Space Invader creation methodology?

[joolz]

Hi guys....

I would like to pick your brains if poss? (Xara newbie)

I would like to create a simple 'Space Invader' figure --I.E ... http://www.theisleofwightcomputergee...ceinvaders.jpg

Now as you know, they are composed of a series of squares (pixels)....I have created a single square and have used the Right Hand drag to copy it.

Now my problem... I have switched on the 'snap' facility (the magnet icon) but Xara seems to have a limited number of snap points within an object. There don't seem to be snap points at the corners of the squares so I cant accurately position them (I assume I can type in the coordinates, but that will be laborious, and is not something I want to do really)

In a similar vein.... Is there a way to create an 'array' of the original square?
I.E copy it, say 4 times in X and Y to produce a 25 square 'grid' that I can then delete individual squares from?

I realise that I could trace the figure outline and not use individual squares .... But, I want to create it from squares and I am struggling to accurately position/copy them (I don't want to do it 'by eye') ... basically, its a learning exercise.

My background is 3D CAD/FEA and perhaps I am asking Xara to do something it's not designed to do? ... this is a 20s job in CAD :-)

Thanks for any thoughts

Julian

[PhilM]

Hi Joolz,

Drag the square by the corner that you want to snap. Only the point under the pointer is "active" for snapping when you drag an object.

And that anwsers your second question about how to make a grid: Just drag the square into position so it snaps with the corner of another square and use the right mouse button to drop a copy, then move to the next position, etc, etc...

Phil

[joolz]

Ah

Got the snap bit working

"When you pick an object up with the magnet turned on, it picks up the nearest "point of interest". When you're dragging the object around and the magnet is on, then the point under the mouse pointer will snap to the outline or other "point of interest" on any visible shape."

Just need to figure out the array copy (if possible)

[joolz]

Hi Joolz,

Drag the square by the corner that you want to snap. Only the point under the pointer is "active" for snapping when you drag an object.

And that anwsers your second question about how to make a grid: Just drag the square into position so it snaps with the corner of another square and use the right mouse button to drop a copy, then move to the next position, etc, etc...

Phil

Hi Phil (cross post)

Thanks .... just got it in the help

Ok the array thing

Imagine you want a 100 x 100 grid .... you wouldn't want to do that with a manual drag/snap...

PS Xara is FANTASTIC software .... Like I say, I am a 3D CAD guy (and developer), but I am really loving Xara

PS2 - FWIW - I Think Xara is too cheap compared to its (inferior competitors )

[PhilM]

Hi Joolz,

There are loads of different ways of making grids but assuming that you want to delete or modify individual items in the grid then making loads of copies of an object is still probably the best way to go.

You can build up a large grid hierarchically. Make a 5*5 grid, then select that entire grid by marquee selecting it and drag that and snap it into place alongside others. When you've got, say a 25*25 grid then select that and start snapping copies of them against each other. It's very quick and easy to build very large grids that way.

Phil

[joolz]

Thanks Phil

Yes I guess it's simple to create copies of copies in a geometric progression

BTW if anyone else needs this... I have found that you need to 'play' with the snap tollerance to get it to behave as required (at least I had to)

From the help

>>The snapping distance is controlled by the mouse tab of the options dialog box ("Utilities -> Options"). You can specify two distances:

[joolz]

I now have an 'Army' of Space Invaders ready to attack

Thanx Phil

Pic

http://www.s166324307.websitehome.co...ra/invader.jpg

and

http://www.s166324307.websitehome.co...a/invader2.jpg

[Soquili]

Hi Joolz,

Welcome to Talkgraphics.

While you and Phil have been resolving the issue I was playing around and came up with a grid spacing that seems to work for me.

I used a 20pixel by 20pixel square that came close to your jpg image.

Your jpg gave me an 11 square by 10 square grid for the invader.

Using the duplication distance set to 20 pixels X and 0 pixels Y I used that to make an 11 square row. Changed the duplication distance to 0 pixels X and -20 pixels Y and made 9 additional rows to complete the character grid. I grouped the squares and then moved it to the Guides layer (had to pull a guide from a ruler to make the layer in the Object Gallery. The solid rectangle of squares became red guide lines. Align the rectangular guide to the grid. Turn on Snap to Grid.

Using a single 20pixel x 20pixel square, left click and drag then with the left button held down you tap the right mouse button to drop a duplicate and it snaps to the grid which now matches the rectangular guide lines.

[joolz]

Fantastic ......

Many ways of skinning a whatsit...

REALLY enjoying Xara ... just working through Gary Boutons book at the mo

Hang on --- NO, I'm working ... yes that's it, working

[highfrontier]

Hi Joolz,

welcome to the boards - I'm also from an industrial design/CAD background and have been using Xtreme for about 1.5yrs now. Never looked back

There's yet another way to make your invader BTW :
- create a rectangle and change it's size to 1mm x 1mm..
- zoom in so the square (pixel) is a sensible size for working
- press <ctrl-k> to 'clone' the shape leaving it in place over the original.
- press a cursor key to move the 'pixel' to be perfectly alongside in whatever direction.
- repeat until you've made your shape.
- when you're happy with the result, scale the invader to the size you need on the page.

this depends on a setting in 'options'>general>nudge distance that controls how far each press of a cursor key moves your object. This is set to 1mm by default.