I'm waiting for the Magic Wand

[GiddyupGilbert]

Even Corel Photopaint has it..and it's not near the app XaraX is.

[pauland]

Photopaint is a pixel editor and Xara has only recently embraced pixels.

I don't have the latest and greatest Xara, but I think it has an equivalent - background erase.

I only ever used a magic wand as a background eraser.

[gwpriester]

You already have it.

[steve.ledger]

Photopaint is a pixel editor and Xara has only recently embraced pixels.

Yes, but the application is still working within vector space though, which has distinct advantages over raster editors imho.
The colour select/erase Gary mentions is useful but not quite the same as what I think the OP is expecting, for one thing there are no marching ants like you get with a raster magic wand. The good thing is, like most of the Xara Designer tools it's reversible, even after saving the .xar and then re opening (just ctrl+select the dots in line view mode and delete them). Xara Designer always works with a copy (a fill in vector space) which unless you overwrite the original when you export the bitmap means it's non-destructive. (The Photo Document creates a /masters sub folder when working with imported bitmaps of course)
Raster editors are pretty much always destructive.

It's interesting how so many people still mix up the difference between raster editors and vector graphic apps.
It's an old chestnut as some would say (along with the perennial dpi/ppi postings).

[pauland]

It's interesting how so many people still mix up the difference between raster editors and vector graphic apps.

I think the old chesnut is saying that a vector application has an excuse for not having a feature found in raster software, simply because it deals with vectors.

I think that for a long time erasers and shape building was frequently derided because they originated in raster editors, but as times have moved on and processors gotten faster, they've appeared.

I'd agree with you that the magic wand is not necessary when dealing with vector artwork, but Xara is now a hybrid and I guess GiddyupGilbert would like it.

I've only ever used a magic wand as a way of isolating part of an image.

[Big Frank]

i thought we had a mask tool that did that?
i'm only saying
i dont actually use it
last time i had ants on my screen it was in photoshop
i can't say i really miss them

[GiddyupGilbert]

The mask is a great feature, but it takes me way too long to accomplish what I, sometimes, want when working with a file. I don't miss the ants either. And Pauland Xara, for me, is the best of 2 worlds. When working with photos it does what I need, so Photoshop is overkill for me. The only time I use it is when I need to clean some areas out of a background quickly. If the background is dirty then we have the ants, a pain, so I might as well do the mask and handjob it. I haven't tried what Gary has pointed out, but I certainly intend to. I work so much it takes me a mighty long time to learn some things, mainly because with my limited time I try to involve myself in too many things. I spend some time at Muvipix.com because I'm also working with Sony Vegas. I'm an old (with the emphasis on old) radio guy, so I love production.

[angelize]

If you have upgraded to Designer Pro 9 or Photo and Graphics Designer 9 you might be interested in this video.

http://www.talkgraphics.com/showthre...ser-demo-video

[Big Frank]

The only time I use it is when I need to clean some areas out of a background quickly.

in xdpx i always used colour select/erase
we now have photo heal in xdpx9 but i don't believe in it
so i still use the handy colour select/erase

[gwpriester]

You might also look at the new Mask and Region Select Tool http://xaraxone.magix.net/PGD9/index.htm It is also available in Designer Pro X9.

It is very close to a Magic Wand Tool as far as designating an edit area.