I've been admiring some incredible work on the galleris here, especially Tatsyana's, and can't figure out how she does it.  I haven't used the tool much but when I play with it, getting the node to lay where you want them is like trying to herd cats.

 Anyone know of any good tutorials that show how to control these nodes once you lay them down?

 Go here :

http://www.corel.com/servlet/Satellite/us/en/Content/1152796556718 

Ted, if you are talking about the Bezier tool, as of v.X4 there is a pretty good description in the help files of how the tool works. The rest of it is pretty much practice, practice, practice, I found that no tutorial can really explain what you learn by practicing when it comes to the Bezier tool. Also play with the S key and the C key while placing nodes, one will switch between Symetric and Smooth and the other will make your node3 a cusp, this features are not explained in the help files as far as I know of. 

Wow Alfred!  Great tip!  I've been using Corel since version 3 and I never new you could do that with the S and C keys.  I always use cusp nodes and was wondering why I couldn't set that as a default.  Now I can just hold down the C key.

Thanks a bunch!

Rob

 gee Alf you're right, thanks. the s and c key are great. i'm using CD 11 for Mac and i'm still discovering hidden features on it. 

Thanks Anand, found one on that site that explains the basics.  Doesn't really deal with very complex forms but helps a lot.

Alfred, I was asking about the mesh fill tool not bezier tool, but that tip with the s and c keys a great tip.

Thanks

here's a quick translation of Tania's article on meshes

Using Interactive MeshFill tool in CorelDRAW

(c) Tania Prokoffyeva

Stage 1. Building grid

Draw the cup's outline. Select the object drawn. If you press hotkey M (mesh fill tool) then the mesh guidelines will be built automatically, each line is close to horizontal or vertical direction. Lines are shaped accordingly to nearest object's part (fig.1). In case you have a complex object the lines will be quite random which will require much effort from your side to accomplish the result needed. We'll go the other way as we don't intend to torture ourselves. The grid should be built manually inside a rectangle (fig.2), so specify grid's rows and columns as 1 and 1. Click any horizontal line to add two nodes.

Stage 2. Modifying grid

Create auxilliary green lines which will serve us as visual aid in bending mesh grid. First we modify outmost vertical lines which designate cup's outer edges fig.3. To bend a line we move it by creating and moving additional points, while unneeded extra points should be deleted. Then smooth a line using standard Bezier curves editing techniques. Now when we have done outer edges we add more vertical lines which will bend automatically fig.4. Let's create horizontal lines following previously drawn in green auxilliary lines fig.5. The grid should be created very meticulously to ensure smooth color transitions in mesh, make sure neighbouring lines don't intersect. Thus we have created first approximation of mesh grid, later we'll enhance it in the process of painting (assigning colors).

Stage 3. Painting the mesh grid

Mesh grid lines control direction and placement of color areas - the more sharp angle of grid line is the more abrupt and snappy is color transition. It is possible to assign a color to mesh object's edge nodes. Also you can assign a color to several nodes at once - click a free spot between mesh grid lines (a black dot appears) and assign a color from palette. Continue experimenting with different colors to achieve the result you like.

Place the mesh grid inside original cup's contour outline using it as powerclip container (Effects — PowerClip —Place Inside Container... then click the cup outline) to make it look as in fig.9. Now embellish the cup creating some more shapes with lenses, gradient fills and meshes fig.10

Op's, sorry Ted, I guess I better start looking at the thread topic before flopping my mouth :)

 Also, the L key will convert a node to Line.

(I wonder why the S key toggles between Smooth and Symmetrical, but gives me a Windows error beep in the process).

Ted,

The Mesh tool is a blessing for illustrators, but it takes some time to completely understand it. What Os translated from Tatsyana is the most important thing to know: it's much better to start with a rectangle and few lines and then "sculpting" it than creating the final shape and then applying the Mesh to it.

I'd advice to set your Mesh Tool defaults to 1 x 1 lines, instead of the factory 3 x 3 setting. Create your rectangle and just move the corner nodes with the Mesh Tool to match more or less the general direction of your shading in the final image (which is yet only on your imagination). When the best possible result with those 4 nodes is achieved, then start gradually adding extra nodes to define the shape more accurately. Delete any of the unnecessary nodes that are automatically created along the mesh lines. Place them so that they follow the general flow of the volume. Don't apply new mesh lines until the previous ones are almost perfect. Have a lot of patience because it will pay.

And yes, Tania rocks : )

(Os: is it Tatsyana or Tania or is it the same thing?)

Os, thanks for this great tutorial! I do have a technical question, how did you post this tutorial here, what format did you use, HTML?

Yes, I know basic html (which is basic anyway) and prepared the message contents manually with IMG tags pointing to the remote pictures on the source site of the tutorial. Surely it's possible to copy html code out of any html editor (Word/Dreamweaver/anything). And when you create a message using coreldraw.com web interface (not the OutlookExpress's) there is a button named "HTML" (the last in the formatting toolbar)

P.S. Tatsyana - Tania relation is akin to Robert - Bob

 In addition to the great tutorial in this thread, there is another one included in the X4 box, in the Insights from the Experts book. If you have X4 installed on your computer, you can read the PDF from the welcome screen, under the learning tools tab.

Gérard

Ah yes, this is what I was looking for, and from the Master herself, Tatsyana no less.  Thanks a Million Os for finding and posting her tutorial here it explains in much more detail how to deal with organic complex forms. 

Combined with your tips on how to begin with a rectangle and draw the basic form first is a great help.  That’s what was messing me up before I would draw an organic shape first and then turn it to a mesh fill which turned into a mess of nodes

You had to struggle with till you gave up.

It appeared that’s the way the authors in the “Insights from the Experts” were creating their meshes and that’s what was confusing.  It appears in that book the Expert was creating the leaf first and adding the mesh to the form.  The way Tatsyana is showing

It, it looks like she is building her form inside a rectangle, using the rectangle as a frame or anchor for the nodes attached to the border of the glass.  It’s making much more sense seeing it the way Tatsyana does it.  It also has the vector file, nice. 

This gives me much to work with.

Again, thanks Os, and a big thanks to Tatsyana for creating this tutorial if she reads this.

Os:

P.S. Tatsyana - Tania relation is akin to Robert - Bob