Offshoot of the Xara Xone creating a Casino poster.

[ss-kalm]

Theinonen, Apologies, didn't mean to be critical, I'm a draftsman by profession and use CAD all day. It was just that reading through the thread, I didn't see the point that you were trying to make.

[theinonen]

I had sports accident several years ago and even though I can nowdays do things pretty much normally, some things like using the mouse longer periods for precise work will stress the arm. Because of that I prefer to use different snaps, keyboard shortcuts and other things that make drawing easier as much as possible.

In those areas there is lot to improve in traditional vector drawing applications intended for illustrating, but then again all software for making CAD drawings suck in colour department.

[Gare]

man does Gary ever fly through with those keyboard shortcuts. i'm so used to the top menus or right-clicking on an item(s) that i spend more time writing down all of his keyboard shortcut references in his videos to refer back to for the times that he'll explain how to accomplish something using the shortcut only and i'll have no idea what he did

I'm flattered in a nerdy way that you think I fly through the shortcuts. I've been using Xara since 1995 (I think) and I'm impatient enough getting my ideas down on "paper" that I invest the time in a shorter way to accomplish something.

But—and this is a big "but"—there are only so many shortcuts you can memorize until you start getting on public transportation and look for the ESC key when you want the vehicle to stop. I also teach several different programs and I do get them mixed up, as I did this month with Helène's query over Ctrl+Shift+E (incorrectly) being the shortcut to Make stuff into editable shapes.

I will bear in mind to keep the shortcuts onscreen longer if everyone thinks that would help. Time is of the essence with these monthly tutorials: It takes me a good day or two to invent a tutorial, the voice-over is entirely ad-libbed so there's no script to copy shortcuts from, and then the editing, appearing at the beginning which is terrifying, and then editing, editing, editing to polish the sucker.

When I used scripts, everyone told me I was delivering the info at Mach 4 and to slow it down. I thought doing it impromptu would help...note I use "I want you to", "um", and several other "stalls" while I'm trying to think of what I did two days ago to pull off the tutorial.

Which basically leaves me zip time to create a printed transcript. I did them for the first year, but as the tutorials became more involved and my participation in this forum more active, I find I have time to eat a sandwich, but no time to digest it.

I like your car avatar, by the way. I'm bad at guessing year and model, but it's definitely an American car, judging by the styling.

My Best,

Gary

[mikeymopar]

i vote for keeping the tutorials how you're already doing them. i, and i'm sure like all the others that watch them, very much appreciate what you bring here. it has been awesome being able to save your videos and replay them as needed to pick up on all the shortcuts that you use. and while i'm not that good artistic-wise, i do know my way around Xara pretty well save for the shortcuts. right-clicking and the little menu bars have it all too; just longer to find it. in watching your tutes i've learned a few shortcuts that i've actually remembered.....teach an old dog new tricks. now if only i can absorb a smidge of the talent that pours out from the people here thx Gary, et al. for all your time.

(and, yeah. avvie is a pic of my car that i tweaked of course using xara. '68 charger rt that i've owned since '83)

[pauland]

I think this tutorial is not good enough!

That's somewhat ungrateful. I hope it's more a case of clumsy English than a criticism.

Anyone that takes the time to make any tutorial deserves our thanks.

[Ron Duke]

Just a little side note:
When you do a blend, you can select either end of the blend using the "crl" key and left mouse click, and THEN, you can adjust size, position and angle of the end you've selected. By having this ability with Xara, you can align your beginning and end lines to match exactly. (as per Eric's point about the two end lines not matching up just right.) So, from that standpoint, it really doesn't present a problem doing it Gary's way.

[Gare]

[embarrassment]That's a key command that escaped me, Ron, after all these years [/embarrassment]! Thank you sharing it!

My Best,
Gary

[Ron Duke]

[embarrassment]That's a key command that escaped me, Ron, after all these years [/embarrassment]! Thank you sharing it!

My Best,
Gary

My dear Gary, if ONLY we could recall everything we had ever learned! I dare say you've forgotten more than I learned.

[Gare]

I dare say you've forgotten more than I learned.

Go ahead and dare, Ron. And an equal number of members will counter that I forget what I've learned five minutes later.

We had you in the Xara Xone gallery this year, didn't we?



-g

(Two Friday the 13ths in two consecutive months??? And Pi Day tomorrow, 3.14.15 (2015 abbreviated) correct out to five places!?)

[ss-kalm]

A damn good time for Pi would be 3.14.15:9.26