Feature Request: New Vector drawing mode "Spiro"

**Penny O'Rorke** · 23 July 2008, 03:23 PM

This is work in progress towards an invitation, based on a rough idea from client.........a Spiro tool would be a joy and the end product greatly improved...........

**ivan louette** · 23 July 2008, 05:15 PM

Nice work !

And don't forget clipboard stretched brushes ! They are on the right way in Inkscape and work very well together with Spiro. All Spiro and brushes results can be already easily converted to bezier shapes afterwards. Only some little program crashes but this is a developper's version ...

kindly,
ivan

**handrawn** · 23 July 2008, 06:32 PM

one of the nice things about the path stroking is, as well as the normal node editing you can also alter the underlying shape - adding nodes to the shape editor if necessary !

**ivan louette** · 23 July 2008, 08:50 PM

Originally Posted by handrawn

one of the nice things about the path stroking is, as well as the normal node editing you can also alter the underlying shape - adding nodes to the shape editor if necessary !

Yes, Inkscape is even more advanced than Expression in this area. Adding nodes automatically gives also a shape which fits the stroke much better.

However pressure sensitivity is lacking at the moment.

kindly,
ivan

**remi** · 23 July 2008, 09:19 PM

Hi Penny,

great work! Is it already drawn with the Spiro tool or is it created with the current tools from Xara Xtreme?

Remi

**Josie** · 23 July 2008, 10:47 PM

http://www.typophile.com/node/33531

**Xcellent** · 23 July 2008, 11:11 PM

Originally Posted by handrawn

one of the nice things about the path stroking is, as well as the normal node editing you can also alter the underlying shape - adding nodes to the shape editor if necessary !

So cool! PLEASE TEAM XARA implement path stroking! I'm sure it's one of these things how people how people wonder afterwards how they could they lived without it!

**sgiff** · 23 July 2008, 11:17 PM

This is really cool I have to admit and something I would like to see in XARA, CorelDraw used to have a rubber band mode, not sure if it was the same but it treated vectors similarly. Also brought up an incredible tool a while back that also makes drawing vectors very smoothly. Paint SAI has a smoothing function for all of its drawing modes including vector that puts a dampening/inertia effect on your mouse as you draw so that it averages out all the bumps and makes a really smooth line. There is a lot of innovation happening out there. Let's hope some of it makes it into XARA which used to be king of innovation.

s.g.

**raynerj1** · 23 July 2008, 11:26 PM

I must be missing something. I didn't watch the entire video, just a little past cresendo part. But I can do all that in Xpro already with the shape editor and applying a brush stroke to the line afterwards.

**Xcellent** · 23 July 2008, 11:57 PM

Originally Posted by raynerj1

I must be missing something. I didn't watch the entire video, just a little past cresendo part. But I can do all that in Xpro already with the shape editor and applying a brush stroke to the line afterwards.

There two features talked about here:

#1 Path Stroking
Instead of using preset defined brush strokes - you can create and draw custom shapes which will be then stretched along the path curve.
Look at handdrawn post #23 - http://www.talkgraphics.com/showpost...2&postcount=23. Would be so cool to have in Xara!

#2 New Curve Type: Spiro
This type of curve makes sure you always draw perfect rounded curves. Example: drawing a perfect S shape couldn't be any easier. The Video explains..