Next version of Xara Extreme

[-=Drifter=-]

What exactly is an Action Script?

[MarkMyWords]

What exactly is an Action Script?

It's a dedicated macro recorder.

It will record a series of actions taken within the program and then play them back at the click of a button.

For instance, if you wanted to make all the enclosed spaces in a line drawing into individual objects on another layer, saving the need to retrace each shape as an object that can be filled, coloured or otherwise manipulated individually.

This is perfectly possible, but it takes several steps, those steps can be recorded as an action/script and played back as one operation whenever you need to do that same thing (with any line drawing) again.

It's basically a way of streamlining (and remembering!) repetitive or complex tasks.

[Tallis]

what about a workaround by using like Automate, Automize, or some other automation program or utility to simulate ( albeit loosely ) actions in xara using menu and mouse recording?

[Big Frank]

But I thought you hated workarounds?

[Tallis]

I was thinking also http://www.autohotkey.com/

Workarounds, yes, if Xara came out in 2005 as someone said here, and soon it's 2007.

[remi]

I was thinking also http://www.autohotkey.com/

Workarounds, yes, if Xara came out in 2005 as someone said here, and soon it's 2007.

I had no luck with Authotkey and Xara Xtreme...

[MarkMyWords]

what about a workaround by using like Automate, Automize, or some other automation program or utility to simulate ( albeit loosely ) actions in xara using menu and mouse recording?

I use Macro Maker, unfortunately once a macro is made with a mouse recorder you have to be careful not to move or change relevent palettes and make sure the windows are always the same size and in the right place.

If not, things can get messy, LOL!

This is not ideal, even if you don't accidently move or change palettes, every time you feel that you need to make a change like that, you would have to re-record all the macros that use the palette you have changed.

The actions palette in Photoshop is probably the most elegently simple part of the whole program, it does the job and it does it well, I love it.

[Albacore]

I am like most of the of the regulars here no wanting anything really to change to Xara or Extreme in the way it handles vectors but I have to use vector masks in Illy on a day today work basis, so masks would hold no fears for me but with the live effect tool surely that is enough of the bitmapped effects that should be included in the programme. If developers would like to make money from plugins which would record actions etc.. this is the way to go. If you thought that a certain tool or effect was a must thing to have then it should be done on a plugin route and paid for.

I don't think these requests should develope into newbies and regulars contest I just like to see the programme that I use the most get better with out the losing any speed or functionality.

The 2 things I would like to see, like Remi, is a better text engine, something like Freehands or even Illy's.
The other is the ability to edit PDF's. Gosh even Serif's PagePlus ver. 11 can do that. We have got the Export why not the Import of PDF.

If these both thing capabilities came through my work flow would improve as it would stop me jumping around from one programme to another. I would prepare any bitmaps in my bitmap editor then bring it in to Xtreme if required export my work as a PDF send it out to clients for review and receive work in for further development and then export it again and as long as I followed a few simple rules about colour and the use of transparencies I would not need to worry which is not quite the case at the moment.

[MarkMyWords]

I pretty much agree with what you say, I'd be happy to have an 'Actions plugin', personally I rarely use the live effects and after studying Xara and users output, I can see it is capable of creating any image that any other 2D graphics program can- including Photoshop.

I think that with an Actions palette/plugin I could probably do 90% of my work in Xara and the rest in 3D apps.

The idea of third party plugins is a very exciting one, enabling each user to build a custom toolset relevent to their own needs.

One of the stated aims of the Xara developers is to extend the user base.

Plugins that make it easier for 'bitmap artists' to transfer their skills to Xara would go a long way to achieving this goal.

[pauland]

Hey guys, just for a moment I was pretty confused over the term "Action Script"; I understand the sense that you mean here, but for anyone that uses Flash, Actionscript is the programming language used in Flash (and Flex).

So by all means talk about an "Action Script", but beware instilling confusion with flash users casually dipping into the discussion!

Paul