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Hi csehz and all—
There seems to be some interest in getting Xara 3D shapes into a modeling program. This is good news because I've been doing exactly this for more than 15 years. There is no program for any money that can match Xara's drawing tools, so it makes sense to export Xara's work and then import it to a modeler (I'm showing Cinema 4D in this video).
Here's how I'd make a vase:
My Best,
Gary
Thanks for that Gare. I have known for a long time that Xara and Blender work well together. Interesting to see it work with other 3D modeling programs as well.
That is very inspiring Gare, thanks very much. That vase looks great and as I can see so selected the Adobe Illustrator .ai, .eps format for the export from Xara to Cinema 4D.
So summarizing my first experiences Xara has these exporting options
Attachment 103486
and at Blender the .ai is not an option but the .svg yes and I was able to import
Attachment 103487
at Art of Illusion there seems just one format the .obj what can be imported
Attachment 103488
at the free version of SketchUp neither seems .ai or .svg formats
Attachment 103489
But so the Blender seems having a straight way from Xara, probably also possible some cross transfer so if got to Blender that can export in formats probably what the Art of Illusion or SketchUp can import
OBJ is a legacy file format created byAlias|Wavefront which is now owned by AutoDesk and named Maya.
This format is as common in modeling programs as a TXT file is to writing stuff.
The reason why is that OBJ files can contain curved splines to make true 3D meshes with curves just like Xara shapes. DXF and other export and import file formats use straight small vectors to make circles and stuff and in close-ups, the straight little vectors are visible.
Beware of SketchUp. You can do wonderful architecture, but curved surfaces are very difficult, as in impossible! They, too, have hard, straight profiles when you try to make spheres and stuff. They need a lot of subdivision (increasing polygons by dividing one into two) and Phong angles (at which angle does geometry get a curve during rendering time).
-g
as it happens the avatar that I have been using up to now:
Attachment 103497
is based on a 3D model from a xara sketch - very simple and stylised horse sculpture seen from behind and to one side - easier to see what it is a bit larger size:
Attachment 103499
was meant to give a 'concrete' block structure effect in it's original use... and it worked well
anyway the avatar is being retired, [sorry Egg :)], it has had a good run
Handrawn—
If you're interested in exploring more "block" treatments, boy do I have a source forge for you. It's called Structure Synth, Right Here
Attachment 103500
This image is a paltry example of what it can do and export as an obj.
My Best,
Gary
I have used a very similar technique with drawing splines in Xara and saving them as a .svg then importing them into Blender and using the spin feature to create the 3D mesh. I export as an open path though but the result is much the same. I have also used Xara to create a quick closed shape to bring into Blender for modeling.
Once I needed a bowl of dog food so I created the bowl in a similar fashion to what Gary did, and the dog food needed to have several different shapes so I quickly and roughly drew those in Xara, exported to svg and once I had each svg imported into Blender I converted them to a mesh and started modeling from there.
While it's true that Xara's 3D engine produces some pretty slick, complex, and very attractive extrudes, there are more operations than extruding that you can do with a path. What Frances refers to, and what I did was create a vertical half shape of a cylindrical object and then performed something called lathing, like how you make ceramics on a potter's wheel. There is also lofting, where you can draw different objects, put them in 3D space at regular intervals and then skin them.
You also have sweeping, where you run a closed path shape along an open path.
At left, the spring thing is a pentagon swept along a helix. At right, the thing that looks like it fell off your car around 30 miles back is a loft of a circle, to a hexagon, to another circle, and then the journey proceeds downward to create a round recess at top:
Attachment 103502
-g
Quote:
Originally Posted by Gare
thanks I'll go take a look :)
That looks so great.. Also easily associates the impression that the 3D modeler programs are on 'higher level', not sure that is true. But relating the angle assumingly in few second you could rotate differently and with that any similiar representation by a 2D program like Xara could not compete.Quote:
Originally Posted by Gare
Inspite of that reading on Wikipedia that there is also a back direction, so moving drawing from 3D modeler to a 2D program. However seeing this quality hard to imagine for what reason would be that needed.