Problems exporting to various formats

I have downloaded the trial of Xtreme to evaluate how it works compared to the version I have (X1) and while I am impressed with the features, I am disappointed with the results while trying to export to some common formats.

Export to .pdf - works fine
Export to .psd - fails completely, numerous "can't find file" errors, nothing exported
Export to Adobe .eps - huge file, fonts missing or distorted, some imported images missing.
Export to .ai - fonts missing or distorted, all imported images missing
Export to .svg - gradients missing

This is running under Windows XP.
I tried with more than one project.

Without better Adobe compatibility, I can't see buying this product, people expect to receive industry standard file formats.

Hmmm... My .ai and .psd exports are just fine. Can you post an example .xar here that doesn't work? It is hard to fix something that is just broke. If we can duplicate it, then we can fix it. If you are trying to get adobe to do something that it can't, then that is understandable.

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Originally Posted by earthman

Without better Adobe compatibility, I can't see buying this product, people expect to receive industry standard file formats.

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...the nice thing about standards is, there are so many to choose from.

EPS for example, has many incarnations.

Even .doc files change from version to version.

I have attached one of the .xar files I was working on, as well as reduced size .png to show what it should look like.

Hi earthman,

I had a look at your file, but I don't have most of the fonts installed that you have used in your file, so it's always best to save off a copy with fonts converted to shapes when you need to share a file..
You'll be asked by many printers to do this as well.

With your missing fonts in mind, I exported your file to PSD at 96DPI and it opens fine in PS CS3.
I converted to shapes and exported to .ai and it opens fine in AI CS3 and CorelDraw X3.
You said PDF was fine so I didn't bother.
SVG? Why would you even want to, honestly??

Remember .xar files are optimised and compressed, they are very space efficient whereas many other file formats are not. Xara re uses repeated (duplicated) images instead of embedding a second copy, unlike other formats - so yes the .xar file will always be much smaller compared to PSD and AI

To be fair to Xara, I do think that you need to experiment a bit before proclaiming it a disappointment and unable to work with common formats.

Exporting and importing between other pro software isn't always plain sailing either. First you must learn the ropes ;)

whilst [unlike Mr Ledger] I can see definate uses for svg export and use it [porting to inkscape for example], I feel I should point out that X1 never had an svg export, so there is nothing to compare ;)

it is new and works as far as it goes - gradients will be added in due course hopefully.

Ah Mr James, let me clarify for this for you

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SVG? Why would you even want to, honestly??

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= Why would you want to export a 'brochure' to SVG which is primarily designated as a vector graphics markup language, when the brochure contains non - Scalable Vector Graphics.. (those bitmaps)?
SVG is not really a 'print' ready format (let's not get into 'SVG Print')

My question to the OP regarding his SVG acid test should not be taken as a sweeping statement from Mr Ledger as disapproval of exporting to and all possible uses of the SVG format. ;)

why thank you Mr Ledger :D

no I don't think I would use SVG for brochure/print work either, not that specific usage is mentioned by the OP ;)

and SVG, like PDF, is used for a lot more than what it was originally designed for...:)

as far as I know - xara pdf will provide most if not all necessary compatibility with current adobe software? - illustrator, photoshop, acrobat at least, I cannot speak for the rest

Hey Earthman you are so right, I'm having the same problems while trying to export to AI or EPS formats.

Like you already Know exporting to PDF is not a total disaster, You could say is good, but is not the same thing for me, anyway if it's good enough for you

you can do the following: Once it is exported to a PDF format, you go to the Adobe Illustrator application and then open it or import it , once it is open, save it as a AI or EPs format.

But the main idea here is that Xara have to figure out a kind of patch or an upgrade option for all Xara users to fix this huge problem, I really want all of you to realize that not been able to export to Ai, eps, etc means we will never could run a business with Xara, cause customers expect to receive standars files of course, since I buit a big portfolio with xara before I realize this exporting problem, I'm thinking to present my portfolio to people anyway but at the time to develop a project I'll do it in Illustrator, and with time I'll leave Xara in the past.

Now dont get me wrong, I love Xara, but for running a business is useless, I reallly hope somebody from Xara come up with a solution for that, This will be a gigantic step for Xara in order to achieve global recognition and be the next Gaphic Design Standar Application

I think what you are asking for is that Xara Xtreme actually 'becomes' Adobe Illustrator while you export your file as .AI, or that it becomes any other app that you are exporting (from Xara) for.
What you need to consider is that you are first creating a .xar file that you then choose to export for use with Illustrator (or any other app), so by opening this export you are wishing that Illustrator has to somehow become Xara Xtreme for a file that you just created using Xtremes tools and technologies?
Xara has some pretty advanced tools which the others don't, so asking the other graphics apps to understand something which they have not been built to understand is not altogether reasonable.

Rather than baulk at how Xtreme works, change how you work - prepare your file for use with Illustrator (or whatever) and avoid the fills/shadows/effects etc that those other apps cannot (yet) interpret by sticking with pure vector shapes that can then be filled with your gradients and so on once imported into Illustrator.

Understanding this and, in view of the better filters, I have very little trouble now with version 4 of Xtreme when exporting for CorelDraw or Illustrator.

As far as being unsuitable for a business situation, this is nonsense - even using version 3.2, I routinely and regularly created work for use with Cadlink Signlab and CorelDraw when I knew that I was 'specifically' creating a file that was to be used in another app. I was therefore, prepared. This is the key.

Apparently I have a bug or I am doing something wrong. I tried selecting all my text and converting it to shapes, but the resulting export to .ai doesn't show them as converted to shapes, just as text. I even tried it with a different copy of the file. What's strange is that the font that Xara seems to use fine doesn't work correctly in Illustrator, so I'm not sure what to do. I used this font because it was specified by the customer, they had already used it in some printed materials. Hopefully they will be able to use a .pdf or large .tif for the printing end of it. Also, I was exporting at 300dpi, to get a standard print quality. I would say that for exporting to images, Xara works great, and I have no complaints. As the other person mentioned though, some people insist on .ai, .eps, or .psd files whether they need them or not.

As Sledger has said several times. If you need to export to .ai, .eps, or .pdf you need to have that in mind when you begin the project.

You and not the software must limit yourself to only those features that the export format can support.

This is true whether you are using Xara Xtreme, CorelDraw, or even Adobe Illustrator.

If you save an Illustrator CS3 drawing with any of the new features in that version.

If you send that file to someone that has Illustrator 10 they will have problems opening the file.

earthman,

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Apparently I have a bug or I am doing something wrong. I tried selecting all my text and converting it to shapes, but the resulting export to .ai doesn't show them as converted to shapes, just as text.

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I just can't understand this. There's no way that you can convert text to shapes in XXP and have it reconstructed as text in Illustrator or any other program. It's just not text.

Are you sure your "converting to editable shapes" and NOT "converting line to shapes"

Could you attach an example?

Hmmmm. My Convert to Editable Shapes is doing absolutely nothing to text. The text still remains editable (while in Xara Xtreme Pro 4).


hmmmm... just did more testing in pro 3 and it worked so went back into 4 and this time it worked. Quite odd.

No problems here (both v4 and 3.2 installed).

hmmmmmmm ;)

Hmmmm is right. Now it works flawlessly. Go figure.