Use the Lock Contents Option

The Lock Contents to PowerClip option is also somewhat hidden, but it is more useful than the auto-center option. When you create a powerclip with this option on (the default), the contents are initially locked to the container, so that the whole powerclip is treated as a single object. This means that the contents move, rotate, and scale along with the container.

Most of the time, you will want to keep this lock on, but sometimes you’ll need to change the relative positions of the container and the clipped objects. You can always do this with the Edit Contents command on the PowerClip menu, but that is cumbersome for simple adjustments. That’s when the time is right to unlock the contents. Right-click and uncheck Lock Contents to PowerClip. The container then acts as a movable window, letting you view different parts of the objects inside. When you are done repositioning everything, relock the contents to ensure that the powerclip again moves as a unit.

Group while Editing

In the simple exercise earlier in this chapter, you grouped the palm tree and elephant before clipping them. You could have just as easily marquee-selected the two objects and clipped them without grouping, but we wanted you to see that grouping simplifies your powerclipping tasks.

You can ungroup, regroup, combine, and delete elements, change fills, or do anything else to the contents of a powerclip. When you use PowerClip Ø Edit Contents, think of the contents as a separate drawing that will eventually be cropped by the container outline. Nearly anything you would normally do to objects in a drawing can be done at this point. Then, when you select Finish Editing This Level from the flyout, the powerclip is reapplied to the contents. The only things you cannot do with the Edit Contents command are import elements (paste yes, import no) and reposition the container itself. Repositioning is easily done before you create the powerclip or afterward (by unlocking the contents).

Faking 3D with PowerClip

Figure 19.3 is a close-up of the silly drawing from Chapter 15 in which we placed a gear on a pedestal. In that chapter, we asked you to consider how we did this.

FIGURE 19.3  Can an object be resting inside of another object in two-dimensional space? Not really...

In a two-dimensional drawing program, it is not possible to place an object through another. Consider this simple drawing below.

In CorelDRAW’s world, the dog can either be in front of the hoop or behind the hoop; it cannot be going through the hoop. Yet to any reader’s eye, this acrobatic canine is making this circus catch while jumping through the hoop held by his master.

PowerClip is responsible for this illusion. To follow along, create an ellipse and then find a dog or other animal from Corel’s clipart library (we used dogwfris.cdr from \Clipart\Animals\Pets). Place the animal in front of the ellipse. Then do this:

1.  First, go to Tools Ø Options Ø Workspace Ø Edit and uncheck Auto-Center New PowerClip Contents. This first step is crucial to the entire operation—you don’t want any auto-centering of your powerclips to occur.

2.  Draw a rectangle over one half of the dog, making sure that the rectangle is inside of the hoop, as shown here.

3.  Select the dog and copy it to the Clipboard with Ctrl+C. From this point forward, make sure not to move the dog. If you do have to reposition it, then press Ctrl+C again afterward.

4.  PowerClip the dog into the rectangle: select the dog, go to Effects Ø PowerClip Ø Place inside Container, and then click on the rectangle.

5.  Remove the outline of the rectangle, and if there is any fill pattern to it, remove that too. You want the rectangle that contains the dog to be completely invisible.

6.  Press Ctrl+V to paste a copy of the dog back into the picture.

7.  Press Shift+PgDn to move the copy to the back. And voilà...

Let’s recap. You essentially have cut the dog in half, placing one half in front of the hoop and one half in back. Because they are exact copies, one goes right atop the other, and the half that is in front is powerclipped. So the stacking order is:

•  Half of dog in front of hoop

•  Hoop

•  Copy of dog behind hoop

That is what creates the illusion that he is jumping through. You can download Playing Catch.cdr from the Sybex Web site to see our version of it.