I am sick, sick, SICK OF THIS!!!

[Big Frank]

This is not the first time I have reported a problem with XaraX's gif animation, but this time I have the evidence!

I never had a problem with Xara2 creating anigifs. As soon as I bought XaraX, I started to have problrems with it. Some wise man then said 1.0c would fix it and, of course, it didn't.

Please, everybody, go look at this page: XaraX / Xara2 Comparison

You'll see that in images 3,4,7 & 8 (XaraX), the animation has lost the red artery colour. But in images 9 to 12 (Xara2) the red is still there.

Now look at the pathetic anti-aliasing in images 3,4,7 & 8 and compare it to the fine job Xara2 made of it in images 9 to 12.

Now look at the difference in file size between images 3 & 4 and images 7 & 8. This is a ridiculous size increase, just by adding an alpha channel! Xara2's gif animation is transparent by default and the file sizes are also nothing to write home about, but if you're going to offer transparency as an option then why handicap the user with such an increase in filesize.

To create my animations I am now forced to going back to Xara2 until Xara fix this bug! Of all the images I produced, the best with regard to final output and file size was image number 9, a Xara2 production.

Nobody who lurks around here can deny my love of XaraX and its many improvements over Xara2, but Xara really hack me off when they cannot even be bothered to respond to genuine bug reports, and this is not the first time this 'feature' has been reported.

Xara, I am waiting... 1.0c did not fix this!

--
Big Frank was
http://www.wognum.org/files/madewithxarax.gif

[Big Frank]

This is not the first time I have reported a problem with XaraX's gif animation, but this time I have the evidence!

I never had a problem with Xara2 creating anigifs. As soon as I bought XaraX, I started to have problrems with it. Some wise man then said 1.0c would fix it and, of course, it didn't.

Please, everybody, go look at this page: XaraX / Xara2 Comparison

You'll see that in images 3,4,7 & 8 (XaraX), the animation has lost the red artery colour. But in images 9 to 12 (Xara2) the red is still there.

Now look at the pathetic anti-aliasing in images 3,4,7 & 8 and compare it to the fine job Xara2 made of it in images 9 to 12.

Now look at the difference in file size between images 3 & 4 and images 7 & 8. This is a ridiculous size increase, just by adding an alpha channel! Xara2's gif animation is transparent by default and the file sizes are also nothing to write home about, but if you're going to offer transparency as an option then why handicap the user with such an increase in filesize.

To create my animations I am now forced to going back to Xara2 until Xara fix this bug! Of all the images I produced, the best with regard to final output and file size was image number 9, a Xara2 production.

Nobody who lurks around here can deny my love of XaraX and its many improvements over Xara2, but Xara really hack me off when they cannot even be bothered to respond to genuine bug reports, and this is not the first time this 'feature' has been reported.

Xara, I am waiting... 1.0c did not fix this!

--
Big Frank was
http://www.wognum.org/files/madewithxarax.gif

[gwpriester]

Big Frank

I think doing your comparison chart is what put you over the edge [img]/infopop/emoticons/icon_eek.gif[/img]

Obviously there are some rough edges to be smoothed out. And it seems as if you are better off using Xara 2 for animation until the Xara team fine tune the current animation engine.

Gary

Gary Priester

Moderator Person

Be It Even So Humble...

[qmr]

I do remember tearing my hair out over anim gifs from X(2), whre colours flickered and things went haywire. Changing colour space etc often didnt fix it, I went back to the file and copied/pasted each frame into a new file and exported again. But this is not the prob with X(x).

hmmm...

When things go wrong here I gaze wistfully into my pond and wish I could become a fish.

Frank, I'd say you're a prime candidate for my pond.. the fish there care not a whit for gifs.
Only bugs -(oops)

Q.
http://www.Qdesign.co.nz

[Big Frank]

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR> Frank, Frank, Frank. How do you really feel :-) <HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

I'll let you know... [img]/infopop/emoticons/icon_frown.gif[/img]

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR> Frank, I'd say you're a prime candidate for my pond.. <HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Got any room for some crap animations? [img]/infopop/emoticons/icon_mad.gif[/img]

I just spent ages working on a complicated drawing including frills not supported by Xara2. I'll get round the problem, I always do, eventually, but it's just right royal pain in the arse when this happens, especially when I'm on a deadline. Damn and blast...

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Big Frank was
http://www.wognum.org/files/madewithxarax.gif

[John F Dye]

Frank,
Well not exactly the same experience, but I had finally worked a deal with a publisher to use some of my ship pics on the rear cover of a book. He just wanted a TIFF of a section of one illustration to print and show to some of the editing folks. And of course I discover I cannot export TIFF with XaraX. Same deal, I had used the shadow tool extensively so could not go back to 2.0. Ended up creating a BIG jpg and then converying it to a TIFF in Photo Shop. Quality losses all around but started big enough so the end result was Ok (sort of).
I hope you can work out a solution.
Xara needs to address these issues.
John

[diniel]

Frank, it's a conspiracy. They sap your energy. They drain your enthusiasm for life. Make friends with Convert to Shapes and exporting out of Xara 2, it's the only way. Keep things easy, you'll only graze your head on that wall. [img]/infopop/emoticons/icon_smile.gif[/img]

[Egg Bramhill]

Frank
I can only agree with you that the bitmap filters seem to be a major problem with XX. As well as your observations, I've also noticed that the export to a raster image now takes up to 10 minutes!!!. Often I give up and do a screen grab using PSP.(These are if bevels etc are used). I've also noticed that imported raster images are misreported by a factor of ten in the bitmap gallery. Why these problems have crept into XX which weren't present in CX I 've no idea. I only wish they fix the ******* thing.
Egg

[Big Frank]

Where do I begin...

No, but seriously. XaraX is a great product, and much improved on Xara2 but I have heard all of the above observations before, and from different people, in these forums, and rarely seen any response from the people at Xara. Yet we know they monitor these forums and they even have time to post their own pictures in the gallery, but they rarely find the time to post a one-liner saying "dear valued Xara customer, we are aware of the problem and we are working in a version 1.0d patch which will resolve the following issues, blah blah blah".

We are the people who are promoting this product. These forums are populated in the main by discerning artists who know their stuff so most of the opinions expressed here are clearly objective and based upon an experience of a wide range of apps, most of which are seen to fall below the level of XaraX. Look at the number of people who read some of the interesting posts - hundreds and hundreds of them.

Yet when a real bug is pointed out nobody at Xara Mansions can find the two minutes required for an acknowledgement.

That's what really bugs me.

Registered users should have a password-protected area on xara.com which includes a constantly-updated list of known issues, a bug-reporting feature and a patch download area. As a director of a company that provides both internet products and services I am fully aware of customer service issues. Customers should be seen to have 'MMFI' stamped on their forehead - 'Make Me Feel Important', and I think it is something Xara should address.

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Big Frank was
http://www.wognum.org/files/madewithxarax.gif

[FLySOLO]

like big frank said

an area with detailed build informations on xara x would be nice and helpfull.

to animation and web stuff

i´m still using xara for the design and fireworks
for the animating, slicing, scripting...

FLySOLO