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ART6
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1993-06-13
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CorelDRAW! 3.0
for Windows
by Tony Curro
The name does NOT say it all! CorelDRAW is an integrated package. It
is a draw program. But, it can also do charting, presentations, and
much more.
The version I received came with a CD-ROM. This was a joy, and worth
the extra money, if you have a CD-ROM drive. The program also came
with a set of floppies. The floppies contain the complete program,
and some fonts. The CD-ROM contains: the complete program, over 250
TrueType and Type 1 (ATM) fonts, 12,000 clipart and symbol files,
more chart templates, more flicks, and CorelPHOTO-PAINT samples.
CD-ROM users can insert the disk and have the complete program
installed, without the need to keep changing disks, as floppy-based
users will have to. However, not all the files are installed from
the CD. Some fonts are added; you can install others later on. The
clipart is also not copied. That would require a huge hard drive. As
it is, depending on what you install, you would require 12-45MB of
hard disk space. Floppy-based systems require a maximum of 20MB hard
disk space. The additional files are only provided to CD-ROM users.
However, if you choose to run CorelDRAW from the CD-ROM, you will
only require about 1MB of hard disk space, plus space for the
installed fonts. When you see what you can do with CorelDRAW, you
may be able to delete some of the other programs that currently
reside on your hard disk.
The heart of Corel is broken down into four main programs:
CorelDRAW, CorelCHART, CorelPHOTO-PAINT and CorelSHOW. Other
programs include: CCCapture, CorelTRACE and CorelMOSAIC.
After installation you should run the tutorial. But, before you do
that, enjoy a video. Yes, the package includes a 54 minute video
that covers the four major portions of CorelDRAW. I found the video
informative; explanations were concise, and slow enough for a user
to actually see what was being done. It was very easy to follow.
Now, after enjoying the video and popcorn, you should run the
tutorial. Look at the video as a trainer, and the tutorial as
hands-on experience. The tutorial takes you through 11 lessons, that
cover the vast majority of the program.
I was overwhelmed, when someone mentioned CorelDRAW. I always
thought of this huge, complex, hard-to-use program. I would even opt
for a low-end package that would be easy to use. Boy, was I
off-base. Yes, the program is huge. It is complex, in the fact there
are several programs interconnected. No! It is not hard-to-use.
After the video, and part of the tutorial, I was doing things, that
I thought would have taken weeks or longer to learn.
Now lets take a look at the parts of CorelDRAW:
CorelDRAW, allows you to manipulate text by kerning, skewing,
rotating, change perspective, and various other effects. This can be
done on a line, or a paragraph. In addition it includes: spell
checker, thesaurus, hyphenation and column creation. Each letter can
be manipulated, by changing color, or otherwise moving it off the
text path and place it above, below, or at an angle to the other
text. You can have unlimited layers on a page for complex drawings.
Objects snap for precision alignment. All this, and the ability to
import text and graphics.
CorelCHART allows you to create pictographs, true 3D charts, line,
bar, pie and more charts. All charts can be edited for a variety of
effects. In a pie chart, for example, you can have a detached
portion in a variety of degrees, or you can choose not to have such
a portion. It has OLE server capabilities. There are also DDE links
to: Excel, Lotus 123, etc. Import data from: Excel, Lotus 123,
Harvard Graphics, dBase, and more. When using data from a
spreadsheet, there is an icon on the top of the screen. Clicking on
it pops up the spreadsheet. Make any changes you wish, and the
charts are updated immediately.
Both CorelDRAW and CorelCHART support the following IMPORT/EXPORT, in
addition to those mentioned above:
Import: PCX, TIFF, BMP, DXF, AI(EPS), GEM, PIC, HPGL, CGM, PIF
(GDF), PICT, WMF, GIF, TGA
Export: EPS, WMF, PCX, TIFF, DXF, CGM, PIF (GDF), GEM, HPGL, AI,
PICT, SCODL, WPG, PFB, TTF, BMP, GIF, TGA
Color and grayscale bitmap exports, with user defined resolution.
CorelSHOW allows you to show presentations in slide show format. OLE
client -- use information from other popular OLE packages. Use
libraries of professionally designed backgrounds. Slide Sorter
allows you to rearrange the slides after you create them. Again, as
with the previous mentioned, you can use a variety of effects on
slides. Use animated flicks, MIDI, etc.-- to add that extra touch.
Included is a run-time version of CorelSHOW. You can distribute
this, and place it on systems that do not have Corel. This way, with
the run-time version, you ALWAYS make your presentation.
CorelPHOTO-PAINT supports PCX, TIFF, GIF, BMP, TGA and MSP files for
import or export. It will also export EPS, and has 24 bit true color
capability. The airbrush feature will only work in 24 bit or
grayscale modes. If you load a picture in 256 color mode, you can
convert it. Some of the other features include: paintbrush, pen,
paint roller, blend, smudge, sharpen, smear, tint, and more. I had a
graphic, which I created by a screen capture. It had the mouse
pointer in the center of the screen. Using Paint, I was able to
erase it, then match the background color, and paint the area.
Using some of the tools, you can not tell it was altered.
CorelMOSAIC allows you to preview Corel applications files, BMP,
Windows DIB, EPS, GIF, GIF, PCX and TIFF. It will even read a Kodak
Photo CD. In all cases it will show you thumbnails of all files in a
directory. You can then print copies of these to your printer.
CCcapture is a small and useful utility. To enable it you double
click its icon. To disable it, you do the same. When it is running,
it will capture the desktop, screen, or window client area. This is
saved to the clipboard. Then you can bring it into the program you
are using, and edit it.
All the programs feature unique editing tools called ROLL UPS. Each
of these, as the name implies, rolls up out of the way, yet still
available with one mouse click. In this way you do not clutter you
workspace with multiple windows overlaying each other. They place
themselves in the upper left and right corners above your work area.
There is one other feature I have not mentioned. It is the on-line
help. Corel provides extensive context sensitive help in every area
of its product. By dropping down the Help menu, or pressing F1, you
are presented with help. In the CD-ROM version, there is a book of
several hundred pages, that shows all the clipart, symbols,
backgrounds, and other things that are on the CD. This book is
almost as large as the User's Guide, which by the way is also well
done, and easy to wade through.
As of this writing, I understand that shortly there will be a
CorelDRAW v4.0, with even more graphics, fonts, and enhancements. I
hope to do a review on this in a future issue.
CorelDRAW changed my mind about itself. It is a powerful program,
but yet it is also friendly, and a joy to work with. I highly
recommend this package to all. Even if you do not use all the
programs, it should still be worth the price of admission. With the
advent of Corel Draw 4.0, which wasa scheduled to be released, May
24, the price of 3.0 has been reduced.
Product Information
CorelDRAW! 3.0
for Windows
List Price -- $199
Corel Corporation
1600 Carling Avenue
Ottawa Ontario, Canada K1Z 8R7
613-728-8200
613-728-9790 (FAX)