POLISH-JAPNESE INSTITUTE OF INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY Warsaw, 2000

Henryk A. Kowalski, M.Sc.

CorelDRAW 8 Lesson 1 ver.1.0

1. Introduction

Vector graphics represent shapes as objects defined by a series of lines and curves.

CorelDRAW is a vector-based program.

The figure in CorelDRAW contains objects.

All objects in CorelDRAW are known as paths.

The path contains nodes - indicated by squares, and segments - between the nodes.

Starting node of the path is indicated by bigger square. A path can contain several subpaths.

These are some important types of objects:

• Open path - last and fist segment are not connected,

• Closed path - starting node is the end of the last segment,

• Text - has additional attributes like font.

The closed path has the fill, but one only.

Conventions used in this course:

"Choose" when used in reference to commands means to carry out the command by clicking it with the mouse or by using the keyboard equivalents.

Mouse Conventions:

• Select. Click and release the left mouse button on an object, button or tool.

• Drag: Press and hold the left mouse button down. With the mouse button held, move the mouse.

• Move: Simply reposition the mouse.

CorelDRAW provides a balloon pop-out showing the name or function of the button.

Note: If no one object is selected and you can chose any function then the dialog box is shown with information that You try to changing default settings. Cancel this window.

(Right Mouse Button: CorelDRAW makes frequent use of the right mouse button to evoke a context sensitive menu.)

2. Page Layout

Fig.1 CorelDRAW 8 screen.

The large white portion of the Application Window is the Drawing Window.

Drawing Page: The rectangle with the drop shadow in the center of the Drawing Window represents the Drawing Page.

Above the Drawing Window, there is:

• The Title Bar that extends across the top of the window.

• The Menu Bar contains commands that can be accessed by clicking any of the menu names.

• The Toolbar. Beneath the Menu Bar, you will find a collection of buttons.

• The Property Bar - a context-sensitive toolbar that displays different information and controls depending on the selected tool or object.

The Status Bar is displayed along the bottom of the Application Window. The Status Bar shows: the fill pattern, the outline pattern, absolute coordinates of the cursor.

The Color Palette you will find along the right side of the Application Window. This is used to apply outline and fill colors. There exist different way for do this operation.

Roll-Ups (Roll-up Windows)are floating dialog boxes that contain a set of related controls. Unlike other dialog boxes, Roll-Ups remains on the screen after you apply changes.

Dockers (Docker Windows) are a variation of the Roll-up but it can be docked to the side of the application window.

Example: Choose VIEW/Dockers/Object Manager to activate the Object Manager Dockers.

Layers

Layer is the transparent plane on which you can place objects in a drawing, in the form of stack.

Each new drawing contains four default layers. There is one Layer (called Layer1) for drawing.

3. Toolbox:

On the left hand side of the screen is the Toolbox with drawing tools and other operative tools.

Fig.2 The Toolbox contains all of the CorelDRAW tools and flyouts.

• The Pick Tool: For selecting objects. Also for moving, sizing, rotating, and skewing objects.

• The Shape Tool: For editing the shapes of the diagramming objects and text. The Shape flyout gives you access to the Knife tool; Eraser tool and Free Transform tool.

• The Zoom Tool: For changing views. The Zoom flyout gives you access to the Panning tool.

• The Freehand (Curve) Tool: For drawing straight lines, curves The Freehand flyout gives you access to the Bezier (Curve) tool; the Natural Pen tool; Dimension Line tool and Connector Line tool.

• The Rectangle Tool: For drawing rectangles and squares.

• The Ellipse Tool: For drawing ellipses and circles.

• The Polygon Tool: For drawing multi-sided shapes like stars or polygons. The Polygon flyout gives you access to the Spiral tool and Graph paper tool.

• The Text Tool: For placing Artistic text and Paragraph Text.

• Interactive Fill Tool: For placing various fills on the page interactively.

• Interactive Transparency Tool: For creating transparent effects interactively.

• Interactive Blend Tool: For applying blends interactively. The Interactive Blend flyout gives you access to the new Interactive Distortion tool; Interactive Envelope, Interactive Extrude and Interactive Drop Shadow tools.

• The Outline Tool: For setting outline thickness and color. For creating line ending attributes. For creating calligraphic effects. For applying dash line patterns.

• The Fill Tool: For setting fill colors and screens. For creating fountain fills. For applying pattern tile fills. For applying texture fills. For applying special PostScript fills.

3. Draw an object

Note: The width of the new object is set to the Hairline. It means the zero. It is draw on the screen using the thickness width.

Draw a rectangle

• Click on the rectangle tool with the mouse. Bring the mouse anywhere onto the work page.

• Observe shape of the mouse cursor.

• Drag the mouse in any direction. Release the mouse button.

• The Ctrl key constrains a rectangle to a square.

• When you hold the Shift key, the point where you first click the mouse becomes the center of the object. The object is drawn out from that point.

Draw an ellipse

• Click on the ellipse tool with the mouse. Bring the mouse anywhere onto the work page.

• Observe shape of the mouse cursor.

• Drag the mouse in any direction. Release the mouse button.

• The Ctrl key constrains an ellipse to a circle.

Change the fill pattern of the object.

• With the left mouse button, click on your favorite color in the color palette

Change the color of the outline.

• With the right mouse button, click on your choice of color.

Drawing the line

• Activate the Freehand (Curve) Tool.

To draw a strait line:

• click the left mouse button once (and release) on the page (this fix the staring node of the line)

• move mouse to the end point position,

• click the left mouse button once more, to end line (this fix the ending node of the line).

Continue drawing from line end node by connecting a new line to it:

1. Click the left mouse button directly over (near) the last node of the line.

2. At to the end point position of the line double-click the left mouse button. You can directly continue drawing the next line in a different direction.

To draw curved line:

• Hold the left mouse button down and drag it to the end point position. After you release the mouse, the line will display a series of nodes.

4. The Pick Tool

The Pick Tool has 2 functions:

1. Selecting objects.

2. Performing transformations on objects.

4.1 Selecting

When you see that the selection handles appear around the object, the object is said to be "selected."

Selecting an individual object with the mouse::

1. Using the Pick Tool, simply click on an object.

2. Using the Pick Tool, draw a marquee around the object.

Selecting multiple objects with the mouse:

1. Using the Shift key. Use the Shift key (click with the Shift key hold down) to select an additional object (add to selection list), or "deselect" an object (remove from the selection list).

2. Using a marquee. Using the Pick Tool, draw a marquee around all objects located insight the marquee.

4.2 Performing transformations on objects.

There are two different types of selection handles:

• The standard selection handles are for stretching, scaling, reflecting and mirroring an object.

• The second sets are for rotating and skewing an object.

• Moving an object:: Locate the cursor anywhere over the object and drag it to a different location. The Ctrl key constrains movement to horizontal/vertical.

• Stretching an object: Drag any non-corner selection handle. The Ctrl key constrains the stretching to 100% increments.

• Scaling an object: Drag any corner selection handle in/out to reduce/enlarge the object. The Ctrl key constrains the scaling to 100% increments.

• Reflecting: Transform the object by dragging the top-middle handle past its compliment on the other side.

Click two times on the object reveal rotation/skew handles. Repeated clicking on an object toggles between the standard selection handles and the rotation/skew handles.

• Rotating: Place the mouse over any corner handle. Drag in a circular motion to rotate. The Ctrl key constrains the rotation to 15-degree increments.

• Skewing: To skew, place the mouse over any vertical or horizontal handle. Drag up/down or left/right to skew.

5. Using basic Menu Options

Edit Menu

EDIT/Undo, EDIT/Redo - CorelDRAW supports undoing a limited number of actions.

EDIT/Duplicate copies the selected object to the work page while leaving the original(s) in place.

EDIT/Clone copies the selected object to the work page (clone object), however changes the original object to the control object.

Attributes of the clone object reflect the attributes of the control object.

If you change certain attribute of the clone object, this attribute is no longer affected by the changes made to the control object.

EDIT/Delete removes selected objects. EDIT/Cut removes the selected objects from the work page but places them on the Windows clipboard. EDIT/Copy copies the selected object(s) to the clipboard. EDIT/Paste places the contents of the clipboard onto the work page.

Grouping objects

The Group command lets you create a single unit using multiple objects. Each object in the group maintains its original properties. All objects in group sustain the relative location.

Example: To group objects

1. Select the objects with the Pick tool.

2. Choose ARRANGE/Group.

(Observe: There is the group icon in the Object Manager Dockers.)

Tip: You can access the object in the group by selecting its icon in the Object Manager.

If you want to separate a group, you can do so using the ARRANGE/Ungroup command.

Ordering objects

The Order commands let you change the stacking order within any given layer. You can move any object within the stacking order using the To Front, To Back, Forward One, and Back One.

Example: To ordering objects

1. Select the object with the Pick tool.

2. Choose ARRANGE/Order/......

(Observe: Change the stacking order of the icon in the Object Manager Dockers.)

Snap-to commands

The Snap To commands make precise alignment by forcing objects to line up with the grid, with guidelines, or with objects when you drag them nearby.

The Snap To Objects command aligns objects so that the point you're using to drag lines up with "snap points" on stationary objects. These snap points are located at each of an object's nodes and are displayed as blue squares when alignment occurs.

Example: To enable the Snap To Objects command

1. Deselect all objects

2. Choose LAYOUT/Snap to Objects.

Tip: To disable the Snap To Objects command Choose LAYOUT/Snap to Objects again.

Aligning objects horizontally and vertically

The Align tab on the Align and Distribute dialog window provides all the controls you need to align any series of objects.

Example: To aligning objects

1. Select the objects

2. Choose ARRANGE/Align and Distribute

3. Click the Align tab

4. Enable appropriate check box (e.g. Center of Page)

6. The Shape Tool

The Shape tool is associated with the
cursor.

Important Note:

• The Shape tool is dedicated to work with elements inside the object.

• The Pick tool is dedicated to operate on the whole objects.

Selecting nodes: To select click on the node.

Moving nodes: Select and drag the node.

Editing nodes

Double-click on the Shape tool to activate the Node Edit roll-up window.

Options:

• Add Node, Delete Node,

• Break Curve, Join Two Nodes, Extend Curve to Close,

• Convert Curve to Line, Convert Line to Curve,

• Make Node a Cusp, Make Node Smooth, Make Node Symmetrical,

• Stretch and Scale Nodes

Example: Modifying rectangle

To modify a rectangle with the Shape Tool, select one of its four corners and drag it towards the center to create the round-corner rectangle.

Example: Modifying ellipse

To modify a ellipse with the Shape Tool, select its node and drag.

• If you drag the mouse inside the ellipse, you create a wedge shape.

• If you drag the mouse outside the ellipse, you get an arc.

Drawing lines and curves with the Bezier tool

Some nodes, wen selected, have control points attached to them. You can move the control point with the Shape Tool to change the shape of a curve. The distance between the control points and the node determines the height or depth of the segment that you are drawing. The angle of the control points determines the slope of the segment.

7. Using additional Menu Options

Creating one-point and two-point perspective

The Add Perspective command makes it easy to create the illusion of perspective in your drawings.

The Add Perspective command adds a nonprinting grid box on top of the selected object. Movable nodes (handle) occupy each of the box's four corners.

For one-point perspective, you shorten one side of an object (drag with CTRL key) so that it appears to recede in one direction.

By shortening two sides, you get two-point perspective the object appears to recede in two directions.

As you drag a node, you'll notice an "X" or two, if you're working with two-point perspective that moves as the node moves. This symbol indicates the vanishing point, the point at which a side of the grid box (and, therefore, the object below it) will disappear.

You can also make adjustments to the perspective by dragging the vanishing point marker.

Example: To add a one-point perspective effect to an object

1. Select the object

2. Choose EFFECTS/Add Perspective

A grid box with four nodes (handle at the corners) appears around the object. The Shape tool is now selected.

3. Hold down CTRL and drag one of the nodes horizontally or vertically.

By holding down CTRL, you constrain the node's motion to its horizontal or vertical axes to create a one-point perspective.

Hold down CTRL + SHIFT as you drag to move opposing nodes the same distance in opposite directions.

Example: To add a two-point perspective effect to an object

1. Select the object

2. Choose EFFECTS/Add Perspective

3. Drag one of the grid box nodes diagonally toward or away from the object's center.

4. Repeat previous step using the other nodes until you create the perspective effect you want.

Guidelines

You can create guidelines by dragging a ruler onto the Drawing Window.

Exercise 1: Rectangles

1. Draw a rectangle with the blue 8 point outline and fountain fill between two favorite colors.

2. Add the cycles with the uniform fill accurately on the four corners of the rectangle

3. On the upper right corner add square without the fill.

Exercise 2: Ellipses

1. Draw a big ellipse with the yellow fill. (Observe: The ellipse is selected).

2. Choose ARRANGE/Transform/Scale&Mirror to activate the Scale&Mirror roll-up window.

3. Select the Proportional check-box and type 85% value.

4. Click on the baton with small triangle located right to the Proportional check-box.

5. Select the black check-box on the upper left corner.

6. Click five (5) times the Apply to Duplicate baton.

7. Select all objects.

8. Choose ARRANGE/Combine.

Exercise 3: (Note: The figure must be exact symmetrical)

1. Draw a line

2. Add arrows from Arrows section of the Outline Tool dialog box. The left-hand arrow icon represents the start of a line, and the right-hand arrow icon represents the end of the line. (If you don't see the arrow increase the width of the line).

3. Duplicate the line and rotate to vertical position.

4. In this same way draw the shortest line.

5. Choose ARRANGE/Transform/Rotate to activate the Rotate roll-up window.

6. Set the appropriate value of rotation angle.

7. Choose the Apply or Apply to Duplicate batons.

8. Select and align all objects

9. Choose ARRANGE/Align and Distribute and Align tab.

10. Select the The center of page check box.

Exercise 4: Perspective

1. Draw a rectangle. (select it)

2. Choose EFFECTS/Add Perspective. (Observe: The Shape tool is now selected.)

3. Hold down CTRL and drag lower lewft node vertically down to see the x marker.

4. Move the x marker (vanishing point marker) to the upper right corner of the page.

5. Type any Artistic Text on the screen. (select it)

6. Choose EFFECTS/Copy/Perspective from.

7. Click on the rectangle with the black arrow.

8. Put the Text on the rectangle.

9. Select the Shape tool.

10. Edit the text perspective by moving the nodes to align the x marker to the upper right corner of the page.

Exercise 5: Cross of Merit

1. Draw a square with the yellow fill.

2. Draw a horizontal rectangle with the yellow fill

3. Duplicate it and rotate to vertical position.

4. Align all objects in the center of page.

5. Weld all objects (observe the result curve object in the Object Manager Dockers)

6. Double-click on the Shape tool to activate the Node Edit roll-up window.

7. Select 8 internal nodes of object (with Shift key)

8. Choose Stretch and Scale Nodes

9. Drag with Shift key any corner selection handle (black square) towards the center of object.

CorelDraw 8 Corel_Lesson1 00-10-27 1/9

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