One of the harder techniques that people have difficulty with is the weld function. In this tutorial we will review how to use the weld command. The best way to learn the weld command is to start off with a simple example. Showing what happens with an overlapping circle and rectangle is an easy example
Generate Guidelines To Outline Our Shape
As is customary when I am drawing things I always start out by setting my guidelines. It is important to do this as it aides in being able to orient my objects that I create. In this example, you can see that I have created 5 guidelines.
Draw a Circle
First of all we need to draw a circle
Next Draw Our Intersecting Rectangle
Our next step is to draw an intersecting rectangle
Select the Weld Option
Make sure both Items are selected. If you look at the property bar with the two objects selected (the two objects need to be selected for this to work) you will see the Shaping bar become active. The weld tool is marked by 1 on the bar. It is the two rectangles joined together.
Our Image is Welded Together
Here is our finished welded object.
Open Up the Shaping Docker
Go to Object (1) | Shaping (2) | Shaping (3). Note: for older version of Corel pre X7 go to the Arrange Menu to access the Shaping Docker. The Shaping docker will dock to the right side of work area.
Shaping Docker Docked
Here is our shaping docker docked. It will dock to the right side of our work space
Leave The Source Object
With the Shaping Docker open I now have the ability to have my original shapes saved. There are a number of reasons you may want to do this. These could be fills or maybe the weld removes part of a line of the original that you may want to keep. To do this right, I select both objects. In the case of this example the red circle is going to be the target object (1) and the black rectangle is going to be the source (2). In this case I want to keep the source object (rectangle) when the weld is created. I have select left Source Object (3). Next, click on the Weld button (4). This will change your cursor to a double box and a wide cursor, Next click on the line of the circle (blue arrow). By clicking on the circle makes the circle the target object. The weld will happen.
You Now Have a Welded Object and The Original Object
You can see that I have created the new object using the weld command (1) and becuase I had the Leave Original Source Object on which means that the original rectanlge is not deleted to create the new welded shape (2)
Two Different Shapes
The image on the left is just the welded image (1). You can see that if I fill the image the whole image is filled. The image on the right is the weld plus the original rectangle. When I fill the welded object you can see only the top half of the circle of the weld (2). The object on the right can only be created if I save the original rectangle.
