Xara Xtreme verison 4

[Charles Moir]

We're pleased to make available an early release of the new Xara Xtreme 4 and Xara Xtreme Pro 4 available to TalkGraphics forum users. This is a late Beta release. If you find problems please report them here, but please try and reproduce from scratch any problems and provide detailed step-by-step instructions on how to reproduce any issues.

We have not officially launched the product yet - that will happen next week.

Both Xtreme and Pro are being updated, and have a similar set of new features.

Headline New Features

• An integrated, ultra-fast, non-destructive photo tool.
• The world’s fastest, highest quality vector 3D extrude tool
• Major text tool improvements, including real-time text flow around shapes
• A new HTML 'website creation' feature. Build complete multi-page websites, with the world’s most advanced WYSIWYG page layout controls
• New super-high quality vector and photo rendering
• (Xtreme Pro only): Support for multi-core processors. This provides an average of 40% speed gain on a dual-core computer when rendering large or zoomed in images. The world's fastest graphics software is now even faster.

Other enhancements:

• Improved color picking and editing including an enhanced eye dropper color picker on the color line.
• New Selector tool options, such as 'scribble-select' (Xtreme Pro only)
• New and improved import and export of industry standard graphics formats, including XPS import, JPEG 2000 import / export, Photo HD import (all Xtreme Pro only) and improved PDF import
• Improved font and text (Unicode) handling
• A new hierarchical Font menu with WYSIWYG font display, and 'used fonts' section
• Live in-document font preview and live font size selection
• A completely new automatic panorama photo stitching feature
• (Xtreme Pro only): An integrated key shortcut utility for customizing shortcuts
• Improved photo handling including a new ‘photo document’
• Many new non-destructive Live Effects added
• A large number of new fully customizable templates including HTML web pages
• (Xtreme Pro only). A bundled copy of Panorama Studio. This is an advanced version of the built-in feature included as standard (Xara Xtreme owners can upgrade for Euro 19).
• Improved, more accurate shape intersection (path clipping)
• Easier clipped Flash animations (set the page size)

And Other Minor Improvements including:

• Zoom out now retains the image in the center of the screen even down to small zoom
• Photos show the Megapixel size in the bitmap gallery
• Single tile bitmap fills now show transparent around the outside, in order to avoid edge aliasing effects (and it's also more compatible with Adobe clip regions).
• New ‘import to new page’ option in the clipart gallery
• Improved feather slider and pop-up sliders generally
• An option to maintain the geometry of a photo fill when you drop a different photo on the fill.
• Font type (OpenType, TrueType, Type 1) displayed in font menu (Xtreme Pro only)
• Optional automatic underlining of hyperlinks on text
• Flash export is now automatically clipped to page size
• Easy photo optimization (downsizing of very large photos to make designs smaller and photo operations faster)
• Ability to save original imported JPEG data from Bitmap gallery

Xara Xtreme classic also gains these new features:

• Multi-page capability
• RAW file import
• Photo levels tool

You can download a trial of either Xtreme or Xtreme Pro, which can be installed alongside your existing Xara Xtreme.

The website is not being launched until next week, although there are release notes (PDF) on the download page that describe in detail all the new features.

You will be able to purchase a new copy or an upgrade, although the purchase pages on the website are not final or complete - the upgrade and unlock process should work fine.

Introductory Upgrade prices
Xtreme version 3.2 to Xtreme version 4 - $39
Xtreme Pro 3.2 to Xtreme Pro 4 - $49

Download link http://www.xara.com/us/download/
Upgrade or New Purchase http://www.xara.com/us/buy/default.asp?v=both

Your specific upgrade price will be calculated once you've signed into your online account, when you click the Buy option from the website or from the trial software.

Enjoy.

Xara

PS And there will be no March Outsider this month - there will be an April issue at the end of next week that will cover the features of the new release in detail. The plan is that further issues will then be at the start of subsequent months, not the end.

[ss-kalm]

That sounds like a lot of what people have asked for!

Thank You Charles.

Are you telling us that Xara Xtreme will now replace applications like Frontpage (for example) .........

[handrawn]

Thanks for the early release Charles

[Soquili]

5 Star news!

Thanks Charles.

[gracehjs]

Thanks Charles, it sounds great. I am downloading as we speak:-).

[a4hire]

Great news! I am downloading and buying ASAp. only 50 dolars! woo hoo!

[Charles Moir]

FrontPage and Dreamweaver are both powerful, dedicated web authoring tools. So in the same way that Xtreme is not a replacement for the more advanced pixel editing feature of Photoshop, it is not a replacement for the more powerful or advanced 'HTML hacking' features of these programs. Xtreme does not provide any HTML view, style sheet editing or FTP upload capability for example.

Xtreme is, of course, primarily a graphics application. Those web authoring tools are absolutely not graphics programs and you are expected to purchase and use separate tools to create your web graphics (many use Xtreme for this), and use Frontpage or Dreamweaver to do the page layout and HTML stuff.

So what Xtreme is good for is a one-stop-shop for creating graphically advanced websites. Secondly it's dead simple. Draw whatever you like, wherever you like on the page. Use a few simple rules about grouping graphics and use of layers for mouse-over effects (see the release notes). Export as HTML - and you have a website that's basically exactly what you see in Xtreme.

So it's really much easier than using FrontPage or Dreamweaver, but you are also able to create websites that those product cannot possibly hope to do. But if you want advanced HTML, CSS, or scripting control, then Xtreme doesn't help you.

[ss-kalm]

The text repel feature work very well - Looks like I will be purchasing the upgrade very soon.

[Daniel]

Originally Posted by Charles Moir

eye dropper color picker on the color line

Worth the upgrade alone!

[a4hire]

The 3d extrude tool is great.