I create illustrations and artwork where I need to use dotted lines to simulate rows and fields of panel rivets. I need round dots, not rectangular or square ones.
Most of the artwork is very fine...much of the line width is hairline or .5, so the standard dotted line is so small nobody can see that it isn't round dots...but there are times when I want to simulate larger "rivets" and I am forced to create rows of circles. This is a ton of work when filling in hundreds of rivets on an aircraft wing! And worse when rivet patterns follow the shape of objects. I am working in X6.
Here is a quick tutorial for blending rivets (or anything) along a path.
Link to full resolution image: http://i.imgur.com/S7Kv3km.jpg
I did this in x7, but the function is the same. Here is a dropbox link to a CorelDraw x6 file. https://www.dropbox.com/s/jm0tfpu70xoy53u/Plane%20rivets%20x6.cdr?dl=0
Let me know if that helped you.
oh goody pictures! evan, mike(s) and harry...this stuff looks good I must study your instructions and try both approaches (evan and mike) Thanks for all your help. the aircraft diagram is exactly the kind of thing I am working on only with a bit more detail. obviously I am trying to represent rivets inscale with the illustration ...so they are mostly invisible...too tiny to see and completely flush with the surface. But on some older aircraft, there are some more visible areas of rivets (which can help make the illustrations look a bit more interesting) I create "mockups" of scale models that I have designed. I use the mockups to create cover artwork for each model I produce. Over the years, my artwork has gotten better and I am still trying to improve. I work strictly in Corel. Some of my aircraft illustrations: https://www.pinterest.com/davewinfield/aircraft-artwork/
I too use the blend tool and blend along a line as this allows for more freedom and accuracy in creating rivets. I even use the mesh tool to create an indentation where the rivet dented the metal when inserted.