Technical Illustrating - CorelDRAW verses CAD

TDT - Productivity solutions for tech illustrators.

CorelDRAW verses CAD - Round 1 - page 1

This lesson requires the Iso Eval FREE Download. Get it now by clicking on your version number: CorelDRAW 7.0, CorelDRAW 8.0, CorelDRAW 9.0
A number of visitors to this site ask for CAD like commands or their equivalents in CorelDRAW. I’ll try to craft this tutorial to accomplish that plus give our CorelDRAW fans some new tricks. Before we begin I’ll list some "Boy I wish CorelDRAW could do this":

"I wish CorelDRAW would let me enter an objects dimensions". It does! "I wish CorelDRAW had insertion points and absolute zero". It does! "I wish CorelDRAW had CAD like snaps". It does! "I wish CorelDRAW had something like Boolean add and subtract functions ". After a fashion it does! "I wish CorelDRAW was a true 3D application". So do I, - sometimes. "I wish CorelDRAW was CAL’s compliant". It is! (CCITT4 & cgm’s formats). "I wish CorelDRAW could extrude on a path". It does better! "I wish CorelDRAW could perform a circular sweep". So do I, - however… As applications of all kinds mature and the race to add functions continues the difference between applications blurs. Unfortunately the implementation blurs as well so the feature you want may not be where you expect it to be.
	"I wish CorelDRAW would let me enter an objects dimensions". It does! Start a new drawing. Check to make sure the Property Bar is turned on. Choose the rectangle tool and create a rectangle about 2 inches by 2 inches. The second set of numbers from the left on the Property Bar is the x – width followed by y – height (as in top view). Modify this rectangle to be 1.5 inches square by typing the correct numbers in the Property Bar and clicking on the paper. Note; Make sure that the button that looks like a padlock is turned off. This lock button maintains proportions and should be off when you need to correct two dimensions/positions etc.
	"I wish CorelDRAW had insertion points and absolute zero". It does! Reposition the square by changing the x-y address of the first two numbers on the Property Bar to x = 0.00 and y = 0.00 and click on the page. Don’t get blown away because the square is sitting over the bottom left corner of the page. As far as CorelDRAW is concerned this is absolute 0.00 on the x and y axis’s. Check your rulers. Now create a circle with a 0.5 inch diameter (get close and use the Property Bar to correct it). Reposition the circle by changing the x-y address of the first two numbers on the Property Bar to x - 0.00 and y – 0.00 and click on the page. Bingo a 1.50 inch square with a 0.5 inch circle in the middle of it.

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