Things I'd like to know more about in CorelDRAW part 1 - Contours

[Frog]

Why (or when) a contour instead of an outline?

[inkman996]

It is automatically an object. (outline needs to be converted first)
It can either go inside or outside (outline straddles)
More options such as single contour or more. Easier and faster to do double outlines.
Bold outlines can have funny corners like overly pointed mitered corners, contours do not.
One time I do prefer outlines is when I want to have rounded corners easy enough to do with an outline property change.

[cyw]

I'm a contour girl
Always have been......for all the reasons Mike pointed out as well as a few others
Just makes more sense to me, more versatile and much easier to alter/tweak/manipulate
I use a contour macro to round or bevel corners

If I looked back through the years, I could probably count (on my appendages) the times I chose to use outlines instead of contours.......but lately I've been making a few exceptions

With trying to get comfortable with the "new" art needed for my nifty new VERSACAMM, I've found myself using a slight outline (once in awhile) to accent or to help make a specific area of a design POP


Diane

[DraginInk]

Main reason I use contour is because of the funky things that outlines seem to do, as mentioned.
I'd usually work with outlines until they get weird then I'd try converting them to objects and seeing if that helps...usually the damage is done and it turns to a node editing session...
Next I'll go to a contour. Lately , last five or so years, I've been anticipating the outlines misbehaving and going right to a contour... only took me , what, 20 years??? which brings up this trivia question...
What version of CD did we get the contour options? I don't remember.... 9?   

[cyw]

I can't remember yesterday, so I may be wrong, but I'm thinking contours have been around  for a long, long time, at least 7, maybe even before???
Beats me
I do remember, though, that one of the semi-new versions, like 11 or 12 was disgusting
You'd put a contour around a perfect circle and wind up with 154 nodes!!!

It was a lot of fun
 

[DraginInk]

Had to be 12 that acted so naughty like that. I had a theory that they put in all the loony stuff in the even numbered releases. I skipped over 'em for a long time I'm on hold on vir.X3 at the moment... don't know why.

I started with vir.2 way back when..........

[Frog]

Had to be 12 that acted so naughty like that. I had a theory that they put in all the loony stuff in the even numbered releases. I skipped over 'em for a long time I'm on hold on vir.X3 at the moment... don't know why.

I started with vir.2 way back when..........

I certainly hope that your theory is wrong as I learned on v3, bought v4 as my own first, stuck with it until v8, then got v10 and v11, was given a machine with v12, and bought X4. Don't jinx it! Right now, I understand that X5 is giving some folks fits.
At any rate, I am trying to use both when each is appropriate.
I had a Roller Derby team cad-cut job with two color numbers (with a true outline, not just stacking) that I originally did as contours, that I found was done easier this year as outlines.
So, why complicate something that doesn't need to be complicated? More than anything, it's the sizing that complicates contours for me

At any rate, one thing is certain...
X3 was the biggest single leap forward.

The next CorelDRAW weakness I will confess to is...


...to be continued

[Chadwick]

Ah, but everyone is forgetting one thing about outlines.
If you want nice rounded edges, they can't be beat.
Here's what you can do for sanity's sake though.
You know that CorelTrace thing?
( screw convert outline to object, 'cause that can cause insanity in small lab animals )

Make yer art big, like 12" wide at least, even if your working on something small.
Duplicate the object with the outline, drag it out of your art.

Convert it to a black and white bitmap, 300 dpi. ( if it's colored beforehand, make it, and the outline black )
Do a trace. Ungroup the object. be aware of, find, and eliminate any 'crap' that lingers
Combine or weld or whatever you have to do to ensure it's just one object, color it different.

Move it back just below where it's supposed to end up.
You'll see some small discrepancies, tweak it a bit
Remove the original outline, from the original object and you're good to go.
Small node-count vector object now replaces your troublesome outline.

Much harder to describe coherently than to do, cause I suck at communication.
But, yeah..takes about 10 seconds *once you get used to doing it, takes a few minutes otherwise.

Contours are great, but they generate a bazzilion nodes on anything remotely complex.
( not disagreeing with the folks on here, just the way I do it.)

Mebbe I'll make a tut, pics work better, lol.
Cheers.

[inkman996]

Chad the rounded corners is why i still use outlines occasionally as well. I like your idea of tracing it instead of converting to outlines that always spells a cluster"F".


One thing you can do to make it a bit easier instead of moving a duplicate of the art to the side and having to realign manually later you can just select all hit copy create a second page "Tab" and paste, that will paste it exactly the same spot as the original. Do the trace clean up recopy to clip board and repaste on the original then it will be in the correct spot.

[cyw]

Okay, you two.................what the heck am I missing?
Does an old dog need to learn a new trick?

[inkman996]

Only difference is using rounded corners on an outline is a lot quicker than creating a contour then breaking it apart then using the fillet/scallop/chamfer box.

[cyw]

No, I don't do it that way, Mike
Like I said, somewhere up in my original post, I use a quick little simple macro that sits on my workspace

As a matter of fact, after you select the radio button to round corners, it STICKS and you don't need to keep selecting round again.
All subsequent contours you make remain rounded until you need to change the parameter.

It came from Jeff's macromonster, I'm sure
I'll find the link if you're interested.


Diane

[Homer]

contours always -outlines never.

[inkman996]

Sheesh Diane are you trying to make me change my ways? You do know a woman cannot ever make a man change (oh wait I think I have that backwards)

Sounds like a great macro one i would like to have, just add it to all the others that are piling op on the side lol.

[cyw]

What a smart, smart man!!!!
(you're making me smile, Mike) 

Here's the link:
http://macromonster.com/index.php?mod=descr&id_desc=10&keyword=contour
According to my order history page, I've been using it for 4+ years.
Tell you the truth, I don't know what I'd do without it.
If there's such a thing as 'wearing out' a button, this one would definitely win.

The other thing with me and contours is,  the files I make with contours are always more useable/versatile.
I need them for the digital printer and for cad-cutting................and work equally as well for regular sep work.
It helps me to avoid making multiple files for multiple applications.

Diane