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Web Designer MX (v8) Just Launched
We have just released V8 of Web Designer. The new V8 versions are called Web Designer MX and Web Designer Premium MX. The full info is on our site @ http://www.xara.com/products/webdesigner/ plus the trial download and release notes. And one other piece of good news, there is the usual ‘First Looks’ intro on the Xara Xone by Gary Priester (in an unfamiliar role as Guest Author). http://www.xaraxone.com/tutorials/xa...um-first-look/
Key new features include:
• Support for Text Styles. A new and powerful way of controlling the global appearance of text. Design your own named styles, and a single edit can update all text throughout your website. Generates CSS compatible styles.
• Automatic object positioning & smart page resizing. Previous versions of Web Designer required some manual repositioning of page elements, such as footers and text panels as you added more text. The new version automates this. So for example as you add more text to a text panel, it grows, pushing down any page elements below this, and enlarging the page. This makes using page templates much easier for all users and more productive.
• Embedded fonts (Premium only). You’re no longer limited to so called ‘web safe’ fonts!
• New Widgets & improvements to Widget handling (most but not all widgets are Premium only). The animated photo and content slideshows are now resizable and provide many of the effects previously requiring Flash, and are compatible with all modern browsers inc iOS. Plus new interactive Chart widgets enable a range of high quality, resizable, charts and graphs to be embedded on your website.
• Graphical bullet & number lists (Premium only). Using Xara's vector graphics capabilities you can now design your own graphics for use in numbered and bulleted lists, with an easy way of adding them to lists. Especially useful for presentations.
• Live Effects Tool and Photoshop Plug-ins (from Designer Pro, Premium only). Photoshop plug-in effects can now be applied to both photos and vector graphics, opening up a huge range of special graphical effects. What’s more we have included more than 40 plug-ins from MAGIX and Xara.
• Enhanced presentations (Premium only). New slide navigation, and dramatic improvements to list handling
• Designs Gallery, new templates and UI improvements. New web themes, new template page elements, new clipart and updates to the existing library to make the most of new MX features.
• Support for inline graphics. Embed inline graphics in your text with a simple Paste operation, great for really small items on the line such as symbols and icons.
• Page & Layer Gallery improvements. A new and easy way to select and manipulate (eg move, delete, cut, copy) multiple pages in your documents at once.
• Import & export. Improved import of text and graphics from the web, plus (Premium only) SVG import and beta import of .pptx and .odp
• A new Share menu, that allows easy photo upload to other MAGIX/Xara MX titles, plus Flickr and Facebook.
And plenty of other miscellaneous improvements to the features, usability and content. You can find more information, details of the upgrade intro offer, period of grace etc on the Xara site. We hope you enjoy the new version!
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Re: Web Designer MX (v8) Just Launched
Thanks Kate. Text styles! Here's hoping that there might just be a similar feature in Designer Pro 8 (Designer Pro MX?) when that makes an appearance in due course. For me, that might just mean Xara DP could seriously replace InDesign in my workflow, instead of just being a key component...
Jon
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Re: Web Designer MX (v8) Just Launched
Just bought the Premium version. Had to pay full price because I cannot remember my login info to get to my previous purchases (could have just paid for an upgrade.) Xara doesn't make it very easy to get in contact with them.
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Re: Web Designer MX (v8) Just Launched
@ Jon, yep, all the WDP features will go into Pro at the next update, so Text Styles are on the way. And Pixelpusher, if you drop our sales guys a note via xara.com/contact, they will be able to put that right for you.
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Re: Web Designer MX (v8) Just Launched
Hello Kate—text styles in XDP. How wonderful! I am really looking forward to both paragraph and character styles.
Take care, Mike
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Re: Web Designer MX (v8) Just Launched
Does this new version support the .mob file extension
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Re: Web Designer MX (v8) Just Launched
Hi Richard,
The quick answer is No it does not support any of the .mob file types I am familiar with.
Which one are you interested in?
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Re: Web Designer MX (v8) Just Launched
I was told that because I have Designer Pro 7, I didn't need to purchase Web Designer.
So, will all the new features being discussed in this thread be available in the new Designer Pro 8?
If that's what it's going to be called, in the first place?!
Please bear in mind that I've only designed just one web site using XDP7.
So, my knowledge of the web tools and the web features is about zero.
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Re: Web Designer MX (v8) Just Launched
Yes Rik, if you check out Kate's post (#4) The next version of Designer Pro will have all the new Web design features. You will also get an upgrade price (at least that's how it worked last year) on Web designer or Web Designer premium, and later when the new version of Designer Pro comes out you will get an upgrade price on that, so it is kind of like a graduated upgrade.
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Re: Web Designer MX (v8) Just Launched
Thanks, Frances.
I just missed reading that!
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Re: Web Designer MX (v8) Just Launched
Thanks Kate!
Really pleased to hear about the text styles feature. Looking forward to it being included in the next version of XDP.
Rich
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Re: Web Designer MX (v8) Just Launched
I haven't tried the new Web Designer MX yet but looking at the list of new features and improvements (thanks also to Gary Priester's tutorial) I would like to congratulate the dev team! It looks like a significant upgrade. Thanks guys!
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Re: Web Designer MX (v8) Just Launched
Anyone else think the upgrade prices are high? For someone who's upgraded thru the various versions of Web Designer, Xtreme or whatever (and before then from Artworks and Impression, with elements of the latter apparently sneaking gradually into the new products - when are we going to have master pages?), it seems it would be cheaper to walk in as a new customer rather than a longstanding one who has invested a lot over the years. Or am I mistaken?
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Re: Web Designer MX (v8) Just Launched
just tried some of the samples in the trial - charts look awesome - plus resizeable slideshow widgets - very nice :-)
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Re: Web Designer MX (v8) Just Launched
pbready - I'm not sure if this would answer the call for master pages but you could set up a document that is made of master pages.
The select the master page, Edit > Copy Page, go to your new site and Edit > Paste > Paste Page. It should have the same effect.
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Re: Web Designer MX (v8) Just Launched
Quote:
Originally Posted by
gwpriester
pbready - I'm not sure if this would answer the call for master pages but you could set up a document that is made of master pages.
The select the master page, Edit > Copy Page, go to your new site and Edit > Paste > Paste Page. It should have the same effect.
Hi Gary, thanks for the response, but by master pages I meant master templates/page styles. For example, if I had a standard page layout that had three columns of text and had built several pages based on that but then changed my mind to make those two columns with a base graphic, then all pages based on that template would automatically change. Sort of repeating objects but with individual contents. As I said, like Impression's master pages ;-p
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Re: Web Designer MX (v8) Just Launched
I just upgraded to WD 7 Premium last week, so I think I will pass on upgrading just sense March 19. Would have been nice to receive an email or pop up notice during my purchase that WD MX was coming in a week. Oh well.
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Re: Web Designer MX (v8) Just Launched
You appear to qualify:
Quote:
Period of grace upgrades: If you purchased WD V7 from Xara on or after 27th February 2012 please contact sales for your upgrade, do not order on this page.
US ► http://www.xara.com/us/contact/
UK ► http://www.xara.com/uk/contact/
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Re: Web Designer MX (v8) Just Launched
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Pixelpusher
Just bought the Premium version. Had to pay full price because I cannot remember my login info to get to my previous purchases (could have just paid for an upgrade.) Xara doesn't make it very easy to get in contact with them.
Thank you! I have contacted Xara to get this resolved.
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Re: Web Designer MX (v8) Just Launched
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Pixelpusher
Just bought the Premium version. Had to pay full price because I cannot remember my login info to get to my previous purchases (could have just paid for an upgrade.) Xara doesn't make it very easy to get in contact with them.
From what I can see it wouldn't matter if you did remember. The login page won't let you enter the e-mail and password info. I can login to support but not my account.
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Re: Web Designer MX (v8) Just Launched
Quote:
Originally Posted by
gsthunder
From what I can see it wouldn't matter if you did remember. The login page won't let you enter the e-mail and password info. I can login to support but not my account.
Hi, were you using IE9? There was a temporary problem which was promptly resolved so please do try again
Many thanks
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Re: Web Designer MX (v8) Just Launched
Sorry about that gsthunder, the login problem is now fixed. It was IE9 only I think.
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Re: Web Designer MX (v8) Just Launched
Text styles - worth the price alone.
Great upgrade!
What does "MX" stand for?
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Re: Web Designer MX (v8) Just Launched
Media Exchange - something magix do - I think
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Re: Web Designer MX (v8) Just Launched
Quote:
Originally Posted by
bb2
Hi, were you using IE9? There was a temporary problem which was promptly resolved so please do try again
Many thanks
Nope, IE8 and IE8 compatibility mode. I just tried it again and still going on. I click on the fields to enter the info and the text cursor is there for a blink of an eye then gone. You can not type any info in nor paste any in( e-mail field or password field ).
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Re: Web Designer MX (v8) Just Launched
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Re: Web Designer MX (v8) Just Launched
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Re: Web Designer MX (v8) Just Launched
Quote:
Originally Posted by
bb2
Hi, were you using IE9? There was a temporary problem which was promptly resolved so please do try again
Many thanks
Didn't work in Firefox as of yesterday either...
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Re: Web Designer MX (v8) Just Launched
I just tried to upgrade to V8 MX to be told the following: (translated via Google Translate from German)
Your access, we unfortunately had to temporarily close due to payment problems.
To clarify this issue, please contact customercare@magix.net
In the top corner was "Fehler - On Blacklist!"
Doesn't inspire confidence, think I'll stick with V7 Pro.
Jeff :-(
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Re: Web Designer MX (v8) Just Launched
Quote:
Originally Posted by
pbready
Anyone else think the upgrade prices are high? For someone who's upgraded thru the various versions of Web Designer, Xtreme or whatever (and before then from Artworks and Impression, with elements of the latter apparently sneaking gradually into the new products - when are we going to have master pages?), it seems it would be cheaper to walk in as a new customer rather than a longstanding one who has invested a lot over the years. Or am I mistaken?
I'm with pbready ... trying to stay current with WD is starting to encroach on Adobe territory. While a very good program, tapping existing customers approximately fifty USD every time the program's updated is starting to get very, very old ... and very, very expensive. Many of the features being touted as new items should've been in the product to begin with. It feels like Xara is expecting long-time customers to underwrite the growth of their company, when someone who buys now is getting the same product for a hundred bucks that we now have paid multiples of that for. For those of us who've been with this program since the beginning, a much more affordable upgrade path should be in place, if only as reward for being there as long as we have. I can remember Xara touting the affordability of WD when it first came out. That disappears when you tap customers fifty bucks a year to upgrade a program that's been missing key, elemental features since its debut.
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Re: Web Designer MX (v8) Just Launched
still not sure wether to upgrade or not - like the above posts say £40 a year starts to mount up :-(
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Xara is affordable
I disagree with those who think Xara products are starting to cost a lot or close to Adobe or Corel products.
I started using Xara products when Xara X1 was the editor, it was some time in 2006. I now have:
Menu Maker 1.1, Xara X¹, Xara X1 CD, Webster2, Xara Xtreme, Xara3D 6, Xara3D 6 CD, Xara3D 6 Download, Xara Xtreme Retail, Xara Web Designer (2 licenses), Xara Xtreme 4 e-version, Xara Web Designer 6 (2 licenses), Xara Web Designer 6 Backup-CD, Xara Web Designer 7 Premium, Xara Photo & Graphic Designer 7, WD Template Pack 1, Xara Web Designer MX Premium
This is just my list of Xara products I use. I also have Adobe products, Net Objects products, Corel Products and a few unknown products. When I shop, it is usually looking for a product that offers me the ability to do what I need and will integrate into what I am already using. Every one of those Xara products total together cost less than on full purchase of Adobe Master Collection.
Look at Corel DESIGNER Technical Suite X5 $999, or Adobe Photoshop CS5 - Complete Product $450 and up. Xara Photo & Graphic Designer 7 Pro $299 and is almost a suit in its self because you can do web design, illustration, posters, headers, swf presentations and so on. I used to work for a production company here in Florida and used to use Photo Shop, but when I retired Adobe was out of my price range in 2006. Being 40 and retired did not mean I was rich, it meant I found a turn of the century (1920) house for $15,000.00 and cut back on expenses. Xara was part of the way for me to keep being able to do what I like.
Upgrading from Xara WD 6 to WD7 Premium for $69 was nothing like upgrading Adobe Dreamweaver. As I upgraded on March 19th Xara gave me WD MX Premium free. look at the difference in cost;
Xara Wd MX (v.8) $49 Upgrade $29:)
Xara WD MX (v.8) Premium $99 Upgrade $49:D ($69 from older Xara WD)
Adobe Dreamweaver $399 Upgrade $119:-O
Do they do the exact same things? No, but the discussion is about cost of each companies web development product. Xara's Premium product cost new for full retail less than the upgrade of Adobe Dreamweaver. Are times tough, sure they are. And even considering I am an American, I would prefer to keep my money in America helping Americans keep their jobs but I am also inclined to support friends in tough times, even if they are in the UK. They supply me with software that does what I need and its a fraction of the cost of competitors.
I am not sure what others financial conditions are but I feel Xara products are priced fair, even very fair for the going market. That is coming from someone living in a fifteen thousand dollar house driving an eleven year old truck who has not worked steady sense 2002. Yes, I am 45 now and I retired in 2002. Retiring does not have to happen when someone gets to old to enjoy life and you do not have to be rich to help others. You have to be smart and be happy with what you need and not always chase after what everyone else wants. Xara is a part of that for our family and I was glad to support a company of people not asking $1,500.00 plus for their total product line. Adobe Creative Suite 5.5 Master Collection $2,599.00:'( (not their total product line, but one collection of their products).
Also to answer the topic of Xara expecting their customer base to support development of future products and upgrades, that is how it works. I also owned a business and everyone who owns a business knows it is the customer base that keeps the company going and funds the development of future products. If repeat customers did not not repeat (repeat being the key word there) every company would go out of business.
Example: You buy a gallon of milk today and go back next week to the store and you buy another one at full price. You do not get a lesser price for coming back, and the other milk you purchased last week payed for the new gallon of milk you are getting today. That is how it works. The customer base supports future development. Hopefully new customers will become part of the base and pitch in, as I did in 2006.
Saying you have $15 invested in their milk and thus you should get it for say a dollar is fuzzy math. Like the fuzzy math politicians use sometimes to reason a country can afford a peoples program and it becomes part of the straw that breaks the camels back. The new customer that comes along might pay $5 for his milk but he did not have the other gallons of milk over the weeks you had. The same hard work that went into the first gallon of milk went into the next one and the next.
Xara X1 was built with hard work just like each successive one. Each one might be built off the core of the previous but it is still a new product. The auto industry, food industry and every other industry does the same thing and they do not offer upgrade discounts unless you trade in your old product. Xara lets you keep your older product and use it and use the new one too, also offering an upgrade discount.=D>
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Re: Xara is affordable
Yes Pressnon3 you are right xara prices a very reasonable compared to other software - and the upgrade price is only reasonable if you can afford it and your personal curcumstances allow it - myself i am 55 and 18 months ago i had to finish work due to ill health and i now get roughly £60 a week so you can see that £40 would be a lump out of that .
I have been looking for a cheaper solution and i have been looking at wysiwyg web builder which is only £28 and seems to have all that xara offers and an upgrade price of around £10 - BUT :: and its a big but - I LOVE XARA and i dont want to jump ship and find i have made a mistake . thats why i just need to think about it a little .
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Re: Xara is affordable
Good post from pressnon3..!
Another point, because there's a newer version out doesn't mean the one you are using now will stop working.
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Re: Xara is affordable
I jump back and forth between my Xara web program and Pablo's Web Builder 8. While I do not find the upgrade pricing unfair for Xara I do find that WB8 costs less and offers a ton of built in extensions that make it run circles around WD MX (see screenshot.) I love and use both products depending on the functionality I need at the moment. While I understand and use placeholders, there should be more JS built in to WD so that getting useful items in could be easier and more intuitive to the end user. Compared to Adobe's pricing structure, WD is a bargain. I'm about to make the leap into Adobe CS6 and it is going to be expensive, even for just an upgrade from my current CS5.5.
With all of that being said, I do think WD is worth every penny spent.
Attachment 88419
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Re: Xara is affordable
yes thats what i am thinking of doing - while still having the functionality and graphic capability of xara WD 7 i can purchase wysiwyg web builder to have best of both worlds at a £12 saving then i have all the extensions at my fingertips too - god why is everything sooo difficult these days . I think if xara could of added something similar to extensions it would be a far better all round product . :-) just my opinion .
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Re: Web Designer MX (v8) Just Launched
The same here. I upgraded to WD 7 premium. Before I use it they come up with WD MX. I paid upgrade for both. Had I known I would have waited and make only one upgrade. The price of an upgrade and the price of buying new is very close.
I hope in the future they will give more incentive to existing customers.
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Re: Web Designer MX (v8) Just Launched
And DP8 is scheduled to launch?????
-Steve
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Re: Web Designer MX (v8) Just Launched
Quote:
And DP8 is scheduled to launch?????
If last year's cycle is any indicator, late spring would be my guess.
pressnon3 - You are a software junkie. :) But I totally agree about the price. And if you are using the product in some sort of professional capacity, then you amortize the cost out over the course of a year and it's only pennies a day.;)) (we used to tell our client's that)
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Re: Web Designer MX (v8) Just Launched
Quote:
I think if xara could of added something similar to extensions it would be a far better all round product . :-) just my opinion .
Gotta agree with you there trukkerz