Just Released: Xara Photo & Graphic Designer 11

**PhilM** · 30 June 2015, 05:19 AM

Hi,

If you're working in a file that uses the old transparency types then you can apply them without restriction and, of course, you can create a template file that contains them, just like you would for a set of colours or brushes that you want to be present in all new documents.

Thanks for the kind words. We worked very hard on the art brushes to make them smooth and and give high quality feedback while you're drawing (unlike some other programs). As a drawing gets more complex, of course, it takes more CPU power and more time to draw it and so eventually the program has to give up on live feedback and draw the simple "spine" instead. You can help the program to keep up by grouping things or putting things on layers so that it can cache them.

Do you mean it switches out of the Freehand tool to the Shape editor tool? If so, that's almost certainly because you have accidentally double-clicked on a line while drawing. I can see that we might have to do something about that!

Note sure what Ctrl+A problem you're referring to...???

Phil

**PhilM** · 30 June 2015, 08:09 AM

Hi again,

I said above,

Originally Posted by PhilM

If you're working in a file that uses the old transparency types then you can apply them without restriction and, of course, you can create a template file that contains them, just like you would for a set of colours or brushes that you want to be present in all new documents.

Well, sorry, but that's wrong. In fact, the old transparency types are only shown when an object that uses them is selected. Maybe I need to talk to my colleagues and persuade them to make it work the way I /thought/ it did! ;-)

Ho hum,

Phil

**handrawn** · 30 June 2015, 08:49 AM

Originally Posted by PhilM

the old transparency types are only shown when an object that uses them is selected. Maybe I need to talk to my colleagues and persuade them to make it work the way I /thought/ it did! ;-)

but it appears you can paste attributes across from a selected HUE/DARKEN/LIGHTEN transparency object in ver11, so that is a good enough workaround for me as things stand; I happy to live with that rather than divert resource from higher priority stuff

**handrawn** · 30 June 2015, 08:27 AM

The team did a great job of making the art brushes 'fluid' and smooth; one in the eye for anyone who says you never listen [and for the doubting thomas handrawn who has been making an issue of this since the last decade]

So far I have only tried it on the laptop, and even on that [relative for graphics] slower computer it does very well - sometimes there is a delay in the rendering reaching full resolution [ie becoming 'sharp' rather than 'blurred'] but that has been mostly on opening an existing file, and this will be CPU dependant as well...

I like to draw fast - it's a real-time transfer of thought process to art, almost at a sub-concious level.. a bit of an antithesis to the usual vector/CAD approach, having to stop can unsettle this; maybe I could try slowing down a tad, or hopefully the win7/win10preview desktop which has far more CPU power will be better; I'll try that today - grouping, using layers, good advice; thing is for me reaching a point at which I can say to myself 'pause, take a breath, consolidate'

the switching issue is to shape editor, my bad [very sloppy terminology

] - one example of it happening is when sketching a lot in a small area [building-up the line in a painterly sense]; double clicking is almost certain to happen every now and then, so thanks for picking up on that

Sorry - the 'control+A' problem mentioned came up a while back - it does not always select everything - I put up and example file and the problem was logged - basically some objects that are 'too far out' get left unselected - currently I am using an A0 page size for testing, so I'm zoomed way out, maybe that means it is less likely to happen, I don't know

thanks again to everyone

**The Alien** · 30 June 2015, 08:47 AM

This looks pretty amazing. When is the Pro version coming out? I'm excited for that

I don't think the pictures in what's new do the features justice. You really should add short videos that demonstrate how the new tools work

**charliescoffee** · 02 July 2015, 12:58 AM

How does this relate to Xara Designer Pro X10? Did I see somewhere that X11 is due out soon, will that release include these upgrades? Oops! On more careful reading I find that Kate did seem to say that all will be included in the (hopefully soon) upcoming release of Pro 11. I think that's what was meant.

**mwenz** · 02 July 2015, 01:06 AM

XDP contains everything all other Xara applications contain combined plus a bit more. It's always the last to be released because of this.

**beadfountain** · 06 September 2015, 02:43 AM

I was just settling in to PGD10, and now I'm excited to be upgrading to PGD11. I've searched the forum for how to transfer all my customized user preferences to the new version. I've gathered that's not auto-magically possible.

As an experienced user, do you have a "checklist" of settings you re-create when you "move-in" to a new version? Thanks in advance.

**MarcT** · 14 September 2015, 03:11 PM

Hi, just checking in to say again how much I appreciate V11.
Art brushes are quite cool, but for me the warp tool take up the most valuable spot.

I've been doing a lot of clothing and figures lately and the warp tool is very useful to quickly adjust curves and shapes.
Very well implemented.

Very glad to see those updates in the software I use most.