Stupid question from me, can I ask why you don't want them embedded?
I am trying to keep the CDR file size down. I successfully used Ventura Publisher for 20 years. There I could choose to leave the picture files external to the publisher document. In creating a 28 page magazine, I was able to produce manageable PDFs for the printer.
Now with CorelDraw 2018, every time I add a picture file internally to the CDR the file size jumps. At the moment, it is over 1GB. The PDF size is out of control.
But I just tested a CDR. With no JPG, the file size is 1991KB.
Adding a JPG of size 5400KB to the CDR, leaving it external, increased the size of the CDR to 16900KB.
I don't get it.
The problem is creating a press quality PDF for the printer. Way too big.