• convert text into curves on all pages and in all powerclips
• a separate copy of the document in curves
• fixed output folders for fast saving
• select cdr version for saving files in curves

Convertion text objects into curves is almost always done at the prepress stage of the printing process. This helps to avoid the problems with fonts compatability at the printing step. The standard tools in CorelDraw for converting text are not convenient enough, since they work only with selected objects and do not process text shapes in powerclips.

This plugin allows you to quickly and effectively create outlines for all text objects in the entire document in one click, including multi level groups and clips. This greatly improves the speed and convenience of your work, especially when using fixed folders to save a copy of the document in curves.

Outline all text shapes at once

The plugin supports two work scenarios. In the first - basic, convertion of text objects is carried out directly in the currently active document. A thorough search of the text in the specified area is performed - on the current page, on all pages of the document or among the selected objects. Text placed in groups and powerclips of any level of nesting will also be converted.

Before converting text to curves, the plugin also checks for overflow text frames in the document. If detected, a warning is displayed in the plugin interface. This avoids obtaining an incorrect file in curves. In order to quickly find the problematic frame in the document, you can use the ReproScripts Preflight Checklist plugin.

Auto save document in curves

It is often desirable to leave the current document without changing, with all text objects untouched for future editing, and at the same time to create a copy of the document where all text shapes are outlined. This is the second scenario of the plugin. Setting on the "save a separate file" checkbox, you can specify the version of CorelDraw in which the duplicate file will be exported. This is convenient if the version of CorelDraw in the company for which the file is intended does not match yours.

By default, the same folder as the working document is used for saving the duplicate. 1 If the original document has not yet been saved, you will need to manually specify the destination folder. 2

Fixed output folders

A much wider use of the plugin opens when pre-configured fixed folders where the duplicate in curves for the current document will be saved. This allows you to get rid of the need to search and select folders for each operation. To do that, you need to call up the settings form by clicking on the gear icon in the lower right corner of the plugin main window. 3

There are two lists of folders in this form. In the first one, you can specify the paths that you regularly use for saving files. To add a new item, click on the   sign in the list header. For the newly added folder, you must select the name that will be used for it in the list and, of course, the path for the folder.

Fixed folder saving options

By default, the "Custom saving options" check box is disabled, this means that the interactive parameters taken from the plugin main window will be used while saving files in curves into this folder. When this checkbox is set on, the plugin will always use the same individual settings you enter here, ignoring interactive parameters.

Alternative saving

For every fixed folder you need to provide the kind of confirmation that should be used when the files are saved. The first option is "alternative choice". All folders with this option fall into one list (together with saving to the active document's directory) and you can choose only one item to perform the operation. This list is accessible from the left side of the main form of the plugin and is the main one. If it does not have any available option to choose, export can be performed only with a manual assignment of the destination folder.

Background saving

Two other options allow you to create entries for the fixed folders, which are executed in addition to the main selected option and create a sort of "background" operations list. This list, if there are suitable settings, is on the right hand side of the main window of the plugin. In front of each fixed folder there is a checkbox that allows to further influence the use or not use for it when saving.

In the fixed folder settings you can specify whether this check box is off by default ("confirmation required") and saving will be performed only with additional confirmation by the operator, or the check box is enabled by default and the saving will be executed each time if the operator does not change it ("save unless cancelled").

Mirroring folders structure

The second list of the configuration form contains the paths to the folders that are the root for saving your jobs. Most designers have a certain place in which all the created documents are saved. The internal structure of subfolders in them can be quite complex and include folders for individual customers, orders, etc.

When you save a document in curves from such "root" design folders to another location, you can specify whether to maintain the internal structure of the subfolders. To enable this tick on the "keep folders nesting structure" checkbox.

For example, if all jobs are kept in the \\Designer-1\Jobs folder 1 and the archive is in the \\Diskstation\Archive folder 3 then when you save in curves the job from \\Designer-1\Jobs\Customer name\Order 7334\Text.cdr plugin automatically generates the required path and saves the duplucate files to \\Diskstation\Archive\Customer name\Order 7334\Text_curves_v20.cdr

This approach allows you to simultaneously store and easily locate the converted files, but not provide undesirable access to the folders with the source files themselves.

By default, for all newly created fixed folders entries, this option is active. If it is disabled, the saving will be performed immediately into the specified folder without creating subpaths and files with the same name will be overwritten.