Coreldraw versions

[brian257]

I have been having a lot of problems with AutoCad drawings input to LaserCad. I think it will be easier if I use Coreldraw instead for engraving. Looking at the different versions I can get version X6 for about $130. Version X7 is $449, but there are a ton of student editions online for under $100. Can anyone using Corel tell me if there is anything I can't do with the student editions. If I get the full version is there anything important in the X7 version over the X6? I will continue to use AutoCad for probably everything else I do other than laser work so I am only really concerned with the functionality of Corel that I will use in LaserCad.

[Tech_Marco]

Get the X5 or X6 for less than $80 on eBay. Student version is the same.
Don't get X7 as LaserCad doesn't has a macro for X7 yet

Marco

[greg_gran]

WARNING!

The Student version (actually called Home and Student) is NOT the same as the commercial version and "educational" version. The commercial and educational versions come in a black box and are both fully featured. The "Home and Student" version comes in a white box and is severely crippled. It doesn't even support VBA macros, so it can't be integrated with LaserCAD. I was using a trial of the full version and was starting to really like it. I then bought the home and student version on eBay for $80, installed it , and got a big shock.

The white box version is a POS - it is missing many very useful features that I had gotten accustomed to in the trial version.

To top it off, I have not found a vector file format that X6 Home and student will export that LaserCAD will import. Adode Illustrator (.ai) files would appear to be an option, but LaserCad simply won't import them.

$80 wasted. Now I'll have to look around to try to find a deal on the commercial black box version. The black box "educational" version seems to be completely non-existent on eBay.

Update: I discovered It is available directly from Corel for $99 + shipping. Only the box version is available, no download version.
I ordered it. I hope this saves someone some money. $20 more for the full version is well worth it. The Home-Student version is not only lacking in features, but it has no update support and feels sluggish compared to the black box version.

[brian257]

I wound up buying the home and student version about a month ago and found that it is totally useless for my purposes because it will not import DXF. They don't tell you that anywhere and I did a lot of googling and found on some news groups that was the case (after trying like hell to open DXFs and not getting anywhere).

[greg_gran]

After playing with the Home and Student version (white box) a little more, I found that it will export PLT files, and LaserCAD will import them. That appears to be the only vector format that can be transferred to LaserCAD from Corel X6 Home and Student. Unfortunately, PLT files do not contain layer information, so those will have to be manually recreated in LaserCAD.