Re: Upgrade to Designer Pro?
I have both and I use either and find for web designing each is as good as the other for 95% of my endeavours. XDPX is slicker and has a few more bells but both are identical underneath; it is just the mangling of the UI to cut out functions to market XDWP as a focused product.
If there are some things missing, spend your saved cash or XBuilder (xaratemplates.com); there are freebies so try before you buy.
Also sign up for a free Xara Cloud account. You can use XWDP with its templates: create in the Cloud but modify in XWDP on your desktop.
Acorn
Re: Upgrade to Designer Pro?
Many thanks for the honest advice. Though the bells and whistles of XDPX sound enticing, I doubt they would be worth the money for what I use the software for. I have looked at the XBuilder before, and I'll take a look again to see if it would help. Thanks again.
Re: Upgrade to Designer Pro?
I first used only Web Designer Premium, which I was quite happy with. I do some page design, and I used to do it with an old (Win 3.1x) copy of Quark. I thought that Xara would be much easier, but was not ready to buy the full version. So I tried this: I downloaded the Page Designer trial, and copied the page templates to Web Designer. This allowed me to do rudimentary page design work in Web Designer, and print it. I found this quite useful, and have bought the full version afterwards. So if you occasionnally need page design, you can do it in Web Designer, but the full version is always better. You can find earlier versions for less money on eBay (German-language versions have the English version built-in, so they are also an option).
Re: Upgrade to Designer Pro?
Great discussion. I have WD Premium along with Designer Pro X10. I test on X10 but am considering the recent upgrade. I'm just not a fan of both pieces of software on a yearly subscription, that's why I've kept a couple of older copies of Designer Pro.
I'm also a fan of printed manuals and Pro X10 appears to be the last printed manual. I may take the plunge anyway.
Re: Upgrade to Designer Pro?
Thanks, lex. It sounds like DPX allows more options, but isn't necessarily useful if I don't often need to make a lot of printed materials. In fact, I wouldn't mind paying for the most up-to-date version, but I don't want to if I want get any significant benefit from it. Cheers.
Re: Upgrade to Designer Pro?
Thanks for your reply, bwood. Your message seems to indicate that you would use both WDP and DPX. For some reason I had the impression that DPX included everything that WDP has, and then lots of other stuff as well. In other words, that if you have DPX, it would be redundant to have WDP. Is that a mistaken impression? Quite frankly, my only reason for considering buying DPX would be if it would replace WDP. I wouldn't want to pay for a subscription for both :)! Cheers!
Re: Upgrade to Designer Pro?
Quote:
Originally Posted by
gcellison
Thanks for your reply, bwood. Your message seems to indicate that you would use both WDP and DPX. For some reason I had the impression that DPX included everything that WDP has, and then lots of other stuff as well. In other words, that if you have DPX, it would be redundant to have WDP. Is that a mistaken impression? Quite frankly, my only reason for considering buying DPX would be if it would replace WDP. I wouldn't want to pay for a subscription for both :)! Cheers!
bwood is being pragmatic in realising he has access to Xara's latest and the online content through XWDP and maintains his XDPXv10 at no cost. This works to a certain extent but will lose out on the (slowly-)evolving SmartShapes as there are struck dumb when copied into XDPXv10. This way allows for a cheaper upgrade within its limitations until such time a jump to XDPXv16+ is seen as vital.
My strategy would be get the Update Service for one year, download all it offers and save locally. Always have a second application copy installed to another device. For recovery, always seek out the Xara download executables and avoid the Magix ones as you cannot control what it may offer after your Update service expiry. Renew after the second year when there is an actual Magix offer bundled that you need. Don't covet a later version as almost any Xara Desktop application is a fantastic product. Keep tuned to TG as there are always workarounds that with a little dedication will save your lots.
Acorn
Re: Upgrade to Designer Pro?
Ditto what Acorn said.
It is not a real subscription. Look at the details of the Update Service.
I started with Web Designer, then wanted Photo & Graphics Designer. I ended up changing to XDPX as it was just much more efficient, with everything in one interface.
As Acorn pointed out, before the end of the Update Service period, make sure to download everything from the On-line catalogue. The program does not stop working, you just don't get any new features or versions and you no longer have access to the on-line catalogue.
Re: Upgrade to Designer Pro?
Good idea to download. Anyone know where WD Premium downloads to? It's not in the regular download file - so many in the Web Design folder itself.
-Bill
Re: Upgrade to Designer Pro?
Quote:
Originally Posted by
bwood
Good idea to download. Anyone know where WD Premium downloads to? It's not in the regular download file - so many in the Web Design folder itself.
-Bill
Bill, I was talking about this page: https://www.xara.com/us/web-designer/download/ or similar for XDPX.
Any downloaded content is saved where you have set up previously.
Acorn
Re: Upgrade to Designer Pro?
Here's the product comparison page if you haven't already seen it https://www.xara.com/us/designer-pro/compare/
I haven't used Web Designer since version 6 so can't give first hand advice on how it compares but it looks like Pro has some photo tools that you don't get in WDP which can be handy for quick adjustments even on web page images and additional transparency modes. Contours can be handy too for creating shaped backgrounds on panels/objects. Live copies, although I don't use this as much as repeating objects. And PDF export too by the look of it too which is very useful to have.
If you're only working on the one single site it might not be worth the price difference but if you're working on a variety of sites and using it for other purposes then as mentioned having the extra tools conveniently in the one program is a real benefit.
Re: Upgrade to Designer Pro?
Hello gcellison,
To wrap it up, I would say that Web Designer Premium is all you really need for web design, and as I said earlier, you can even use it for occasional print work like brochures or any complex print layouts in general by adding page layouts from a trial edition. If you opt for Xara Designer, you can skip using Web Designer altogether (this is what happened to me). But the main reason for buying Designer lays in the realm of increased (vector and bitmap) graphics capability. Unless you are into this, Designer is an overkill in my opinion.
Re: Upgrade to Designer Pro?
Thanks to everyone for all the advice. I took a look at the comparison that xtom gave the link to. It seems like DPX offers lots of extra bells and whistles, it’s just a question of how useful they’ll be for my limited activity. As Acorn suggests, I might purchase it one time just to have access to the extras and maintain WDP up to date.
I acknowledge as well, I’m hopeful that we’ll see the next spectacular WDP innovation soon, along the lines of Responsive Design, or even sticky and stretchy, that used to come out with each new version. They don’t seem to be as frequent or as impressive now with 365. Cheers!
Re: Upgrade to Designer Pro?
Quote:
Originally Posted by
gcellison
...even sticky and stretchy...
The Sticky/Stretchy Saga was never an innovative; it is a regressive embuggerance.
Acorn
Re: Upgrade to Designer Pro?
Agree with @lex and @Acorn - as a retired newbie the sticky and stretch options appealed to me. I do 3 sites for non profits - but I do agree a one program option certainly fits the bill. I'm learning so much now that I can work with Xara everyday.
Downloading the files still has me hooped. My original exacutable files reside in my download folder in WIN10. Within the program I'm downloading content and the program indicates so, but the files are not in the download folder in Win10. I think if I downloaded more it would show up somewhere so I think I'll do a Xara search. Thanks again.
-Bill
Re: Upgrade to Designer Pro?
Quote:
Originally Posted by
bwood
Agree with @lex and @Acorn - as a retired newbie the sticky and stretch options appealed to me. I do 3 sites for non profits - but I do agree a one program option certainly fits the bill. I'm learning so much now that I can work with Xara everyday.
Downloading the files still has me hooped. My original exacutable files reside in my download folder in WIN10. Within the program I'm downloading content and the program indicates so, but the files are not in the download folder in Win10. I think if I downloaded more it would show up somewhere so I think I'll do a Xara search. Thanks again.
-Bill
Bill, by downloading are you referring to you accessing the Online Content Catalogue. These are all saved to a Cache folder. search TG for OCC.
Acorn
Re: Upgrade to Designer Pro?
Yes Acorn. Downloading the content catalogue. Buttons - temps - photos - shapes etc. I'll check the cache.
-Bill
Re: Upgrade to Designer Pro?
Quote:
Originally Posted by
bwood
Yes Acorn. Downloading the content catalogue. Buttons - temps - photos - shapes etc. I'll check the cache.
-Bill
For completeness, downloads will be in
Code:
%localappdata%\Xara\WebDesignerPremium\16\Cache\designs\eng\
Acorn
