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Kevin Baker
01-06-2011, 9:08 AM
Hi Everyone...

Attached is a file I used to cut out a tempate jig. I know I can lock the vector (red lines) cuts to prevent them from being moved, but this prevents me from selecting the object to align text/pics inside the cutout. Make sense? Is there another way to do this?

Thanks,
Kevin

Larry Bratton
01-06-2011, 9:24 AM
Kevin:
Open Object Manager. Select the object you want to lock. In Object Manager, right click, select Lock Object from the drop down. That's it.

Kevin Baker
01-06-2011, 10:24 AM
Larry -

I know how to lock it, but once the shape is lock, I can't select it to use it to align other text or pics inside it. I have to unlock it, which means I could move it by mistake. I want to lock the object but still be able to use it to align stuff.

Mike Null
01-06-2011, 10:30 AM
Kevin

Align your objects within the template and group everything. That will "lock" them in place unless you ungroup them.

Larry Bratton
01-06-2011, 10:33 AM
OK. Sorry, I didn't read closely. How about this:
Copy the redline object to the clipboard. Make your adjustments to your satisfaction. Delete the one on the screen. Then paste it back, it will paste back in the exact position from which it was originally copied.
However, you can still lock the object and put other objects inside or even fit to text to the path. Maybe I am missing your point here.

Robert Farrell
01-06-2011, 11:44 AM
How about placing your text or image select all then go to arrange order reverse order then your image or text will be at the front of the workspace select the template and lock it then do your alignment

Kevin Baker
01-06-2011, 12:00 PM
On the attached file, type some text.. for example TEST.. now in order to center the text TEST within the first red outline (slot 1 is my name for it). I have to select both the text TEST and the the red outline press C then E. If the red outline is locked then I can't select it. My intent it so design the job in another file, then bring the finished project over into this document, center them with each slot and run the job. Since this document was used to create my jig, the red outlines need to remain the same spot.

Hope this makes sense.
Thanks,
Kevin

Robert Farrell
01-06-2011, 12:18 PM
Hi Kevin from what i see you do not have to lock the red template, just add the text to the template, select template and text, go to arrange, align and distribute, align center horizontally will center the text to the template, if you want to align the text in each template - hold shift and select each piece of text then arrange them eg. align top align bottom etc

Mike Mackenzie
01-06-2011, 12:27 PM
Kevin,

If I understand what you are trying to do there really is no way to lock your Template file and then align your text into it. So what I suggest is to draw another rectangle and align that to your template, Then lock your template and use the rectangle to align your text to. At least you will not have to worry about your template moving. Also use a different color for the rectangle and then skip that color in your driver.

Michael Kowalczyk
01-06-2011, 12:38 PM
Hey Kevin,
Here's a quick way that I do these. I use a color that I do not use for lasering and make a copy of the originals. Then I locked the originals and then pasted the new green ones over it. This way it will not interfere with the old, they are separate objects and can be hidden in the object manager. Keep them grouped and then it is easy to re-align.

Have you done anything with the 3mm Baltic Birch you won?

Hope this helps and ...

Michael Kowalczyk
01-06-2011, 12:41 PM
Hey Mike,
You must have been typing while I was making and uploading the file.

Robert Walters
01-06-2011, 12:52 PM
Kevin,

I do this in another program (CAD/CAM) all the time...
Create an object, lock it, then align other objects to the locked one.

It lets me select the locked object, but Corel doesn't and says so in the manual.
I even tried using locked layer, but same results.

What I'd suggest is you create guidelines, lock them, then enable snap to guidelines.
They will NOT print (laser), and only visible on screen.

Kevin Baker
01-06-2011, 12:59 PM
Michael -

That's what I was looking for.. thanks... as sad as I am so admit, I haven't done much with the baltic birch... I have it there and it calls my name so often to do something with it. Work and family issues have taken most of my time.
Thanks for the help everyone,
Kevin

David Harvey
01-06-2011, 1:32 PM
Kevin, here's an easy way to do this. I use this technique on almost every job I do and it works beautifully. In your cdr file, I renamed your layer 'Layout' to 'template'. It can be named anything you want, but I selected that name to make it clear in what I've done. I' have locked the layer for both editing and printing. Next, I created a new layer which I named 'Engraving'. Now select the new layer 'Engraving' and place your new objects into layout as desired, using the still visible 'template' layer as your guide for placement. Because the 'Template' layer is locked you won't have to worry about unintended changes to it while doing your layout. Also, because the 'printing' is locked for the 'template' layer, it won't print when you send the job to the laser.

You can create as many new layers as you need....for example, if this layout is a common job, but you engrave different text for different customer jobs, just create a layer for that job, turn off visibility and lock printing for any other layers you may have created previously, create the new text layout for that customer job on the new layer, and send to the laser....so on and so on.... What's also nice, is that you have a running backup of all previous jobs for that layout, assuming you want to keep them and don't delete the respective layer.



Hope this helps...

Larry Bratton
01-06-2011, 1:36 PM
Suffice to say that there are lots of different solutions. Glad you found one that will work for you.

Kevin Baker
01-06-2011, 4:05 PM
I love this forum....thanks again everyone for your help and insight.. :)