Tip: Scaling Rotated Rectangles and Ellipses

[jclements]

Here's one of those things that experienced users, as well as newfers (especially those who are used to using other "big-name" vector programs), may have overlooked. I could not seem to find anything in the help file.

Xara X mentions that there are a couple ways to stretch (scale) objects ... interactively or by using the Info Bar. However, these two methods have different capabilities which, if not understood, can inhibit the drawing "experience".

Using the Info bar, Ellipses and Rectangles can be "stretched" ALONG THEIR AXIS OF ROTATION using the Size entry box. This can't effectively/easily be done using the interactive mode.

Xara may be one of a few programs that can do this important function. It is very useful when precision is required. Try the steps below. Also see the attached example.

1. Create a 40 pix wide x 20 pix high rectangle using the Rectangle tool.

2. Rotate the rectangle 33 degrees: With the rectangle selected and the Rectangle tool active, go to the Rectangle Tool Info Bar, select "Rotation" from the drop down menu, type in 33 in the adjacent box, and press Enter.

3. Make a Clone (Crtl+K). I changed its outline to red for clarity.

Change the width of the Clone to 80 pix: With Rectangle still tool active, select "Width and Height" from the drop down menu of the Rectangle Tool Info Bar, type in 80 in the adjacent upper box, and press Enter.

4. Step 4 illustrates the same technique applied using an ellipse.

[This message was edited by John Clements on February 16, 2001 at 05:37 PM.]

[jclements]

Here's one of those things that experienced users, as well as newfers (especially those who are used to using other "big-name" vector programs), may have overlooked. I could not seem to find anything in the help file.

Xara X mentions that there are a couple ways to stretch (scale) objects ... interactively or by using the Info Bar. However, these two methods have different capabilities which, if not understood, can inhibit the drawing "experience".

Using the Info bar, Ellipses and Rectangles can be "stretched" ALONG THEIR AXIS OF ROTATION using the Size entry box. This can't effectively/easily be done using the interactive mode.

Xara may be one of a few programs that can do this important function. It is very useful when precision is required. Try the steps below. Also see the attached example.

1. Create a 40 pix wide x 20 pix high rectangle using the Rectangle tool.

2. Rotate the rectangle 33 degrees: With the rectangle selected and the Rectangle tool active, go to the Rectangle Tool Info Bar, select "Rotation" from the drop down menu, type in 33 in the adjacent box, and press Enter.

3. Make a Clone (Crtl+K). I changed its outline to red for clarity.

Change the width of the Clone to 80 pix: With Rectangle still tool active, select "Width and Height" from the drop down menu of the Rectangle Tool Info Bar, type in 80 in the adjacent upper box, and press Enter.

4. Step 4 illustrates the same technique applied using an ellipse.

[This message was edited by John Clements on February 16, 2001 at 05:37 PM.]

[FLySOLO]

cool

thank you

FLySOLO

[gwpriester]

I've often wondered about that, John but alway wound up rotating the object back to 0 degrees, making my alterations and then rotating back to the desired rotation.

Now if I can only remember this next time this opportunity comes up [img]/infopop/emoticons/icon_eek.gif[/img]

Gary

Gary Priester

Moderator Person

Be It Every So Humble...

[Erik Heyninck]

is the enthusiasm of its users (her lovers, Ã* la française).

Just an idea: You read here and there about the things Xara can that the others can not. So why don't we make a special list of these?

Not the "everything you can do I can do better" style, but just basic FACTS.

We might reserve a special topic for that list and nothing else. It's true that the others have the big bucks to buy publicity (where do you read about their bugs, patches and updates in reviews and magazines, and how sugarly sweet is it then written?), and, like Gary wrote in another topic, Xara needs the hand to mouth publicity. And this needs facts, as enthusiasm alone isn't sufficient.

When you believe in your own strenght, you don't compare yourself with others, or even defend yourself against childish attacks.


Just an idea...

[Erik Heyninck]

this is terrific!!! In the wink of an eye, you create symmetrical shapes just like you want with this idea of yours!!!

It also works with free forms, and you can even put the bulls'eye (thanks, Gary) where you want to influence the rotation.

Just a very quick one, no real nifty effects, only basics to show. [img]/infopop/emoticons/icon_smile.gif[/img]

[Clements]

Eric, I think a simple list (with illustrated examples) of "unique" EDITING features that Xara posseses would be a great idea.

Xara has a nice set of unique tools, but E_D_I_T_I_N_G FEATURES ARE ALSO AN IMPORTANT CONSIDERATION WHEN EVALUATING A PROGRAM.

To my thinking this type of list would be best located at www.xara.com alongside the section that describes all of the cool Xara tools/features.

Anyone at Xara like to share their thoughts on this one?

[gwpriester]

Eric, John and all

I have requested from Xara that we have a new conference for tips and tricks, such as these, Ivan's brush secrets, and more.

And it might be a swell idea to archive these in a new section of the XaraXone so they don't get burried in the pile.

What do you think?

Gary

Gary Priester

Moderator Person

Be It Every So Humble...

[Ross Macintosh]

This thread has a lot of great ideas.

I think a forum for tips would be good but I think we would have to "moderate" it actively to keep it focused. Keeping focus will not be easy - it would be a shame if finding the tips wasn't easy. There are of course hundreds of great tips in this main forum - with all the discussion it becomes time consuming to uncover them. (An example of my concern is the recent thread about Newby advice. It was a great idea for a thread but it quickly turned into a discussion about ways to help newbies rather than actual help). In some ways, putting together a "best of" collection on the XaraXone - featuring great tips found here might be more useful.

Regarding scaling rotated shapes. Great advice John! This is the kind of tip most xara users can probably put to good use and make their drawing tasks easier. You are probably right - Xara Ltd. should probably put more emphasis on showing off their selection/editing-type features.

Erik - Your quick flower is great. It is a good example to show the value in being able to easily alter the centre of rotation. It has me thinking about the posibility of generating a cool spyrograph kind of image. I hope they sold the spyrograph toy in Belgium otherwise you won't have any idea about what i'm talking about.

Regards, Ross

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

[Clements]

I'm glad we see some agreement here. Its just a matter of really boiling things down, accompanied with simple diagrams/illustrations. There's got to be a way to find things EASILY.

No matter where the tips would be stored, if both Xara and the XaraXone had a download link for the Tips that could eliminate a lot of head scratching.

(Perhaps, in a new release of Xara, there would be an option in the Help Menu for "Current info" which would take Registered Xarians to links for downloads of: tips, a current list of bugs/issues/errata, help file updates, NEW movies ... I hope [img]/infopop/emoticons/icon_smile.gif[/img], an index of XaraXone tutorials and shareware, templates, etc).

****************************
As an aside, one of the biggest stumbling blocks I have is remembering which Ctrl and/or Alt and/or Shift key combinations to USE WITH THE MOUSE. It seems I am always fumbling with selecting things in grouped objects, blended objects, grouped text, etc. I was hoping there would be ONE summary table in the help file.