Xara for Blockheads...

[Ross Macintosh]

For fun I created the attached image. It uses Xara's wonderful isometric grid option and was quite easy to create. See the block on the far left? - Well that's the only one I drew. It was drawn with three simple shapes snapping to the iso-grid. It features two different wood fills. (One for the end grain and the other for the two faces you can see). All the other blocks are simply duplicates. They were primarily manipulated with the skew-handles plus a little rotation for a few. Some were also stretched. By adjusting the fill positions I was able to make each block look different.

On seperate layers I drew the background, the carving, and built up the shadows from multiple transparencies.

Although I took about two hours. the techniques used weren't difficult. I hope others will try working with blocks too. I assure you it is pure Xara fun. Make a block with the iso-grid and see what you can build from it...

Regards, Ross

<a href=http://www.designstop.com/>DesignStop.Com</a>

[Ross Macintosh]

For fun I created the attached image. It uses Xara's wonderful isometric grid option and was quite easy to create. See the block on the far left? - Well that's the only one I drew. It was drawn with three simple shapes snapping to the iso-grid. It features two different wood fills. (One for the end grain and the other for the two faces you can see). All the other blocks are simply duplicates. They were primarily manipulated with the skew-handles plus a little rotation for a few. Some were also stretched. By adjusting the fill positions I was able to make each block look different.

On seperate layers I drew the background, the carving, and built up the shadows from multiple transparencies.

Although I took about two hours. the techniques used weren't difficult. I hope others will try working with blocks too. I assure you it is pure Xara fun. Make a block with the iso-grid and see what you can build from it...

Regards, Ross

<a href=http://www.designstop.com/>DesignStop.Com</a>

[gwpriester]

This is an actual logo I designed several years ago for a building contractor that could have been created with the Isometric Grid had I known about it.

I created the grid using a hexagon, with vertical lines left right and middle which I blended into a hexoganal shape. The shape was duplicated and rotated 120 degrees and then duplicated and rotated again creating the hexagonal grid shape.

The B in the center uses Xara's ClipView to contain a ligher version of the B and grid.

The concept with the three Bs was plan stage, building stage, and completion stage.

Gary

Gary Priester

Moderator Person

Be It Even So Humble...

[whkguamusa]

That iso-tip is a good one, I could have used it a few times already.

I hate being the new guy who doesn't know anything.

There wouldn't be any hidden way in X to define shortcut keys (aka CorelDraw), would there?
I really miss them for high speed drawing and viewing.

Wayne
Guam USA

[Ross Macintosh]

Wayne - Much of what I do in Xara I have not done before. When I'm playing with Xara, I try things just to see what it might look like. I try to learn from those experiments. So when you write: "I hate being the new guy who doesn't know anything" I think this new guy needs to start playing and stop fretting what he doesn't know.

You can do it...

Regards, Ross

<a href=http://www.designstop.com/>DesignStop.Com</a>

[Ross Macintosh]

Gary - I think your logo design is fantastic! It looks perfect for a construction company. My only criticsm is the use of green. I'm inclined to think it could have been even more successful in blue. Blue lines could have a reference to the blueline prints that builders use.

Regards, Ross

<a href=http://www.designstop.com/>DesignStop.Com</a>

[gwpriester]

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>My only criticsm is the use of green. I'm inclined to think it could have been even more successful in blue. Blue lines could have a reference to the blueline prints that builders use. <HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Have you never seen graph paper with green lines? I would think in your profession you would as green lines are invisible in certain diazo reproducing processes.

But the real reason for the red and green lies in the client's name Bernardini, who is Italian and specifically requested the red and green color scheme. And who am I to argue [img]/infopop/emoticons/icon_biggrin.gif[/img]

Gary

Gary Priester

Moderator Person

Be It Even So Humble...

[Ross Macintosh]

At least they always think they are! [img]/infopop/emoticons/icon_wink.gif[/img] I like it in green - I just think it would speak to me more with blue.

Actually the most common "no print" colour used in architectural and engineering drafting is blue. Special drafting paper is sold with blue no-print graph lines. It was always too expensive for me. Instead I would use a no-print blue pencil for "construction lines". Eventually I learned to admire seeing visible construction lines in prints and started using 4h or 6h pencil.

I will scan in one of my old hand-drafted details and turn it into xara art so i can post it. I was always accused of having too much fun with my drafting. I would do non-traditional things like draw all the woodgraining and draw shadows. Although bosses were disturbed by my style, clients usually liked my enthusiasm as demonstrated by the exuberant drafting.

Regards, Ross

<a href=http://www.designstop.com/>DesignStop.Com</a>

[Klaus Nordby]

Ross: "The client is always right!"

Ross, someday I shall write out the little lecture I used to deliver to MY clients, entitled: "The Client Is Always Wrong."

I kid thee not. :-)


K

[Ross Macintosh]

Klaus - Of course I don't really believe the client is always right, yet in my experience they are some of the time. I've had some really good clients over the years - one's who've challenged me to better end results. I've had some incredibly stupid clients too!

Below I attach another wood block image. This image was also very easy to construct. I drew a square with wood fill and then duplicated it many times. I then edited the fill handles so the fill would look different for each square. Text was added to one and then drag&dropped onto several other and edited accordingly. Each wood square with text was grouped.

The squares were then moved, using rotation and "put to back" to achieve the final positions. I selected them all and applied and adjusted a bevel. (By applying the bevel to all at the same time, it was quick and all are consistant with regards to the light direction). Then drop shadows were added to the whole bunch in one step. To finalize the image I added a bit more shadowing and a background.

Try it - it is fun. Plus in the future you can easily edit to say anything you want.

Regards, Ross
<a href=http://www.designstop.com/>DesignStop.Com</a>

Edit - I went back to Xara and revised the image to reflect the feedback I received. I then had it replace my original posted image. Now Ive come back again and put back the original image. I did this because Bob C. below noted that the practice of swapping image robs the instructional value of the seeing what subsequent posts were advising. He's right - I won't do it so quickly in the future. RM

[This message was edited by Ross Macintosh on April 25, 2001 at 08:32 PM.]

[This message was edited by Ross Macintosh on April 26, 2001 at 05:26 PM.]