Corel Essentials

[BBoehle@Erinet.com]

I thought I found a deal on Corel Essentials which includes CorelDraw...$50.00 so I picked it up thinking I could do text in DXF format from info I was reading here. This version does not have DXF filters? Tried EPS but that doesn't work so great either (to TurboCad).
Any suggestions or did I just buy the wrong product....so much for a good deal?
Bruce

[swims@mindspring.com]

Which version of CorelDraw do you have?

You should be able to find the dxf or autocad option when you are ready to save or export your drawing.

[danhamm@abccom.bc.ca]

I think you bought a stripped version..Full version Coreldraw 8 is one of the stablest versions,
and you can usually pick it up on ebay for $39.00

[Bruce Boehle]

Steve and Dan,
It is Coreldraw 9 but I think Dan is right. It is a stripped down version. I think I can probably export over in DWG format though since I haven't tried that yet. I will also see about getting corel8 on ebay if that's best.

Thanks for your help
Bruce

[danhamm@abccom.bc.ca]

If you have a DWG. filter you should have the others you might have to install them, their is a
pull down menu and you can select your raster and
vector filters for export from it..

[gerald_d]

I know nothing about Corel, but one of our clients said that he had to run the CorelTrace utility before he could export the .dxf file. Maybe this comment is helpful??? . . . .

[Bruce Boehle]

Dan,

I thought I had a DWG filter but do not. EPS is the only thing that I have to work with and it is not good. Ebay shows a CorelDraw8 graphics suite for $15. Do you know if this will have the dxf,DWG filters in it?

Gerald,
I don't know about trace but I will see what I can find out.

Thanks to all,
Bruce

[danhamm@abccom.bc.ca]

Yes Bruce, it will have " coreldraw, Photopaint,and corel trace..
Corel trace is just that a raster to vector trace.
what its used for is converting a bitmap image to
lines, it does this in a raster format.. it has nothing to do with exporting dxf.files..

[Bruce Boehle]

Thanks Dan,

Appreciate the input.

Does anyboby else out there use VersaCad? I find it to be very easy to use with Vector and Shopbot and it has its own DXF converter.

Thanks again,

Bruce

[gerald_d]

Hi Dan, your last comment is exactly the part that worries me. Again I say that I know nothing about Corel, but I do know that a raster image cannot be exported as a dxf (in any software).

DXF's are a file interchange format for vector images only - hence it sounds logical that Corel must do a raster to vector conversion (trace?) before it will give you a dxf file. No???

[swimsNOSPAM@mindspring.com]

Actually, no. CorelDraw only creates images in vector format.

You would be dealing with raster format if you were working in PhotoPaint, scanning an image, or using files from a digital camera. When you are working directly in CorelDraw and want to save as or export in a different file format, the conversion is not a raster to vector, but one type of vector to another.

[gerald_d]

Steve, when I read from the top of this thread, it wasn't clear that we are talking about a drawing that was created in CorelDraw. Right at the top the problem seems to be text oulines. Bruce does NOT say that he created something in CorelDraw. My guess is that we are dealing with rasters here in this thread and nothing will ever export that as dxf unless some tracing is done.

[BBoehle]

Hi guys,

To clarify. I normally do all my drawings in VersaCad. VersaCad does not do text in any thing other than standard mechanical format. I thought by stepping into Corel...whatever version..that I could create text strings...be more creative...dxf them over to TurboCad, add whatever images etc and then to Vector for toolpath. So the problem I believe is strictly in that I bought a stripped down version without the benefit of these filters.
Keep in mind I do not have the computer expertise that you guys do so if it doesn't do it with some sort of intuitive type structure I have trouble. It doesn't matter to me how many programs I use as long as I get the end result. For all my mechanical type work I will still use VersaCad/Vector. What I need now is the best option for text. VCarvz is nice but somewhat limited so I thought Corel was it.
Thanks again for your help. Discussions such as this probably help others as much as myself.
I can see that for every question there are many answers.
Bruce

[swimsNOSPAM@mindspring.com]

Gee, Gerald, that's alot of bold lettering. Looks like you took something I said personally.

[gerald_d]

Sorry Steve, nothing personal at all!!! I was just playing with the formatting to emphasise certain parts of the post. Maybe italics would have been less "aggressive"?:

Steve, when I read from the top of this thread, it wasn't clear that we are talking about a drawing that was created in CorelDraw. Right at the top the problem seems to be text oulines. Bruce does NOT say that he created something in CorelDraw. My guess is that we are dealing with rasters here in this thread and nothing will ever export that as dxf unless some tracing is done.

Really nothing personal Steve - sorry that my formatting gave you that idea

[gerald_d]

Bruce, both Vector and TurboCad should do the outer edges of all the TrueType text fonts on your computer. From these programs, you should be able to send .dxf's of your text outlines to VersaCad.

I seem to recall somebody posting a link to a free text to .dxf converter about 2-3 months ago. If I remember correctly, Fred Smith said that he also used it from time to time (for text on a curve) . . . . ?

[gerald_d]

Found the topic (http://www.talkshopbot.com/forum/messages/31/833.html?) for the free text converter.

[danhamm@abccom.bc.ca]

Gerald in one of your threads above you mention we are dealing with "rasters here" 'no'...
We are dealing with TTF. true type fonts which
are thier own entity.. corel uses TTF in its native form..you have to convert the befor saveing
as a dxf..or if you use them to cut or contour then you don't have to because the process auto
converts them..
Raster is taking a picture of lines or anything
into a trace program and using a rasterizational
scan to create lines from the scan of the picture
hence the broken segments that are horrible to try
and cut as they are scanned and assembled in a horrizontal scan..

[gerald_d]

My guess was the use of rasters. The EPS mentioned in the opening post is a raster format.

[BBoehle]

OK guys...play nice!

I downloaded the deskgrave file you pointed me to. Now all I have to do is try it. Using the shopbot is definitely creative use of many sources.

Thanks again,

Bruce

[danhamm@abccom.bc.ca]

Bruce the only programs I use are corel windows version and I am also using coreldraw for linux..

If you are interested in what corel can produce
signage wise I have some pics on my website..
http://www.burningimpressions.ca/signs

there is also video's you can download showing the
making of corel cutfiles..
http://www.burningimpressions.ca/videoclips

[KILIAN55@ATTBI.COM]

I AM TRYING TO CONVERT FROM CORAL TO SHOPBOT. OK, WHEN I DRAW A BOX IN CORAL AT O,O POINT AND CONVERT IT IN SHOPBOT IT IS NOT AT O,O IT IS IN THE -2,-4 . CAN ANY ONE HELP ME WITH THIS.I ALLSO MADE A BIGGER FILE IN CORAL AND HAD TO MOVE THE PART IN CORAL 24" OFF TO MAKE IT WHERE I WHATED IT ANY HELP WOULD BE GRATE!

[KILIAN55@ATTBI.COM]

JUST TO LET U KNOW I HAVE CORAL 8

[frank]

Larry,

The 0,0 point for ShopBot is in the lower left of the preview screen or at the corner of your table. Corel's 0,0 is dead center, so if you want the file to transfer to ShopBot with the same values you will have to design your part in the upper right quadrant in Corel.

[kaaboom_99]

Hi Larry,
I have heard of this problem a while back and to get around it I have a default page sized at 96" wide by 48" tall (landscape). Any and all designs I create are place with the lower left edge of the material place in corel 8 at 48,24. This is the location of 0,0 on my PRT96.
Hope this helps. Maybe go over the past posts relating to Corel for more information.

[larryk]

thanks that help me out alot! perry