problem importing Illustrator files

I am trying to import a couple of advertisements that we designed in Illustrator 8 into Xara but I can't seem to get it to work. The files contain text and graphics, and I can open them just fine in Illustrator but when I try to get them into Xara I get this error message: Error detected in EPS file at line 9121 [1] Opening them doesn't work either

If I paste it in it becomes a bitmap. I can make do with this, but I'd prefer to have the vector file if possible.

These files were transfered from one computer to another via flash drive. I suppose I could just re-create the ads in Xara, but I was hoping to save some time. Any ideas?

I believe version 8 or lower should import fine (with some caveats..)
Exporting as PDF from Illustrator is often the better means to transfer files across to Xtreme.

Not sure Illustrator had PDF support in version 8.

You might try one of the websites such as Neevia Technology to convert from Illustrator to PDF then import the PDF file.

Gary

If you can't save it as a PDF file, which is the best solution, try exporting as a Legacy file. When the legacy options window opens at the top you will see a drop down box for version, select Illustrator 8 or lower, and save. If the Illustrator file is fairly straight forward with no special effects like custom brushes, gradient meshes, transparencies and a few other things it should come into XPro no problems and even if it has it still might import although some of these might turn out to be bitmaps.

Thanks everyone I think there must be some thing wrong with the files as I couldn't even convert them with neevia pdf converter. When I get a chance I'm going to try converting them with Neevia straight from the other computer at least that way I'll know if it has any thing to do with the flash drive. These things always seem to happen when there is a deadline looming.

Haven't you heard? Computers are only reliable when they don't have to be ;)

If your file isn't too private or sensitive, you could post it here?
I'm sure there's plenty of TG members who would be willing to help? (including myself)

Thank you all for your responses, I haven't been able to get back to this until now because it's been a busy couple of days. I had to go to print with bitmap versions of the ads. Not ideal but the final print wasn't too bad. Anyway I'm attaching one of the problem Illustrator files.

Tomorrow I should have time to play around and see if I can figure something out. I'd still like to be able to open or import these files into Xara as I have a lot of past ads that were done in Illustator 8 and sometimes a client will ask if we can "just repeat last years ad"

The files may very well be corrupt as the other computer had to be rebuilt, as my dear sweet husband managed to drop it. These files seem to open just fine in Illustrator on this newer computer though.

If it helps I am running Windows XP

Don't you love standards and compatibility. :mad:
Sadly Xtremes EPS handing has always been poor in my experience, and certainly the .ai handling is very rudementary. (Even Corels CMX is hopeless in my experience with Xtreme)

I opened your file in Illustrator CS3, changed the fonts to shapes, saved as EPS which I opened in CorelDraw X3 and used X3's Publish to PDF option (1.4) to get the thing into Xtreme.

Oh yes, I used LiveTrace on the BeachBouy logo as this was a raster.
The bunny and cone appear to be vector in Illustrator, but I could do much with them (not much of an Illy' user myself)

PDF from Illustrator was hopeless. I tried many other methods, but the above was by far the route that gave the best results.

vector group for bunny and cone - not sure how faithful it is to the original, but as close as I could get

your file would open ok in my illustrator10 - saving it as a pdf from there opened in xara, but with some objects bitmap - saving as ai8 gave import error

I would have thought this drawing was done in PS and not AI as the bunny is hiding an easter egg but I have seen AI used with similar components you never know

Thanks for your efforts. This ad was put together using clip art. We use clipart a lot for the ads as we don't usually have a lot of time.

I think I'm going to use TIFF files of the Illustrator ads, and If there really must be changes I'll re-do the ads in Xara.

Steve- I agree that Xara's eps handling could use some improvement. Maybe in the upcoming new release mentioned in the last Outsider.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by handrawn

vector group for bunny and cone - not sure how faithful it is to the original, but as close as I could get

---

Curiously large difference in size of our .xar files Steve :)

um ... often the way I find when it comes in pdf - didn't really think too much of it as the source file is about the same, and its not a big file size for me

[may have something to do with there being around 120,000 nodes of course ;)]

I'm being lazy I know - but tell me - where do I count the nodes?
I've never needed to know this, but now I'm curious :p

I see why your file is much larger. It has 7 objects in the group (7 x bunny & cone).

I removed 5 and can barely see a difference.
This reduced your file size to 465k

Dont think you can in xara [get a count of the nodes that is] :p

Not the object of the exercise [for me ] to take info out :)

Ah good... Then I haven't missed that.
So where did you count them (the nodes) ?

In my case, finding out why your file was bigger was the object of the excercise. Now I'm so much wiser for it and have 5 less soft-serves to worry about increasing my weight :)

as the illustrator pdf did not work it passed through inkscape on its way [illustrator svg to cairo pdf] - inkscape can count - course no guarantee that they are the same number in xara - but not far off I would have thought :D

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by sledger

where do I count the nodes?

---

Select an object, go to shape editor, select all the nodes, right-click on one, and 'break at nodes'. That gives you number of lines, which is one less than the number of original nodes (I believe). Be prepared to wait awhile - the 18,207 lines formed by just one of those cones took a couple minutes for my machine to break apart!

ah that's one way then - thanks David :)