Line Drawing Tools

[Ntxdave]

After some talks with a support person at Xara, I have done some research about the line drawing tools in Photo & Graphics Designer. First look at the image below, then I will have a suggestion after below the image.


First, I need to mention that the image was created before the update in release 24.2 which updated the image next to the Start Arrow and End Arrow buttons (they are now white instead of black).

Given the problems I outlined in the image, I would like to suggest that the Start Arrow and End Arrow buttons and icons be added to the curved line tool. Currently, if you want to add a start arrow or end arrow to curved line, you have to first draw and straight line with the settings you want. Then when you draw the curved line, the settings from the straight line will be used for the curved line. Also, there is currently no way to edit/change the settings for a curved line.

Hope this makes sense.

[gwpriester]

Double click on the arrow you wish to use to add an arrow head. Ctrl + double click to add an arrow head (or tail) to the other end.

In addition, with the Shape Tool selected, you can click the circular arrow on the Infobar at the top of the screen to reverse the path. So if your arrow head is on the left and the tail is on the right, click Reverse Paths circular arrow and the arrow head will be on the right and the tail on the left.

[Acorn]

Ntxdave, welcome to TalkGraphics.

For (2), you use the Line gallery and (double-)click on a head and ctrl+(double-)click on a tail then draw your straight or curved line.

What you could also do is set up some candidate (straight) lines with starts and ends that you think you need.
Draw any type of line you require then Copy the Start-End type and Paste Attributes. There are 65 combinations, using the offered presets, not counting the size adjustments you can apply.
The Straight Line slider normalises the end to the same scaling, if adjusted.
This also can be onto a straight or curved line.

Equally, you can draw a curved line first and toggle open the Line Gallery and click on one of the four size presets for each of the eight start or ends.
If you Ctrl+click on these again, the selection is added to the other end of the line.
Use No head/No tail for a complete reset.

Finally, you could instead bypass all this and use any of the offered Smart Lines or Arrows. These use a different approach.
They have two advantages. First, they do not render as images. Second, their end points are inclusion of the line length.

Acorn

[Ntxdave]

While the two of you guys are correct in the way you can achieve adding the start and end line arrows (for both straight and curved lines), a much easier method is the one I am seeing in release 24.2 (see the image below).


However, the features shown in my screen shot are only available for straight lines. I would like to see this feature added to the curved line. Especially for new users, this is much more straight forward and easier IMO. Would like for Xara to give it a consideration.

[Ntxdave]

BTW: Is there a way to edit a post? Also, is there a way to reply without quoting? OK - this time I saw links at the bottom of my post that allowed me to edit the post and reply without a quote. I did not see that before.

In my previous post, I wanted to add that the drop down set of icons you see in my post are shown for which ever button you click on for the two options. You do not have to go over to the line gallery and select from there. Again, IMO much more straight forward and easier for new users.

[Acorn]

While the two of you guys are correct in the way you can achieve adding the start and end line arrows (for both straight and curved lines), a much easier method is the one I am seeing in release 24.2 (see the image below).


However, the features shown in my screen shot are only available for straight lines. I would like to see this feature added to the curved line. Especially for new users, this is much more straight forward and easier IMO. Would like for Xara to give it a consideration.

So the argument comes down to moving over to a Gallery and ctrl+/clicking there or clicking on an icon for an arrow and then a second for a tail.

The Line gallery can be pinned is is always visible regardless of tool selection.
Option (2) does give the size slider whereas the Line gallery does not.

You, however, stated heads and tails could not be added ahead of line creation; the Line gallery does that.
Also, you stated that a curved line could not be amended; it can in the Line Gallery.

It might be sensible to have the ends dropdowns and the size slider in the Line gallery instead; the Straight Line Tool would be nigh on redundant.
Go to the Shape Tool, press Make Line, click on your start position, click on you end position --> Straight Line.
The Straight Line Tool only every draws two node. With the Shape Tool you just click, click away for any number of nodes, straight or curved, with the option to adjust at any point (pun intended).
With a final Return key you have a Shape. You also have the means to press the Tab key through all the points.

The Straight Line Tool is a much constrained 2-node Shape generator.

Add an arrow or tail to a line and you render out an image; use the SmartShapes instead.

It is always difficult to ask for something to be changed that is just a workflow. So many others will come back and ask for a reversion or something else.

Acorn

[Ntxdave]

I have tried to find some tutorials or documentation that would explaine things like double clicking or Ctrl+click and I have not found anything anywhere. Can you guys point me to a place to learn things like this? There are many other things I would like to learn as well (like handling/editing photos and etc.) but I have not found a good source.

[Acorn]

I have tried to find some tutorials or documentation that would explaine things like double clicking or Ctrl+click and I have not found anything anywhere. Can you guys point me to a place to learn things like this? There are many other things I would like to learn as well (like handling/editing photos and etc.) but I have not found a good source.

The best place is the Help > Product help... link in your application.

Search 'Lines' and one of the top pages is Line gallery; https://helpandsupport.xara.com/xara...e_gallery.html
The detail you are after is the Arrowheads section.

The absolute best source is, of course, TalkGraphics.
Best practice is one question per Thread.

Acorn

[Ntxdave]

The best place is the Help > Product help... link in your application.
https://helpandsupport.xara.com/xara...e_gallery.html
Acorn

Thanks for the link. Read some very interesting stuff.

[gwpriester]

We've been doing some of these things so long that we overlook the new improvements.