I was recently asked in "Ask John!" about external file support in CorelDRAW Graphics Suite. Specifically, what's the word on CorelDRAW (and Corel DESIGNER for that matter) support for XPS and DWG/DXF formats?

One of the biggest strengths over the years for both CorelDRAW and Corel DESIGNER has been our vast file support. The ability to import/export hundreds of different file types really makes our products stand out and is a great help to our users in their workflows.

In the case of XPS, it's definitely something we have looked at. What it comes down to at this point is priorities and level of effort. We can only do so much for each new release of the product, and we have to prioritize each new feature relative to the others. In the case of X4, it would have taken significant work, and we didn't feel that it was higher priority than other features that made it into the release.

In the case of DWG/DXF, we already do support those formats in both CorelDRAW and DESIGNER. However, because CorelDRAW is geared more towards creative graphics, and DESIGNER is made to address technical illustration, the support is more advanced in DESIGNER. Look for us to continue to advance our support of DWG/DXF in the future for both products.

As a matter of regular practice, each time we release a new version of either CorelDRAW Graphics Suite or Corel Designer Technical Suite, we always update our import/export filters to support what we believe are the most industry-relevant ones out there, balancing that of course with other new features and enhancements. In some cases, this involves updating existing support to a newer version that was released since our last version release. In other cases, it involves support for the first time. So rest assured that with future versions of both CorelDRAW Graphics Suite and Corel DESIGNER Technical Suite, we will continue to evolve our external file support!

Thanks,

John