In news that doesn’t really surprise, CorelDraw, a sub-brand of Alludo, has ended CorelCAD software availability, and users are being encouraged to switch to Graebert’s ARES Commander.
CorelCAD
CorelCAD itself is a licensed and customized version of Graebert’s DWG-native CAD software platform, ARES. The product is fundamentally identical to ARES except for file integration with CorelDRAW, which enabled large manufacturing organizations with extensive utilization of CorelDRAW Technical Suite to dovetail CorelCAD into their workflows and thus easily move native DWG CAD data into CorelDRAW.
Architosh has written about CorelCAD and its strong integration with CorelDRAW in the past. (see: Architosh, “INSIDER: How CorelCAD Continues to Grow—Unique Differentiation and Global Sales Channel,” 30 Dec 2018).
An image of CorelCAD 2020 showing a mechanical design.
Canada’s Corel over the years has grown and shrunk at the same time, losing market share in some key areas, but growing new markets with strategic acquisitions. The CorelDRAW graphics solutions have always been a strong offering, with CorelDRAW Technical Suite serving the needs of technical illustrations useful, in particular, to user manuals for end-users and sales and support personnel, alike. (see: Architosh, “CorelDRAW Technical Suite 2021—Powerful Technical Illustration Connected to Industrial CAD,” 3 Dec 21).
Moving to ARES
With the surprise elimination of CorelCAD, Alludo has provided a pathway for its users to the core source of CorelCAD technology back to Berlin, Germany-based Graebert.
Alludo’s official statement to users reads:
CorelCAD users with a Perpetual license can rest assured that they can still use their version of CorelCAD as normal and will still be able to access technical support from Alludo for the foreseeable future. However, Alludo is encouraging CorelCAD users to explore an alternative ARES CAD software solution for ongoing support and new releases.
CorelCAD was built on ARES CAD technology by our German development partner, Graebert. As such, Graebert would like to offer you an easy transition to their ARES CAD software—powered by the same engine as CorelCAD.
Read more below about ARES CAD software and the transition offer from Graebert.
This web page offers a comparison between CorelCAD and ARES Commander. Graebert is offering all CorelCAD users with a valid perpetual license a limited-time offer for free three months of tech support for CorelCAD by Graebert and three years of ARES Trinity for the price of one year. That means users of CorelCAD can move over to ARES Trinity (including ARES Commander, ARES Kudo, and ARES Touch) for USD 350.00 for three years.
MORE: ARES Trinity—A Review of the Industry Leading DWG CAD Software
Importantly, ARES Commander now supports the same import and export between CorelDRAW and Corel Designer. Arguably, it is the only interesting differentiator between CorelCAD and ARES Commander; with ARES’s ability to deliver this feature, there is little need for CorelCAD.
CorelCAD required an added (for purchase) plugin for PDF import. But ARES Commander in the current version delivers this feature as part of the core product. There are numerous other benefits that CorelCAD users will gain when switching over to the latest version of ARES Trinity, so the whole CorelCAD elimination is hardly the end of the world.
To learn more, visit here.
Architosh Analysis and Commentary
Germany’s ARES Trinity (a suite of desktop, web, and mobile ARES products) is already the most competitive alternative to Autodesk’s famed AutoCAD. In fact, the products are now yearly competing in a cat-and-mouse game, with ARES often leading with a feature that Autodesk will then enact in its next update. Sometimes, the reverse happens, and in some instances, they each may have a feature the other does not have and won’t work to emulate with any sense of urgency.
In the case of workflow integration with CorelDRAW applications, ARES Commander will gain the advantages once held by CorelCAD.
