Nicks Xara Wishlist 2015 and onwards

[Albacore]

No Nickr I think what you stated more in your 1st post, it meant more to me than your last. If Xara split their products like Serif does: a vector drawing programme which allows you to do quick bitmap fixes which is fully colour managed --> DrawPlus, a DTP programme which has master page control with both vector and bitmap quick fixes, is fully colour managed --> PagePlus, a WYSIWYG web based programme with limited vector but more features with bitmap and widgets with no colour management ---> WebPlus, and even a movie one which supports AVCHD, Dolby Digital sound and can burn discs which is not colour managed ---> MoviePlus. I have missed many other features of the Serif programmes but that was just a quick resume. I have tried most, purchased Serif's DrawPlus, PagePlus and PhotoPlus but have only one on my H/disc at the moment, have upgraded it many times and that is PagePlus. It is the only programme which I think works well, with PDF/X-3 standard, and even then it has the a clunky feel to its UI.

If Xara did the same as, as you stated, Affinity and gave each individual programme the same fresh approach as Serif did to that programme they might and I mean might give Adobe a small fright. But that is so hard for a small company like Xara to do, it might be too much for them in financial terms as well a programming. I still think that Xara should do as the others do and separate the programme into 3 distinct areas Web --> Graphics --->DTP

[browj2]

@Max,
Thanks for jumping in and we are getting somewhat off-topic here. I noticed that MEP 2014 automatically opened the 32 bit version of XDPX9 which worked fine. But, I could not get either to work properly with VPX6. I thought that MEP 2015 was patched and worked, but I could be wrong. I reported this to Magix several times (I keep reminding them).

Since I installed a new main drive and did a backup and recovery, I haven't been able to get XDPX10 to work or re-installed and Xara hasn't found a solution, so I have been using version 9, which seems to work fine with MEP2015 and VPX7, but not 6. I can't check because I travelling.

That said, is there any way to get MEP2015 (64bit) to open X10 rather than X9 if both are installed? Could the problem be with the 64 bit version of X10 and not with the 32 bit version?

@Paul,
As you can see, there are some teething problems.

[pauland]

there are some teething problems.

Yes, indeed. Pity really because if it worked at one stage it would be great to see that happen again. Seems bizarre to have that working and not use it as a lever to boost sales from both sides.

[maxcon62]

Is there any way to get MEP2015 (64bit) to open X10 rather than X9 if both are installed?

No, unfortunately there isn't. The installation of Prox10 overwrites the files of ProX9 in the plugins folder of Magix Mep or VPX.
... The two softwares communicate one another through "Camelot" library , since Xara DPX10 installs some files
(called "CamelotPlugin.vxx" and "CamelotPlugin_Xara_Designer_Pro_X10_x64.vxx") into the Magix common folder located in
C\ProgramData\MAGIX\Common\VideoImportPlugins

Could the problem be with the 64 bit version of X10 and not with the 32 bit version?

No, I have tried with both version 10 (64 or 32 bit) ... it doesn't work

Max

[browj2]

@Paul,

Agreed! Magix should definitely fix this and use it as a selling point. When it works, it is a fantastic tool. I don't of any other programs that combine this kind of power. There are probably some, but I think that the Movie Edit Pro or Video Pro X combination with Xara is close to unique.

Here is the link to the quick videos that I did showing how to make and use a movable mask, and the result. Quick and dirty.

@Max,

I found that even in X9 it didn't always open in animation mode. The workaround is to open a new animation which creates a new tab, close that tab, and you will now see the movie tab has the frame gallery open.

[browj2]

See also my last message if you haven't already.

I forgot to mention one other area where Magix Video Pro X uses Xara - making menus for DVD's (not the one that is printed on the DVD, but the menus that show up on the screen when a disk is loaded). The menu can be exported to a psd file, imported into Xara, modified, exported and re-imported into the Video Pro X. I have only done this once and it allows much more flexibility in creating and modifying menus than within the movie editor. This feature is not available in Movie Edit Pro which is too bad, because the power users have expressed some frustration with the limitations of the built in menu editor.

There is another place where most of the Magix programs, audio, video, photos use Xara, and this is to print CD/DVD labels and jewel box covers. They have a stripped down version of XARA P&GD to do this, which they call Xara Extreme, by which they mean Extremely Limited. In earlier versions of the programs, about 2 years ago, this tool was from an older version of Xara that came with more features than what is available now. One could actually draw and place text on the template. Now it seems to be almost limited to filling in a table with the contents of the disk. Not very useful in my opinion. Magix should allow more to be done. @Nick, there it is, your Xara Print!

Xara 3DMaker7 can also be accessed to make 3D type titles in Video Pro X. It actually comes with almost all versions, including Movie Edit Pro, but I have never been able to make it work from Movie Edit Pro, only Video Pro, and there it works very well.

Magix could probably sell a lot more of the high end movie editor and Xara if they would market them better as complementary products, and most importantly, made sure that they worked properly. The only way to find out about all of this is almost by accident.

[pauland]

Brow2 - they just need you on the marketing team, I think.. ;-)

[digitalphaser]

This subject gives me a lot of troubles too.

I belong to those people who passed to Xara Extreme from heavy and slow CD and Photoshop. Then work with Xara was the "song". Fast, easy, beautiful.
But since then Xara practically didn't develop.

New Xara's trend is "web design". But this tool turns out frankly bad. All new features becoming obsolete before its released. Praised HTML5 it anything other as XHTML Transitional with many grapchics and a lot of JavaScript. The almost complete absence of CSS. HTML5 Audio or Video are simple Flash. Responsive design implemented very bad. Replacing one page to another or play with aspect ratio is not the best solution.

Now in the market there are an uncountable set of similar сheap hobby software for "web design". But good professional graphic editors still units. In fact, useful features not so much. What distinguishes PS Elements from full PS. Support of CMYK and a few other little things which are really necessary.

So. I am not sure that I will buy the next update. To a great regret. How long I should wait? May be XDP X13 or X18. How many Xara users are ready to wait so long?

[mwenz]

...So. I am not sure that I will buy the next update. To a great regret. How long I should wait? May be XDP X13 or X18. How many Xara users are ready to wait so long?

Personally I stopped at X9. Hopefully X11 (or whatever it is called) will include at least one feature that I can hang my hat onto and upgrade. But, if not, then I'll wait until such time as I feel the upgrade is worth it.

My list is short. I would upgrade simply for OpenType feature support even if there are no drawing tools added or enhanced. I would likely upgrade if something jumps out at me as being worthwhile in the vector areas of the application. But other than that/those, nah. I'll wait.

Mike

[digitalphaser]

I don't expect much. But there are necessary things which have other programs from "professional" league.
I use it 8 years. There were many pleasant features for a hobby. But it isn't enough for fast professional work.

I do 60% of bitmap manipulations in a Photoshop. If I need difficult, exact and smooth vector geometry, I draw it in the CAD program.

But now I can do excellent speech bubbles.