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  1. #1
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    Mar 2008
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    Default How to create a Glass, Aqua, or Vista Icons PI 12 or should I do it in Xara Xtreme ?

    Does anyone know how to make a glass, aqua, or vista icon effect in PI 12 ? I find that the lighting and transparency effects in PI do not give the effect I am looking for, like in Xara Xtreme, or from what I have seen in Illustrator. Or maybe I have not played around long enough in PI as I should.

    Anyone have any pros or cons to using either graphics package ?

    Also, is PI 12 a vector or bitmap graphics program ?

    Thanks all !!!
    Last edited by DiscoMike; 02 April 2008 at 10:11 PM.
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  2. #2
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    Brockville, Ontario, Canada.
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    Default Re: How to create a Glass, Aqua, or Vista Icons PI 12 or should I do it in Xara Xtrem

    If you don't know whether its a vector or bitmap application, why are you asking if you should draw in it. If you own and use PI 12 isn't the answer obvious? I don't use it, so I don't know ... but you should!
    Keith
    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
    There are 10 types of people in this world .... Those who understand binary, and those who don't.
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  3. #3
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    Default Re: How to create a Glass, Aqua, or Vista Icons PI 12 or should I do it in Xara Xtrem

    Quote Originally Posted by ss-kalm View Post
    If you don't know whether its a vector or bitmap application, why are you asking if you should draw in it. If you own and use PI 12 isn't the answer obvious? I don't use it, so I don't know ... but you should!

    If the answer was right there, or if it were only that simple to find out, the question would not have been posed.

    I like what PI has to offer in goodies, but Xtreme has better light effects which it looks to give graphics better lookin aqua/glass/vista lighting effects (although it takes more steps to perform a similar function in Xtreme than it would in PI, thanks to its outstanding library of effects that PI offers, but when it comes to the end result, Xara Xtreme looks to outshine PI when creating graphics, my conclusion is because Xara uses different lighting techniques than what is offered in PI), and Xara Xtreme lets you know that its a vector program. I am having a hard time trying to find out whether PI is a vector or bitmap program.

    If I am wrong about the lighting effects comparison between both applications, then would someone care to share on how they create stunning aqua graphics in PI ?
    Last edited by DiscoMike; 02 April 2008 at 10:26 PM.
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  4. #4
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    Default Re: How to create a Glass, Aqua, or Vista Icons PI 12 or should I do it in Xara Xtrem

    google is your friend - as is often said here
    http://www.google.co.uk/search?hl=en...e+Search&meta=
    -------------------------------
    Nothing lasts forever...
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  5. #5
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    Default Re: How to create a Glass, Aqua, or Vista Icons PI 12 or should I do it in Xara Xtrem

    Thanks for the info !!! I feel like I am getting double talk when I see - although PI is a bitmap program, it has vector graphic shapes.

    I like PI with the tools it has to offer, but I wish they would become a vector drawing tool along with giving the light and transparent effects needed to create an aqua/glass/vista graphics.
    IP

  6. #6
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    Default Re: How to create a Glass, Aqua, or Vista Icons PI 12 or should I do it in Xara Xtrem

    I have no experience of ulead photoimpact

    However there are programs that are bitmap oriented with some vector tools, which I suspect this is
    -------------------------------
    Nothing lasts forever...
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  7. #7
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    Default Re: How to create a Glass, Aqua, or Vista Icons PI 12 or should I do it in Xara Xtrem

    I am suspecting that PI creates the images in vector format, but converts them to a Bitmap Image when saved in non-UFO format.
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  8. #8
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    Oct 2005
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    New Zealand
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    Default Re: How to create a Glass, Aqua, or Vista Icons PI 12 or should I do it in Xara Xtrem

    All versions of PhotoImpact are bitmap editors that also can use vectors when in path mode.
    I have used PI for a few years and enjoy it's capabilities but since finding Xara Xtreme, PI is rarely used.
    Xara is now my main drawing program and PI is kept as the image editor.
    IP

  9. #9

    Default Re: How to create a Glass, Aqua, or Vista Icons PI 12 or should I do it in Xara Xtrem

    Gel and Vista type buttons can easily be done in PI basically using the same techniques as Xara, using gradient , fadeout transparency, and soft edges. However you will find Xara’s gradient , transparency, and softedge tools vastly superior for this type of work.
    In its price bracket, it’s my opinion that PI excel’s in two areas: Photo manipulation which I do not use very much, and its “Material Palette” which is the main reason I use this very under rated program. The Material dialog has a very good array of bevel, shading, light, reflection & bump map choices for vector format graphics. One can produce extraordinary photo realistic objects and surfaces with the ease of a few mouse clicks. Saving in PI’s ufo format maintains vector state.
    Major drawbacks are its inability to export a usable vector format, and it has no Boolean capability to speak of. Fortunately it can import ai vector format, so I just use Xara if I require a more complex vector
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  10. #10
    Join Date
    Aug 2006
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    4

    Default Re: How to create a Glass, Aqua, or Vista Icons PI 12 or should I do it in Xara Xtrem

    eGreetings,

    I have a couple of video tutorials available on my web site on how to do this. The videos are in flash, done with Camtasia.

    They take a while to download, so grab a snack and come back.

    Hope this helps.

    Kind Regards,
    Jerimg
    IP

 

 

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