Designing Challenge

No winners other than the praise of other TGers for this one and no solution either so you are on your own.

Get set.

Go!

Using the Timeline 01 SmartShape, which Imports as three Blobs, transform it into something more visual while keeping its original functionality.
I should be able to increase the number of Blobs, release and return back to the number presented and the same frieze pattern would persist.

Here are my suggestions: :pointAttachment 126650.
Note: the slow loading of the file into your Xara Desktop application (XDA) is down to the heavy coding Xara has had to use with its SmartShapes. The file is only 120kB.

You will also get plaudits in describing your approach as a viable workflow.

Acorn

Sorry for the delay. Challenge new topics are in moderation until... moderated.

sorry, I only do animation timelines, I don't even know what these are supposed to do...

Quote:

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Originally Posted by handrawn

sorry, I only do animation timelines, I don't even know what these are supposed to do...

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Then open the file and have a play. Double click any of the examples. The SmartShape controls are limited but that's Xara for you.

I have yet to find a purpose for these, which is why I challenged a frieze.

Acorn

Quote:

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The SmartShape controls are limited but that's Xara for you

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that is an understatement...

from their title I guess they are for using when you want to delineate a sequence of events graphically

well each to their own.....

Been trying to take this challenge out of moderation but I keep getting no post selected. Anyone have any ideas?

its already out larry - gary did it

I've never looked at the SMART SHAPES, I don't really understand what they are supposed to achieve.

and now, having looked at the challenge, I've still got no idea, and have no idea HOW you manipulated them as you did either.

My first ever attempt at one of these challenges.

Does this work?

Attachment 126654

Once in a while I get a Violation warning.

I moved the Shape end to show 1 circle, then put a fill in the circle and used the Shape tool to modify it to show the thermometer, before making the line transparent.

looks good - perhaps the readings should be going up/down depending which way you are going along the line, which would be one way of using it

maybe have two lines in sync, one for date and one for the reading or just one line with two variables date and reading; either way you could have one or the other as the one in sequence

possibilities are not endless with this SS, but could be a useful graphic in the right place

Quote:

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Originally Posted by browj2

My first ever attempt at one of these challenges.
Does this work?
Attachment 126654
Once in a while I get a Violation warning.
I moved the Shape end to show 1 circle, then put a fill in the circle and used the Shape tool to modify it to show the thermometer, before making the line transparent.

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John, spot on. The Bitmap Fill was one I left to see if others might find it. Your manipulation description is right too, with enough to intrigue those still trying.

@Xara - the Violation error is a nasty and poorly designed alert papering over the simplest of actions a person might make: deleting one of the Blobs and then extending the Timeline.

As handrawn also points out, TimeLine 01 has no up/down counter and no date advancing; pretty useless as a timeline actually.

All right as a Timelime:

Attachment 126655

Acorn

looks like a jackpot to me :)

With this challenge, I have no idea what you're talking about, Acorn.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Rik

With this challenge, I have no idea what you're talking about, Acorn.

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Rik, Xara invented things called SmartShapes; Timeline 01 is one such example.

To see it function you simply double-click on it or select it and then use the QuickShape Tool (Shift+F2) if it isn't set up as it will be after an Import.

At this point:

• You have the ability to delete all but one of the blue white circles. using the red dots.
• You can drag the End position controls in or out to reduce (to one) or increase the number of blue white circles.
• You can move the Spacing control left or right to widen or reduce the gap until they touch.
• You can Rotate the timeline.
• You can Resize the timeline.

As a timeline, it is totally naff.
Xara even failed to include a visible Resize control when the Zoom is 100%.
With Smart transform Off (another Xara masterstroke) and with the traditional black controls, you can stretch, squash, skew and scale the timeline.
With Smart transform On, you can alter the Spacing.
Xara provided all of one Theme Colour.
Xara failed to allow a blue white blob to be gapped.

That's your lot.

Rather than moan to Xara, who rarely reply, I chose this Challenge as a task to re-purpose Timeline 01 into something that actually has a design use. A frieze.

The Timeline is a "Line with groups"; each Groups is all of one Shape - the blue white circle (the blob).

If you open the Page & Layer gallery and expand the "Line with groups" Object, you might then get an inkling of things you might experiment with.

Delete a Group and try to adjust the timeline FAILS dramatically with a horrendous JavaScript error.
No matter just Undo and recover back to safety.

Ungroup one of the "Line with groups" Groups and you get a hanging blob.
This has some merits but very difficult to manipulate.
You can not regroup a blob. I have found that you can select it and right-click and pick Move to Current Layer in the Page & Layer gallery to effect a recovery.

All quite boring.
The main discovery is you can select a blue white blob and with the Shape Tool (F4) and manipulate it.
Now, your lateral thinking has to kick in and you use your Xara skills to alter, augment and otherwise redefine what Timeline 01 does, keeping its original functions.

Acorn

Thank you for the lengthy explanation, Acorn.

I've looked at it, as much as I can, but, I don't really understand how it's all put together in the first place.
So, I can't really apply and lateral thinking, when I don't know how it's put together?!

I don't know what you mean by Timeline 01.
And probably a whole bunch of other stuff.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Rik

Thank you for the lengthy explanation, Acorn.

I've looked at it, as much as I can, but, I don't really understand how it's all put together in the first place.
So, I can't really apply and lateral thinking, when I don't know how it's put together?!

I don't know what you mean by Timeline 01.
And probably a whole bunch of other stuff.

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You obviously have not browsed the Online Content Catalogue > Components >Print and Web Components > Timelines.

Acorn

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Acorn

You obviously have not browsed the Online Content Catalogue > Components >Print and Web Components > Timelines.

Acorn

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Acorn: No, I haven't. Never really needed to go there!

So, now I know where these timelines come from, the next stop to learn is how to edit them?

I think you already mentioned, that if you ungroup, then the SmartShape will stop working.
Well, I can't see how to, then!

Rik,

Would a video help?

I'm with Rik on this ... I can't see (read that as understand) how to do anything with them. Obviously I'm missing something!

unless you do a website or a print document I see no merit in these whatsoever - and even then they are just glorified bullet points - and this is what xara expects [?] us to upgrade for...

Quote:

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Originally Posted by browj2

Rik,

Would a video help?

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A video would be of great help.

I've worked some part of it out.
I created a square with an outline and used 'Paste format/attributes'
This then changed the circles to the colour line of the object I had created.
But... I shall wait for your video.

@Rik, thank you. You have started to experiment.

You might have just dragged and dropped a colour form the Colour Bar.

Developing on this start, how might you change the colour of just the bar or even just one of the circles, fill or line?

The Challenge was more than just this: how to change the shape of the blobs...

Acorn

Quote:

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Originally Posted by handrawn

unless you do a website or a print document I see no merit in these whatsoever - and even then they are just glorified bullet points - and this is what xara expects [?] us to upgrade for...

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handrawn, this is why I raised the Challenge: to raise Xara's game and make others aware of the poor provision Xara is offering.

I would be hard pressed to use this Timeline construct as "gloried bullets points".
Again, my Challenge emphasis was on a frieze as that is about all I can make with Timeline 01.

I want others to discover their own uses for the SmartShape, perhaps in part to redeem Xara for creating a pointless artefact.
Xara is acting like the Roman emperor throwing bread to the masses during the games at the Coliseum; pretty stale bread though.

Acorn

I admire your intent...

thing is though, to twist aesop in a different direction, xara can only cry wolf for so long before people realise there is really nothing, well lets say not much, there

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Acorn

@Rik, thank you. You have started to experiment.

You might have just dragged and dropped a colour form the Colour Bar.

Developing on this start, how might you change the colour of just the bar or even just one of the circles, fill or line?

The Challenge was more than just this: how to change the shape of the blobs...

Acorn

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I can do that, by going into the Page & Layer Gallery and selecting the line or the circle, and changing the colour of the line or the circle.

But, I have no idea how to change the circle for another shape or an image?

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Rik

I can do that, by going into the Page & Layer Gallery and selecting the line or the circle, and changing the colour of the line or the circle.
But, I have no idea how to change the circle for another shape or an image?

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Rik, you are 85% there.

Before I do the big reveal, you are aware that when you change one blob's colour, then the End position control simply clones that blob.
For the image you have here, you can make red blobs and blue blobs but green blobs would have to be by hand.

As you have discovered the Page & Layer gallery is the clever part.
Select a blob there and then change the Tool to the Shape Tool and experiment.
Also with the Selector Tool, what can you do with the controls and meta-keys?

Acorn

:eek:

Attachment 126674

OK.

I think I've got the hang of, most of this.

Though, I think Jono has done something pretty good.
Better than mine!

EDIT: Well, I managed to do something similar to Jono. But, it might not have been in the same manner!
Attachment 126677

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Jonopen

:eek:

Attachment 126674

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Spot on Jonopen.

I riffed you design a little:

Attachment 126678

Can you see the cheat I used to make the bottom row?

Acorn

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Rik

OK.

I think I've got the hang of, most of this.

Though, I think Jono has done something pretty good.
Better than mine!

EDIT: Well, I managed to do something similar to Jono. But, it might not have been in the same manner!
Attachment 126677

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Well done Rik, you're now cooking.

My riff on yours is a lift of part of the screenshot you took:

Attachment 126679

Acorn

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Acorn

Spot on Jonopen.

I riffed you design a little:

Attachment 126678

Can you see the cheat I used to make the bottom row?

Acorn

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No! :D I'm flummoxed how you did that! Have you inserted a Font Awesome symbol as text into each blob? ;)

Here's another idea from me.

Attachment 126681

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Acorn

Spot on Jonopen.

I riffed you design a little:

Attachment 126678

Can you see the cheat I used to make the bottom row?

Acorn

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Acorn,

You rounded the corners. I can round the bottom of the arms and legs, but how did you round the shoulders? I can do it but it's not very pretty.

I see that Rik and Jonopen now have it figured out well beyond what I did.

Jonopen, you have repurposed the tool. That is really good!

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Jonopen

No! :D I'm flummoxed how you did that! Have you inserted a Font Awesome symbol as text into each blob? ;)

Here's another idea from me.

Attachment 126681

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Jonopen, I'm glad you're flummoxed at the moment.

Before I disclose how I used the Font Awesome Male, the Hint is it was not added as a text glyph.

Your frieze is pretty awesome.
Being a purist, I deconstructed it and felt I had to align levels, close gaps and remove the slanted artefacts.
I hope you don't mind.

:pointAttachment 126682

Attachment 126683

Acorn

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Acorn

...Your frieze is pretty awesome.
Being a purist, I deconstructed it and felt I had to align levels, close gaps and remove the slanted artefacts.
I hope you don't mind.

:pointAttachment 126682

Attachment 126683

Acorn

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Thanks Acorn. I absolutely approve of your reworking of file. :D I thought twice when posting it thinking I could get away with my shoddy draughtsmanship by calling an 'idea' ;).

Meanwhile, I'm still thinking about the conundrum, but running out of ideas. Might have to wait for the solution.

Contributors and readers - the Big Reveal.

1. Use the SmartShape End position controls to display a single blue-white blob with the blue bar.
2. Ctrl+Left-Click the blob.
3. You can now colour it, fill and line.
4. You can change the Line width.
5. You can use meta-keys with the black controls to reshape and resize the blob.
6. Importantly, you can switch to the Shape Tool (F4) and add to, delete and move around the blob control points.
7. The Big Reveal:
   
   1. Create an Shape or use a Symbol or Text Area and fit over the blob, keeping it inside the Fill. This can be your modified Blob.
   2. Ctrl+Left-Click your Shape.
   3. Then Shift+Ctrl+Right-Click the blob.
   4. Pick Combine Shapes > Intersect Shapes.
   5. Ctrl+Left-Click the blob or bar and colour. A No Fill is a valid selection.

:pointAttachment 126690
The trick is to Join Shapes as separate or Grouped Shapes result in a fail.

Happy friezing.

Acorn

I thought I'd have a go at a repeating design.

Attachment 126691

And if you position three of them, above each other, you can then get a good pattern going!
Attachment 126692

:point Here's the .xar file: Attachment 126693

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Rik

I thought I'd have a go at a repeating design.

Attachment 126691

And if you position three of them, above each other, you can then get a good pattern going!
Attachment 126692

:point Here's the .xar file: Attachment 126693

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Excellent Rik.

All you have to do is learn how to turn corners!

Acorn

Ah, Got it! Although, on reflection I would probably make a Scatter brush for most things like this - and they can go round corners!:D

Attachment 126708

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Jonopen

Ah, Got it! Although, on reflection I would probably make a Scatter brush for most things like this - and they can go round corners!:D

Attachment 126708

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What? you rather use a Scatter Brush! A technology that Xara has had in place for over 10 years. One that produces Lines that can deliver randomly colours and be scaled? One that fits to curves? One that can be converted to static vector shapes?

Surely not, what then would be the point of a SmartShapes Timeline that actually cannot deliver a timeline?

Acorn

over 15 if not 20 years.... lol