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  1. #11
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    Smile Re: Frieze Designing Challenge

    Quote Originally Posted by browj2 View Post
    My first ever attempt at one of these challenges.
    Does this work?
    Attachment 126654
    Once in a while I get a Violation warning.
    I moved the Shape end to show 1 circle, then put a fill in the circle and used the Shape tool to modify it to show the thermometer, before making the line transparent.
    John, spot on. The Bitmap Fill was one I left to see if others might find it. Your manipulation description is right too, with enough to intrigue those still trying.

    @Xara - the Violation error is a nasty and poorly designed alert papering over the simplest of actions a person might make: deleting one of the Blobs and then extending the Timeline.

    As handrawn also points out, TimeLine 01 has no up/down counter and no date advancing; pretty useless as a timeline actually.

    All right as a Timelime:

    Click image for larger version. 

Name:	Timelime.png 
Views:	145 
Size:	91.1 KB 
ID:	126655

    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

  2. #12
    Join Date
    Feb 2007
    Location
    UK
    Posts
    21,283

    Default Re: Frieze Designing Challenge

    looks like a jackpot to me
    -------------------------------
    Nothing lasts forever...

  3. #13
    Join Date
    Jun 2009
    Location
    Reading. UK
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    6,970

    Default Re: Frieze Designing Challenge

    With this challenge, I have no idea what you're talking about, Acorn.

    Featured Artist on Xara Xone . May 2011
    . A Shield . My First Tutorial
    . Bottle Cap . My Second Tutorial on Xara Xone

  4. #14
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    Apr 2012
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    SW England
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    Info Re: Frieze Designing Challenge

    Quote Originally Posted by Rik View Post
    With this challenge, I have no idea what you're talking about, Acorn.
    Rik, Xara invented things called SmartShapes; Timeline 01 is one such example.

    To see it function you simply double-click on it or select it and then use the QuickShape Tool (Shift+F2) if it isn't set up as it will be after an Import.

    At this point:
    • You have the ability to delete all but one of the blue white circles. using the red dots.
    • You can drag the End position controls in or out to reduce (to one) or increase the number of blue white circles.
    • You can move the Spacing control left or right to widen or reduce the gap until they touch.
    • You can Rotate the timeline.
    • You can Resize the timeline.


    As a timeline, it is totally naff.
    Xara even failed to include a visible Resize control when the Zoom is 100%.
    With Smart transform Off (another Xara masterstroke) and with the traditional black controls, you can stretch, squash, skew and scale the timeline.
    With Smart transform On, you can alter the Spacing.
    Xara provided all of one Theme Colour.
    Xara failed to allow a blue white blob to be gapped.

    That's your lot.

    Rather than moan to Xara, who rarely reply, I chose this Challenge as a task to re-purpose Timeline 01 into something that actually has a design use. A frieze.

    The Timeline is a "Line with groups"; each Groups is all of one Shape - the blue white circle (the blob).

    If you open the Page & Layer gallery and expand the "Line with groups" Object, you might then get an inkling of things you might experiment with.

    Delete a Group and try to adjust the timeline FAILS dramatically with a horrendous JavaScript error.
    No matter just Undo and recover back to safety.

    Ungroup one of the "Line with groups" Groups and you get a hanging blob.
    This has some merits but very difficult to manipulate.
    You can not regroup a blob. I have found that you can select it and right-click and pick Move to Current Layer in the Page & Layer gallery to effect a recovery.

    All quite boring.
    The main discovery is you can select a blue white blob and with the Shape Tool (F4) and manipulate it.
    Now, your lateral thinking has to kick in and you use your Xara skills to alter, augment and otherwise redefine what Timeline 01 does, keeping its original functions.

    Acorn
    Last edited by Acorn; 03 April 2020 at 10:21 PM.
    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

  5. #15
    Join Date
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    Location
    Reading. UK
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    Default Re: Frieze Designing Challenge

    Thank you for the lengthy explanation, Acorn.

    I've looked at it, as much as I can, but, I don't really understand how it's all put together in the first place.
    So, I can't really apply and lateral thinking, when I don't know how it's put together?!

    I don't know what you mean by Timeline 01.
    And probably a whole bunch of other stuff.

    Featured Artist on Xara Xone . May 2011
    . A Shield . My First Tutorial
    . Bottle Cap . My Second Tutorial on Xara Xone

  6. #16
    Join Date
    Apr 2012
    Location
    SW England
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    Default Re: Frieze Designing Challenge

    Quote Originally Posted by Rik View Post
    Thank you for the lengthy explanation, Acorn.

    I've looked at it, as much as I can, but, I don't really understand how it's all put together in the first place.
    So, I can't really apply and lateral thinking, when I don't know how it's put together?!

    I don't know what you mean by Timeline 01.
    And probably a whole bunch of other stuff.
    You obviously have not browsed the Online Content Catalogue > Components >Print and Web Components > Timelines.

    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

  7. #17
    Join Date
    Jun 2009
    Location
    Reading. UK
    Posts
    6,970

    Default Re: Frieze Designing Challenge

    Quote Originally Posted by Acorn View Post
    You obviously have not browsed the Online Content Catalogue > Components >Print and Web Components > Timelines.

    Acorn
    Acorn: No, I haven't. Never really needed to go there!

    So, now I know where these timelines come from, the next stop to learn is how to edit them?

    I think you already mentioned, that if you ungroup, then the SmartShape will stop working.
    Well, I can't see how to, then!

    Featured Artist on Xara Xone . May 2011
    . A Shield . My First Tutorial
    . Bottle Cap . My Second Tutorial on Xara Xone

  8. #18
    Join Date
    Sep 2013
    Location
    La Malbaie, Canada
    Posts
    695

    Default Re: Frieze Designing Challenge

    Rik,

    Would a video help?
    John CB
    Xara DPX(19.0.1.65946)

  9. #19
    Join Date
    Jul 2007
    Location
    Brockville, Ontario, Canada.
    Posts
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    Default Re: Frieze Designing Challenge

    I'm with Rik on this ... I can't see (read that as understand) how to do anything with them. Obviously I'm missing something!
    Keith
    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
    There are 10 types of people in this world .... Those who understand binary, and those who don't.

  10. #20
    Join Date
    Feb 2007
    Location
    UK
    Posts
    21,283

    Default Re: Frieze Designing Challenge

    unless you do a website or a print document I see no merit in these whatsoever - and even then they are just glorified bullet points - and this is what xara expects [?] us to upgrade for...
    -------------------------------
    Nothing lasts forever...

 

 

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