How can I set some certain defaults?

[Wizaerd]

New user of Xara Designer Pro X. How do I set it up so that the grid is always in inches, and document sizes are always in inches? It seems as if every document I create or open is in centimeters or millimeters. I'm using the product to work with a laser cutter, and I do everything in imperial measurements.

[mwenz]

Set up a document as you would like it. Then save as a Template and check the box for using it as the default.

Mike

[Wizaerd]

I'm really starting to think I may have just thrown $300 away... my own fault I suppose for not downloading a trial, but Xara has a good reputation, so I assumed it would work.

I have an SVG document that when I open in any other application, the document size is exactly as I expect it to be, 16.5in by 8.5in. But if I open it in Xara, and get everything to accept imperial (inches), the document opens at 3.22in by 1.66in. So what in the holy heck is going on... What's the secret to using this with accurate measurements? Preferably in inches?

[mwenz]

Dunno what's up with your SVG file. Is it possible to ZIP it and attach it?

Mike

[Wizaerd]

Sure, here it is.

[mwenz]

Yep. Comes in the wrong size.

I also tried running it through InkScape. The only means of getting the correct size was to export as a PDF from InkScape and opening that in XDP. Illustrator has the opposite issue...the page width is 22" in it.

[Guest]

A document with a resolution of 1584 x 816 pixels will only be 16.5in by 8.5in at 96 dpi...
Unfortunately the dpi value is not saved into the SVG (at least i can not find it) and neither are the document's measurements, so the size is entirely up to the interpretation of the software you use to open it - based on the resolution. In that sense there actually is no "wrong" size.

Inkscape defaults to 96 dpi, that's why it opens the file "correctly", or rather: as you expect.