Importing PDF's breaks WYSIWYG / add tables / pasting enhanced metafiles breaks forma

[blueznl]

It's a pity there doesn't seem to be an easy way to support / create tables. (At least I could not find one.) Actually, this turns this into a dual post: please support tables, and improve PDF import.

1. Tables

Nuff' said. Some simple tool to create a table would be nice. I've found some tutorials (for example http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vTkggsBp_5Q ) that provide a manual alternative, but that is somewhat cumbersome. There's also the table widget but that isn't too flexible either.

A quick'n'dirty tool for tables would be appreciated.

2. Pasting Enhanced Metafiles

I'm not sure if it's Xara that's a bit broken here, but I suspect it is. When copying a table with non-latin characters from either Word or Excel (my ever recurring hobby, I know) the formatting gets broken. Either because of spaces 'inserted' between characters, or because cell dimensions are not respected. I've attached an image to show this.

If I copy / paste that same table into Powerpoint, the format does not break. Either MS used a non-standard format, or Xara doesn't handle non-latin chars well.

So, when doing stuff with regular fonts life is fine. Try anything non-standard and it's trouble. It's even worse when pasting from LibreOffice Calc, BTW.


3. Importing PDF files

Now this is a serious bummer, because there is no work around (except by turning PDF's into bitmaps before importing them into Xara).

Try this:

1. Create a table in Word, Excel, Libre Office, whatever
2. Export or print it to PDF (I tried the build in routines as well as the PrimoPDF printer driver)
3. Create two new documents in Xara
4. Drag the PDF into the 2nd document
5. Select part of it and drag it into the 1st document
6. Resize it

At this point you may notice Xara to misalign columns, ie. resizing a copied section of an imported PDF doesn't work. (And no, it's not that far fetched, for example including tables from some other generated document seems to me not too exotic. Think price lists, product tables, etc.) Grouping makes no difference.

7. Export to web page

If you check the exported web page all columns have 'disappeared' and text is continuous. It looks like the PDF contains a kind of horizontal tab with variable with that Xara does not recognize.

8. Groep all text elements in the 1st document and export eagain

If you check the exported web page they are now matching the screen layout. But ofcourse it's now one big bitmap. (Not a problem if it's an incidental table, but bandwith consuming and poorly handled on iPad's if these are long sheets of data.)

PDF in Xara <> WYSIWYG

(I actually wonder if the Xara developers actually visit this forum. I guess I should report it as a bug.)

[Albacore]

To answer your last question first, yes they do. Can I give you a bit of history about the development of Xara. It first started out as a vector programme and because it had a RGB colour mode it could handle RGB effects well. This lead to the expansion of the use a simple use of PS filters and the development of Live Effects Tool. All of this led to the integration of a programme that could handle both raster/vectors which made it capable of producing graphics which were great for the web. Missing a few version Xara developed a programme which could be used for simple DTP and static web sites in a WYSIWYG format which suited many users. So no it is not table friendly, missing a data or mail merge filter.
What it does do is to let you illustrate your data in xara in a less restricted way being able to produce "info graphics" and tabulated text in cell fields that you can design without the restrictions that a .csv file gives. Yes it is a pain when you get an excel file and you have to display it on a page but how many other vector packages that you know can import an Excel file without modification. You gave an example of of importing into PP that gave full formating but that is between programmes developed by the same firm Microsoft and you would expect that! Asking a 3rd party programme to import without problems is asking a lot. If it is for display why not convert your text to shapes (Shift+Ctrl+S) that would display text properly and you could export it as a PDF. There are many programmes which can't properly import PDF's and Word 2013 still can't, you might be able to edit simple words but most will toil with "L" and "I'" and Word 2007 will be rendered as a bitmap.

If you look in Dear Xara you are not the first to request this feature there have been quite a few. Don't you think that tables/mail merge is best left to proper DTP packages? Yes I would like to see Xara expand the usage of Page & Layout Designer to import and display a .csv file and maybe do mail merge as well along with a few other DTP task which are missing. But for Designer Pro 10 I would like to keep it fast and light and concentrate on the illustration tools raster/vector but that is another topic for "Dear Xara"

[Acorn]

1. Tables
A quick'n'dirty tool for tables would be appreciated.

I built this as an approach a time back: http://www.talkgraphics.com/showthre...Dynamic-Tables.
It didn't find any traction but you may think it useful.

Acorn

[blueznl]

I guess we all have different expectiations of Xara

But I actually don't use it much for vectors, I use it for about everything else, especially creating / preparing printed material (leaflets, business cards, door signs, etc.) for which it is overkill but fantastic (saves loads of time compared with regular powerpoint or word or whatever). I also use it for building a regular (static) website.

IMHO, though vector graphs might have been Xara's origin, the focus seems to be on being a bit unfocussed which is fine in my book: I need it to be a jack of all trades.

So, from that perspective, tables are almost an essential. I don't consider them NOT a part of simple DTP, I consider them an essential part of DTP and web production.

I must say, Xara is better than I expected, I guess my wish list isn't even that extensive IMHO ofcourse...

- somewhat better documentation / implementation of webgadgets
- better import of PDF's (keep them WYSIWYG)
- table support (no matter how simple)
- support of asian (multibyte) fonts

A more specific wish would be support for master pages in the web designer, but I'd rather have the above fixed first, they are more essential for the typical (small business) user. I guess that's a different background: I'm not a graphic artist, I'm a small entrepreneur...