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In this issue:
Xara X. Where's My Disc?
Xara X. The Manual—Chapter 6.
Insider Information
Moving Announcement (After the Fact)
New Year. New Look!
Although we are already 1/24 through with the year 2001, let me wish all of you a Happy New Year. While many of you were frolicking
on the Riviera, the French Alps, Boca Raton, or other holiday pleasure sports, your editor (yep, that's still your's truly) was busy redesigning the XaraXone, Trompe L'Oeil Room and the WebXealot. Not to mention
transferring five years worth of files from i/us (remember them?) to the new and improved XaraXone.com site. The last of the files and new site design were uploaded, just in the St. Nicholas of time, on New Year's
Eve. Your editor generously allowed himself to take the New Year's Day off, never climbing out of bed all day long while over-dosing on football, football and more football. It was heaven. On a sadder note, we morn
the passing of Wilbur finch, who never got used to the altitude in Placitas, New Mexico. Or perhaps he was just old. With the two finches gone, our household has been reduced to Mr. Editor's (long-suffering) wife Mary,
Harry the still excellent canary, and the five cats. The chickens went to live on a ranch in Petaluma, California (which bills itself as the "Chicken Capital of the World!") where they are fed fresh-baked corn bread.
Hard life if you ask me. Xara X. Where's My Disc?
OK, so everybody has now purchased her and his copy of Xara X. And now your whining, where's my disc? (Well at least your editor has been whining that). So your
editor contacted Xara Central and asked the big question. Where's the disc?! The answer, the disc is coming. Soon. There were a few last minute wrinkles to be ironed out, which are expected to be handled soon and the
discs will be in the mail.In the mean time, there is a late-breaking update, Xara X 1.0aa available for download at the Xara site. CLICK HERE
to download Xara X 1.0aa. If you are the cautious type who has to be convinced first, download the trial version. Once you are hopelessly hooked, you can
purchase the unlock key to register your copy. If you have already purchased Xara X, simply install version 1.0aa
over your existing version and it will know (how it knows your editor does not know) you to be an honest person of good standing who has already forked out your hard-earned cash and will ask no more of you.
The Xara X Online Manual continues with this month's installment covering the The Transparency Tool, Mould Tool, Shadow Tool and the Push and Zoom Tools
. If I left something out, or if something is not clear, use the form on Page 8 to contact me. And don't forget, every Xara tool is covered in excruciating detail in the Help pull down menu.Speaking of the Online Manual, Eric Bramhill
wrote your editor (still me) to add one more feature to my Text Tool review. Eric writes: I would like to point out one omission re keyboard shortcuts. ie "Esc" [the Esc key] to select all the text. I
know it doesn't highlight the text but is an excellent shortcut if you wish to alter font or type size. Great tip, Eric.
Insider Information The Featured Artist
for January is all of the above. Huh? I have assembled a retrospective show featuring all of the previous featured artists since I started having a featured artist section about two years ago. Have a peek.
The January Trompe L'Oeil Room
explores the new powers of Xara X's Animation features and shows, step by step, how the animation on the front page of the new XaraXone was created. The biggest change in the animation capabilities is a small one. Very small. Xara has maximized the export animated Gif filter creating much smaller file sizes.
Moving Announcement (After the Fact) Just a reminder:
i/us was sold to EyeWire.com in February. As of January 1, 2001, the WebXealot and XaraXone have moved a new URL: XaraXone.com. Bookmark this URL. Recognizing a good thing (even if EyeWire.com, the folks who purchased i/us
and are now decommissioning i/us, don't) talkgraphics.com
is the new home for all the former conferences on i/us, including, of course, the four Xara conferences. And your moderator crew will remain pretty much the same with a few additions.I am thrilled that Xara Ltd
. has agreed to sponsor the XaraXone, the Trompe L'Oeil Room Xara tutorials, and the WebXealot as well as the Xara Conferences so the channels of communication shall remain open. It's
been an interesting year to say the least, and it has just begun! Your editor thanks all of you who have written with your questions, comments, kudos, and occasional complaints. And while your editor flinches a little
when the brutally honest and frank comments come his way, all comments are welcome and help to make the WebXealot a better whatever-it-is-thing. |
