Creating an Elixir in CorelDRAW and CorelDREAM

Strange Elixirs

Teaming up CorelDRAW with CorelDREAM and Corel PHOTO-PAINT is a great way to create images that none of the programs alone could produce. For example, creating a complex graphic such as a product label, is a task best reserved for CorelDRAW, with it’s flexible text handling and illustration tools. However, attempting to render that label on a 3D object, such as a bottle or can, would be a time-consuming task in CorelDRAW, with the end-results perhaps not as convincing as you would like. However, taking the CorelDRAW file and exporting the image as a bitmap, allows you to the "paint" the image on to any object in CorelDREAM, giving you much more flexibility and also much more satisfying results. You can also create shapes in CorelDRAW, to use in CorelDREAM to "lathe" into a 3D shape. Here is how to create a label in CorelDraw for use in CorelDREAM, and also create a shape in Draw to "lathe" into a 3D object in Dream.

Making the Label

Figure 1

In CorelDRAW, use the Rectangle tool to draw a bounding box to define the limits of your product "label". Then, using CorelDRAW's tools, lay out your design as desired. I created the "Crazy Uncle Shane's Magic Elixir" logo using an ink illustration that I scanned. I then used Corel TRACE to convert the image into vector format, and then colored the drawing in CorelDRAW as shown in Figure 1. When you have finished your label design, export the file (CTRL-H) as a BMP file to generate a bitmap that you can use in CorelDREAM. The final destination of your project (i.e. Print vs. Web) will dictate how high the resolution for your bitmap will be. (Typically I create images for print, as it is easy to then decrease the resolution for web graphics if need be. The reverse is not true, as you can't add resolution to a web graphic and make it suitable for printing.) Change the Save as Type option to the Windows Bitmap (BMP) format, which is suitable for CorelDREAM. Click Export, then from the Bitmap Export dialog, set Color to RGB, and then size to your needs (I chose Size 1 to 1, Resolution 150 DPI, Normal Anti-aliasing.)

Prepping the Bottle

Figure 2

While still in CorelDRAW, we will create a shape that can be used to "lathe" into a 3D object in CorelDREAM. This is done by creating a 1/4 cross-section shape in CorelDRAW. First, find a CorelDRAW clip-art bottle that you like. I chose a file from the CorelDraw clip-art CD called "drink012.cdr". This is a funky-looking bottle that I like. It is shown in Figure 2.

Figure 3

Choose Ungroup All from the Arrange menu so you can isolate just the main shape of the bottle and delete the other objects. You may wish to use the Weld function to modify the main bottle shape as I have. I created a lip on the top of the bottle by Welding an ellipse to it. The bottle shape can be seen in Figure 3.

Figure 4

Once you have a bottle shape that you like, the next step is to cut it in half. I like to draw a rectangle, then use the Trim function from the Arrange menu to neatly chop the bottle shape in half as shown in Figure 4.

Figure 5

Now lie the bottle half on its side as shown in Figure 5, give it a solid black fill and outline, and open the Export dialog (CTRL-H). Change the Save as Type to the Adobe Illustrator (AI) option, which will create a wire-frame suitable for CorelDREAM. Click Export to open the Adobe Illustrator Export dialog, where you can set more parameters. For this example, the default values are fine. Click OK to finish the export and then exit CorelDRAW.

Spin the Bottle

Figure 6

Start CorelDREAM, and Create An Empty Scene. Drag the Free Form tool in your workspace to generate a free-form object, and name it "Bottle". Now from the File menu, Import the AI wireframe you created in the last step. This will import and "Sweep" your object in one step, but not what we want. From the Geometry menu, now select Torus from the Extrusion Preset fly-out. Now on the Torus dialog you should key in a value corresponding to the size that your original CorelDRAW file was (or you can just guess like I do!). I set it at .45 In and got exactly what I wanted as shown in Figure 6. You can now use this object like any other 3D object in Dream, giving it any color or transparency with the Shader Browser. I gave it the default shading from one of the "Colors" settings.

Make the Label

Figure 7

From the Shaders Browser window, choose New from the Shader menu. Name this shader "label", and click OK. Now in the Shader Editor window, change to the Flat Preview from the View menu. Under the Type menu, now select Texture map, then open the bitmap you exported from CorelDRAW. This will now make your bitmap image available as a Shader as shown in Figure 7.

Figure 8

Now select your bottle object in CorelDream, and switch to the Paint Rectangular Shading Shape tool (Looks like a cylinder with a small black box on it). Drag the tool over the area where you want the label to appear on the bottle. You should see an outline defining the area as you drag. Start at the bottom of the bottle and work up until you have the area defined. Now click Apply from the Shader Editor dialog, and the area will fill with the label as shown in Figure 8! If the graphic is upside down, use the rotation arrow in the Shader Editor to spin the image around until it looks right.

Now lay out your scene with what ever lighting you desire, and render the image to disk. You can use the "lathe & label" technique to create all kinds of fun products!