[This is being posted to Mac, Windows and app forums as it relates to both - apologies for the duplication]
Hi,
When Corel announced that CorelDRAW was returning to macOS, I was personally super-excited to see this for several key reasons (which I wrote about in this article: CorelDRAW is gracing macOS again - and why this is important).
This is not an advert, but I feel it's an important brief background. Astute Graphics is known in the Adobe Illustrator world, since 2006, as developers of plugins for professional users. Many of the world's largest brands rely on us as well as many, many freelance designers and everyone inbetween. We serve varied sectors including branding, architecture, fashion, sign making, gaming and more.
The tools we currently produce for Adobe Illustrator allow users to gain very high-level control of Bezier profile (drawing and editing), positioning, effects, stroke variable widths and more.
Some of this functionality will already be in CorelDRAW. But what core drawing and editing functionality are Corel customers seeking that they feel would be suitable via a 3rd party option. And yes, I acknowledge everything should be there natively in the single purchased core product, but reality doesn't always allow this.
Finally, in Astui, we now also have the building blocks that allow us to produce much more advanced tools and functions. These include Boolean (add, subtract, divide vector shapes), Offset Paths, Variable Stroke Widths and many more. Even though well-developed technologies such as Boolean and Offset are within Corel - hence it being the key competitor to Illustrator - it's essential to have full access to these underlying technologies in order to build exciting tools such as Long Shadow, Path Reshape and more.
Excitingly, Astui can be deployed as a web API allowing online tools such as CorelDRAW.app to benefit. Equally, having this toolbox allows Astute Graphics to build new tools quicker and based on 7+ years of technical development.
So - are extensions applicable to a wide range of users welcome to Corel users as they are in Adobe's world?
I'd love to understand what you think,
Nick
Oooh, where to start.
No, plugins aren't that ubiquitous. There are some that do very highly specialised things, but not expanding the core functionality of Draw like what Astute does for Illy . There are quite a few plugins that would be very useful for my work, the mirroring and symmetry tools for example.
Vector Trace.
Vector graphics are so unnatural for an artist (not claiming I am one) because you draw with lines, not closed shapes, you create the closed shapes manually by various means. All my design work starts as lineart, which then has to be converted to filled objects in order to colour in the enclosed regions. I have this workflow , which is very efficient speed and accuracy wise, which requires me to export to high res mono bitmap and outline trace in Corel Trace (v12 as it happens, its very efficient and accurate, PowerTrace is less so so gets ignored by me).
Corel has the tools to manually convert vector lines of varying widths into enclosed shapes by virtue of the various welding alogrithms, but it becomes very difficult to achieve quickly because some things (like blends, master/clones, symbols, symmettries etc etc) have to be broken down into base objects before the Convert Outline To Object > Weld > Break Apart can function. A one click solution would be great (with the proviso that it operates on a copy of the original objects, ideally to a new layer)
I can remember a very long discussion, possibly 20 years ago, on the public forum about vector tracing and the late great K.N Pepper coined an acronym, CCCFER (create closed curves from enclosed regions). it fell on deaf ears at Corel but I do believe Adobe implemented something similar and possibly more basic. The idea at the time was that a 'supertool' would allow for enclosed regions to be live and have fill properties, and would dynamically update as the bounding curves were edited.
Bitmap Fills, Textures
Corel wrecked this a few versions back. We used to be ably to use any bitmap as a fill and have it instantly available if we first converted it to a PhotoPaint file and then stuck it in the correct folder within the Draw installation. Instant access to 2-300 bitmap fills that I used to use regularly. Now you have to manually create a special format .fill , one at a time. Not going to happen, too tedious.
Tom Knight (Advanced Artist on here) makes a cool plugin that allows for easy application of bitmap fills and textures to objects. Problem is its the bitmaps he supplies rather than the users own. A plugin that could all a user to use and apply any bitmap as a fill or as a bump map texture would be cool.
Thanks hywelharris for your feedback!
Vector trace
Converting image-based artwork to vector is an age-old issue. Whereas AG as tracing tech, as Corel and Illustrator have these natively, there's no need to reinvent that wheel. Where 3rd party tools can come in handy is speeding up the manual tracing or auto-traced results refinement process.
For example, a Smart Point Removal brush is highly effective along with the ability to extend, retract and quickly trim/join intersecting lines. These are all very slick tools we offer.
Howevr, I think you request something that's native in Illustrator - a Shape Builder-like tool. This is effectively live boolean operations working on a selection of vectors (open and closed paths). We do have the tech to produce a tool of this type, but also improved on the deficiencies I personally see in the Adobe implementation, but wouldn't be worth creating a patch for in Illustrator as it's not a massive step forward on its own.
Bitmap fills and textures
It's another area we have great experience of with a plugin called Texturino. We cater natively for PNGs and embedded images. But much more importantly, I feel, is the tool's ability to apply and manipulate textures so easily, including Wacom / stylus-based inputs allowing feathering and even the brushing of live opacity to any object.
Perhaps take a look at our YouTube videos on Texturino to see it in action...Astute Graphics Texturino plugin YouTube playlist
I am really trying to not publicise commercial tools for the sake of advertising (they are for Illustrator at present, so not relevant in that respect). However, references to existing Astute Graphics solutions can hopefully demonstrate a method to solve a workflow bottleneck.
Hopefully it's a bit like being in a sweetshop with a whole world of options that can be investigated.
Obviously, there's currently no research undertaken at this stage as to whether these can be transplanted in a similar fashion in CorelDRAW. It's very likely difference will be required, some perhaps more restrictive, but hopefully improvemets too!
Nice full featured effects like the NDFX docker that work and take advantage of the 150' x150' CorelDRAW work page!
Thanks David Milisock... please can you provide more info and perhaps a link? It's not something I'm familiar with.
If you want details for extremely useful tools please feel free to contact me directly at davidmilisock@graphictechnology.com
The fist thing to understand is that those who make direct comparison between Illustrator and CorelDraw or Affinity and CorelDRAW most likely will come up really short. Those concepts are 1990 concepts.
For the 21st century, graphic packages that provide a stable platform for the following uses are the future of professional graphics. Web creation, transparency in all color models, traditional print, wide and grand format output, digital print as well as cutting, bending and large scale projects, as of now it's up to 150' x 150' and that's where a designer who wants to be creative and profitable into 2100 needs to be.
Let's leave Affinity off the table because in the real world of production except for tiny RGB/CMYK color print and web it's a joke. Illustrator just falls flat because of size limitations, lack of real multi-page capabilities and the fact that in large scale files even with and I7 and 64 GB of RAM it chokes itself because it fails to control the environment.
I'm talking a market for low cost ($10 to $20) as well as high quality professional plugins that can cost more than Affinity itself for use in architectural and engineering for signage. A user could buy the base plugin that does web and presentation or the professional level that does high resolution, large scale, RGB,CMYK and device N color in transparency.
Thinking first! Plugins need to be aimed at the proper market, work in RGB, CMYK and device N color. On the professional end they need to compensate for limitations of file formats, systems resources and have the controls scaled for resolution dependance.
I give you 3 examples of requested features that are great ideas but need thoughtful programming to be successful.
1. Transparent layers, a good idea however in a multi-page multi-layer application with full color model support in a 150" x 150' page requires INTELLIGENT programming to control resources and to provide a good user experience.
2. Nondestructive effects, great idea however in a 150' x 150' full color model with transparency support requires significant thought.
3. Pixel perfect work, it should be simple, perfect alignment in a low resolution, RGB environment but Corel needs it badly.
Here's a great example of a professional level plugin I use for Photo-PAINT, AKVIS Smart Mask. It provides a professional level masking tool, what Corel Knockout used to provide in a 64 bit environment. Yes I know that I spent $70 for it but so what I make allot more with it than I do without it.
Controlling system resources and providing good a user experience is key to a successful marketing concept of any application or plugin.
Thanks David Milisock for the details!
I'll look into these more.
Out of interest, I have been aware for years that one of CorelDRAW's USPs over Illustrator is its larger dimension work area. This, as I understand, has ensured the continued loyal following in the signmaking market.
However, I'm curious how many Corel users make use of the large area to design on?
astutegraphics said:Out of interest, I have been aware for years that one of CorelDRAW's USPs over Illustrator is its larger dimension work area. This, as I understand, has ensured the continued loyal following in the signmaking market.
astutegraphics said:However, I'm curious how many Corel users make use of the large area to design on?
It's certainly a "killer feature" of CorelDRAW for some users.
How big a potential market that fraction of CorelDRAW users comprises? I think that's a very good question.
Thanks Eskimo. I'm not trying to be devil's advocate here as I'm not in the Affinity camp, but I understand that they don't have a (realistic) dimension limit. So if that's such an important feature, have users looked at Affinity - and if so, why not use in parallel to CD? (I can think of hundred reasons, but I don't want make assumptions ;) ).
I'm not one of the users for whom the huge work area is a "killer feature". I don't work in the sign industry, so I don't know how Affinity works (or not) for their needs.
I think that CorelDRAW has some history in signs/engraving/awards, which is going to count for something with a lot of users. To many, CorelDRAW is just "what you use for that sort of work". It's what they used at their first sign shop job, or what was recommended when they bought their vinyl cutter, or...
John you have struck a chord with this post. " history in signs/engraving/awards" History in work flows, this is where all applications have an update base built, these users are confortable with their product in their workflow. The task is to develop that level of comfort for new useres in their required workflow and Corel has been lousy at this. I do a very wide amount of work with CorelDRAW and all they need do to capture new users is show them how to develop a workflow. Now with that said Corel needs to work on long document support big time. I see this plugin oppotunity as a good possibility.
astutegraphics The problem or problems depend on your level of output quality, the best easiest solution for the user is built in features or great plugins for CorelDRAW.
I use PaintShop Pro to augment Photo-PAINT and it's a decent example but not nearly as bad as Affinity to augment Draw in a large scale environment. PSP simply has amateur color management, the display for the image is not quite the quality of Photo-PAINT, the tools are not only different they are not as refined so unless you really need the feature best to not use PSP. That's the short story.
Affinity to augment CorelDRAW. First high quality work in large physical file sizes, color management issues, file compatibility, device N color transparency support. The short end of the story using Affinity in the high end wide and grand format sign world it's like taking a new Army recruit and having them go up against a Navy Seal!
I'm currently active professionally in a regional area in the North East U.S. covering about 4 States and have been for well over 40 years and I've never seen an Affinity file or a PDF published by Affinity sent for output. Using Affinity to augment CorelDRAW in large scale work is too far to reach in a fast paced multi-user production environment.
Affinity to augment CorelDRAW. With smaller physical document sizes, web work CMYK and digital work there are fewer issues. Mostly color management and interfacing transparency and importation. However these issue are easier to overcome until you hit the device N color issue in print. If it's all digital print and web it works much better to augment CorelDRAW.
Affinity has core technology issues, I tested it and dropped it from consideration and will most likely test it again some time later this year. I did the same thing with PaintShop Pro about 4 or 5 years ago and adapted it to augment Photo-PAINT and removed Photoshop from my work flow.
After over 2 decades of working in graphics my suggestion is a one suite process with Macros, or plugins is the best environment.
Thanks again David Milisock for your responses. All being considered.
In reality, whereas we cater for pre-press users in Illustrator (live swap ink channels, overprint preview, ink coverage warnings, full artwork separations, etc.), it's not a market we actively persue anymore. We tend to cater for much wider workflows in the vector creation and editing stages. This often benefits pre-press but it also benefits many other sectors with the same solutions.