remove web stuff from xara designer

[ShapeShifter]

Heck, I still want the web stuff ripped out

Easy, delete the HTMLfilter.dll and remove the web related buttons from the tool bars. Job done

[handrawn]

split from here:

http://www.talkgraphics.com/showthre...867#post412867

[ShapeShifter]

Thanks Steve, could you leave a forwarding link in the eraser thread for mwenz to follow?

[handrawn]

already done

[mwenz]

I'm pretty dumb at times, but I can find the original thread. I haven't devolved into utter stupidity yet. Though some may argue that point.

Mike

[ShapeShifter]

Gosh man, just trying to be helpful. Don't be so hard on yourself

[Luke.Hart]

Every time this is suggested, I wonder what would be gained by do this. There would still be the same amount of developer time to spend on the products, some of which would be spent on splitting the drawing functions from the web functions (and on-going testing for each release).

What do you think could be gained by removing the web functionality? Is the problem that you perceive that you're buying functionality you have no intention of using or that you feel that the web functionality is getting in your way? Perhaps what you really want is they option to pick a configuration that move all the web functionality off the primary UI objects and deeper in to menus (and maybe restores some of the older key shortcuts).

[Albacore]

I think a few of us want to use Design Pro just for drawing and this programme to be developed to this end. We may have Web Designer on our hard disc or other HTML or CSS editors for the job if required. I am not asked very often nowadays to design a purely static site most require some sort of inter action between the site and the reader with the reader given the statisfaction of making an input. To get back to the point of the thread and with the experience of many years of using this software I have found if I don't link any filters to Live Effects or limit them to very few because I don't use them working with bitmaps happens faster. When you don't use the HTML filter at all it was suggested to me by a moderator/developer that I should then remove the filter. I didn't by the way but the market now is littered with both online and programme based WYSISWYG design based web tools and surely it is Xara's role to listen to the requests from its users.

With the reourses of what Adobe have and the market research that they do, with the intro of the beta version of Muse and programmes like Corel, Serif's PagePlus, do you not think that keeping the products separate would benifit the company in general. I am no expert when it comes to how difficult it would be to test each product but to my mind if you start with an nearly error free product and intoduce 2 improvements to that product you only have to test against those 2 and not how it relates to a different programme.

[Luke.Hart]

I think the "few" users that want a pure drawing program are a small (but very vocal) minority. The majority of users probably don't even visit TG and hence don't post their requests. That's not to say that Xara doesn't listen to them, just they should realize that there is a much larger userbase which does use the web features (possibly to the exclusion of the drawing features).

My impression of Muse in it's current state is that it offers an easy way to create a web site, but when you want to add graphics they have to pre-made in an external editor (which I'm sure Adobe would prefer was Photoshop). Web Designer in comparison allows many more options for inclusion of graphics (be they bitmap or vector) and far richer manipulation of these resources once they are installed. DP of course allows even richer manipulation than this.

I don't think that it would be better for Xara to split the drawing functionality from the web functionality. Currently all the products come from the same source code, with feature turned on and off. This allows bug fixes and new features to automatically shared by all products. Since changes are being made in the common source code we have to carefully test every product.

Splitting the drawing features into a separate program does not magically produce more available developer time to write new drawing features and could actually decrease the amount of time that could be spent on drawing features.

[mwenz]

Though I didn't really start this thread, here goes.

Luke, send all your customer base of XDP an email asking which direction they would like XDP to go. That's the only informal means of knowing. while still being an informal means of inquiry, it would give Xara a better idea of what the silent majority feels.

In the end, it comes down to perception of the user-base. In reality, from the vector side of things there is not much movement in features or capabilities. Certainly not in comparison to web stuff.

I do know the user-base of web authoring software is larger than those seeking vector stuff. Then again, Xara doesn't seem to desire to target that market specifically. Would an enhanced XDP without web abilities do better in direct and vocal marketing against Adobe's or Corel's vector apps? I have no idea. Historically, the answer is no, not really. That may come down to focused, targeted marketing. Then again, there is no need for such a marketing campaign if the vector capabilities are not brought up to speed in order to better compete.

Don't get me wrong. I like XDP. My only "frustration," if you will, is in a few current niggles regarding CMYK issues and a few capabilities (such as updated import/export filters, etc.) as regards my personal work. But XDP could be a better, fuller vector application and could compete better against the likes of Illy and CD if time were devoted to it.

Just my ignorant, single-person perspective.

Take care, Mike