Any Users of corel 13 (x3) yet

[cdsgraphic]

any thoughts... better, worse. How does the new corel trace work? Looks like it has a lot of nice new features, but I need to know if it works as well as it looks.


thanks... :peace!:

[lpc]

Without a doubt, get the upgrade. You'll be glad you did. The new Corel Trace is 1000 fold better and works from within X3, not externally anymore.

Corel has a definite winner here!:cool1:

Dave

[bob]

The new features fill a void but the implemetation is maddening in some cases.

The new trace is a thing of beauty and is worth the price for that alone.

The step and repeat function only allows one direction at a time which is annoying.

Likewise the color adjustment lab and the cutout lab in PhotoPaint.

The bevel function is OK but it still yields a bitmap so if you want to do a chisled effect you have to do sime tracing. Still far better than try do do in all by hand.

The fillet/chamfer/scallop function is a royal pain. There is no preview. You set it and it's done. If you want to do it with other parameters, you have to use the undo to get rid of it. Otherwise it will scallop your scallops.

Is it worth it? I'm not unhappy I bought it. Not thrilled but not unhappy.

[GraphixCALC]

I got it and like it. I started with 9, then 11, then 12 and now 13 (x3). I feel it is worth the upgrade. The boundary feature is nice, but I don't know why in the heck they didn't incorporate some amount of adjustability. It puts the outline EXACTLY around the image...would be much more useful if you could set an amount inside or outside of the boundary...to incorporate an amount of bleed when printing and cutting. This is what it's s'posed to be used for, but I find you still have to do an add'l outline to get it where you want it for use with print-n-cut.

[cdsgraphic]

ok, sounds like it's fairly good. how about the contour function... If you contour an object (text), is the resulting contour still built with about a billion nodes?

... inquiring minds want to know

[GraphixCALC]

I forgot to mention that. The Contour function is MUUUUUUUUUUUUCH improved. I've noticed a significant reduction in nodes. As has been mentioned, the Trace is FAR superior to previous versions...so much so it isn't even close to what it used to be.

[signsbydale]

It puts the outline EXACTLY around the image...would be much more useful if you could set an amount inside or outside of the boundary...to incorporate an amount of bleed when printing and cutting. This is what it's s'posed to be used for, but I find you still have to do an add'l outline to get it where you want it for use with print-n-cut.
I would use this function quite a bit.

Does the outline become a seperate object? Can you resize the outline?

:Coffee:

[learned the hard way]

There is a pretty good review of Corel X3 in the latest issue of Signcraft. The guy made it sound so good I'm planning to upgrade soon.

[2NinerNiner2]

Bonjour all,

I have used CorelDRAW since Version 1.0 and as Chris' post above perhaps alludes to, the odd version numbers seem to be the best, including this one. While I haven't purchased the upgrade yet, I will be doing so when the trial version expires, specifically for the auto trace function; worth the price itself.

[cwa]

I like the Auto adjust in Corel paint. Corel Paint comes up much quicker now but if you double click a bitmap it wont come up anymore, and you can't move the nodes to resize like in 11 (12 would'nt let you either) you have to go to C Paint and cut the image now. Other little shortcuts are gone but overall I like it! Glad I still have 9's Clipart and Photo disks! Get your magnifying glass out for the vehicals in X3 and good luck finding what you need quickly! Nice that they added them though

[cwa]

Anyone know how to make the 3X eydropper tool pick up color in a bitmap? Had to go into 11 and export to use in 3X.

[m!snyder]

Have they changed the licensing method on X3 or is it the same as previous versions ... ?

[Cadmn]

get the trial & check it for yourselves for 30 days

[Bobby H]

The demo version may not really impart how the licensing scheme works.

Perhaps M!Snyder was wanting to know if Corel X3 adopts an activation scheme similar to Adobe. I'd like to know if X3 does that as well.

AdobeCS2 applications limit you to an install maximum of two machines in your name, and only one of those can be "active." To run the software on the other machine you have to transfer activation. This may be workable for a home environment where you have a suite loaded on a desktop machine and also on a personal notebook. In a commercial working environment (like a sign shop with numerous computers, you're stuck with buying numerous licenses).

[m!snyder]

exactly what I want to know Bobby H

there is definately going to be some differences in the demo version, because it has to allow for demo use. But i can't really tell for sure whether the full version still requires activation ...

According to Corel's knowledge base, it only give instructions for activation when installing the demo/download version. I can't find a reference to installing the full version other than the "what to do before installing X3" article which seems to be much different than the steps for the demo/download version.

At any rate, x3 will arrive here in a couple days, for better or worse, so I'll be sure to let inquiring minds know whats up...

[SignManiac]

You're going to like it. It has all the tools to do what ever your imagination can come up with.

Here's a recent design I created with X3 for a design workshop on another forum.

http://www.skywatchsigns.com/signpix/icehouse-02.jpg

[cdsgraphic]

very cool... are the bevels effects built in coreldraw or is a plugin

[SignManiac]

the bevels are a new tool in X3.. and they can be adjusted from the edge to the center depending on the look you want. Light angle can be fine tuned also.

[Bobby H]

The bevel (or "chisel" or "prismatic") effects look okay...

...but they still have those awful divits where one stroke joins another.

That's not a specific knock against Corel. There is absolutely no bevel effect in existence anywhere which creates the effect properly. None of Adobe's filters do it right. Heck, none of the 3D CNC routing programs do it right either. The only way to get the effect right is by building it up by hand (quite a pain to do). That's one of the reasons why lots of wood signs featuring chiseled primsmatic letters are hand carved rather than made by a computer.

Anyway,

The question still stands about that activation thing. Does Corel still install the same old way. Or are they doing something similar to Adobe's activation scheme?

[bob]

...
The question still stands about that activation thing. Does Corel still install the same old way. Or are they doing something similar to Adobe's activation scheme?

No magic incantations, no secret decoder rings, no other applied paranoia, just install it like always. There's no mechanism to prevent you from installing your copy on every machine in the western hemisphere, all you need is the code printed on the box for each installation.

[JMDigital]

No magic incantations, no secret decoder rings, no other applied paranoia, just install it like always. There's no mechanism to prevent you from installing your copy on every machine in the western hemisphere, all you need is the code printed on the box for each installation.

Hmmm.. is that ok to do?? :biggrin: :thumb:

[bob]

Hmmm.. is that ok to do??

I have no idea, nor do I care. I was simply recounting what one can do, not what one ought or ought not to do.

[signage]

read license agreement! No!

[Bobby H]

FWIW, there have been some bugs with regard to Adobe's activation setup. Some legal, registered users have had their applications go dead without any reason, or drop activation after other devices or programs were installed. The problems have been spotty, but nonetheless a huge pain for those affected. Adobe's latest point releases on CS2 seem to have cured most of the problems. But this activation thing has been going on since PhotoshopCS was released a couple years ago.

Not to intentionally poo on Corel, but if Adobe has had troubles getting an activation scheme to work it would be a good bet the Corel version would have its share of glitches.

Frankly, I think the activation systems do nothing more than inconvenience honest users. Lots of people all over the place have pirated versions of PhotoshopCS2 and other Adobe CS2 apps. Those hacked apps can be installed and run anywhere anytime. No "transfer activation" baloney required.

[OldPaint]

i got the demo.....when i open draw....i do not have color pallette where it belongs. have to go to window and scroll down and open the rgb default. when i open it it has none as default. no mater what i try ....when i close this one and reopen later i got to do the color palette default every time.....none of the othe corels ive used does this

[m!snyder]

No magic incantations, no secret decoder rings, no other applied paranoia, just install it like always. There's no mechanism to prevent you from installing your copy on every machine in the western hemisphere, all you need is the code printed on the box for each installation.

thanks for the info ... though the western hemisphere seems like a lofty goal for our little shop

[theroq]

WOW, the auto trace..... The best I've seen

[Ian Stewart-Koster]

I've heard from a few people who uninstalled the X3 demo later on, that their previous licensed working versions of Corel ceased to run normally and needed some repair or reinstallation to get back to normal.
(I've not tried it myslef though.)

[cdsgraphic]

OK, here's one that has always made me crazy in every other version of corel... did they change it yet?

Draw a rectangle, then change the size of that rectangle. Now if you try to round the corners of the new rectangle, the corners are not in proportion to the new size, but still to the original.

Any change here?

[SignManiac]

Trevor what I discovered and works is instead of using the F10 key to radius the corner and then end up with a distorted corner after you changed the size, use the new fillet tool. Type in your desired radius and it will make a nice rounded corner no matter what the size is of your square or rectangle.

[bob]

Trevor what I discovered and works is instead of using the F10 key to radius the corner and then end up with a distorted corner after you changed the size, use the new fillet tool. Type in your desired radius and it will make a nice rounded corner no matter what the size is of your square or rectangle.

That works OK but the problem with the new fillet/chamfer/whatever tool is that you can't mess around with it visually, you have to do it metrically by specifiying a size. If the size you chose isn't what you want, you have to undo the thing with the undo tool. Much neater to be able to grab a handle and pull and push until it looks the way you want. Or at least be able to do mutliple specifications without having to undo the unsatisfactory iterations. If you don't und them you'll end up filleting your fillets if there's room. If there's not room the software will complain.

I really like the X3 edition but this is one of the areas that isn't particularly well thought out.

[SignManiac]

Bob I see your point. What Corel needs to add to the fillet/scallop/chamfer tools is a slider bar like they use on the node reduction tool. Seems so simple now that I think of it. I should send them that suggestion for future consideration.

[bthomason]

Don't wait. It's definately worth the money.