Do you find the Live Effects Tool in Xtreme useful?

**webmaster** · 27 February 2007, 04:43 PM

The Live Effects Tool was introduced with Xtreme. What are your thoughts on it, have you found it to be of use?

Anyone can post in this thread and vote in the poll, even if you're not registered. But registering is recommended.

**jamesmc** · 27 February 2007, 04:49 PM

I'm not a big plug-in guy. If I don't know how to do something, I would rather learn how to do it than have some plug-in do it for me.

With that said, I do use the bump map plug-in a lot as it's hard to achieve lighting effects through artwork. I also occasionally use the Mehdi plug-in for stripping away background.

Outside of those two, I don't use the Live Effects that much.

**Soquili** · 27 February 2007, 05:36 PM

I use the Live Effects on occasion. As James mentioned the lightening, bump map, and the Mehdi erasor more than any of the others.

I find that drawing things manually in Xara Xtreme and Pro I have complete control over the look. The effects usually don't allow the control I want.

**The Doc** · 27 February 2007, 05:44 PM

Interesting to see the poll result (so far) after casting my vote - seems we are the collective as any good Borg would confirm

**Albacore** · 28 February 2007, 11:06 AM

The best use I have found for live effects was to take a vector drawing just about completed and give it a dirty look or a more hand drawn look which has been very successful. Saves me taking into PS and doing it there but you have to have the right plugins and some which I have had to buy. I think the best examples have been Ross's and Rich's where they have altered there drawing and photographs to achieve a different look from the crisp vector or photo that they started with. leave it there and don't remove it like you did with the navigation Bar tools which are now I think just in X1

**masque** · 28 February 2007, 11:49 AM

I wouldn't buy plugins. I sometimes use the free ones, mehdi natural grain most often and the eraser a few times. I'm not even sure what some of the others are to be honest, so not the most valued facility in Xtreme.
Derek

**Intbel** · 28 February 2007, 05:03 PM

Occasional use .
I'd not miss it if it wasn't there.

In the poll thingo 'occasional' is spelled incorrectly.

**AntonyF** · 05 March 2007, 06:46 PM

Originally Posted by Intbel

In the poll thingo 'occasional' is spelled incorrectly.

You see, Xara's gone to the dogs already!

**stratocast** · 06 March 2007, 12:32 AM

I use them only 'occasionally'. However, I think it's right for the option to exist in Xtreme, not everyone is a purist.

**MarciaB** · 06 March 2007, 11:14 AM

I use them on occasion. Sometimes the pagecurl and erasor. And like Bill and James, I prefer to (learn) create everything myself and have complete control on the result. I consider them a bit as prefab playthings. So, they won't be missed much by me.
But Bob is right, not everyone is a purist...