Should Xara put in an Eraser tool??

[steve.ledger]

Just make it work like the normal Freehand and Brush tool

Ah, you mean like the 'SHIFT to rub out line' Freehand tool????

[instinctive.de]

No, I mean "Select eraser tool, start to draw, watch anything below it disappear". Just like a real eraser.

[covoxer]

So, yes, actually, Xara already 'has' such an eraser tool - it's just a bit impractical because you have to use the Freehand tool, then "Convert line to shape", shift-alt-select whatever's below, and THEN do a boolean substract.

No, you don't have to. You can do this directly with Freehand tool.
Draw your shape. Move the pen pointer to the shape contour. You'll see the "wave" appear by the pen image on the mouse pointer. Press lmb and draw the subtraction path to the any other place on the shape contour. When the wave appears again, depress lmb and your path will be subtracted from the shape.

This technique is demonstrated in the tutorial movie called: "Editing lines with the Freehand & Brush Tool" and described in the Xara Xtreme Help/Drawing Lines and Shapes/Editing lines,shapes with the Freehand & Brush Tool.

[steve.ledger]

lmb = Left Mouse Button

[instinctive.de]

Covoxer: Sorry, that's not the same as an eraser made from rubber.

Why not have a look at Adobe Flash's eraser tool for a more precise example of what I understand under the term "eraser" tool. To put it simply: Simply a "Freehand and Brush tool" that you can start drawing with, and instead of *creating* STUFF (either arbitrary lines (with brush stroke etc.) or closed shapes), it just *erases* stuff below it. I.e., exactly what would happen when you do what I described re. the boolean stuff.

[steve.ledger]

.....that's not the same as an eraser made from rubber.

No it isn't, it doesn't leave little white bits of rubber on the page that you need to blow off or tear up your paper..

[covoxer]

Covoxer: Sorry, that's not the same as an eraser made from rubber.

I didn't say it is eraser tool. Did I? Please read carefully. I just explain that the particular operation that you describe this way:

you have to use the Freehand tool, then "Convert line to shape", shift-alt-select whatever's below, and THEN do a boolean substract.

can be done different way.

instead of *creating* STUFF (either arbitrary lines (with brush stroke etc.) or closed shapes), it just *erases* stuff below it. I.e., exactly what would happen when you do what I described re. the boolean stuff.

This is exactly what does the method mentioned by me. It doesn't create any stuff, it simply removes the area that you define with your mouse motion from the selected object.
Difference from the Flash eraser is somwhere else, you have not mentioned it yet.

[instinctive.de]

O.K.:

The Flash eraser tool also works with the *stroke itself*, *not just a closed shape you create from it*.

So, if you just draw a straight line through a shape, this straight line (considering brush width, style etc.) will also be erased from the shape. You don't have to create a closed shape, and it doesn't need to start on the outline of another shape, either. You could just place the eraser tool over any closed shape, click once, and then you have a hole in the shape, with the shape of the current brush.

[Albacore]

I hate to be a moan but please use "Dear Xara" for requests like this as it clogs up the main board for this site!

Steve gave a polite reminder earlier on this thread and I wish people would listen to this.