One of the things I really like about Win XP is the built in file viewer. You can go to a folder and click on most bitmap files and .wmf files and preview them.
What I want to know is does anybody know of a way to view .cdr files without having it launch and open Coreldraw when all you want to do is preview the .cdr file in its folder?
Is there a setting in Windows XP folder options that allow viewing of other file formats?
Posted by Si Allen (Member # 420) on :
It wil open just about any graphic (.cdr's are only thumbnials), also plays videos, MP3s, and a bunch of other stuff!
Posted by Checkers (Member # 63) on :
Hiya Bob, I'm sure there's a way, unfortunately, I don't recall off the top of my head though. Another option is to right click on the file and go to properties. From there click on the details tab and it will give you a thumbnail view.
Havin' fun, Checkers
Posted by Bob Stephens (Member # 858) on :
Thanks Si!!!
That did the trick. Just what I needed it to do.
Posted by Larry Elliott (Member # 263) on :
Hey Bob, Elliott here (from an old sign meet at Classic Sign & Mirror, early 90's) Corel (ver. 8 and above) comes with its own viewer, Canto Cumulus, this is on the program installation CD and you have to install it yourself, it doesn't install by default when you install the rest of the Corel suite. It catalogs your Corel files, both bitmap and vectors and shows them as large (or small) thumbnails. The program for older Corel versions is Corel Multimedia and is used the same way.
Posted by Ray Rheaume (Member # 3794) on :
Hi Bob,
I use Thumbsplus, a nifty little thumbnail viewer that can be customized to show all kinds of image files and fonts, too. Comes in real handy and you can try a freebie first... http://www.cerious.com Posted by TransLab (Member # 470) on :
There's a utility called romcat we use for this purpose, works great. you can build your own catalogues. You can get it here romcat Posted by Bob Stephens (Member # 858) on :
Thanks guys. So far I've tried Si suggested program and it will let you preview .cdr files as a small thumbnail from any directory folder. Illustrator files in .ai or .eps format are handled the same way. I just wish they would all act and behave like the .wmf file do. Oh well, with computers everything becomes possible eventually.
I can still remember working on my old 286 monochrome monitor and fantasizing about a color monitor being invented some day...
I don't miss the old days at all.
Posted by Dave Johnson (Member # 2535) on :
Bob, I'm not sure about XP but Windows 2000 let's me view just about anything as a thumbnail. Check you view menu on an open folder and see if Thumbnail is there as an option.
Posted by timi NC (Member # 576) on :
Seems to me at one time you could assign mini thumbnails instead of icons to corel files,somewhere I just don't recall what version and when they first introduced it,...
Posted by Dave Grundy (Member # 103) on :
Bob...Like Mike, I use Romcat extensively for searching my various Corel clip art cd's. It is also good for cataloguing my own files. I haven't been doing it as religiously as in the past but as an example you can assign "keywords" to each file...For example... boats, marina name, owner's name, boat name.
Or.... trucks, owner name, company name, make, model.
Then 3 years down the road you can look up that picture you took of a particular make of truck and use it as a template for designing a layout for a different customer.
VERY handy utility!!! Posted by Bill Cosharek (Member # 1274) on :
Great tip Dave. Thanks for sharing. I never thought of using RomCat for anything other than the categorizing of clipart from various versions of Corel. I'll have to try that.
Posted by Bob Stephens (Member # 858) on :
Now that is a "great" tip Dave. I always seem to foget you can do that when saving a file. I try to remember to put the clients name and phone number there when I save as well as any dimensions and price I may have quoted.
You can never have to much information saved especially if you may need it later on.
Posted by TransLab (Member # 470) on :
I update our shop 'catalogue' once a week or so, If I can't find something we've done in the past week I've got real trouble. I had a freebie co-op student insert keywords into all our older files a few years ago. Now I can lay my hands on any file from 1992 and up within seconds. Great tool
Posted by Laura Butler (Member # 1830) on :
I've got another Corel question. How do I change the default font to something else. I have gone through all the options and change the font to what I want but it never seems to stay.
Posted by timi NC (Member # 576) on :
Laura,...it depends on the version you are using,..in the earlier versions you just selected the text tool and chose a font before you type and a window would popup warning about changibg the default font and asking you if you really wanted to do just that. In later versions you have to chose the format text command and change the font before you add any text and the same window will appear.
Posted by Laura Butler (Member # 1830) on :
I am using 9.0. I get tried of it always being AvantGande when I want to start typing. I use Swiss 21 or 21 Bold for most of my non-serif stuff.
Posted by TransLab (Member # 470) on :
Laura, do as Tim says, then if you want to save the style changes as defaults for new documents go Tools>options>highlight document(left pane)>then check 'save options as default for new documents' (right pane)... for some reason you must save the file before the changes become default..
Posted by Bruce Williams (Member # 691) on :
Laura Butler asked
I've got another Corel question. How do I change the default font to something else. I have gone through all the options and change the font to what I want but it never seems to stay. ---------------------- While you're in Tools-Options, there's a save-as-default box to check. If I had Corel on right now, I'd put you right on it, but somebody else probably does and probably will.
Posted by Gail & Dave Beattie (Member # 572) on :
one of the first things I do with a new install of corel is create my own workspace corels 'out of the box state' is very bulky for the kind of work most sign shops do so triming it to the settings you need makes sense
under tools/ options/ customise/ you can 'create new' workspaces for every type of work you do saved to a name that makes sense for you just don't forget to never leave the options window with out hitting the 'save as defaults for all documents' in the documents section
I have a wookspace for signs, one for building tff files, all sorts of things
this allows you to select the typeface you wish as default along with a zillon other settings your making signs
one of the most simple and least thought of settings is the system resourses why let windows have all the juice while you sit waiting for the machine to do something i have mine set to 75% of the memory available so that corel zooms
I always work in real size so having lettering set to 25mm as default means as i add it i can still se the stuff on a 12' x 4' background
there are many advantages to having a simple 'click and your got it all' type of setup
not the least of which is having your own drop down menus for the tools you most commonly use, weld, outline, convert to curves, all in one place, i'm lazy so I don't want to have to travel all over the screen finding stuff
corel also allows you to import workspace setups from disk
from time to time ( evey year or so) you will have to hit f8 as you open the program to reset your workspace back to the factory defaults... just one of the joys of puters
but having the individual workspace's saved in their entirity under new names means you can just put your own setting back with the import command
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