A community project

**wizard509** · 03 August 2011, 08:52 PM

Thanks Rich, I have used it before and have it installed now but animating that image is a whole different story.

**wizard509** · 03 August 2011, 08:56 PM

Thanks for that ShapeShifter. I hope I or someone with a better head on their shoulders can do something with it. I'm sure going to give it a shot.

**Hwy101** · 03 August 2011, 09:19 PM

Maybe we need a good definition (this one from Princeton):

Noun

S: (n) kaleidoscope (a complex pattern of constantly changing colors and shapes)
S: (n) kaleidoscope (an optical toy in a tube; it produces symmetrical patterns as bits of colored glass are reflected by mirrors)

Click image for larger version.

Name: kaleidoscope.png
Views: 172
Size: 27.5 KB
ID: 83342

Pix from Google

**ShapeShifter** · 03 August 2011, 10:00 PM

Originally Posted by wizard509

Thanks for that ShapeShifter. I hope I or someone with a better head on their shoulders can do something with it. I'm sure going to give it a shot.

You can change the entire kaleidoscope simply by swapping the image like this:

**wizard509** · 04 August 2011, 12:23 AM

Good find Tom.
clever idea ShapeShifter, Still not what I'm looking for though.
The example animated gifs in the url's I posted should give everyone an idea what I'm looking to accompolish.

**ShapeShifter** · 04 August 2011, 12:32 AM

Sorry Larry - wasn't what I was trying for, I just wanted to show you or anyone else what they could do with the file if they wanted to use a different photo

I'm not going to create any animations for you. Though I don't think Xara is the right tool, but as you haven't posted in a Xara specific board anyway, I guess it probably shouldn't matter what software is used.

Good luck.

**wizard509** · 04 August 2011, 12:52 AM

That's what I was doing when posting my failures, hoping it would give others the idea what I had tried that didn't work. I thought I had spedified that I was trying to do this using only Xara. As far as Xara specific board, what would you suggest as the correct board? I am open for suggestions. I had kind of thought this might be a fun although a lot of work community project for all to contribute their ideas on how we might accompolish this task.

**ShapeShifter** · 04 August 2011, 01:26 AM

Originally Posted by wizard509

I thought I had spedified that I was trying to do this using only Xara. As far as Xara specific board, what would you suggest as the correct board? I am open for suggestions.

Not too certain Larry, this board's description is For community-wide challenges and contests: join in with your graphics applications of choice. So I figure anyone can post results using the application of their choice. Possibly not all Xara software users will visit this area of TG so you might get more experienced Xara Flash Animators (like salaam) join in if you posted in the Xara Flash board maybe?

BTW, there's a small application called Kaleido Flash 2.0 which will probably do exactly what you need. Google it and check the demos.

**wizard509** · 04 August 2011, 03:19 AM

Thanks for the information Kaleido Flash 2.0 ShapeShifter It's not that I need it. The whole point of this exercise is to get many people as possible involved in finding a solution to a problem so we can all learn from it, and this is the problem I chose. My goal is to be able to do this thing in Xara with the Xara tool set. This is afterall a Xara forum. Oh by the way I almost have a success, well of sorts anyway. I'm not going to post it tonight because it's late and I want to work on it a little more and try to improve it. Maybe I'll post it tomorrow. I did two. one was of the inside of a submarine using circular of triangular piecesfitted together and circular transparencies . That one actually looked the best of the two but I only took it so far and didn't finish it but it did look like I thought it should. Now if I could do the same thing with something brighter and more colorful I'll "have it made". Cool huh! I do have a few ideas left. Wish me luck

One more thing, I did it as a gif although a flash would have been easier because of tweening.

**guyke** · 04 August 2011, 08:07 AM

@ Shapeshifter : Thanks for sharing your xar-file so I can see how you tackled the problem. I put my avatar on the picture and, wow, the result was awesome !

@ Larry: Good luck Larry ! I'm following this thread with great interest because I'm trying to learn. And trying to accomplish this with Xara tools is certainly an idea that has my support.