Xara modules

**AntonM** · 04 September 2007, 10:22 PM

Not sure if anyone has raised this as a possibility -- "search" showed lots of threads containing the word "module" and I confess I didn't look through all of them, but those I did, did not seem to suggest this.

There have been loads of requests for this or that capability, and a tongue-in-cheek thread poking a bit of fun at people who absolutely cannot do without a weather forecast built in to Xara, etc., etc.

Well, since Xara has such a fabulous drawing engine, what about making an API or something available so that the really clever people out there could write modules (add-ins?) to do various other drawing tasks, using Xara's functionality and wonderful user interface to make the job a pleasure.

For example, a street map drawing module, which can do roads of different widths, with or without road markings, caters for "overs" and "unders", and so on -- all stuff you can do very nicely with Xara, but rather laboriously, and not everyone wants to draw maps -- but for those who do, it would be nice to have some programmatical help with the humdrum bits. Such a module may also be able to read map files, such as those used by TomTom, and let you edit them and resave them.

There must be quite a few other things that some people would like to use Xara to do, and I would imagine that there might be quite a growth of such add-ins, or modules, or extensions -- look at Firefox, and Google. <tongue-in-cheek>And those who simply have to have a weather forecaster built in, can have it!</tongue-in-cheek>

Or is this a totally off the wall suggestion?

**remi** · 04 September 2007, 10:39 PM

Originally Posted by AntonM

Or is this a totally off the wall suggestion?

No, it's often discussed here under the subject of a "scripting engine" within Xara Xtreme (the Xara people need to design a API, include a Scripting language and the possibilty to load/play/record/save script actions). But there is no progress with this task (since years). So, don't be too hopeful...

Remi

**The Alien** · 05 September 2007, 04:23 PM

The problem is, there are very few Xara users who do programming.
Drawing art and programming art are very different, that's why you'll find few people who do both

**remi** · 05 September 2007, 05:22 PM

If there were a scripting engine, users could create (or use) functions to draw a bar graph or a pie chart (with or without 3D optic). Another idea could be to enhance Xara Xtreme with new functions, like including the OpenSource Vectorizer Potrace, which is also included in Inkscape. Or a macro could build a webpage/webform after going through some short questions/answers (together with a new export filter which is able to export the drawing with modern HTML/CSS code instead of the "old" table code). Or a simple macro could create a glass button or some circular patterns or simulate the functions in Dmitry's Spray Tool or could insert a table with columns and rows in different layouts or ...

A scripting engine allows users to enhance a graphics editor with new functions. I'm sure, that a lot of macros would be available here at talkgraphics.com for download and free use.

But as I mentioned before, unfortunately I have no further realistic hope in seeing this within Xara Xtreme.

Remi

**DGehman** · 05 September 2007, 05:59 PM

Originally Posted by The Alien

Drawing art and programming art are very different, that's why you'll find few people who do both

Agreed. Adobe had a script module for Pagemaker which found little use. Corel had (maybe still has) scripting for Photopaint, which despite a smattering of free scripts went nowhere.

There is a ton of macro capability built into Macro Express. But before long, when you move past recording via wizards, it gets just about as complex as real programming...http://www.macros.com/

**aridzone** · 05 September 2007, 06:30 PM

Actually there are tons of free scripts on the internet

Here is just one sample:
http://www.cedesign.com/cefx/paintscripts.html

**DGehman** · 05 September 2007, 06:38 PM

Oops, aridzone, my bad. I dropped out of the Corel world when I "up"graded to 10 from 8, forgetting the Even Numbered Release Curse*... 2 times in a row... I bought 9 on ebay and use it, but only very infrequently.

----
* for those who never sent their ships into the Corel Draw black hole, almost every Corel Draw release with an even number (4, 6, 8, 10...) contained some sort of gotcha. Can't remember the one(s) in 10 -- think it was a crash a day.

**remi** · 05 September 2007, 09:31 PM

Adobe Illustrator owns a scripting engine since version 10.

Scripts for Adobe Illustrator CS
- for example a script which creates metaball drawings
- round any corner - for each shape, not only rectangles
- a script to draw trees
- ...
JavaScript Macros for Adobe Illustrator
Another page with JavaScript Macros for Adobe Illustrator

Remi

**remi** · 05 September 2007, 09:41 PM

Inkscape owns a scripting engine:

Remi

**AntonM** · 05 September 2007, 09:51 PM

Originally Posted by The Alien

The problem is, there are very few Xara users who do programming.
Drawing art and programming art are very different, that's why you'll find few people who do both

Regrettably true -- but I'm thinking about the likes of Dmitry (AccessD), and there must be others. If Xara made a really easy to use system (and Xara has a history of using RISC OS and its modules and SWI calls), there would be more. I live in hope!