As a veteran user of CorelDRAW 5, I found it to be a very useful and powerful package of applications and utility features that worked well for most, if not all, of my graphic needs. Then, along came CorelDRAW 6, billed as the mother of all 32-bit graphics packages. And indeed it is a very nice program. A bit unstable at times (just as CorelDRAW 5 was), but for all practical purposes a solid graphics package, usable by novices and professionals alike. But, hold on to your seats, those folks at Corel have just released CorelDRAW 7, heralded as all the things CorelDRAW 6 was and more. Wanting to find out for myself, I obtained a copy and put it through a few paces for this review.
April 8, 1997
CorelDRAW 7, which is designed for Windows 95 and Windows NT, comprises three core applications: CorelDRAW, Corel Photo-Paint, for photo editing and bitmap creation, and CorelDream 3D, for 3D modeling and rendering.
In addition to the three main applications, CorelDRAW 7's utilities include Corel Multimedia Manager 7; for organizing and managing graphics files, Corel Texture; for creating simulated natural textures, CorelDepth; for creating 3-D logos and text; and CorelMemo; which allows users to attach notes to their drawings or documents. The upgrade also includes Adobe Systems Inc.'s Photoshop-compatible plug-in filters.
For the Internet, CorelDRAW 7 allows users to assign URLs to any object and publish documents in HTML or Corel Barista. This process allows the user to create documents in the Java programming language. Corel's new Barista Java-applet authoring technology lets publishers create documents based entirely on Java and thus, playable on any Java-equipped computer.
In a few words, CorelDRAW 7 has gotten far better than the version number indicates. Perhaps the best feature is the ingenious context-sensitive Property Bar (toolbar), which gives you immediate access to the bulk of the program's features because it changes depending on the tool or object you've selected. Moreover, Corel has grouped functions in this version to save effort. For example, I found text-formatting options in one dialog box instead of the three required when using CorelDRAW 6.
With this new version, tools work more intuitively. I easily dragged and dropped colors, styles, clip art, fills, and outlines from their respective palettes to on-screen objects. Furthermore, the interactive Fill tool let me apply a standard or custom gradation by just clicking and dragging over an object.
Similarly, the interactive Transparency tool helped me produce marvelous looks by placing semitransparent texture on both vector and bitmap objects. Text controls also have more publishing features than previous versions. This includes such features as drop caps, vertical justification, and automatic paragraph sizing that fits text into an existing frame. CorelDRAW 7 also includes the WordPerfect spelling checker, thesaurus, and grammar checker. All very helpful utilities that are overlooked in most graphics and drawing programs.
Ever since CorelDRAW 4, users have screamed for more speed, a request that is met in this version. When running Version 7 on a 166-MHZ Pentium system, with Windows 95, screen redraws, file imports, and file operations often finished in half the time it took with Version 6.
Many of the program's special effects are new, or show a vast improvement over previous versions. Accelerated blending allowed me to add highlights to an object so it appeared more shiny. I also had an easier time converting vector illustrations to bitmaps, and applying special effects (such as noise or emboss) that are shared with Photo-Paint, than in previous versions of the program.
Document management functions, such as linked color relationships (where the color of a main object is associated with subordinate components), provided a quick way to edit complex illustrations. This recoloring, along with creating styles and using find-and-replace options, was easily executed by following various wizards, or by using tabbed dialogs.
Several important high-end output options make their debut in CorelDRAW 7, including the Pantone Hexachrome color palette, and Kodak ColorSync 2.0 color management system.
I had no trouble using the Internet toolbar to assign a URL and alternate text to objects. In addition, I easily published documents to HTML, GIF, JPEG, or Barista (Corel's Java technology).
Photo-Paint 7, like CorelDRAW, benefits from a new Property Bar and better internal memory management. You can also adjust virtual memory, which further helps when dealing with large files. Photo-Paint shares components with CorelDRAW, such as interactive gradient fill, color modeling, and printing enhancements.
Photo-Paint's Image Sprayer tool, akin to the "hose" in Fractal Design Painter, let me spray one image onto another to easily produce realistic skin textures.
Creating server-side and client-side image maps is a quick process using Photo-Paint's Tag WWW command. All the necessary image export options are available, such as progressive JPEG, GIF animation, and PNG.
Corel Dream 3D has fewer changes, but it's a useful program. Modifying 3-D objects is easier, because you can now lock pieces of a model or slide them along an axis. Deformation tools (stretch, shatter, bend, and twist) provide ways of altering models.
During rendering, you have more control over ambient light with CorelDRAW 7 than in previous versions. There's a Cloudy Fog atmosphere, and you can use reflected backgrounds. For the World Wide Web, Corel Dream 3D also exports to Virtual Reality Modeling Language (VRML).
Additional Features & Utilities:
Kodak Digital Science Color Management System ensures accurate color representation during scanning, display and printing using ColorSync 2.0-compatible device profiles.
Corel TEXTURE is a powerful tool for creating realistic natural textures such as wood, marble, clouds, stone or metal. Every texture is defined by several material layers and custom lighting effects.
Corel OCR-TRACE is a bitmap-to-vector conversion utility. Scanned images can be converted to editable CorelDRAW illustrations. Enhanced OCR capabilities allow for direct text-editing.
Corel MULTIMEDIA MANAGER allows for visual organization of all the files on your desktop and is also ideal for browsing the thousands of clipart images, symbols and photo libraries in CorelDRAW 7.
CorelDEPTH is an easy-to-use utility that allows you to apply instant 3D effects to your text and graphics.
CorelSCAN is a new wizard-based scanning utility with preset processing options. You may also save scanning settings for future use when scanning similar images.
Corel CAPTURE allows you to capture the application window, or elements of the window such as menu lists, toolbars or flyouts. You can also define rectangular, elliptical or freehand areas to be captured.
Corel SCRIPT Editor is an OLE 2.0-enabled scripting application that is ideal for creating add-on utilities for CorelDRAW or Corel PHOTO-PAINT.
CorelDRAW 7 was created for the professional illustrator, graphic artist and desktop publisher. If you are not one of these users, then you may not need such a powerful product. It is memory intensive (a minimum of 16 MB is required, but 32 MB is recommended for maximum performance). You need a Pentium 120mhz or better to run it, and a minimum of 40 MB of hard drive space.
CorelDRAW 7 is priced at $695. Users of any version of CorelDRAW can upgrade for $249. If you do not already have an older version of CorelDRAW, I recommend that you seek one out. I have seen CorelDRAW 3 for about $50 in some of the large computer store chains. Buy an older version, and then make the upgrade to version 7. You'll save money, and get the new version at the upgrade price. As with everything, it is important to shop around and find the best price.
One last bit of information. My sources at Corel say that there will not be a version 7 upgrade for the Mac. Instead, they will wait until version 8 is released; which will also be for Windows. Yikes, not another upgrade!
