The CorelDRAW team has made it a priority to incorporate user feedback as a vital part of developing new features and enhancing existing functionality, providing you with an ever-evolving and versatile set of advanced designer tools. New and enhanced features in Update 1 include the ability to change window frame colors, the ability to move the status bar to the top of the application window, and the ability to create more powerful and interactive custom tools with the CorelDRAW Object Model. In addition, user-driven performance enhancements were made in areas such as color management, file input/output, fills and styles, palettes, text, and workspace customization. A few of the highlights include editing and saving files stored in a Dropbox folder, free-scaling fountain fills and transparencies, and saving fountain fills more accurately back to previous versions.

Update 1 does not include early access to new features for Premium Members and subscribers (we will start releasing these with Update 2 in the second half of the year). This means that anyone with a free Standard Membership will benefit from all these enhancements.

Here more details about the X7.1 Update from the release notes:

New and enhanced features

Changing the color of window borders

Now you can customize the application window and dialog boxes by changing the color of their borders (Tools > Customization), making it easier to personalize the interface. To choose a custom border color, quickly sample any onscreen color, or use color sliders, viewers, or palettes.

Moving the status bar

The status bar shows useful information about selected objects, such as color, fill type, and outline, as well as the current cursor position. You can now place the status bar at the top of the application window so it's easier to see details about your project or the task at hand.

Enhanced CorelDRAW Object Model

A new set of APIs enable developers to create add-on tools for CorelDRAW in Visual Basic for Applications or Visual Studio 2012/2013. The CorelDRAW Object Model has been enhanced to provide support for color styles, custom tools that interact with the drawing page, and more. Using the new classes and methods, developers can now create even more powerful custom tools, utilities, and macros. To use the custom tools, you must be signed in to your account with a CorelDRAW Standard or Premium Membership. Standard Membership is free for anyone who purchased CorelDRAW Graphics Suite X7. 

For more information about creating custom tools, please see the CorelDRAW insiders blog post.

Performance and stability

The following areas feature performance and stability improvements (formerly released as service packs).

Color Management

  • You can now change the primary color mode from CMYK to RGB in the Default Color Management Settings dialog box.

File Input/Output

  • Filenames that contain the ampersand (&) character are displayed correctly in the title bar. Also, files with such names can be saved as expected.
  • You can edit and save files stored in a Dropbox folder.
  • Copying custom bitmap transparencies no longer causes the program to stop responding.
  • Soft masks on monochrome bitmaps are preserved when exporting to PDF.
  • Thumbnails of legacy files are preserved when you have version X7 and an earlier version installed.
  • Linked images in a file appear updated correctly when the file is exported.
  • Photoshop files containing fonts that are available on your system maintain those fonts when opened in Corel PHOTO-PAINT.
  • Downloaded bitmaps no longer appear warped when opened or imported in CorelDRAW and Corel PHOTO-PAINT.
  • Text using certain fonts no longer displays corrupted characters when you open a CorelDRAW file.

Fills and Styles

  • In Corel PHOTO-PAINT, you can now apply bitmap and texture fills from the Edit Fill dialog box.
  • The position of fountain fills in cropped objects is preserved.
  • You can now free-scale and skew fountain transparencies and fills by using the interactive tools.
  • When you modify a color style and then undo the change, objects using the color style maintain their original color.

Filters

  • When exporting to PDF, objects with transparencies and fountain fills appear as expected-without the bounding box.
  • You can now import PDF files created with AutoCAD.
  • When importing PDF files created with Microsoft Publisher 2010, all characters are preserved.
  • The order of layers is preserved in imported Adobe Illustrator (AI) files.
  • Hidden, but printable layers are now preserved in exported PDF files.

Objects and Object Attributes

  • Values in the Object Coordinates docker are updated correctly.
  • You can apply envelope effects by using rectangles as the envelope shape.
  • In Corel PHOTO-PAINT, applying transparency to 1-pixel lines or borders no longer causes issues.
  • In Corel PHOTO-PAINT, alignment guides no longer appear slightly offset at a zoom level below 100%.
  • The size of mirrored objects is preserved regardless of the location of the object origin.

Object linking and embedding (OLE)

  • During in-place editing of a CorelDRAW or Corel PHOTO-PAINT object inserted in Microsoft Word, the ribbon UI no longer appears, and menus and tools can be selected as expected.

Palettes

  • The position of color palettes in dockers is maintained.
  • Custom palettes saved outside the My Palettes folder no longer appear blank.

Printing

  • You can create imposition layouts, and add and delete page numbers, by using the number keys at the top of your keyboard as well as the key pad.
  • Objects can no longer be deleted from Print Preview by mistake.

Text

  • Embedded fonts in CorelDRAW (CDR) files are preserved and are displayed properly.
  • The Sign Symbol font can be used as expected.
  • You can adjust the font size by using keyboard shortcuts.
  • Text can be aligned with objects correctly.
  • The Font list box and live font preview behave as expected.
  • In the Edit Text dialog box, you can copy and paste by using keyboard shortcuts. Also, text flows as expected when you increase the width of the window.

Utilities

  • You can see newly created CorelDRAW and Corel PHOTO-PAINT files in Corel CONNECT as soon as the files are saved.
  • Searching for clipart from versions X3 and earlier in languages other than English works as expected.
  • The correct Me-Card and V-card information in QR codes is sent to the server.

Workspaces and Customization

  • Toolbox flyouts can be moved to a floating toolbar when the toolbox is unlocked.
  • You can add custom icons to commands.
  • Changes to command bar appearance from the Command Bars page in the Customization dialog box are applied correctly.
  • When you start an application by holding F8, the application no longer appears behind the active window.
  • Dragging content or colors over the page tabs no longer selects another page.
  • The correct zoom level is displayed in floating documents.
  • You can now change the orientation of pages that use the Business Card preset.
  • You can now change the position of the status bar by clicking Tools > Customization > Command Bars and choosing the appropriate command.

This post was written by Erma l. Petrova from the Corel Documentation team.

Parents
No Data
Comment
  • Enhanced Object Model and Custom Tools are very important feature. This is very important for future of CorelDRAW. I hope we will see the new addons, plugins for CorelDRAW and CorelPHOTOPAINT. Thank you to all of the CDGS developers.

Children
No Data