Creating dotted lines that are actually circles

I'm trying to create dotted lines that are actually circles and not square shaped dots (the given option in the outline menu).  Is the best/only way to do this by creating a new Artistic Media Brush?  It seems like there should be an easier option when needing to create a long dotted line or a shape with a dotted outline.

Thanks!

  • You could use the Transformation Docker. Draw a dot and use the Rotate (Alt + F8)  feature. It is a circle but not fillable per se.

      • If you used a Blend, you could apply it to different paths..............

         

         

         

        • How did you do that?

          • I am totally confused by the posts in this thread, but want to learn more.

            I create illustrations and artwork where I need to use dotted lines to simulate fields of panel rivets.
            I need round dots, not rectangular or square ones.
            Most artwork is very fine...much of the line width is hairline or .5, so the standard dotted line is so small nobody
            can see that it isn't round dots...but there are times when I want to simulate larger "rivets" and I am forced
            to create rows of circles. This is a ton of work when filling in hundreds of rivets on an aircraft wing!
            And worse when rivet patterns follow the shape of objects.

            I am working in X6...so I don't know if you can help me here.
            (I'll repost this in the correct area)
          • Anyway to use the same blend method with text?  When I try the blend tool on text, the circles go around the outside of the text (following the path around the outside of the text) instead of placing the circles over the text.

          • I think Kiefer is looking for a way to create round/circular dots, not round dots in a circle. :) See the Outline variations, the dots are all square. I don't think we can make them circular. We can add an outline and use rounded ends and caps, but you only end up with a flat oval.  You can create your own dotted outline, but the "dots" will always square.

            So the best option is to create our own with Artistic Media object sprayer.

              • How about using the text tool and the fullstop on your keyboard with a font like Arial rounded. You can then fit the text (dotted line) to any path.

              • Greetings,

                There is a way to change the "outlines" to produce dots. It was a hack/tweak in the code page that makes that happen, just a simple number change. It was posted in the newsgroups a few years ago and I do not remember what the change was. I am going to search my notes, hopefully I can find it. If I can I will post it here. Might have been posted by a guy named Fisher?? An old corel tech from upstate NY.  Perhaps some other people that have been around for a while will remember it. Foster, Michael C ???? I know you guys seen it.

                pranderson said:
                think Kiefer is looking for a way to create round/circular dots, not round dots in a circle. :) See the Outline variations, the dots are all square. I don't think we can make them circular. We can add an outline and use rounded ends and caps, but you only end up with a flat oval.  You can create your own dotted outline, but the "dots" will always square.

                Bob

                • I remember that there was a way to do it tweaking one of the ini files or the register, I'm not sure, but I remember it from the Corel 9 times. I must have those notes somewhere.

                  • If it's a simple tweek to the ini file (or whatever), why didn't mother give us the option for round dots from the start?

                    • I think I stumbled upon this file you were referring to! It's called corel.dot.  It's in the X4 Custom Data folder or C:\Documents and Settings\Patti Anderson\Application Data\Corel\CorelDRAW Graphics Suite X4\User Custom Data. When you make a custom dashed line it adds it there. There is also a corel.dot in Program files under X4, but you don't need to mess with that one.  Anyway, I was reading some of the articles on the Corel Insider blog here and I found this article for Corel Designer. I figured the file name would be the same for CorelDraw. The article is here:  Corel Insider article .

                      Earlier this week I found this article about Illustrator: http://www.vectordiary.com/tips-and-tricks/dotted-lines-in-illustrator/  .  I thought we could do something similar in CD, but our outline customizing doesn't let us make changes to the dash and gap spaces like this.

                       So...putting these two ideas together, I added an extra line to the corel.dot file (opened in Notepad) like this (after backing up the original in a safe place!). Make sure this is added just BEFORE the final </pattern list> tag.

                      <stdPattern><dotLength>0</dotLength><dotLength>2</dotLength></stdPattern>

                      NOTE: If you have Microsoft Word the corel.dot file will have the Microsoft template icon. Do not open it Word -- use Windows Notepad.

                      When you save this text file and reopen CD it will add a new style to the drop down box and it will look blank -- but don't panic. Now go to the Outline properties and change the Line caps to rounded and tada!  Keep the line width to 2.0 or above, otherwise you won't see anything, 'cause what we're doing is just putting two line caps together with nothing in the middle. :)  NOTE: To delete this custom outline you will need to delete the extra line of code you added.

                      Advantages: It's an outline, so it has all those properties. Disadvantages: Some outline widths don't distribute the dots around the circle evenly, they will overlap at the top of a circular array.  We have the same problem with dashed lines.

                      Conclusion...if I want a perfectly spaced circular array of dots, I think I would prefer to create my own dot and use the transformation docker!

                      Interesting experiment though. Perhaps someone else can come up with a better configuration with this info.

                      • Good Job, Patti!

                        • Greetings,

                          I still cannot find my notes. The below way is cool but that is not it. It was simply changing 2 "0" to a "1" in a line of code, not adding a new line. Did not change caps just added dots. I wish I could find it. Still looking. This way did not produce the "disadvantage" you describe. I remember the guy who figured it out was from upstate NY and was a corel tech at the time. Can't remember his name. I am going to try to search the old newsgroup archives if they are still available.

                           

                          pranderson said:
                          <stdPattern><dotLength>0</dotLength><dotLength>2</dotLength></stdPattern>

                          Bob