blend on curves with an offset !!!!!

[ivan louette]

Another partly hidden feature in XaraX !

Here are the steps:

1 clone each object you will put into your blend
2 give no fill and no outline to the clones
3 move the clones to back
4 group each object with its own clone
5 blend your objects toghether with your mouse
6 fit your blend on the curve
7 hold down Ctrl key and click on the object you would offset from the curve (in fact only one of the two grouped objects is selected).
8 now you can move it freely with your arrow keys or your mouse !!!

Here I have positioned one object inside my oval and the other outside to create this semi-spiral.

Enjoy !!!

ivan

[ivan louette]

Another partly hidden feature in XaraX !

Here are the steps:

1 clone each object you will put into your blend
2 give no fill and no outline to the clones
3 move the clones to back
4 group each object with its own clone
5 blend your objects toghether with your mouse
6 fit your blend on the curve
7 hold down Ctrl key and click on the object you would offset from the curve (in fact only one of the two grouped objects is selected).
8 now you can move it freely with your arrow keys or your mouse !!!

Here I have positioned one object inside my oval and the other outside to create this semi-spiral.

Enjoy !!!

ivan

[tonylondon]

Nice one Ivan - the invisible twin. It seems to work with any invisible second object.
As you have demonstrated, it is particularly effective with ovals.
Tony

[ivan louette]

Thanks Tony !

In fact this is a property of the Xara's ability t blend groups and select only one object in the group after that (Ctrl+click). Each time you move an object, the group moves to replace its center on the curve. Thus if you place for example many tiny objects inside an invisible big circle, group them and then blend with a copy, you can move individuals inside the circle without displacing the group.
Here is another kind of blend (only one simple curve and two groups of stars, without background invisible object), used like particles systems which simulate things like fireworks in 3D programs.
That would be an interesting feature for Xara to implement some kind of 2D particles systems !!!

Enjoy !!!

iva

[This message was edited by ivan louette on January 02, 2001 at 12:42 PM.]

[Egg Bramhill]

Ivan
You must spend hours just experimenting. I do, but I always find I can't remember how I achieved an effect when I eventually get there ! Thanks for sharing it.
Egg

[tonylondon]

Hi Ivan and Egg,
one of the nice things about Xara is that it is relatively transparent, allowing us to use it to the maximum.
I shall no doubt be using both of your tips Ivan.
Tony

[jclements]

Hi Ivan,

I used your technique here. A blend from one circle to another. Each circle has gradient fill and a circular stained glass transparency.

The second blend "swath" was a copy of the first. However, Ctrl-click on either circle and rotate the circle and/or the transparency and/or the fills. The intermediate objects become narrower. Changeing the blend's position profile adds some more "depth".

Thanks for sharing your secrets.

Regards, John

[ivan louette]

I have used your tip on two blends (between two circles on circles). Modifying only the orientation of the elliptical transparency may have a very strange but very nice effect on its size along the steps !!!
For the filling I have used circular, repeat, moving the center of fills outside of the shapes.
I have given wall shadow to the result and superposed a quadrangle with violine hue transparency, then converted thewhole into a bitmap with alpha channel.
Then, for the finish I used a circular filling on the background and a white circular transparency in the foreground.

Ah !!! Xara X !!!!