Custom lines

[Andy B]

I could really use a custom line style (my own "novel" design, if you like), but my experiments to date have not been successful.

I am drawing maps, and want to represent railways with a solid black line, crossed at frequent intervals by short lines, like this (if it works...):

I can pre-build a series of components with fixed widths and curvatures, but it would be so much easier if I could just draw a line, and have all the "sleepers" appear, normal to the central line drawn.

Can anyone advise?

[handrawn]

your image does not seem to work

but I would suggest you try making a scatter brush like in this XAR file:


railway track scatter brush.xar




EDIT - if you use the shape tool to draw the lines you may need to increase the line width somewhat before you start to get the effect

[wizard509]

I was thinking of something more like this.




I f you need my xar just ask.

[gwpriester]

Andy - I have moved this thread to the Xara Graphics Chat. The other graphics chat is for non-Xara products.

[Andy B]

Thank you.

[Andy B]

That looks like just what I am after, but what is a scatter brush? There is no mention of it in my help. Is it a later feature? It might be time for me to upgrade at last : )

[Andy B]

More like this than...?

Sorry about my image not working - it should have shown something similar, but with the equal-length "sleepers" equi-spaced. Yes, if you could give me a .xar (and any instructions necessary to get the effect) that would be great.

[handrawn]

if you have an old version of xara that only creates one kind of user defined brush then that will be a scatter brush

[wizard509]

More like this than...?

if you could give me a .xar (and any instructions necessary to get the effect) that would be great.

Andy to whom are you speaking?

[Acorn]

Andy, handrawn already provided a XAR.

As far back as XX5, you use would create a cross and with the Brush Tool > Create Brush.

Acorn