CorelDRAW Exporter

CorelDRAW Exporter

Use this skill to inspect .cdr files and export specific CorelDRAW content through the installed CorelDRAW application instead of attempting to parse the proprietary CDR format directly.

Requirements

• Windows with CorelDRAW installed and registered for automation, usually CorelDRAW.Application or CorelDRAW.Application..
• Python 3.9+.
• pywin32 available in the Python environment. If it is missing and the user allows local package installation, run py -3 -m pip install --user pywin32.
• Optional: ImageMagick for contact sheets and post-export trimming/compositing.

Safety

• Preserve the source .cdr; export derived files only unless the user explicitly asks for edits.
• Do not overwrite existing exports unless the user requested it or you are writing to a fresh output folder. Prefer a manifest so exports are traceable.
• For public/shareable output, avoid embedding local machine paths, private usernames, or proprietary project notes in the skill or exported metadata.
• CorelDRAW may open a GUI window during automation. Close it with app.Quit() in finally blocks.

Workflow

1. Confirm the input .cdr exists and choose an output directory.
2. Inspect the document before exporting:
   • Run scripts/coreldraw_export.py inspect --json .
   • Review pages, layers, top-level shape indexes, names, types, positions, and dimensions.
   • Export a page preview if object names are missing: scripts/coreldraw_export.py preview --page 1 --dpi 300.
3. Decide export specs:
   • Use one-based shape indexes from inspection.
   • Use ranges for multi-shape clusters, e.g. 7-20.
   • Use comma lists for non-contiguous clusters, e.g. 2,5,8-10.
   • Prefer semantic filenames from visual/content context, e.g. birch_summer_01.png, logo_primary.svg.
4. Export selected content:
   • Single objects: scripts/coreldraw_export.py export --item tree_01.png:4.
   • Multi-object clusters: scripts/coreldraw_export.py export --item tree_cluster.png:7-20.
   • Multiple outputs: pass --item repeatedly.
   • Full layer/page fallback: use --all-top-level or preview when exact object grouping is unclear.
5. Validate the result:
   • Check file count and byte sizes.
   • For PNGs, verify alpha with ImageMagick if available: magick identify -format "%f %[channels] %[pixel:p{0,0}] %wx%h\n" .
   • Create a contact sheet when many assets were exported: magick montage -thumbnail 180x180 -set label "%t" .
6. Report what was exported, where, naming assumptions, and any ambiguous objects skipped.

Notes

• CorelDRAW shape Type values are numeric in COM output; use them mainly for filtering/recon, not as the only semantic signal.
• Many CDRs have unnamed objects. In that case, use visual page previews plus coordinates and object ordering.
• Exporting a selection usually crops to the selected object/range bounds. Complex effects, lenses, transparencies, or fonts may rasterize or render differently depending on the export format.
• If generic converters such as ImageMagick, Inkscape, or LibreOffice fail on CDR, keep using CorelDRAW COM. It is the most reliable path when CorelDRAW is installed.