My post Why does Corel Draw Graphics Suite X5 feel more like beta software? explains everything im having an issue with X5. In an effort to log the issues with this software, Im asking that if your an X5 User and are having file corruption, crashes, freezes and other such fun stuff happening to you killing your time and money while in Draw or Photopaint, please post it here.
In order to keep it all clean and easy for someone at Corel to follow, please only list issues for X5 and not turn it into a discussion out of topic.
Please, there is no need to try to defend Corel here as Iv used Corel since version 4 (not X4), so thats a long time using it.
I started to work on multiple pages project with Pagemaker, then I migrated to InDesign, and Im still on it.
But I always need to work on Corel multiple pages projects too, because some partners and clients use mostly Corel's software, so I would like make some questions about the way you usually work on Corel's multiple page projects:
- You use external objects linkage (high res images, tables, charts)? Is it stable/trustable? Didn't Corel X5 improved this resource?
- Did Corel X5 fixed that issue about collecting and adding unused and useless styles (I think that this is the reason to the long time needed to open files)?
- From where did you get the installation file?
Adriano Hamaguchi said: I started to work on multiple pages project with Pagemaker, then I migrated to InDesign, and Im still on it. But I always need to work on Corel multiple pages projects too, because some partners and clients use mostly Corel's software, so I would like make some questions about the way you usually work on Corel's multiple page projects:
With CorelDRAW you don't need PageMaker or InDesign for most jobs, specially for magazines, brochures or small books. Only for books or jobs with a lot of text handling is better to use other program, such as Quark XPress, Corel Ventura or InDesign. Years ago, I use PageMaker a lot but since CorelDRAW was better on each version I don't use it anymore. Now, if I must start a file I have no doubts, I use CorelDRAW
Adriano Hamaguchi said: - You use external objects linkage (high res images, tables, charts)? Is it stable/trustable? Didn't Corel X5 improved this resource?
Yes, it was improved on X5, btw I still don't want to use external links. Is one of the most common problems with InDesign, when some links are missing or replaced with an incorrect file. And, if you include the file with InDesign, there's no advantadge. CorelDRAW works fine altough you don't use external links. And, about tables, charts and more, you will have other problem, because the original files are on RGB mode, and that cause problems of color when you print on CMYK
Adriano Hamaguchi said: - Did Corel X5 fixed that issue about collecting and adding unused and useless styles (I think that this is the reason to the long time needed to open files)?
CorelDRAW don't collect unused or unwanted styles, but if you open an old file with this problem, the styles comes with this file.
Adriano Hamaguchi said: - From where did you get the installation file?
from corel.com of course
Adriano Hamaguchi said:But I always need to work on Corel multiple pages projects too, because some partners and clients use mostly Corel's software, so I would like make some questions about the way you usually work on Corel's multiple page projects:
I produce a 64 page newsletter (more like a magazine really) most recently using Corel X4. I have also produced a 220 page technical handbook/buyers guide using Corel X3.
I can tell you nothing about what Corel X5 does because I removed it very soon after installing it due to random crashes for no explicable reason.
I'm not sure what you mean about external "linkages". I import high res photographs and other graphic images. They are not "linked" to the external file they came from. (at least not in the way I understand a link)
I usually end up reconstructing tables from scratch in Corel itself because I seldom find a table that I can simply import from elsewhere that suits the layout, quality and legibility I want.
As far as "collecting and adding useless styles" is concerned, if we mean Graphic and Text styles, I don't seem to have that problem in X4. A blank X4 document brings up 9 styles of which three are the Default Artistic text, Default Graphic and Default Paragraph Text. The other 6 are bullet styles. I don't know if they're all default.
I looked in my last 64 page document and admittedly it features 19 text styles which to be honest, I don't even know how some of them got there.
I use Corel only for constructing the magazine. When I send it to the printers I export it via Corels "Publish to PDF" feature and use PDF X-1A format. I have had very few problems doing this. In fact only once was there a misinterpretation on a PDF page that was quick and easy to fix.
I downloaded the latest X5 installation file directly from Corel.
I can say this. Iv tested the X5 issues in Windows 7 64bit, XP SP3 and Vista 32bit on 3 different computers ranging from AMD Athlon64 to Intel Core i7. Same issues without fail. Same crashes and corruptions. 80% of my issues have been with Photopaint so far. Your Theory is broken for this reason. For many the problems may not exist or crop up all the time since they may not use the programs the same way day to day. They may not use the same tools, open a file, or do the same things that will cause Corel Draw or Photopaint to crash. In my case, I always use the programs the same way and same tools on a daily basis and so they show their faults nearly right away for me. I can crash Photopaint pretty consistently doing not much at all. The same issues show themselves across a variety of setups. I had the same problem with PP crashing... and me losing several hours of work. I did some investigating on the number of levels of cache in cpus... P4 has 3, core2duo has 2... regardless... it still seemed to crash like you say for almost no reason. Try this... tools, options, general --> under memory, turn the Cache levels to 1. I think it's default is 4. So far I haven't had a crash since I turned it down to 1. I'm really curious to see if this suggestion works for others. Bugs:- PP dockers keep resizing themselves for unknown reasons. I'll just close and then reopen and when I maximize a docker (from being minimized via that little triangle), it comes up at a completely different size and sometimes it's big and sometimes small with important parts hidden that require me to resize it again (argh).- PP crashes... I have undo levels set at 20 and cache levels at 1 and it *seems* to be working okay for now.- PP: change the fill in the colour docker and it doesn't always update into the toolbar's colour... which makes the new fill colour not work right away.- numerous usability and design issues (see wishlist thread), but they aren't strictly "bugs". Hopefully someone from Corel actually reads these issues we are having. I also agree with the complaint that I shouldn't have to pay to contact tech support when what we are doing is testing the software for them... and then having to pay to help make their product better? I hope there's a service pack to fix this gamma version of X5.
Your Theory is broken for this reason. For many the problems may not exist or crop up all the time since they may not use the programs the same way day to day. They may not use the same tools, open a file, or do the same things that will cause Corel Draw or Photopaint to crash. In my case, I always use the programs the same way and same tools on a daily basis and so they show their faults nearly right away for me. I can crash Photopaint pretty consistently doing not much at all. The same issues show themselves across a variety of setups.
I had the same problem with PP crashing... and me losing several hours of work.
I did some investigating on the number of levels of cache in cpus... P4 has 3, core2duo has 2... regardless... it still seemed to crash like you say for almost no reason. Try this... tools, options, general --> under memory, turn the Cache levels to 1. I think it's default is 4. So far I haven't had a crash since I turned it down to 1. I'm really curious to see if this suggestion works for others.
Bugs:- PP dockers keep resizing themselves for unknown reasons. I'll just close and then reopen and when I maximize a docker (from being minimized via that little triangle), it comes up at a completely different size and sometimes it's big and sometimes small with important parts hidden that require me to resize it again (argh).- PP crashes... I have undo levels set at 20 and cache levels at 1 and it *seems* to be working okay for now.- PP: change the fill in the colour docker and it doesn't always update into the toolbar's colour... which makes the new fill colour not work right away.- numerous usability and design issues (see wishlist thread), but they aren't strictly "bugs".
Hopefully someone from Corel actually reads these issues we are having. I also agree with the complaint that I shouldn't have to pay to contact tech support when what we are doing is testing the software for them... and then having to pay to help make their product better? I hope there's a service pack to fix this gamma version of X5.
In my opinion, CorelDRAW X5 & Corel PHOTO-PAINT X5 have got major compatibility problems with Windows 7 - 64bit!
I have experienced far to many problems with these applications and decided to un-installed it from my computer. I'm still getting the annoying "Protexis Licensing V2" errors and sadly the only way to get rid of these is to format my computer and remove all traces of Corel X5.
There are many new features I like in this version of CorelDRAW, but I cannot afford the time being wasted with crashes and corrupt files. I'm not here to BETA test this version for Corel.
Only once they release a PATCH update for this version will I re-consider installing it again on my computer.