Layers (rust thread going on a tangent here)

[\"W\"]

I've decided to post this as a topic to make room for the rust showing up in the "show us ..." thread. No, I have no rust to bring today. I did however create a "steel" license plate in Xara yesterday. I'm just waitin' for it to oxidize.
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Deb (and others),

While not knowing how many of you actually use layers in any preferred manner, I will say that I've been conciously using them more and more lately than I ever have. And the reason is logical.
When I know what the finished product will be, exactly, I can use layers to isolate elements at will. Knowing what the base elements need to be drawn first, I can do them and not look back, then continuosly build up from there. - Important - give your layers relevant names. Obviously, this the true purpose of this "layer" function. Try to group elements in the same fashion. I've been locking layers left and right (rather, up and down) lately allowing me to fine tune objects that are otherwise tough to select. Especially text! These are instances where Xara's antialiasing engine works too well. Just when you think you've snagged that 6 pt. arial (thin), you pull everything else out of position [img]/infopop/emoticons/icon_wink.gif[/img]. Then it's ZOOOOOOOM in, grab it, ZOOOOOOM out, reposition.
In the end, I suppose most of us just slap all our objects on one layer unconciuosly so as to maintain our "train of creativity". "Don't stop me now, I'm on a roll here... woohoo!!" Why bother with them, right? I think there's merit in some of us using them only because it may actually serve to teach one how to compose more meaningfully,.. in the end.

A footnote here that I am not shy to say at all: Corel does layers splendidly IMO, but further to this, the object manager rocks!! The object manager was really the layer manager under a microscope with actual graphical icons representing EVERY single object on your page.
Xara's layer gallery is certainly a scaled down version of this concept, no doubt. The question begs, however, that for this type of fuctionality to appear in Xara, it may easily pump 5-6 more megs into the program code (or more).

Yes, I believe a mini "layer gallery" tute should pop up for dear Deb any minute now :-)

Have a great long weeeeeeekend, Wayne

[\"W\"]

I've decided to post this as a topic to make room for the rust showing up in the "show us ..." thread. No, I have no rust to bring today. I did however create a "steel" license plate in Xara yesterday. I'm just waitin' for it to oxidize.
-------------------------------------------------

Deb (and others),

While not knowing how many of you actually use layers in any preferred manner, I will say that I've been conciously using them more and more lately than I ever have. And the reason is logical.
When I know what the finished product will be, exactly, I can use layers to isolate elements at will. Knowing what the base elements need to be drawn first, I can do them and not look back, then continuosly build up from there. - Important - give your layers relevant names. Obviously, this the true purpose of this "layer" function. Try to group elements in the same fashion. I've been locking layers left and right (rather, up and down) lately allowing me to fine tune objects that are otherwise tough to select. Especially text! These are instances where Xara's antialiasing engine works too well. Just when you think you've snagged that 6 pt. arial (thin), you pull everything else out of position [img]/infopop/emoticons/icon_wink.gif[/img]. Then it's ZOOOOOOOM in, grab it, ZOOOOOOM out, reposition.
In the end, I suppose most of us just slap all our objects on one layer unconciuosly so as to maintain our "train of creativity". "Don't stop me now, I'm on a roll here... woohoo!!" Why bother with them, right? I think there's merit in some of us using them only because it may actually serve to teach one how to compose more meaningfully,.. in the end.

A footnote here that I am not shy to say at all: Corel does layers splendidly IMO, but further to this, the object manager rocks!! The object manager was really the layer manager under a microscope with actual graphical icons representing EVERY single object on your page.
Xara's layer gallery is certainly a scaled down version of this concept, no doubt. The question begs, however, that for this type of fuctionality to appear in Xara, it may easily pump 5-6 more megs into the program code (or more).

Yes, I believe a mini "layer gallery" tute should pop up for dear Deb any minute now :-)

Have a great long weeeeeeekend, Wayne

[Steve Newport]

I agree Wayne! In my earlier works, many of them being very complex, I didn't even know that there was a layers option!! So there I was trying to manover my way around a 2,000 piece drawing grouping things left and right so I could select something behind it! It was horrible, but not too long ago I started using this tool and I have taken fool advantage of it! Many simple pieces have 15 layers or more just to make it easier and because I have that option!
XaraX does have an object manager, it's called the "Name Galelry". It's that little yellow name-tag in the "Galleries" bar. Hope this helps, bye!

Steve Newport

[Ross Macintosh]

I can understand how some people see applying layers as requiring too much structure to their creative process. I frequently get my layers mixed up (ie things on the wrong layer). Even so, I still use them frequently. A favorite use is to allow an side exploration that I know from the outset, might not be fruitful. Example: say I'm drawing a logo and I like the basics of what I've achieved but think I should explore the effect of adding a few clouds and a butterfly. I'll create a new layer called "clouds/butterfly' and then draw on that layer with the original uneditable. Doing it that way allows me to test the idea without any risk of damaging the work I was more sure about. Working on the clouds I might have an idea that flowers could work better than clouds and butterflies. A new layer is created for the flowers, and the cloud layer is made invisible and uneditable. Upon finishing the flower sidetrack, it is easy to then toggle between the clouds and the flowers and see which 'works' better.

With this method of using layers it is possible to easily manage many different variations all within the same drawing file. Whilst you might not be able to see them all at the same time (given overlapping elements) it can be handy to have preserved all your experimentations. When I don't use layers in this way I either end up with deleted experiments or multiple versions of the file (such as logo1.xar, logo2.xar etc.).

Layers can also be useful for including notes in your files for later reference. Create a notes layer and include info that might be relevant to you at a later date - things like the source of the font you used or notes on the technique you used. Of course you can always add such notes to any xara drawing - using layers or not. The advantage of layers are they can selectively be made invisible and/or uneditable. That, as Martha Stewart says "is a good thing".

I'll stop rambling now.

Regards, Ross

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

[\"W\"]

Well put Ross. Weller put than mine diatribe ... guffaw!!

You bring up an interesting layer point, hide/revealing layers for comparing elements.

>>>>>> BAM!!! <<<<<<

I would like to know how others use or how they might find layers useful to them. (???)

Thank you in advance, Wayne

[Ross Macintosh]

Another interesting use for layers is the possibility to do mini-presentations. Create each slide of powerpoint-like presentation on its own layer. To do the presentation you successively make layers visible. "Bullets" can easily be added to previous slides and when you want to change slides completely you just include a large opaque background in the new slide.

You won't get any of those tiring powerpoint transitions or sound effects. What you will get is Xara's impressive antialias graphics. Plus, of course, you can also draw and edit on the fly (that doesn't work so well in powerpoint!).

You will have to display the layer gallery in order to change the layers. That isn't necessarily a bad thing: layer names can function like a menu to keep your audience oriented. Names can be as simple as 'page 1, page 2, etc.' or more descriptive.

If it is important to you you can use Xara's full screen display mode and turn off any unnecessary control bars.

I hope this idea gets someone thinking. [img]/infopop/emoticons/icon_smile.gif[/img]

Regards, Ross

PS - Layers are your friends.

[Steve Newport]

Hey Ross, I use the layers exactly the same way! Especially lately. It's a lot easier and faster to see exactly which logo you like best!

Steve Newport

[Soquili]

Hi Wayne, Steve and Ross,

I use layers for the portraits I've been doing. Start with the shape of the face, then add layers for eyes, nose, cheeks, ears, and hair. This makes changing the features easy.

Soquili [img]/infopop/emoticons/icon_smile.gif[/img]

[traceyp]

Interesting to read of the diferent ways in which people use layers. In our particular case we use layers to create two different graphics in the one file. All we then need do is make the layers either visual or not according to the graphic we require at the time. Saves having to remember file names and keeps everything together. Useful particularly when you have some elements which are common to both graphics.

Tracey

[\"W\"]

Perhaps, because Xara does not support multi-page documents, layers can be used as a work around somewhat. Instead of opening up 10 or more seperate 8.5" by 11" templates, one can use the layer gallery to number pages and hide/show and print documents in any order. I don't know, does this make sense or sound useful? Or is this the same idea as Ross's Powerpoint paradigm?

regards, Wayne