You can now open .XAR files in Scribus 1.6 Open Source Page Layout software

[michaelbuddy]

I haven't used Scribus or Xara for a while. I do have a lot of files in Xara and I'm worried I might lose access to them at some point due to previous version licensing / serial stuff. I just don't know what to think when I've had trouble installing in the past. But it looks like at least Scribus can open .XAR files. I opened a file that I would say was ehh moderate, not too simple, not too complex. Had embedded images, line art and text. Well it opened and the objects orientation and location seemed intact. embeds seemed fine. It just opened with File > Open. No special import or anything. I did NOT try exporting or sharing files backwards. If it doesn't save back to .xar, I bet pdf or another suitable file will share ok in a pinch. This is good because Scribus will be around indefinitely even if somebody loses access to Xara and thus their historical work.

I read about the update on a linux or libre software blog. Here's a mention about Scribus 1.6 and it mentions xara files there too. https://9to5linux.com/scribus-1-6-op...a-major-update

[Acorn]

Michael, thank you for this.
I just tried my PortableApps Scribus Portable v1.5.8 (development) and it too opens XAR files: File > Open > Files of type: XARA as well as drag & drop.
Something I didn't know about.

Acorn

[handrawn]

presumably to write/export/duplicate XAR/WEB format they would need a license from xara.....

good to know they can be opened though...

[handrawn]

a thought occurs - is the opening based on the old public domain xara LX code [that could be written as well afaik] - if so it may struggle with some recent files

[michaelbuddy]

Without asking the scribus devs, might be no way of knowing. I was able to open another file created in the past couple years which had many pages. Layers and layer settings were supported, group was supported. And I think even it was remembering the undo steps of the file. That's crazy. Scribus is free to download and test and I think that's the best way to go about, try some files rather than speculating on support level.

Xara can do a lot of things, so how would advanced path effects work, how would 3D work, how would shadows, bevel, text on path etch work. Who knows, Maybe it would break, maybe there's fall-back positioning. Definitely worth testing. Thankfully all the files I care about archiving rarely rely on effects unique to xara.

a thought occurs - is the opening based on the old public domain xara LX code [that could be written as well afaik] - if so it may struggle with some recent files

[handrawn]

I think that's the best way to go about, try some files rather than speculating on support level

sure, but I have neither the time to investigate scribus [I use scrivener and affinity publisher] nor the need currently, so I ask in case it can be answered... because as I said, it is good to know it can be done, thanks

[Jonopen]

I was intrigued enough to fire up my old PC and have a quick look. My thinking was that if it worked ok, I would install a copy of Scribus on the Mac to access my archive old Xara files.

From my initial quick test it imports most of the vector line work, but as mentioned, things like fonts, arrowheads, dashed lines and shadows don't come through.

Good to know something else can open xar files though.

See quick comparison below.

[Michael]

Confirmed. Scribus is able to open and render .xar files. Even complex ones

But ...

A quick test showed the following results: most of the items are locked. All layers are imported. Text is imported as shapes. Some weird artifacts all over the place. Pages are overlapping

Used xara file from v19. Imported in Scribus 1.6

[handrawn]

no surprise; opening the file is the easy bit; making sense of it requires knowlege of how the program actually works internally