Page 354 - Xara Web Designer Premium

354 Photo Handling

Where you might have to use layers in other photo tools, every object in Xara Web
Designer Premium is on its own layer and, just as with any object on the page, you can
move it forward to be in front, or backwards to be behind other objects.

Photo Groups

If you edit a photo using some tools such as the integrated RED EYE TOOL, the photo
becomes grouped with other objects that modify the image in some way. For example
with the RED EYE TOOL, the ellipse shapes that are used to modify the red eye areas of
the photo are grouped with the photo itself. This is called a PHOTO GROUP and you’ll see
this on the status line when you select such a modified photo.

Similarly - if you enhance a photo while you have an active Mask or region, an enhance
region is placed inside the Photo Group.

You can also clone (Ctrl+K) objects within photo groups - the cloned object then appears
as the topmost object in the Photo Group (look in the Page and Layer Gallery (on page
447) to verify!)
Just like an ordinary group it keeps the photo together with the other objects that have
been added to modify it, but unlike a group it is still treated as if it was an ordinary photo
by the PHOTO TOOLS and other tools. Normally photo groups are automatically placed
inside a clipview object, which clips any objects which overlap the edge of the photo, to
the boundaries of the photo itself. That’s why when you select a photo group the status
line usually shows you have a "Clipped photo group" selected. See the Clipview section
(on page 125) of Object Handling for information about Clipviews.

Differences between Photo Groups and Photos:

• Photo Groups collect together a simple photo and some vector edits.
• You can push a photo around in its clipping shape within the FILL TOOL but you can't
do quite the same thing with Photo Groups (either select inside and move the base
photo, or use the right click context menu to select the clipped objects and then drag
them in the selector tool).
• Some operations will convert Photo Groups to photos.

If you want to convert a Photo Group into an ordinary photo object, you can use
"UTILITIES" > "OPTIMIZE PHOTO". But note that this is destructive in that thereafter you will
not be able to modify any of the photo edits you’ve applied to the photo. Some other
operations such as content-aware scaling and contoning also convert photo groups into
flat photos, because these operations aren’t able to preserve the photo group structure.
When a photo group needs to be converted in this way a warning alert is shown first.

Photo Grids, Panels and Frames

There are essentially two types of Photo Grid, which are a compact array of photos:
RESIZABLE PHOTO GRIDS, and SMART PHOTO GRIDS. The PHOTO PANELS are a combination