CorelCAD for Windows comes with an option to export CAD drawings directly to CorelDRAW (CDR) and Corel DESIGNER (DES) - you knew that.

With the May 2012 update CorelCAD for Windows now also supports importing CorelDRAW or Corel DESIGNER files - that's new.

Many CorelDRAW users have requested *.CDR import capabilities in CorelCAD as they previously drafted initial sketches in CorelDRAW, and obviously do not want to start from scratch again when evolving from a sketch into a precise CAD model.

So here is how it works:

1. In CorelCAD, go to the File menu and select "CorelDRAW/Corel DESIGNER Import"
   
2. Pick the file you want to import (note that you need to select either "CorelDRAW (*.cdr)" or "Corel DESIGNER (*.des)" from the file format dropdown to see the corresponding files when you browse through your folders)
3. A conversion process starts...
   
   ...and after a short time you will see the import result in CorelCAD

A few things to know about the CorelDRAW / Corel DESIGNER import feature in CorelCAD:

• The source file is imported as a new *.DWG file in CorelCAD.
• The content of the CorelDRAW / Corel DESIGNER page is imported into the Model space. CorelCAD also generates a representation of the page as layout sheet in the resulting CAD file.
• CorelDRAW / Corel DESIGNER import supports multi-page files. Content of the pages is imported into Model space with a small distance between the original pages. Each page receives its own representation in a separate layout sheet in the CAD file.
• Text objects and Layer structure are supported (maintained).
• CorelDRAW (*.cdr) files are supported from v8 up to the current CorelDRAW X6. Corel DESIGNER (*.des) files can be opened in any *.des file format version up to the current Corel DESIGNER X5 file format.

 More tips on special aspects of the workflow from CorelDRAW sketches to complete CAD drawings to follow shortly - stay tuned.