Floor Shadow

Dear Xara...

After years of using Xara's text effects, I have just noticed that the Floor Shadow cannot be reversed.

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"Inelegant" is the Xara Floor Shadow.
It cannot be turned round so it produces the same effect as if the text were on the wall; the Wall Shadow is a completely different beast.

I have used 100 Steps Blend to realised both "Elegant" solutions.

Acorn

Neither example of the "Elegant Shadow" are floor shadows. They are a 3D shadow.

Technically a floor shadow always begins at the base of the object and gets lighter and blurrier as it recedes. And Xara applications do that.

What cannot be done is casting the shadow to the front as if the object is backlit. Well, it can be done if the object is broke apart and the shadow is flipped/re-positioned/skewed. I've done this a lot.

Mike

me too - it was one of the first tricks I learnt on TG - convert to editable shapes then ungroup releases the shadow [but makes text uneditable of course]

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Originally Posted by handrawn

me too - it was one of the first tricks I learnt on TG - convert to editable shapes then ungroup releases the shadow [but makes text uneditable of course]

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Which is why I keep a copy of the live text/effect ff on the pasteboard. 'Cause sometimes I can't spel...

This is one reason I keep upgrading CorelDraw, btw. And as Corel has added a great 3D shadow feature in the current version, I'm really happy. I do like my 3D shadows.

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Originally Posted by mwenz

Neither example of the "Elegant Shadow" are floor shadows. They are a 3D shadow.

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Mike, I was only using them to demonstrate what I needed, which you and Steve have solved.

If Xara could include backlighting then this approach wouldn't be needed.

Acorn

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If Xara could include backlighting then this approach wouldn't be needed.

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Or just a shadow that can be pulled forward as well as backwards. Another example of an orphaned feature that has never been revisited.

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Originally Posted by gwpriester

Or just a shadow that can be pulled forward as well as backwards. Another example of an orphaned feature that has never been revisited.

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I agree, the shadow tool is getting on in years and should be reworked.

Until that happens I use for this purposes the plugin Eye Candy/Perspective Shadow by Alien Skin.
Xara could probably go by that.

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I'm not sure that simply creating a back-lit shadow coming forward would do the job. You would still see the front of the letters front-lit.
If you create your own you have the options of also creating a cast shadow and rim lighting( on the lettering face ).