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A powerful technical illustration tool, Corel Designer 10 helps you create drawings that are accurate rather than creative. The latest version of Corel Designer is much more of an upgrade than version 9 was, with a new, customisable interface (although you can set it to the previous look if you prefer), new drawing and tracing tools, better snapping capabilities and symbol libraries that give you more consistent drawings and smaller file sizes. Corel Designer 10 isn't a CAD package: you're working in 2-D rather than 3-D, but it does create very accurate technical drawings. You can open AutoCAD files, use the 3-D models to create accurate 2-D illustrations and then export to a graphics package to use the illustration in a more creative way, or treat the program as a very accurate way of sketching and export in a variety of formats (such as SVG) that keep that accuracy. If you have drawings on paper, Corel Trace helps you to scan them in and tidy them up so you have objects rather than collections of lines. The interface is full of tools that help you draw precisely; as you move the cursor over objects, labels show whether you're selecting the edge,
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node, midpoint or centre and the new gravity snapping lets you attach a second line or object to those snap points. The Transformation Docker brings together all the tools to let you precisely move, flip, rotate, scale, skew and project objects isometrically. You can edit one side of an object and then reflect the changes on the opposite side so they match. Once you've drawn an object the way you want it, you can save it as a symbol to use again (in the same file, for other drawings or to share with colleagues); Corel Designer 10 includes thousands of standard symbols for various industries. And it's easy to annotate objects with dimensions, part numbers, instructions or other details. Don't expect creative graphics tools: you can add effects such as drop-shadows and transparency or use a lens effect to magnify a section of a diagram, but these tools are designed to convey information rather than give you a fancy look. Automation means writing VBA scripts for repeating design options you use frequently rather than using smart connectors. Corel Designer 10 is a heavyweight program with all the necessary tools for professional drawing. --Mary Branscombe
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