Transform a xar to Adobe Fireworks

[hgr]

Hi.

Does anybody know how to transform a xar drawing into a Adobe Fireworks drawing, so I can edit it in fireworks as a vector graphics?

I preferes Xara, but Fireworks is widely used for webdesign because of the layerd png support.

[steve.ledger]

Try .ai or .pdf ?

[hgr]

ai seams to be supported by fireworks. Will give it a try.

[hgr]

Well ai works, but the quality is so poor compared to xar.

I really wish, that Xara would support the layered Adobe PNG format. because Xara Extreme is so much easier to use than Adobe Fireworks.

[handrawn]

the layered png is raster right - not vector - so could you not do all your vector work in xara - import it into fireworks in a layered raster format [psd?] and simply convert straight to layered png

or is it not that simple....

[pauland]

hgr, what specifically are you using fireworks for that Xtreme cannot do?

Paul

[Charles Moir]

There is no such thing as 'layered PNG'. This is a 'fake' format invented by Adobe and Fireworks, that is not supported by ANY other software, certainly not any web browsers. It is not an official or standard PNG format.

Of course Xara does work with layers, and can do everything Fireworks can, easier and faster in my opinion. It has the advantage that everything is vector, non-destructive and resolution independent (unlike Fireworks). Everything is a LOT more editable in Xara Xtreme than it is in Fireworks.

Both Fireworks and Xara save files in their native format. Adobe has invented this bastardized PNG format, which is not standard, and is not portable to other software (yes some software can recognize a flattened version of the PNG, but loses all the critical native vector, and other meta data that Adobe store in the private fields in the file).

Adobe's decision to take an existing standard format, then create an incompatible, ad as far as I'm aware undocumented variant of it and use this as your native file format, and then call it a PNG, has to remain as one of the most bizarre, and utterly confusing things they could have chosen to have done. It was a dumb move in my opinion.

We use .xar file format, which is hugely more compact, but equally a private native format (and our is documented and an open format). But of course for use on the web (which it the main point) then both packages export optimized PNGs (including alpha channeled PNGs is required) or JPG or legacy formats such as GIF.

[handrawn]

As I recall the the layered png dates back to macromedia days

I did not realise that it supported vector information - so thanks for that

[Charles Moir]

I did not realise that it supported vector information

It doesn't and that's the point. Adobe are storing vector data in the file, making it an incompatible, non-standard PNG format. So you must never Save as a PNG from Fireworks and transfer that file to anyone else or use it on the web or with any other software

Instead you have to Export as PNG (just like Xara), and then it produces a compatible PNG format, with no vector data that CAN be used by everything else.

Confusing? You bet.

[handrawn]

it is just the 'native file format so called png' that supports the vector, assuming that adobe still use this label for the fireworks native file format, not the export.
right - confusing..... you said it