[XaraXtreme-dev] Xara LX News

["Neil Howe" <NeilH@xxxxxxxx>]

0.2 milestone reached

The buds of greatness are beginning to show through !
 
We've updated the recommended version to the current 0.2 version. Available for download for your pleasure. This is a very considerable improvement over the previous 0.1 recommended version.
 
* Rendering now includes feather (soft edged objects), shadows, dynamic blends, all fill and transparency types. Just about everything in fact.
* Page scrolling has been dramatically improved.  It's now slick, glitch free and as good as the Windows version. (Note the short-cut of holding the mouse wheel down to push the page around). So page scrolling and pushing is now pretty impressive.
* Tool framework is starting to be enabled.
    - You can select some of the tools. The InfoBar for each tool is being drawn (badly in some cases)
    - In the Selector tool you can select and drag objects on the page
    - You can resize objects (but not rotate)
    - Zoom and Push tools work. You can lasso to zoom into any area
* Some of the buttons are wired up
    - Undo and redo work
    - You can delete the selected objects
    - The open button no longer works but you can select the Open menu to load example drawings.
 
Perhaps the largest problem with the current version (apart from not being finished) is bad redraw problems when you select tools or click back in the Canvas. This looks due to some WxWidgets bugs. Oh and the combo box drop-downs are very poor - another WxWidgets problem. We hope these will get resolved soon.
 
New Artwork
Checkout some of the new artwork (in the Designs folder when you install), that demonstrate some of the new rendering features. In particular the file called 'Jose-Viper.xar' for one of the most impressive vector drawings you are ever going to see from any vector package.  An amazing photo-realistic drawing that you would not imagine was a vector drawing.
 
Mac devs
We've had a few volunteers to help build the Mac version who have unfortunately not been able to help.  Are there other Mac devs out there who want to be involved in creating a truly ground-breaking Mac application (we have just loads of interest from users, testers, designers who are as keen as hell to see this app on the Mac)? If you're a C++ Mac dev and really have some time to give us, email developers@xxxxxxxx
 
Libre Graphics Meet
Remember we'll be demonstrating Xara LX and Xara Xtreme at the open-source graphics meeting in Lyon France, March 17th to 19th. Come see just how amazing Xara LX will be.
http://www.libregraphicsmeeting.org/
Open to everyone and free to attend.
 
Find out more at XaraLX.org
 
Onwards and upwards;
The Xara Team