Xara pro-5

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Xara pro-5

Postby reeffish1073 » Nov 30, 2009 8:06 pm

Hey all

I am entering the world of cartography using a computer drawing program, and have downloaded Xara pro-5. I am a little lost as to how to start this thing. I know i need to layer using the line plot from compass, then add the sketches to redraw over them, but am lost as to how to make this happen! Anyone out there using this, able to help me get started so i can tinker with the program, and get to know it better? Any help would be really appreciated!

Thanks
John
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Re: Xara pro-5

Postby barcelonacvr » Nov 30, 2009 9:58 pm

The cave diggers website has a XARA tutorial that may be good for your version.I used it for XARA X and it was amazingly easy to get going with the tutorial...very well done
Last edited by barcelonacvr on Dec 1, 2009 1:08 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Xara pro-5

Postby reeffish1073 » Dec 1, 2009 12:13 am

Thanks

I think this will help out a good bit, beteween that and the introductory videos on Xara's website, i think i might be able to learn this thing!

Thanks
John
:kewl: :cavingrocks: :kewl:
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Re: Xara pro-5

Postby barcelonacvr » Dec 1, 2009 1:07 am

Great!!! I look forward to seeing one of your maps sometime.
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Re: Xara pro-5

Postby reeffish1073 » Dec 1, 2009 1:57 am

It will probably be awhile! The current project i am working on is still ongoing in the survey with over 2.5 miles of mapped passage!

Thanks
John
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Re: Xara pro-5

Postby Jeff Bartlett » Dec 1, 2009 10:56 am

reeffish1073 wrote:It will probably be awhile! The current project i am working on is still ongoing in the survey with over 2.5 miles of mapped passage

Learn with something small, that's my advice. I started out by drafting half of a 6-mile-long cave, and I'm still knee-deep in the seemingly endless process of redrafting the mess I made. It'll take you a little while to develop your own style and skill set.

I'm more of a Walls-and-Illustrator guy than a Compass-and-Xara guy, but happy to help when the questions are cartographic and not technical. Congratulations on being a sucker inspired enough to start drawing cave maps!

:bananabat:
"Although it pains me to say it, in this case Jeff is right. Plan accordingly." --Andy Armstrong
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Re: Xara pro-5

Postby barcelonacvr » Dec 1, 2009 3:32 pm

reeffish1073 wrote:It will probably be awhile! The current project i am working on is still ongoing in the survey with over 2.5 miles of mapped passage!

Thanks
John



I hear ya-just enjoy the journey and eventually you will have spectacular end results.Kudos for taking up mapping- the more passionate surveyors the better.I still have lots to learn but I love doing them-that makes the learning curve go by quickly.

I am working on a very dense maze cave-I have to walk away from it at various times as it gets so intense.One day I will finish.

One thing I found personally helpful- electronically tracing hand drawn cave maps(finished version) helped me get into drawing with a mouse and tablet pen- (once I learned Xara)
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Re: Xara pro-5

Postby cavescom » Dec 2, 2009 2:38 am

Link to the XaraX article http://www.cavediggers.com/xarax.pdf also about 60 topics can be found here http://www.cavediggers.com/caving.html#Space and more info. on other options on the ICDS Board at http://www.incavedigitalsurvey.com

Mark Passerby, Cavediggers.com
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Re: Xara pro-5

Postby reeffish1073 » Dec 2, 2009 4:10 am

Hey all

Thanks for the help!! I played around with the layering function today a bit, and seems to work well! the only thing that is baffeling me is how to import my line plot off compass to where it comes out clear with the survey stations when it gets enlarged to fit the chosen size on xara! Going to try to get it going better tomorrow in the morning when i get home from work! This has been an intresting project i have gotten myself involved in! Sucker?? :rofl: :clap: Yes!!! This cave is my first survey project. You know how these things start out! Me and a friend / Fellow caver, go ridge walking. Find nice cave entrance blowing mad air! Get involved in digging / micro shaving the entrance to get in with other fellow friends / cavers. Project grows, cave gets bigger, More people called! Then BAM! first friend and I are the project managers of said cave! All and All its been one of the best joys of my life compared to my kids being born! Wouldnt trade it for the world! You got to love exploreing!!!!

:kewl: :cavingrocks: :kewl:

John
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Re: Xara pro-5

Postby reeffish1073 » Dec 3, 2009 11:28 pm

hey all

Having problems importing my line plot from compass to XERA. Found the only way i can do it is to click on save screenshot, click on the metafiles tab, and save in either of these two formats under that tab. then save to the desktop. when i import them into XERA from the desktop, it makes the whole line plot like one inch long! This is getting to be discourageing a bit. I know it has something to do with the scaleing on both programs, and am a little lost about how to correct the problem. Any help would be appreciated!

Thanks
John
:shrug:
John Christie
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Flittermouse grotto
Russell County Director VSS
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reeffish1073
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Re: Xara pro-5

Postby Jeff Bartlett » Dec 4, 2009 2:59 pm

reeffish1073 wrote:Having problems importing my line plot from compass to XERA. Found the only way i can do it is to click on save screenshot, click on the metafiles tab, and save in either of these two formats under that tab. then save to the desktop. when i import them into XERA from the desktop, it makes the whole line plot like one inch long! This is getting to be discourageing a bit. I know it has something to do with the scaleing on both programs, and am a little lost about how to correct the problem. Any help would be appreciated!

AH, now I recognize this as what Dan Henry was just asking me about (on your behalf)!

Make sure your screenshot is the proper scale when you import it, that works for me when importing from Compass into Illustrator (and keep in mind I just learned how to export lineplots from Compass to Illustrator about a week and a half ago, and I had to email Pat Kambesis for help myself). The "screen image" feature in Compass is fairly weird, because it's creating a vector metafile using your screen view as a guide as opposed to actually taking a bitmap "screen capture" as one might imagine.
"Although it pains me to say it, in this case Jeff is right. Plan accordingly." --Andy Armstrong
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