I like both illustrator and corel, prefer corel ... comes sole reason to node editing ... here is why: Scenario ... multiple items (like oh, a dual color job). in this example, lets just say some nodes are out of place on the outline color.
Process of corel draw:
Double click item that needs nodes edited
selection box around nodes *as it only grabs nodes from a selected item*
move nodes.
right click on a single node gives you all node options
double clicking on the line gives you a new node (or removes a node)
selecting 2 nodes and deleting creates a curve of the average of where the points used to be.
Process in illustator is twice as long. (both in time and process)
Also, the main gripe with illustrator, flexi and every other softwares node editing ... the selection box for nodes selects every node in that box from every item in the box.
And in illustrator, you want to get rid of one or 20 nodes ... you hit delete ... it breaks the path ... so they had to make a tool just to remove nodes ... one ... by ... one. pass on that.
Don't get me wrong, the smooth tool in illustrator is amazing, and there isn't a week that goes by that I don't load illustrator up to do the stylus drawing thing with a custom brush stroke that I made. good stuff really. not many other programs can do that sort of work with that much proficiency.
Neither can trace an ink drawing with a **** in a wind storm though ... inkscape punks both. The potrace open source is a nice addition to inkscape ...probably the most accurate trace I've seen.
