SS2: 4TH, 5TH AND 6TH LESSON

Rotate Command     One of the commands that engravers will likely use quite often is the Rotate command, which allows users to turn an object around its center axis or around a point relative to its position. If you have a laser engraving system with a cylindrical engraving attachment then you’re probably accustomed to rotating your image 90 degrees whenever you need to process an object, in effect rotating the layout “sideways” to line it up with the orientation of the attachment. 

Once you are in the Transformation docker you can access the Rotate command simply by clicking on the Rotate button (Fig. 1, highlighted in green). When you rotate an image you are able to choose which point of the object that you want to be the anchor point. Whenever you rotate a shape, the anchor point becomes the axis of rotation, or the point about which the image will rotate (sort of like the center of an axle upon which a wheel rotates).
Scale and Mirror Command     Another command in the Transformation docker is the Scale and Mirror command, which allows you to either resize an object to a percentage of its original size or create a horizontal or vertical mirror image of an object. Figure 7 shows a document with the Scale and Mirror command open in the Transformation docker. There are two different mirror options which are located on the right side of the document in the blue box in Figure 7. The top option is the horizontal mirror which turns a right-reading layout into a left-reading layout (the kind traditionally used for so-called “reverse” engraving. The bottom button in Figure 7 is the vertical mirror, commonly used for so-called “upside down” engraving). The blue text located on the left side of the document indicates each of the options, while the black text directly to the right of the blue text shows what each option looks like after the mirror has been applied. 

Skew     The last command in the Transformation docker is the Skew command, which allows you to distort (“tilt”) an object. One of the applications for this command is to create “text effects” such as taking a block of upright text and making the characters lean off the vertical to create an “italicized” look. The end result of using this on a rectangle is to make the rectangle into a parallelogram.
     To access this command, simply click on the Skew icon in the Transformation docker (Fig. 11, highlighted in blue). Notice in Figure 11 that I have selected the object and typed in a horizontal skew of six degrees (highlighted in red). The original rectangle is outlined in red while the black box indicates our duplicated skewed rectangle. Notice that the duplicated rectangle is skewed on the top and the bottom of the rectangle.
     If you want to use an anchor point to create your skewed duplicate then select the “Use Anchor Point” check box. For example, in Figure 12 I have selected the bottom left selection handle as my anchor point. Now, if I type in the same six degree value as I used in Figure 11 then we will create a skewed box that is much different from the duplicate in Figure 11. See how the duplicated rectangle outlined in black in Figure 12 is only skewed at the top of the object. That’s because the bottom is anchored so it does not move.

For further reading, go herehttps://www.engraversjournal.com/article.php/2661/index.html

SHAPE TOOL
The shape tool is by far the most important tool in this submenu, and deserves some explanation:

The shape tool is used for detailed changing of the shape of objects. To understand how the shape tool works, you should understand how objects in Coreldraw are defined. The shape of every vector object in Coreldraw is controlled by nodes. Lines run from node to node.

Curved lines are build from curve nodes. Curve nodes have two "arms", which guide the curves. The arms point in the direction in which the curve leaves the node. The length of the arm determines how much the curve is influenced by the "arm".

With the shape tool, you can move nodes and the node's arms, to change the shape of selected objects. The shape tool works immediately for objects created with theFreehand or Bezier tool. To edit the shape, first select the shape tool, next click on the shape you want to edit. Now click a node to select the individual nodes. To move a node, just drag it to a new position. For selected nodes, the arms will become visible, drag these arms to change the curving of the line.

OBJECT DUPLICATING

Four ways to duplicate objects in CorelDRAW other than Copy and Paste:

1. Ctrl + D: to put a duplicate "Duplicate Distance" away.
2. Numpad +: to duplicate with zero offset.
3. Right-click (a  sign will appear) while moving, rotating, or transforming objects and then release to drop a duplicate.
4. Spacebar while moving, rotating, or transforming objects.

To change the Duplicate Distance

1. Select nothing (click on blank space on the drawing window)
2. Type values in the X (Horizontal offset) and Y (Vertical offset) boxes on the Property Bar

Or click Tools > Options > Document > General then type values in the X and Y boxes.

For more information go here https://community.coreldraw.com/collaborate/w/howto/6/quick-duplication

FURTHER READING

https://www.coreldraw.com/en/pages/items/14300041.html

http://product.corel.com/help/CorelDRAW/540240626/Main/EN/Doc/wwhelp/wwhimpl/common/html/wwhelp.htm?context=CorelDRAW_Help&file=CorelDRAW-Transforming-objects.html

http://product.corel.com/help/CorelDRAW/540223850/Main/EN/Documentation/wwhelp/wwhimpl/common/html/wwhelp.htm#href=CorelDRAW-Moving-and-copying-objects-between-layers.html&single=true