# 3469- CorelDRAW™ 8 and CADD® File Formats CorelDRAW™ 8 interacts with existing CADD® (Computer Aided Design and Drafting) application softwares through these following file formats: 1. The DaWinG file format is generally associated with AutoDesk® as their native drawing file format and has the file extension DWG. 2. The Drawing eXchange File format is also associated with Autodesk. This format is used as a generic file format used to exchange drawing files between different CADD application products, and has a DXF file extension. 3. The PLoT file format format contains HPGL (Hewlett Packard® Graphics Language) code, and consists mainly of ASCII characters andsome control codes. This format has a PLT file extension. For more information on the DWG and DXF format please visit http://www.autodesk.com. For technical specification on HPGL and HPGL2 formats visit http://www.hp.com. Opening/Importing of files CorelDRAW can open or import DWG, DXF, and PLT files and can save or export in DXF and PLT file formats. The File Open and File Import dialog boxes utilize the same file import filter. DWG format considerations. CorelDRAW 8 is compatible with AutoCad® Release 13. DWG files. The following is a list of non supported features: - ASCII extended characters are not supported. - Only 1 viewport of a multi-viewport DWG file will be imported. - Elevation is not supported, therefore objects with elevation may display incorrectly. This limitation applies to other solid objects and surfaces. - Shape entities such as symbols are not supported. - Symbol blocks may have the word "RNAME" attached. These symbols have 2 attributes attached. CorelDRAW 8 doesn't have the same control of attributes. - AutoCad assures that colors 1-7 will be retained between systems and that even then color 7 may be black or white depending on the background color used. All other color setting depend on setting not stored in the DWG file. DXF format import considerations CorelDRAW 8 is compatible with AutoCad R13. DXF files. Preparing the file in AutoCad To create a .DXF file from AutoCad, use the .DXFOUT utility while in that program. If the image is 3-D, save it with the view that is required to transfer over to CorelDRAW. Whenever possible, use polylines rather than regular lines. This reduces the complexity of the file when it is imported into CorelDRAW. DXF File Complexity If the .DXF file is too complex to import into CorelDRAW, configure the AutoCad output device as an HP7475 Plotter and perform a Plot-to-File of the drawing. Import this plot file using Corel's HPGL import filter. File Size considerations DXF files created with this filter can become quite large, especially if text is exported as curves. A complex drawing occupying only 20 or 30K may grow to 500K or more in the .DXF format. General notes and limitations on imported .DXF files - Shape entities; Corel applications cannot read .SHX files - Polylines including variable-width polylines, elevation (group 38), mesh M and N vertex counts (groups 71 and 72), smooth surface M and N densities (groups 73 and 74), and smooth surface type (group 75) - Special 3-D shapes such as cones, spheres, and torids - 3-D extrusion of circles, arcs, and text - 3-D extrusion of polylines with width and/or dashed patterns - Invisible lines in 3-D face entities - Automatic wireframes - Hidden lines removal - Extrusion direction assumed to be parallel to the z-axis - Binary .DXF format - Paper Space Entities within a Model Space - AutoCad layers cannot be mapped to CorelDRAW layers - Dashed lines in the .DXF file will be given a similar dashed line pattern in CorelDRAW 8 application. - If dimension entities are scattered in the imported file, explode the dimension entity before creating the .DXF file in the original drawing in AutoCad. - The line width of a polyline is imported as the minimum line width which that polyline had in AutoCad. The maximum line width is 4 inches. Variable line width information is not retained when the file is imported. - Solid and trace entities are filled, provided the view is not 3-D (i.e., they are filled on x-y axis view only). - A point is imported as an ellipse of minimum size. An extruded point is imported as a line segment with two nodes. PDMODE is not considered. - Files exported as "Entities only" may come into CorelDRAW 8 incorrectly due to a lack of header information. - Various justifications on text entries may not be preserved. Normal text placement (no justification) works best. - CorelDRAW 8 has limits on values for text's point size and skew. If the AutoCad text object exceeds these limits, the object is brought within these limits when it is imported. - Control characters are ignored. - Overscore and underscore indicators are ignored. - If a character is referred to by number, the number must be three digits; i.e., character 65 is %%065. - %%010 is considered to be a carriage return and line feed. - Any non-standard characters become a "?" in CorelDRAW 8, including the degrees symbol, the +/- tolerance symbol, and the circle dimensioning symbol. - MLINE command not supported. - Objects created with 3rd party applications are not supported. - DXF files greater than 30" in either X or Y planes are scaled to within a 10" size. - Artistic and Paragraph text objects when exported and re-imported into CorelDRAW 8 may not retain correct font attributes PLT format considerations. Note: When Importing and Exporting HPGL files using CorelDRAW 8, ensure that the setting match in each of the import/export dialog boxes as this will ensure entity consistency in .PLT files. Formats Supported CorelDRAW 8 can interpret a SUBSET of the HPGL and HPGL/2 command set. A stepping factor of 1016 plotter units = 1 inch will be used. If problems are experienced, ensure to select the HP7475A plotter as the target device within Autocad and ensure to select No Optimization when creating the PLT plot file. Image Size The dialog box includes a Scale option for resizing the imported image. Use this option to import images larger than CorelDRAW's maximum page size. If the image does not fit in the page, it will automatically be scaled down. To make the image smaller than the CorelDRAW 8 page size click on Transform and select Size. Colors in HPGL Files The HPGL format does not contain color information. Instead, the various objects in an HPGL file have certain pen numbers associated with them. When imported into the CorelDRAW 8 application, each pen number is assigned a specific color. The default color of pen assignments can be changed in the HPGL Options dialog box that is used when import PLT files. This makes it easy to match the original colors of the graphic. Pen Selection The Pen Selection list contains 256 pens, although not all of the pens may be assigned. Pen Color Change the color assignments by choosing the pen and then choosing a new color for that pen from the Pen Color field. Choosing Custom colors brings up a color definition dialog box that allows the user to define a custom color using the RGB values. Pen Width Pen width assignments are altered by choosing the pen and then choosing a new width for that pen from the Pen Width field. Pen Velocity The pen velocity can be changed by choosing the pen and then choosing a new velocity for that pen from the Pen Velocity field. This is only useful for exporting HPGL files. Pen Unused Allows the user to set a defined pen to (Unused). Reset Resets the current Pen Library pen settings back to the last saved settings. Fills Only certain types of objects in the HPGL file will be filled. Line Types CorelDRAW supports numerous HPGL dotted, dashed, and solid line types. The pattern number of a certain line in an HPGL file will be translated to a line type pattern, as shown in the following table: HPGL line: CorelDRAW line type: #0 Solid #1 Dotted #2 Small dash #3 Large dash #4, 5 Dot-dash #6 Double dot-dash #7 and over As per # 2 Text in HPGL files · Text will only come into CorelDRAW as editable text when the application that generated the file is capable of exporting text as text. · Once in the application, text strings will be assigned the Monospaced font, but can subsequently be assigned any typeface and size. · Imported text has no outline color, only a fill color. The fill color is based on its associated pen number in the original HPGL file. EPS Export files from AutoCad Export the DWG from Autocad and save in EPS, (Encapsulated PostScript) format. EPS files can be imported into CorelDRAW using the Encapsulated Postscript (EPS) or the Postscript Interpreted (PS, PRN, EPS) import filters. AutoCad doesn't generate a "thumbnail" and when imported using the Encapsulated Postscript filter a grey box will represent the imported file. No editing of the file is available when the file is imported with this filter. To allow for post importation modification of the exported EPS file then use the Postcript Interpreted import filter. When prompted for import filter selectable options select the default setting. To edit entities within the imported file ensure the imported file has been selected with the Pick tool then click Arrange and from the drop-down menu click on ungroup from the drop down menu. Saving/Exporting of files DXF format considerations. The following features are not supported when exporting to .DXF file format: - Calligraphic pen effects, dashed and dotted lines, or arrowheads. All line weights are converted to solid lines 0.003" thick. - Bitmaps are not exported. - Texture fills are replaced with a solid gray fill. All other fills are ignored. - Filled objects that have no outlines will have an outline appended to them in the .DXF export process. PLT format considerations. Exporting HP Plotter HPGL (.PLT) When Importing and Exporting HPGL files ensure that the setting match in each of the import/export dialog boxes as this will ensure entity consistency in .PLT files Saves drawings in a vector format used primarily by computer-driven sign and glass cutters. Only the outlines of objects are exported. Unsupported Features - Most fill types are ignored. Solid fills may be simulated (see Advanced Options in the HPGL Export dialog box). - Texture fills are converted to a solid gray fill. - Bitmaps are not supported. Limitations - Dotted lines, dashed lines, and arrowheads are mapped to HPGL's standard line types. - Bezier curves are converted to line segments. - Any outline is exported with a width of one pen width. Both thickness and calligraphic setting, are lost. Colors HPGL files contain "pen numbers" that correspond to the drawing pens available in a plotter. These pens are installed by the user and can be any color. The pen numbers and color assignments selected in the HPGL Pen Options dialog box should be paired with the pen assignments in the plotter. When the file is exported, the colors it contains are analyzed for their CMYK content. They are then matched as closely as possible to the current pen library. As many as 256 pens can be defined, but most plotters use eight or fewer pens. Pen settings defining the color, width, and velocity of individual pens are available in the Pen Options of HPGL Export dialog box. Note: Any changes made to the Pen Color assignment list affect both the HPGL Import and Export filters. Page Options So that the image is properly positioned when plotted, make sure the page size and orientation of the CDR file match the plotter page. If the plotted image appears distorted, try changing the orientation of the page then re-exporting the file. Objects with no outlines Since this filter deals with outlines only, any filled objects in the CDR file that have no outlines will have outlines appended to them in the HPGL export process. Text Text is automatically exported as curves so that its appearance is maintained in the exported file. Text exported as curves cannot be edited as text in the destination application. Tips If the geometry of imported DXF or DWG files are not correct, explode all entities in the originating application, save in the appropriate format, then import into CorelDRAW. When creating PLT files for importation into CorelDRAW select the 7475A HP Plotter as the target device and select no optimization. Import EPS files using the Postscript Interpreted filter within CorelDRAW.