Avoid Avoid Avoid (Xara 3D)

Member Name: andycharger

Product:	Xara 3D
Date:	07/09/02 (601 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Cheap, Easy to use

Disadvantages: Tacky, Unprofessional results

Those of you that know me will know that im a web developer. Now part of my job is evaluating new bits of software for use by the rest of the team in the office. This involves downloading tons of applications and giving them a whirl.
In fact, without blowing my own trumpet, I would consider myself the office guru when it comes to graphics. I have favourite pieces of software that I know well and the other guys and gals come to me if they want a graphic or button for a website. In fact, if they want a particular scheme designing, my desk is where they line up.
So it is with this knowledge that I can tell you to do one thing.
Avoid the entire Xara suite like the plague!
You see, the entire Xara range now comprises of 3 applications.

XARA SOFTWARE RANGE
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Their software is tailored directly for graphic design. for making buttons and other web necessities.
These are:

Xara Webstyle 3.
Xara X
Xara 3d (written about here)

Before the newer Xara X was another application called Webstyle which was more based on web design and has obviously recieved to much competition from decent development interfaces to carry on.

Anyway, back to the software

Xara 3D
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Background.

Most of you may have dabbled in web design at home and im sure quite a few (like GR-Design amongst others) do it professionally. Well I am as guilty as most when I first got into web design. I wanted all of the flashing graphics, buttons and gadgets on one page, all at once. The more movement the better was my philosophy. In hindsight, I wish someone had taken me aside and given me a good hiding for my concepts.

This is where Xara 3D is most at home. Literally, at home on tacky home made web sites for people with no taste or sense at all.
It is used to produce some of the worst and damnright ugliest graphics the world has ever seen.

Usability.
Frightfully easy which is
actually a drawback in the professional world. If its easy to master it cannot be too complicated and therefore not produce a decent end product. Xara 3D does not let me down here. Easy to use with S**t results!
Anyone with little or no knowledge can get to grips with its easy to navigate menus and tutorials which were very easy to follow.
In fact, all of the gadgets to move the graphics, shrink,enlarge,cut,paste,etc are all right infront of your eyes here.

What is good on it?
Well, with the latest release of 3D, you can now export all of your lovely tacky designs straight into a decent graphics package like Fireworks and Flash. This is because it now supports its file format. Before there was little or no portability of the graphics other than in finished form. This was GIF, JPEG and BMP.
But hang on,If you had Fireworks and Flash, why the hell would you use Xara? They do the same job and are far superior and do a lot more besides!

You can also now create your screen savers and banners thanks to an improvement in its functionality.
Before you just literally built a static 3D image. Now you can at least build it to do something and save it as a SCR file. This is what your screensavers are called.

You also get a free copy of WEbster 2 with every purchase. Funny how its not developed anymore so you are getting redundant software. Thanks a lot!

What are the images like?
Well if you like lots of bright colours then this is your tool. Personally, I think their templates are totally unusable. However, the resolution is vastly improved and they are very crisp and clear nowadays. A vast improvement on the previous release.
However, they still lack that professional touch so stay away if you are going to use them in a business environment.

Installation.
Well its only a small file and takes a maximum of 1 minute to install. Shows how limited the program must be.
Quick and easy. Minimum user in
put.

System requirements.
Windows 95/98/ME/2000/NT4/XP
32 MB RAM
Intel compatible 486 or better
That says to me it is very low demanding. This equals low QUALITY!


Price.
Well you can download an evaulation copy for 15 days for free with very limited usability. You can test it out but not do a lot else with it.
To buy it costs $49 for a boxed version or $39 for just the CD. $10 for a box? Rip off! However, you can upgrade the CD if you have an older version from $10.
Why it is in Dollars when they are based in the UK, god only knows!

Web Site.
http://www.xara.com/products/xara3d/
Visit it for a more indepth look at the software.

Overall.
One to avoid if you put quality ahead of price. Tack Tack Tack.

Summary: