Getting Started with Xara Xtreme

This class is now DIY.

If you've ever wanted to try a drawing program, Xara Xtreme is a great place to start. With Live Effects and interactive tools, this program is easy and fun to use yet extremely powerful! Clever use of transparency and fills lets you create photo realistic illustrations as well as traditional vector graphics. Edit photos with the Xara Picture Editor. Custom brushes and fills let you create one-of-a-kind illustrations with ease. Come see why Xara Xtreme is a great program!

Prerequisites:

All you need is a desire to learn and a copy of Xara Xtreme. A 15 day trial version can be downloaded from Xara. Give it a try and see what you think. Join the Xara_Talk Yahoo group for more information on Xara Xtreme and to interact with others learning the program.

An understanding of your computer and operating system is required. You must know how to unzip a file and locate it and open it in Elements once you have unzipped it. You must understand the use of menus (File > Open, or any other command) and keyboard shortcuts. This means knowing how to use commands for your operating system, such as command + V means paste on the Mac and control + V means paste on the PC.

To post homework, you will have to be able to either build a simple webpage, use one of the free web hosts or photo gallery sites. Ideas for free or low cost web space can be found here: http://www.northlite.net/homework.htm If you are really new to web pages then I suggest one of the gallery sites like Yahoo Photos which is free or pbase which is very reasonable. Neither of those options require you to know any html.

Links:

Suggestions of where to find space to post homework

Xara Xtreme Trial Download

Xara Xone

Subscribe to Xara_Talk

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Enrollment:

Classes are $12 for the DIY course. Enroll for this class here.

Syllabus

Lesson 1

Xtreme Tool Reference
First Class Info
Exporting Images for the Web
Vector vs Raster
Terms you'll use in Xara Xtreme
The Constrain Key, Context Menus, Stacking Order
Some general observations on working with objects
Making a new document, Saving, Closing, and Opening documents
Using the Undo Command
The Xtreme Interface
Control Bars and Info Bar, the Status Line
Tool Tips
Xara Xtreme Tools
Getting Help
Other Xtreme Resources

Lesson 2

The Standard Control Bar
View Quality
Using the Selector Tool and its Info Bar
Set Origin Position
Skew Handles
Setting X,Y Coordinates of an Object
Using the Rulers to set x,y Coordinates
Changing Units
Resizing Objects
Rotate and Skew
Flip Horizontally or Vertically
Scale Line Widths
Create New Names
Feathering Control Bar
Object Snapping
On Screen Grid
Isometric Grid
Drawing a Landscape
Working with Clipviews

Lesson 3

The Drawing Tools
Freehand and Brush Tool
Line Gallery
Shape Editor Tool
Selecting Point Handles
Changing a Line to a Curve and Vice Versa
Converting Smooth Curves to a Cusp Join
Constraining the Point Handles
Moving the Line by Dragging
Layer Gallery
Using the Pen Tool
Setting up the Grid
Drawing a Heart
Convert to Editable Shapes
Convert Line to Shape
Combining Shapes
Subtracting Shapes
Join Shapes
Yin and Yang: Slicing Shapes
Apple and Pear

Lesson 4

Drawing and Editing QuickShapes
Star Controls
The Bevel Tool
Beveled Buttons
Creating and Saving Brushes in Xtreme
Editing Brushes
Creating a Brush Walkthrough
How to have Custom Brushes Load with Xtreme
How to Load Custom Brushes Temporarily
Anatomy of Type
Typography Do's and Don'ts
Adding Text in Xtreme
Using Superscript and Subscript
Using Leading, Kerning, and Tracking
Justification
Adding Color to Text
Converting Text to Editable Shapes
Seeing what Fonts you Have Used
The Fonts Gallery

Lesson 5

Color Gallery
Fill and Outline Basics
Setting Current Attributes
Changing the Page Color
Using the Fill Tool
Using the Fill Gallery
Duplicates and Clones
Using the Blend Tool

Lesson 6

Opening Bitmaps in Xtreme
The Transparency Tool
Transparency Shapes
The XPE: Xara Picture Editor
Working with Bitmaps
Collages and Composites
Live Effects
Installing Plugins

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All designs and images on these pages are copyrighted to me, Sara Froehlich and Northlite Designs, or in the cases of software boxes and logos, their respective copyright holders. If you want to use something of mine you see, please contact me for permission. Thank you!