Ioline 300 With Corel Draw

Lin Inteall38 · Wednesday, 12 January 2022

Triangles ? A Corel question

I'd like to make a series of acrylic triangles that I can use a set up tools for woodworking projects. I know how to use the Perfect Shapes function in Corel to create triangles, but is there a way to draw triangles with varying angles.... i.e. instead of a right triangle (45-45-90), also 30-60-90 triangle etc. just by calling out the drsired angles ? Your input is appreciated.

Trotec Speedy 300.....45w
Corel x4
Not enough woodworking tools...
Google Sponsor Google Sponsor
One possibility (make sure Snap to Objects is enabled):
1) Draw a horizontal line (use shift key).
2) Select line and apply a rotation transformation for the desired angle - use "Apply to Duplicate".
3) Drag the end node of the new line to snap to the end node of the first line.
4) For a right triangle, draw a vertical line (shift key) and drag it into place. Otherwise use the rotation again to get the desired angle for the third side, then drag it into place.
5) Use the Shape Tool to edit the lengths of lines as necessary - again using the shift key to constrain the movement so the angles are not altered.
6) Combine all the lines into a single shape.
Might be possible also to do it with guidelines. You can specify the angle of new guides by double clicking on an existing guide,then set Snap to Guides and draw your lines. Just a thought.

Epilog Legend EXT36-40watt, Corel X4, Canon iPF8000 44" printer,Photoshop CS6, Ioline plotter, Hotronix Swinger Heat Press, Ricoh GX e3300 Sublimation
The easiest way is to draw it using 3 segments using the freehand/line tool and using the constrain angle thingy. (Press ctrl when drawing)
You can set the constrain angle at some figure like 10 degrees and you can then draw the base line to the length you need and then use the constrain angle to draw the other 2 sides at the angle you want at 10 degree implements - use the virtual segment delete to trim off the ends where the other 2 sides intersect.
You could expressly set the constrain angle to the exact angles you need as well.

Rodney Gold, Toker Bros trophies, Cape Town , South Africa :
Roland 2300 rotary . 3 x ISEL's ..1m x 500mm CnC .
Tekcel 1200x2400 router , 900 x 600 60w Shenui laser , 1200 x 800 80w Reci tube Shenhui Laser
6 x longtai lasers 400x600 60w , 1 x longtai 20w fiber
2x Gravo manual engravers , Roland 540 large format printer/cutter. CLTT setup
1600mm hot and cold laminator , 3x Dopag resin dispensers , sandblasting setup, acid etcher
I would use Jeff's example but draw a horizontal line and two vertical lines. Take a vertical and rotate to the angle you want do the same with the other vertical and move them to intersect. Trim with the segment delete tool.

Mike Null

St. Louis Laser, Inc.

Trotec Speedy 300, 80 watt
Gravograph IS400
Woodworking shop CLTT and Laser Sublimation
Dye Sublimation
CorelDraw X5, X7
Bob,
If you feel like learning/playing with PostScript you could do a variety of triangles easily.

Just set some variables at the top of your PostScript file for the various quantity, angles, and sizes you need.

This plain text file renamed to triangles.ps instead of triangles.txt:

-----Begin triangles.ps here -----
%!PS
% (c) Stijn van Dongen.

0.2 setgray
0 setlinewidth
/gridunit 10 def % length of triangle side.
/angle 0 def % angle with baseline.
% 0 makes normal baseline a direction of grid,
% 30 makes vertical a direction of grid.

2.845 2.845 scale

/step gridunit 0.866025 mul def % that's 1/2 * sqrt(3)

newpath
5 5 moveto
205 5 lineto
205 292 lineto
5 292 lineto
closepath clip newpath

105 149 translate

angle rotate

3
{ -183 step div floor step mul % make sure we hit the origin, i.e. (0,0).
step
183
{ -183 exch moveto 366 0 rlineto
}
for
120 rotate
}
repeat

stroke showpage
----- End triangles.ps here-----

Produces this (shrunk down from 8.5x11" to fit in this post):

Which can be opened in CorelDRAW to view and play around with.

I think most folks don't realize that PostScript is a programming language, not just a graphic format. I just included the above as a simple example of what can be done in PostScript with very little effort.

I've used PS to create some triangles that I've output to g-code to make some parts for a fixture and jigs before.
It's like HTML... you can create and edit the file in a standard text editor, but plenty of programs can open it in its native format.

Hi-Tec Designs, LLC -- Owner (and self-proclaimed LED guru )

Trotec 80W Speedy 300 laser w/everything
CAMaster Stinger CNC (25" x 36" x 5")
USCutter 24" LaserPoint Vinyl Cutter
Jet JWBS-18QT-3 18", 3HP bandsaw
Robust Beauty 25"x52" wood lathe w/everything
Jet BD-920W 9"x20" metal lathe
Delta 18-900L 18" drill press
Flame Polisher (ooooh, FIRE!)
Freeware: InkScape, Paint.NET, DoubleCAD XT
Paidware: Wacom Intuos4 (Large), CorelDRAW X5
If you save the PS file as a PDF you can bring it into CorelDraw and edit it.

Mike Null

St. Louis Laser, Inc.

Trotec Speedy 300, 80 watt
Gravograph IS400
Woodworking shop CLTT and Laser Sublimation
Dye Sublimation
CorelDraw X5, X7
If all you want to do is triangles once in awhile then any of the solutions is ok, but if you need to make triangles as well as complex geometric shapes nothing beats a good cad package. Obviously Autocad is out of most peoples budgets, but there are some really good cheaper alternatives like Bricscad, which is under $400 and is command compatible with Autocad. There is a small learning curve but it's well worth it. I use Autocad 2011 in conjunction with Corel Draw.
Just some food for thought.

-
Zing 24 - 40 watts
Corel X3/X5/X6
Autocad 2016
I need to add this freebie to my sig... DoubleCAD XT. Competes with AutoCAD LT for features.

Hi-Tec Designs, LLC -- Owner (and self-proclaimed LED guru )

Trotec 80W Speedy 300 laser w/everything
CAMaster Stinger CNC (25" x 36" x 5")
USCutter 24" LaserPoint Vinyl Cutter
Jet JWBS-18QT-3 18", 3HP bandsaw
Robust Beauty 25"x52" wood lathe w/everything
Jet BD-920W 9"x20" metal lathe
Delta 18-900L 18" drill press
Flame Polisher (ooooh, FIRE!)
Freeware: InkScape, Paint.NET, DoubleCAD XT
Paidware: Wacom Intuos4 (Large), CorelDRAW X5
Originally Posted by Dan Hintz

I need to add this freebie to my sig... DoubleCAD XT. Competes with AutoCAD LT for features.

Good find Dan

No Catches

We're trying to shake up the CAD world. We won't do that unless we have something special.

DoubleCAD XT is a full-powered 2D CAD application � one that you already know how to use � and is free with none of the usual limitations:

We're not constraining printing, saving, file sizes... we're not including untimely time-outs... we're not even constraining the software license � our free DoubleCAD XT can be used for unlimited personal and commercial use.

Our hope is that as you need even more power, you'll consider upgrading to our enhanced DoubleCAD XT Pro product or DoubleCAD plug-ins as available. DoubleCAD XT Pro is a great companion to AutoCAD and an excellent drafting complement to popular mechanical design package such as SolidWorks, Pro/ENGINEER�, and Solid Edge.

-
Zing 24 - 40 watts
Corel X3/X5/X6
Autocad 2016
Originally Posted by Mike Null

If you save the PS file as a PDF you can bring it into CorelDraw and edit it.

No need to convert it to PDF, CorelDraw can open PS files directly.
CorelDraw 12 had issues with PS/PDF, but works fine in 13 and 14.
Yes, that is correct, but I don't believe you can edit them unless you convert first to pdf. For example changing the color of lines or deleting lines.

Mike Null

St. Louis Laser, Inc.

Trotec Speedy 300, 80 watt
Gravograph IS400
Woodworking shop CLTT and Laser Sublimation
Dye Sublimation
CorelDraw X5, X7
Originally Posted by Mike Null

Yes, that is correct, but I don't believe you can edit them unless you convert first to pdf. For example changing the color of lines or deleting lines.

Well, fudge....
You CAN open and edit the .PS file in CorelDraw X4,
but you CANT save as PS, only EPS, as I just found out =(

Bummer.

At least you still can create/edit PostScript in a text editor,
then grab/use those created objects in CorelDraw.

I know there are 3rd party tools one could use,
but that's starting to drift off-topic of Bob's triangle question.
Notes for future reference:

Originally Posted by Jeff Bratt

5) Use the Shape Tool to edit the lengths of lines as necessary - again using the shift key to constrain the movement so the angles are not altered.

Originally Posted by Mike Null

Trim with the segment delete tool.

My step 5 only works right when the angle of a side coincides with the Constrain Angle Dynamic Guide setting. Another easy way to change the length of a rotated line is to select the line and drag the corner of the selection box - then the angle will not change. And I didn't know about the (relatively new?) Segment Delete Tool - that works really well here, too.