to crop or not to crop, that's the question

[saranewbie]

I used to work with version 2.0f, since a couple of months 4 DL.
I - lucky me - did not uninstall version 2.0f, so I can crop as usual, not in version 4 , what is happening:

the original photo is 436x406 pixels.
take a cropzone at about 200x100px
all oke.
Now I want this to accept and go back to Xara, with now aspect ratio turned on ( as by Xara 2.0 ) ,
fine, I'm back in Xaratown, got an image from the cropped new zone, but in the former aspect ratio , taken from 436x406 = 0.93 instead of 200x100 = 0,5.

After some strugling, take the cropzone out of Xara 2, copy to Xara 4 and have fun
Not what I had in mind about xara 4
Anybody help ?

[handrawn]

not 100% sure what you are saying..

but if you are cropping in xtreme 4 you should be using the photo tool [or boolean intersect] and not the xara picture editor [XPE]

if you are using the picture editor you will have problems - it has now been replaced by the photo tool [camera icon]

[Sammy]

Saranewbie - Hi

As Steve has mentioned, the Photo tool in Xara X4 will do exactly as the Picture Editor in the previous versions. It has all the tools of the Editor and more eg level adjuster.

Import your photo, select the Photo tool (Camera icon), and from the tool bar select the croping tool (only Xara calls it Clipping). Then the procedure is the same as previous versions. By Clipping, Xara retains the original picture underneath so you can revert back, by unclipping, if you want.

Hope that helps.

Sammy

[gwpriester]

If you check the Lock Aspect Ratio check box, when you change one dimension, the other dimension will crop to the same proportion.

If you want to crop to a different height and a non-proportional width, then uncheck the Lock Aspect Ratio check box.

[saranewbie]

if you are cropping in xtreme 4 you should be using the photo tool [or boolean intersect] and not the xara picture editor [XPE]

As you said, Handrawn, I've got problems

I didn't remove/uninstall Xara 2, probably that's the mistake, but before install version 4 I have asked the support-department what to do. Uninstall wasn't necessary. Using both on one PC should not be a problem.

Importing a photo into Xara4 - as I did in Xara2 - only doubleclick on the photo was enough to get the Picture Editor, so why looking for an other button ?
Of course I've seen the photo button [camera icon] , clicked , but did not realise - as Sammy said - "clipping" should be the same as "cropping".

And indeed, gwpriester, as you said , unlock - I tried it of course - is still the way of live , using in Xara 2 or Xara 4.

So I'm happy clipping will do the job, thanks very much for your answers !

[handrawn]

you can [and possibly should unless you need 'red-eye removal'] disable the picture editor in xtreme 4

utilities>options>effects & plugins select 'edit bitmaps with this program' but leave the field to enter program name blank - this will stop the picture editor from opening when you double click by accident.

quite a few members have more than one version of xara installed, myself included - there have been lots of changes, and sometimes it is quicker to use a previous build.

glad you found what you were looking for

[raynerj1]

I have to agree with Steve. Having more than one version of xara loaded at the same time is not a problem. I have 4 versions installed at present and have run tree different version at the same time.

The older versions just won't recognize any of the newer features and give you a crypitc message when you open a new file with an older program about some data not being recognized but that is it.