How to Set Nudge Value in Corel Draw 2017

In this tutorial you'll get a full introduction to creating and manipulating Perfect Shapes, the pre-made shape tools that are perfect for creating various infographics and other designs in CorelDRAW. Additionally, I'll introduce you to the Drop Shadow Tool, which not only adds drop shadows to objects, but also allows you complete control over the shadow's shape, range, and intensity.

1. Using Perfect Shapes in CorelDRAW

Step 1

You'll find an assortment ofPerfect Shapes in theToolbox under thePolygon Tool (Y) icon. I choseFlowchart Shapes to start this quick tutorial with, and from there I chose a shape from the drop-down menu in theProperty Bar. Drag out the chosen shape and we'll manipulate it in the next step.

Step 2

Perfect Shapes are only so manipulable before they're Converted to Curves (Control-Q). You canScale,Rotate, and play with the object's properties as needed, but to add or delete nodes and really play with the shape as you would any other object, you must convert the object to its curves.

Working with this particular shape, open the Object Properties docker and set theOutline toNone. UnderFill, chooseFountain Fill and select the colors of your choice. I opted for a light and medium hue of cyan. Right-click andConvert to Curves if you'd like to further manipulate the shape at the node level; otherwise let's move on.

Step 3

Finally with this shape style,Copy (Control-C) andPaste (Control-V) three instances of the shape, layer them on top of each other (see below), and hitDistribute Center Vertically so that your little wavy shapes line up evenly. Change theFountain Fill of the front two shapes in theObject Properties docker, and let's move on to additional styles of Perfect Shapes.

2. Special Nodes and Effects on Text

Step 1

SelectBanner Shapes from theToolbox and choose the second banner from the drop-down menu in theProperty Bar. Draw a banner. Note the red and yellow nodes in the upper left of the Perfect Shape.

Using theShape Tool, grab the yellow node and move it on the vertical axis. Reducing or increasing the size of the banner's left tail also effects the center fold and right tail.

This time, grab the red node with theShape Tool. Move the node on the horizontal axis and note how either lengthening or shortening the center fold of the banner also affects the tails.

Step 2

Perfect Shapes will allow anything created on their paths to be affected when red and yellow nodes are manipulated. Using theText Tool (F8), type within the shape's boundaries. When you do so, Perfect Shapes react the same way as other objects with type inside them.

Type on the path of thePerfect Shape. In this case, do so on the center fold of the banner. Once you do, manipulate the red and yellow nodes. Note how the text moves with the changes in thePerfect Shape no matter which path the type was placed on within the object. In a normal object, the type would only be affected if a node on that exact path was manipulated.

3. Creating Simple Infographics

Step 1

Now that we've gotten the basics of Perfect Shapes and their functions, let's go over a common use of the tools: infographics. While complex infographics can easily be created within the program, to keep this brief, let's create a simple design now.

UnderCallout Shapes, select the first design in the drop-down menu. Grab the red node and pull it down beneath the rectangle of thePerfect Shape. Be careful to make sure the node is in the center of theCallout Shape's tail.

As we did before, set theOutline toNone andFill to theFountain Fill colors of your choosing.

Step 2

Copy andPaste three instances of theCallout Shape. Place each copied object behind the last, and move each down so they peek out from under the last one slightly. Change theFountain Fill of the copied shapes to shades of pink and yellow.

Select the center shape and hitMirror Horizontally in theProperty Bar so the tails of the shape are staggered.

Step 3

From theBasic Shapes options, select three different shapes for the bottom right corner of eachCallout Shape drawn previously. Note how shapes with red nodes were altered as needed.

Step 4

Select the topCallout Shape and, using theDrop Shadow Tool (found in theToolbox) drag out aDrop Shadow from the blue shape that aligns with the shape itself but is placed slightly below.

Hold down Controlto keep the drop shadow on a straight line while pulling it out from the shape. In theProperty Bar, setShadow Feathering to a value of4-7. Repeat this on the other two shapes.

Step 5

Use theType Tool to add whatever information your infographic may need. The design for this tutorial is intended to be an interactive infographic which would reveal each shape and its information as it was clicked.

To create this look,place each text object directly above its intended object in theObject Manager docker.

Great Job, You're Done!

The next step of where your design goes is in your hands. Perhaps a static infographic, with a different composition, or perhaps it's the start of an interactive design compiled in a program like Corel Video Studio or Adobe After Effects. Regardless of where you take the techniques explored in this tutorial, do share your creations with Perfect Shapes in the comments below.

For more CorelDRAW tutorials, check out these:

• CorelDRAW: Shape Building Basics
• CorelDRAW: Basic Drawing Tools
• How to Create an Easy Halloween Pattern in CorelDRAW

How to Set Nudge Value in Corel Draw 2017

Source: https://design.tutsplus.com/tutorials/how-to-create-and-use-perfect-shapes-in-coreldraw--cms-22657

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