Lights and more...

**molucca** · 05 February 2006, 01:04 PM

Twidder,

Expression Graphic Designer (EGD) Expression was developed by Creature House and was up to version 3.2 when the application was bought by Microsoft. Microsoft released a 3.3 non expiring version before continuine development. EGD is currently in beta and available for download. I remember reading something about March, maybe.

As strokes, the only way to view them is with the application. Just not a viewable format. Most of these are bitmap images into strokes. You can have bitmap and vector. They can be viewed as images or drawings.

You can also use fringes. I added a fringed drawing. I have about 100 fringes to do various things. EGD can read some EPS files, but not the flavor I have. I have resaving the files from Xtreme for use. I found the I could open AI format in EGD. I just isn't in the file open dialog.

Rich

**molucca** · 06 February 2006, 03:36 AM

My coutinued efforts to make drops.

A ring set using maps.

Rich

**TwidderBird** · 06 February 2006, 07:55 PM

Thanks for the helpful explanation on EGD, Rich. I got confused with seeing E4 and EGD; but really they are the same except the version--

These drops I really like becuz of what appears to be transparency. How do the two seperate images connect? The 'olympic'-looking rings don't appear flat like the drops in the top image--so are they vector drops used in different ways, or completely different 'strokes' you've made? (sorry I'm still learning graphics jargon)

With the top image drops it seems to me it would be fun to try those with lily pads

nance

**molucca** · 06 February 2006, 10:15 PM

Twidder,

I made a seamless transparent drops tile. I use a full size image for the flower image (about 1.7MB).

The rings were from Reflection maps in EGD. I have over 500 maps to chose from. I saw Bob Hahn's rings in the Xara forum and tried his method. The rings were PNG format, and I used linear transparency in Xtreme. Reflection maps that are designed spherical will gaive shaping when applied.

Rich

**TwidderBird** · 06 February 2006, 11:23 PM

well I've been trying the lilly pad idea--desiring to get that transparent raindrop effect with the pads, but finding it much more difficult than expected!

this seemless transparent drop tile you made...is that the same thing as creating a background image with a vector shape?--or are reflection maps in Expression something very different? (I can see where the light/bright part in the rings could help create a transparent effect)

this Bob Hahn's using xara, does he go by that name or a user name. need to check out his rings

oh, did you combine E with Xtreme?

nance

**molucca** · 06 February 2006, 11:36 PM

Twidder,

A ompainon thread.

http://www.talkgraphics.com/showthread.php?t=20002

The drops were from a spider web in the back garden. I used Eliminate Black plugin to remove the black pixels. There was still too much shade component to use the image on anything except black.

I did a color replacement in PSCS to get the shade in the drop itself. There was still a foggy background of dark pixels. I did an auto select in PSCS of the areas around the drops, and cleared those to transparent.

I did another trial by drawing objects around the drops and clipping them in Xtreme.

http://www.talkgraphics.com/showthread.php?t=20125

Bob's thread

Rich

**TwidderBird** · 07 February 2006, 03:00 AM

here's my first jab at rain drops...these are each 'hand-drawn' with a background and foreground color for the drops and merged with the blue color but not flattened. Each layer has its own tansparency. Then I tried the virtual painter pastel plug-in that comes w/ psp

any feedback would be welcome

aaah, what's PSCS?

thanks for the threads, I'll look into that hopefully tomorrow

nance

**TwidderBird** · 07 February 2006, 04:48 AM

oops, didn't give out the info quite right: I used the virtual painter just on the blue layer; then I used a texture effect on the drops--combined the two without flattening

nance

**TwidderBird** · 07 February 2006, 01:18 PM

(I'm thinking the PSCS is creative suite...but I only know about adobe)

**molucca** · 07 February 2006, 10:16 PM

Twidder,

Photoshop CS (version 8)

I made an image of the alpha channel from the drops PNG.

I think it would be better to avoid using black to shade. The alpha channel shows a variation in transparency for the drops I made. I think the combination of colors and transparency get those drops to work. Not sure how you would go about drawing them.

I didn't understand the blue background.

Rich