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  1. #21
    Join Date
    Jul 2007
    Location
    Brockville, Ontario, Canada.
    Posts
    4,619

    Default Re: Snap to mid-point

    But to be fair, a series of snap points similar to CAD systems would seriously improve the ability to draw accurately that way. I think the key word is accurately. Xara doesn't seem to understand that accuracy is important in a graphic, by eye is probably good enough, and in most cases should be, but since we have computers to need to be exact seems to be much more important than it was.

    Creating the same item in a CAD system is very simple and quick. Because of that limitation, I frequently draw what I need as a CAD symbol and import into Xara as a PDF. It really shouldn't be needeed to do it that way. However, there's NO chance that ANY vector tools are ever going to be improved.
    Keith
    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
    There are 10 types of people in this world .... Those who understand binary, and those who don't.

  2. #22
    Join Date
    Apr 2012
    Location
    SW England
    Posts
    17,744

    Default Re: Snap to mid-point

    Quote Originally Posted by ss-kalm View Post
    But to be fair, a series of snap points similar to CAD systems would seriously improve the ability to draw accurately that way. I think the key word is accurately. Xara doesn't seem to understand that accuracy is important in a graphic, by eye is probably good enough, and in most cases should be, but since we have computers to need to be exact seems to be much more important than it was.
    Creating the same item in a CAD system is very simple and quick. Because of that limitation, I frequently draw what I need as a CAD symbol and import into Xara as a PDF. It really shouldn't be needed to do it that way. However, there's NO chance that ANY vector tools are ever going to be improved.
    I do agree but when someone come along and insists Product X's Tool Y is essential, the usual response is go and use Tool X then; I was trying to show that in a design if you understand what you want to achieve then you probably will.
    Some things will be impossible and will result in a feature request. Xara has oodles of features that other packages have never considered: I have made things in corelDraw that require great precision and repeatability and I did such because I knew its strengths and weaknesses. In Xara, a QuickShape can be a square/circle/pointy star/rounded star or rectangle/ellipse as all have four sides. Change the number of sides and you have much more - all without have to change the tool and create and replace a shape. All these constructs are primitives that were chosen for speed. Line widths are centred around a shape, not inner, not outer. To achieve these, Xara uses Contours. The list is extensive and shows Xara's approach is and never will be a CAD approach.

    I use it because it is different.

    Acorn
    Acorn - installed Xara software: Cloud+/Pro+ and most others back through time (to CC's Artworks). Contact for technical remediation/consultancy for your web designs.
    When we provide assistance, your responses are valuable as they benefit the community. TG Nuggets you might like. Report faults: Xara Cloud+/Pro+/Magix Legacy; Xara KB & Chat

  3. #23

    Default Re: Snap to mid-point

    Quote Originally Posted by Acorn View Post
    So I tried two quick ways to gain a result, not knowing what the purpose of the end design is to be.

    Attachment 126557 and Attachment 126559

    My design file: Attachment 126560

    For both, I created three circles and aligned to match your image.
    I did a 500-step extrusion from bit to small blue circles (I changed the larger to red to show the effect).
    I then just used snapping point for the second approach to create the red rectangle that I then rotated around its left corner. As its width was the circle radius, it guaranteed a tangent. The other end was by eye but I could have flipped the approach and gained tangents both ways.
    I converted the Rectangle to Editable Shapes (green) and moved one corner into the smaller circle and Cloned and flipped (yellow).
    Finally, Add Shapes and made Blue.

    I deleted some points to smooth out a bit.

    I did the above with all aligned with you image but there is a cleaner construction if you lie things on their sides.

    Attachment 126562

    The "trick is adding the line centre to centre as you can use Ctrl+Snap to get it horizontal, bringing the other shapes along.
    Finally, Clone and vertically flip the bar.
    I left out the Add Shapes and made Blue.

    Surely, none as slick as Tangent Snap but the obverse may be true than it would be equally difficult to perform the above operations in corelDraw. They are two different tools that have their own domain and range of approaches.

    Acorn
    Thanks for the detail of how to do that in Xara.

    Early this month I have purchased a Designer Pro X license for the company to make website.

    I have my own company that design watches, the image above was made with CorelDRAW, it is a simple hour hand. CorelDRAW has tangent, quardant snap, and a function like trim between two end-point. I don't know how to trim in Xara.

    I almost buy a copy for myself, I want to switch to Xara completely. But after tried the drawing functions, I hold the purchase. I will keep using Xara to create website for my full-time job.

  4. #24

    Default Re: Snap to mid-point

    Quote Originally Posted by ss-kalm View Post
    But to be fair, a series of snap points similar to CAD systems would seriously improve the ability to draw accurately that way. I think the key word is accurately. Xara doesn't seem to understand that accuracy is important in a graphic, by eye is probably good enough, and in most cases should be, but since we have computers to need to be exact seems to be much more important than it was.

    Creating the same item in a CAD system is very simple and quick. Because of that limitation, I frequently draw what I need as a CAD symbol and import into Xara as a PDF. It really shouldn't be needeed to do it that way. However, there's NO chance that ANY vector tools are ever going to be improved.
    Snap is about accuracy, Xara has very good object snap, that is very good for web design, but drawing snap is very primitive, compare to CorelDRAW. I cannot even snapping my start point on another line/curve.

  5. #25
    Join Date
    Jul 2007
    Location
    Brockville, Ontario, Canada.
    Posts
    4,619

    Default Re: Snap to mid-point

    I understand that ... I am a CAD draftsman by profession. I would love Xara to incorporate CAD style snapping. However, because of my profession, typically I don't use Xara for anything that requires high precision. I have other tools for that!
    Keith
    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
    There are 10 types of people in this world .... Those who understand binary, and those who don't.

  6. #26
    Join Date
    Feb 2007
    Location
    UK
    Posts
    21,283

    Default Re: Snap to mid-point

    indeed.. you only get so much for your 199 GBP Xara Designer Pro 17, compared with 599 GBP for CorelDraw Suite and you do not get a feel for what the program can do until you try it

    CorelDraw site gives usage examples including:

    Blueprints, maps & schematics

    CorelDRAW is a trusted name in engineering, manufacturing and construction firms, with dedicated, precision tools for creating detailed product and parts illustrations, diagrams, schematics, and other intricate visuals.
    Xara makes no such claims, it overplays the headline description maybe, but they all tend to do that including Corel

    None of the examples XaraMagix put on their site are anything like this

    Xara is ok for animated gif's for example, but beyond that, more trouble than it is worth for me because it has no timeline
    -------------------------------
    Nothing lasts forever...

 

 

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