Casual Notes on Xara Cloud+ and Xara Pro+ Combo

I now have a proper licence for Xara Cloud+ and Xara Pro+.

This thread is to document what I find interesting or different between this Xara-supported combo and the "partnership" Magix with Xara (MagiXara hereafter).

Would contributors to this Thread include the Title Heading of any prior written section so it is easier to collate material? Use your own Heading for new material.

Offering
There is only Xara Pro+, no Web Designer version.
It is subscription only so it stops dead when you no longer pay for it; no messy Update Service! Do browse https://help-cloud-plus.xara.com before committing; it is a bit lightweight as Rob-Xar is handlling this and the MagiXara material so refer therr if there are specific XDPX questions but do ask Xara directly.
Version releases are ahead of, and more frequent, than XDPX:

• https://help-cloud-plus.xara.com/art...-is-xara-cloud.
• https://help-cloud-plus.xara.com/art...designer-pro-x

Some third-party bits are gone:

• EXIF tool.
• Perspective Correction Tool.
• PCFx live effects.
• Panorama Studio (Panorama tool is still available).
• Xara Slideshow Widget, is there but requires the MagiXara Xara Hosting! At cost!

@Xara+: What remedies are in place for the capabilities of the EXIF Tool and the Xara Slideshow Widget removal? Answered in #3.

First Install
No need to uninstall your current Xara Desktop application. Keep around even if you no long update it; it will be your lifeline.
Requires Internet access to sync with the Cloud+ online account.
Install is quicker and cleaner as the MagiXara paraphernalia is not there.
Updates are automatically advised, even across major version releases?
Shift+Ctrl+Alt+1 no longer offers up the licence number (Camelot Debug Information).
@Xara+: There is no PDF Manual! Answered in #2; no XDA menu option though.
Remember to Download All into the Local Designs gallery. One could Copy & Paste from your existing Cache but you might miss out on the latest material/updates.
New Help site - remember no links now to MagiXara: https://help-cloud-plus.xara.com. This landing page documents that v20 exists; currently Xara Designer Pro+ 20.0.0.59369 SL x64 Jun 4 2020.
No MagiXara nag screens or offers!

Off-line Working
Up to 30 days: https://help-cloud-plus.xara.com/art...ro-for-offline.
@Xara+: How is this implemented? Answered in #3.

Cloud Working
Best through setting up a Cloud Storage service:
Attachment 127190

Presently up to 1GB of cache downloaded; now done at 3.18GB and over 34,000 files - just up on XDPXv17.0.

Enjoy your day!

Acorn

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Acorn

@Xara+: There is no PDF Manual!

---

They must have just added it: http://support-dl.xara.com/pdf/Versi...nerProPlus.pdf

@Xara+: What remedies are in place for the capabilities of the EXIF Tool and the Xara Slideshow Widget removal?
We're planning replacements for these tools and features, hopefully within the next couple of updates. First update for XC has already gone out with another due very shortly as well.

@Xara+: How is this implemented?
If you have an active Xara subscription, there is a token within the registry which contains the check date. If you take it offline, Xara will continue to open until the check date comes up.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Boy

They must have just added it: http://support-dl.xara.com/pdf/Versi...nerProPlus.pdf

---

Cheers Boy, I tidied mine away into C:\Program Files\Xara\Xara Designer Pro+\HelpAndSupport\ENG\.

Acorn

Previewing a Print Document or Presentation
The default Template is a Print document.
Xara defaults this (and a Presentation) to a Vertical Supersite.

If you Preview this (freshly minted) or change it to a Presentation, the display now shows the following:

• Banner - "powered by xara" link to https://xara.com/ - brash and quite insidious.
• A "Full screen" link - this is different to the original and still present Full screen (F11) so bear with me. It gets rid of Banner and Footer and renders the page with a jet black pasteboard.
• A "Download" link - this now presents the page/site/presentation as XaraDocument.pdf.
  
  • I don't know what the PDF settings are.
  • This PDF can be prevented in Web Export Options: untick Include a PDF download.
  
  
• The Footer shows a set of page thumbnails to allow quick navigation of a site that has no Next/Previous links.

Issues:

• Full screen reverting is pressing the Home icon. Esc, which reverted the original Full screen display, actually closes the Preview.
• The Download link opens the PDF in an IE (!!!!) browser.
  
  • Do not import such a file with name XaraDocument.pdf onto your design; I am sure it will cause havoc.
  
  
• Selecting any of the available browser icons opens the site/presentation or as expected but you are stuck with the Banner and Footer. Full screen removes these but at the expense of losing the browser furniture. There is no way to view the page as I "expect" my end-user to. [One could add code to hide #xr_pgmn1 & #xr_pgrgalc]!

@Xara+: While I can accept that a Print Document and Presentation can benefit from the Footer, the forcing of both Banner and Footer into my Web Supersite is a total non-starter. I don't want your marketing mar my site's presentation. These additions need to be options not forced on me! Web Export Options: Include a PDF download should be unticked by default. The Banner and PDF inclusions are two orthogonal choices. I would propose that when you lose the "powered by xara" plug, the download and full screen links could fit into the Footer.

For a moment, can you imagine my going to a client and showing off an update to an existing site and the client asks "What's this above our very impactful site header?" My reply, "Oh, it's just what Xara now thinks all its sites needs to show." "Goodbye, ex-website designer!"

Acorn

I totally agree. Let me forward your feedback.

If you uncheck the include PDF option, it should at least remove the top bar.. which I know is not obvious. We can definitely improve this.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Rob-Xar

I totally agree. Let me forward your feedback.
If you uncheck the include PDF option, it should at least remove the top bar.. which I know is not obvious. We can definitely improve this.

---

Thank you Rob.

Previewing a Print Document or Presentation
I "discovered" the untick PDF and alluded to that (fifth bullet).

It is also missing from the PDF Manual / Help in the diagrams and text.

Acorn

Interworking Cloud+ & Pro+
I have set up Dropbox as my Cloud Storage so while I create and save designs, they are also published into Dropbox. I do this so I have backup cover locally and globally at no cost.
It is now a joy to be able to save in Pro+ and see the changes update in Cloud+ and the same in reverse. Xara seems to have improved the speed and so there are few seconds to seeing a change. Ideal for Customer interaction and Team working.
That said, I added a Comment and that took 68 seconds to appear in Pro+ the first time. Thereafter things were far quicker.

The Share to Web requires it to be clicked, followed by an Update. I have to assume therefore that the view of the Share link has to have a Refresh (Ctrl+F5) to see the changes.
I am disappointed that the share (e.g., http://shared.xara.com/OkPooFb6SZ/#xl_xr_page_index) is not SSL.

On Comments, I fail to see why they are not presented in Pro+. They exist but are hidden. This seems an ideal communication mechanism half-implemented.

In MS Windows Registry I changed Computer\HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Xara\XtremePro Sub x64\17\Options\DocInfoShowWebDialogDocInfo's value to 1. This provides File > Document Information, which is a web page similar to Doc Info but with the added bonus of a History of interactions:

History

Who	When	Which	Editor
xpa	‎11‎/‎06‎/‎2020 ‎09‎:‎21‎:‎51 CREATED	Presentation Test.xar	Xara Designer Pro+ 17 17.0.2.59369
Administrator	‎11‎/‎06‎/‎2020 ‎09‎:‎24‎:‎34	fb3e8000-abbc-11ea-9800-4deae8ab64f3	Xara Designer Pro 17 Online 17.0.2.59340
Administrator	‎11‎/‎06‎/‎2020 ‎09‎:‎26‎:‎22	3b4bbf50-abbd-11ea-9800-4deae8ab64f3	Xara Designer Pro 17 Online 17.0.2.59340
xpa	‎11‎/‎06‎/‎2020 ‎09‎:‎28‎:‎50	Presentation Test.xar	Xara Designer Pro+ 17 17.0.2.59369
Administrator	‎11‎/‎06‎/‎2020 ‎09‎:‎30‎:‎09	c299f620-abbd-11ea-9924-61ebdf81f2fc	Xara Designer Pro 17 Online 17.0.2.59340

Useful but the Who and the Which parts could be made more user friendly. The Registry change works in the XDAs (I have encountered an occasional error page but this does not affect anything - I am sure Xara will sort it out).

I mentioned elsewhere that Cloud+ is not really fit for Website and Presentation creation or subsequent editing due to the lack of Layer Management and handling of Placeholders. Hover buttons are fine. No NavBars.

Acorn

Embedding Content
Now it might be me but I like poking things.

In Cloud+, you have Share > Download > Presentation (off-line use).
I tried it and you get a single HTML file with your presentation all wrapped neatly in Base-64 encoding.

So what?

Well, if you use Shift+Ctrl+Alt+A and attach the file to your design you can then create a Placeholder to display it.

So what?

Well, the Embed a Widget code with the Path adjusted to relative is:

Code:

---

<iframe src="index_htm_files/Presentation Test.html#xl_xr_page_title" width="100%" height="100%" frameborder="0" scrolling="auto" name="xara_iframe" ><p>Your browser does not support iframes.</p></iframe>

---

So now you can scale a presentation so you have a "live preview" of say 200px wide or start at a specified slide.
@Xara+: Can you make the Next/Previous Page buttons scale to match the presentation's size?

I can now render a thumb's click to open a larger presentation in another Placeholder or a separate Tab.

Acorn

On-line Chat
I have to commend Xara on its deployment of Intercom Chat. Beats Magix into a cocked-hat.
Accessible from Pro+ through Help > More Xara Designer Pro+ > Support pages.

It ill be interesting to see how Xara will handle volume loading.
The bot has a lot to desire but nice to see it tries to offer up Knowledge articles. I designed and delivered similar in 2008 for a HR Department of a very large organisation.

Acorn

Sorry Acorn but is that a misspell or is that how you Brits spell organization? Just had to ask after a previous conversation we had over color!!!!

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Gypsyjoe

Sorry Acorn but is that a misspell or is that how you Brits spell organization? Just had to ask after a previous conversation we had over color!!!!

---

GJ, yes. Organisation as listed in the Oxford English Dictionary, although the z-spelling is acceptable too.

I was brought up on -sation (conversation) and it seems natural to follow on from the way British English handles related verbs:
In American English, verbs end with -ize, versus British English, in which the spelling changes to -ise.

• American English: finalize, realize, emphasize, standardize
• British English: finalise, realise, emphasise, standardise

It waxes and wanes: https://rapidbi.com/organisational-organizational/ but I suspect people only have MS spell-checking to fall back on.

Acorn

I actually have to thank you for the explanation Acorn as I was more having fun with you with my question but your explanation really taught me something. Thanx!!!!

Here he goes with his Noah Websters "Thanxs" .... I don't even know if that's really attributed to Noah Webster but he did love his "z's" & "x's" :D We say "Thanks".

SVG Exports
Much more usable especially together with https://jakearchibald.github.io/svgomg/.

Acorn

Include a PDF download

@Xara+: you need to perform a clean-up in %localappdata%\Temp\ for PDF documents created as each and every Preview generates a new one and these are not purged.

I do not understand why these are generated with a random xarHHHH.pdf filename (H(3,4): hex 0-F), adrift from the generated output, yet the one "published" is always there as Xara_XPSV17_DDDD\index_htm_files\XaraDocument.pdf.
Combine the two so that Preview accesses Xara_XPSV17_DDDD\index_htm_files\xarHHHH.pdf and actual Export/Publish accesses Xara_XPSV17_DDDD\index_htm_files\XaraDocument.pdf.

Acorn

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Acorn

Previewing a Print Document or Presentation
The default Template is a Print document.
Xara defaults this (and a Presentation) to a Vertical Supersite.

If you Preview this (freshly minted) or change it to a Presentation, the display now shows the following:

• Banner - "powered by xara" link to https://xara.com/ - brash and quite insidious.
• A "Full screen" link - this is different to the original and still present Full screen (F11) so bear with me. It gets rid of Banner and Footer and renders the page with a jet black pasteboard.
• A "Download" link - this now presents the page/site/presentation as XaraDocument.pdf.
  
  • I don't know what the PDF settings are.
  • This PDF can be prevented in Web Export Options: untick Include a PDF download.
  
  
• The Footer shows a set of page thumbnails to allow quick navigation of a site that has no Next/Previous links.

Issues:

• Full screen reverting is pressing the Home icon. Esc, which reverted the original Full screen display, actually closes the Preview.
• The Download link opens the PDF in an IE (!!!!) browser.
  
  • Do not import such a file with name XaraDocument.pdf onto your design; I am sure it will cause havoc.
  
  
• Selecting any of the available browser icons opens the site/presentation or as expected but you are stuck with the Banner and Footer. Full screen removes these but at the expense of losing the browser furniture. There is no way to view the page as I "expect" my end-user to. [One could add code to hide #xr_pgmn1 & #xr_pgrgalc]!

@Xara+: While I can accept that a Print Document and Presentation can benefit from the Footer, the forcing of both Banner and Footer into my Web Supersite is a total non-starter. I don't want your marketing mar my site's presentation. These additions need to be options not forced on me! Web Export Options: Include a PDF download should be unticked by default. The Banner and PDF inclusions are two orthogonal choices. I would propose that when you lose the "powered by xara" plug, the download and full screen links could fit into the Footer.

For a moment, can you imagine my going to a client and showing off an update to an existing site and the client asks "What's this above our very impactful site header?" My reply, "Oh, it's just what Xara now thinks all its sites needs to show." "Goodbye, ex-website designer!"

Acorn

---

As the Xara Inertia Bus is still parked, here is a demonstration of the total mess your approach has introduced onto a viable Timeline design: http://acorn.xara.hosting/timeline/.
I have an Embed a Website Widget that is not very tall, which has been swamped by your botched topping and tailing of my design.
If I untick Thumbs & PDF, I still am presented with a mess.
I, and many others, cannot revert to an earlier Pro version as you have conveniently kludged up the works with the Pro+ implementation.

You would expect Xara to learn from similar mistakes (c.f., forcing a Groups to publish as separate images, for one).

I start off advising you Xara of a Bug, expecting an acknowledgement.
These are very rare and are usually Rob_Xar trying his best (Post#6), under pressure. Suggestion: Select > Rob_Xar > Clone > Clone > Clone.

I analyse the Problem and sometimes TGers uncover a workaround.

Time passes; here, 14 days.
These Bugs are quite detrimental and most other companies release a bug-fix within days.

I will re-iterate: I dare not try and republish under Pro+ because of identified Bugs that affect my delivery.
I still have sites that I republish under v11 or v15.

I stopped endorsing Xara products years ago. It is time I took my own advice.

It is really simple. Acknowledge there is a Problem and, regardless of Xara (unpublished) Roadmaps, the current Customer-base has priority.

Acorn

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Acorn

As the Xara Inertia Bus is still parked, here is a demonstration of the total mess your approach has introduced onto a viable Timeline design: http://acorn.xara.hosting/timeline/.
I have an Embed a Website Widget that is not very tall, which has been swamped by your botched topping and tailing of my design.
If I untick Thumbs & PDF, I still am presented with a mess.
I, and many others, cannot revert to an earlier Pro version as you have conveniently kludged up the works with the Pro+ implementation.

You would expect Xara to learn from similar mistakes (c.f., forcing a Groups to publish as separate images, for one).

I start off advising you Xara of a Bug, expecting an acknowledgement.
These are very rare and are usually Rob_Xar trying his best (Post#6), under pressure. Suggestion: Select > Rob_Xar > Clone > Clone > Clone.

I analyse the Problem and sometimes TGers uncover a workaround.

Time passes; here, 14 days.
These Bugs are quite detrimental and most other companies release a bug-fix within days.

I will re-iterate: I dare not try and republish under Pro+ because of identified Bugs that affect my delivery.
I still have sites that I republish under v11 or v15.

I stopped endorsing Xara products years ago. It is time I took my own advice.

It is really simple. Acknowledge there is a Problem and, regardless of Xara (unpublished) Roadmaps, the current Customer-base has priority.

Acorn

---

Hi Acorn,

I am happy to let you know, that this bug has been fixed with today's release (see the point no 2 of 'what's new' section): https://www.talkgraphics.com/showthr...678#post625678.

>> We've made some further improvements to the new Supersite navigation bar options. The checkbox has been updated and will now both enable or disable the top download bar and the bottom navigation bar.

Thank you so much for using Xara and all your feedback!

Enjoy the new release!

Best,
Eva

Product Manager @xara

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Eva-K

Hi Acorn,
I am happy to let you know, that this bug has been fixed with today's release (see the point no 2 of 'what's new' section): https://www.talkgraphics.com/showthr...678#post625678.
>> We've made some further improvements to the new Supersite navigation bar options. The checkbox has been updated and will now both enable or disable the top download bar and the bottom navigation bar.
Thank you so much for using Xara and all your feedback!
Enjoy the new release!

Best, Eva
Product Manager @xara

---

Eva, I have thanked you in your other HiRes Beta Thread but, again, thank you.

It was the first and immediate thing I checked: http://acorn.xara.hosting/timeline - v20dot1/index.htm has the topbar and PDF unticked so I can now see what works and what doesn't.
I can also advise that prior version handle the changed design file properly, regardless of whether, PDF and Thumbs is slected.

I hope that Xara will further separate out the PDF download from the option as there are User Stories where having a PDF export is necessary.
If not having the top bar scared and only visible when the bottom bar tab is clicked is an alternative as I could then endure this small tab's closed presence.

A one hour turnaround from my moan to a solution is a Xara record!

Acorn

Xara Cloud+ Templates

Observations:

• Xara has not provided a Download All for the Cloud+ Templates to be stored locally in Pro+.
• One could spend forever opening and saving each template to a Cloud location and then re-opening in Pro+.
• There are list of Cloud Templates at https://www.xara.com/templates/.
• I had to ask to then be told that to access the Real Estate ones, https://www.xara.com/templates/real-estate/, you have to change your team profile industry to Real Estate.
• So the Cloud+ All Templates listing is not a true nested tree view and I have little patience in switching industries back and forward just to view a template.

Acorn

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Acorn

• There are list of Cloud Templates at https://www.xara.com/templates/.

---

I couldn't find the websites. Is there a different link?

Boy, the link is to a Xara site, listing Cloud Templates, not websites. This link works for me.

Acorn

Well, yes, I understood that. I was talking about website templates.

Boy, sorry I misunderstood. Xara Cloud does not handle websites, yet.
Neither does it cope with Presentations particularly well as you have limited access to Steps (Layers).

At present, you handle websites through Pro+. Cloud+ has a lot of catching up to do.

Acorn

So, how do you access the website templates in Pro+?

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Boy

So, how do you access the website templates in Pro+?

---

Boy, it is no different than XDPX & other XDAs: Download All & the use of the Online Content Catalogue.

Acorn

Okay, that makes sense but when I relate it to what you wrote in your OP, 'Xara has not provided a Download All for the Cloud+ Templates to be stored locally in Pro+', I get confused again. But that's probably because I have never used Xara Cloud. Never mind, Acorn, with regards to this cloud thing, I'll stay on the sideline for the time being.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Boy

Okay, that makes sense but when I relate it to what you wrote in your OP, 'Xara has not provided a Download All for the Cloud+ Templates to be stored locally in Pro+', I get confused again. But that's probably because I have never used Xara Cloud. Never mind, Acorn, with regards to this cloud thing, I'll stay on the sideline for the time being.

---

Boy, all I was getting at was Xara failed to tell many people about Download All - it is an obscure Help Note with next to no technical explanation. It definitely has no contractual implications (its total loss out of Update Service cover). Now we have a separation of Templates between Xara Cloud+ and Xara Designer Pro+ with Cloud+ offering a very poor approach to collating any Templates: basically open one, try it out and then save as your own file somewhere.

People expect to see value for their money and in the Cloud all you can really achieve it local storage to offer you some feeling of possession and control. Those of us who can be disciplined enough can form Teams and Assets and build up a shared library.

It is more about getting to know what Xara considers a professional design is and how it is actually constructed that makes a designer the more capable. Abstracting things away never helps in this learning experience.

Finally, hiding a whole raft of "Real Estate" Templates behind an obscure selection mechanism, again without explanation, seems to be a replay of past mistakes.

Acorn

Thanks for the extensive follow-up, Acorn. I experience Xara's product development and marketing over the past so many years as mostly uninspired and opportunistic, so I'm not surprised.