Lost Handles ??

[covoxer]

(then I have to re-position, because any stretching happens about the object's center)

Not true. You can move the center of transformation anywhere you want. Click on object once more to see the rotation handles, and move the rotation center mark. To put it exactly on the object edge or corner, use snap to object option.

... but that seems out of touch with the Xara's simple, dynamic user interface.

With Xtreme's interface you mean? Well, WD is not Xtreme. It is very similar, but it is also different in many aspects. It was optimised of a bit different use and users than Xtreme.

Leaving the horiz/vert stretch handles off of text components might make some sense (so that text doesn't get distorted, and so that standard web fonts display properly), but making all other graphic elements suffer the restriction seems unnecessary.

Now think about it, what objects are most common on the typical pages? Text, photographs and design elements (borders, buttons etc). Non porortiaonal resizing is bad for both text and photographs. On the other hand it's absence is not limiting to design elements since you can resize them freely anyway. But if you need per pixel precision, it's very likely that you'll end up working with numbers anyway.
There are also some helpers - snap to objects, snap to rulers.

[cursor]

Makes sense. Thanks for the feedback, John.

[nickydude]

John is very nearly always right ...

[Grampy Peter]

I have a new problem. I just lost my resize handles. When I click an object I only get a little square dot in one corner. I can drag the object but that's all.

So, I decided to draw a new rectangle, then chose the select key, and now I have handles!? Now when I click the other objects I get handles.

It's as if the creation of the new rectangle "unlocked" the handle feature for the entire file.

Is there a bug in my bonnet or in Xara Xtreme 5?

Grampy Peter

[steve.ledger]

Press the 'Selection bounds handles' icon (far left) on the info bar Peter

[Scotty]

I may be wrong as I didn't work with XWD for long after Xtreme Pro 5 came out, but I believe in XWD if you resize holding the shift key you can 'distort" the image as in Xtreme? My mind may be drifting tho'..I will stand corrected and embarassed if I am mistaken..
Again...
Jim