How do you feel about the 365 Program?

[ernie-f]

Now that's funny!

Really the best kind of black humors.

Since I renewed my subscription in April I got these famous and incredible new feauters for XDP for the cheap price of 149,- €.

• 10 new Photo Filter Overlays with camera effects such as burn and flare, perfect if you want to make your social media profile stand out from the crowd. Now 125 photo filters in total NEW - July 2017

• Further list editing improvements - UPDATED - July 2017

• Option to align text vertically in Text Panels NEW - July 2017

• Improved support for multi-weight fonts NEW - July 2017

• All Business Print Themes Now Included NEW - July 2017, Designer Pro already includes all the business web themes, now we're also adding all 100+ Business Print themes to the Online Content Catalog. These were previously sold for $15 each! Each theme includes everything from business cards and compliments slips to brochures, flyers and poster!

• A new single page web story template and a 5 new presentation themes NEW - July 2017

• Additonal print templates including a new category of resumes, plus letters and flyers NEW - July 2017

• Social media templates such as Facebook, G+ and Twitter covers UPDATED - July 2017

• New Flowline SmartShapes (in arrows) NEW - July 2017

• Right click > Replace option for symbols inside groups NEW - July 2017

• New document language property for the spell checker NEW - July 2017

• Improved PDF import/export UPDATED - July 2017

• Improved PowerPoint import UPDATED - July 2017

• PDF/X4 export which includes support for transparency NEW - July 2017

The whole clutter except the new PDF/X4 support is useless for a graphic artist like me.
Things that are important, such as Color management, editable brushes like in Corel, AI or Affinity, mesh fill tool, correct OT support, line width tool, line alignment: outside, middle and inside, improving styles, master pages, improving the tracer, give the brush painter better reaction and sensitivity and so on, and so on…

Since Xara Xtreme are the wishes of users not been heard and useless things found their way into Xara Pro and XDP.
Whether ever the required improvements will be implemented in Xara knows God.
There are no meaningful answers from Xara / Magix and I believe there weren't in future.

149, - € for content that I get for free on the internet (pixabay, FontAwesom, material icons, etc.) and objects that I can create myself is a clever way to pull the money out of the users pocket.

So I think it's time for me to say goodbye Xara, after 12 Years full love & hate is my willingness to continue paying no longer exists.
Maybe you can convince me yet Xara / Magix, but then please quickly my subscription ended April 2018.

[webmaster]

Ernie I understand you and quite a few other TG regulars are disappointed that the recent updates don't address your particular usage, and I will certainly pass on your feedback and specific requests. But nb if your renewal is in April then you are also entitled to the December 2017 update (more info in the release notes @ http://releasenotes.xara.hosting/designer-pro/) and there is another one planned before your next renewal. If all 3 updates aren't persuasive for you, then please (everyone) bear in mind that renewals aren't required, you can continue to use the software after expiration of the Update Service, so what I always recommend is that you wait till you see enough things that are relevant to your particular use, and only update when the new features seem like good value for money for you.

Also I'll just float an idea that might be worth considering for some of you. As you know we migrated some of the pro illustration features into Photo & Graphic Designer with the November / December updates. If you aren't using any of the web features of Designer Pro you might want to consider changing to the (much cheaper) Photo & Graphic Designer.

Kate Moir

[mwenz]

Ernie I understand you and quite a few other TG regulars are disappointed that the recent updates don't address your particular usage, and I will certainly pass on your feedback and specific requests. But nb if your renewal is in April then you are also entitled to the December 2017 update (more info in the release notes @ http://releasenotes.xara.hosting/designer-pro/) and there is another one planned before your next renewal. If all 3 updates aren't persuasive for you, then please (everyone) bear in mind that renewals aren't required, you can continue to use the software after expiration of the Update Service, so what I always recommend is that you wait till you see enough things that are relevant to your particular use, and only update when the new features seem like good value for money for you.

Also I'll just float an idea that might be worth considering for some of you. As you know we migrated some of the pro illustration features into Photo & Graphic Designer with the November / December updates. If you aren't using any of the web features of Designer Pro you might want to consider changing to the (much cheaper) Photo & Graphic Designer.

Kate Moir

Thank you, Kate.

It's not "our particular usage" per se. It is non-web usage in the main and in part all the emphasis on bitmap filters, the online content, Online Designer collaboration, etc, that are at the expense of print design. The types of advancements and bug fixes for print work and design are historically slow in coming.

As regards switching to P&GD, that's all well and good once it has everything that XDP has regarding print work. But until then, what is the real advantage beyond cost?

Have you ever tried, for instance, one of the default templates and adding bleed and have that hit a PDF? It's an inane process to do so. Or try the Print on all plates and have that object hit spot color plates? The list goes on and on for issues that have actually existed in XDP for years and years that make certain functions more difficult than they ought to be.

Mike

[Windjamer]

Underwhelmed

Ditto. I only use a website development program a few times a year and was surprised when I discovered I had to pay US$60 to get content I thought came with the program. If my club hadn't offered to pay the (so-called) "upgrade" cost, I would have developed in Wordpress.

[Guest]

...please (everyone) bear in mind that renewals aren't required, you can continue to use the software after expiration of the Update Service, so what I always recommend is that you wait till you see enough things that are relevant to your particular use, and only update when the new features seem like good value for money for you.

This is a nice plan. Let me just describe how that worked out for me last year: I intended to proceed just as you described and wait what updates may come to XDPX before renewing my subscription.

So I let my update service run out - only to find that more or less exactly a month after the update service expired XDPX suddenly refused to export to PDF any more. Since that is my bread and butter, I was not amused. I found out that only an update to XDPX would fix this and that to update I had to renew my subscription. Just to get this very basic functionality back! So I did.

Only to find out that the new version had a massive PDF export bug which added a white background plane to all exported files, which meant that I had to open each and every PDF exported from XDPX in Adobe Illustrator again to delete that white background. This was in September and this bug is still in the current version of V12.

To get rid of this I had to upgrade to V15 to get a version that finally exports to PDF correctly again - a fix to core functionality that took you more than two months to implement. Only now I had to find out that V15 introduced a bunch of new bugs concerning image scaling.

See where I'm coming from?
I for my part am disappointed by the fact that imho fixing major issues takes you far too long. And that very first PDF issue which actually did require me to renew my subscription in order to get XDPX working correctly again, is actually irritating me to this very day: When it takes you so long to fix your bugs, the chance that users will have to renew their subscriptions to have access to the bugfix will increase dramatically.

Plus: The fact that each recent bugfix release seems to cause more issues than it solves is not exactly building trust.

[ernie-f]

Ernie I understand you and quite a few other TG regulars are disappointed that the recent updates don't address your particular usage, and I will certainly pass on your feedback and specific requests. But nb if your renewal is in April then you are also entitled to the December 2017 update (more info in the release notes @ http://releasenotes.xara.hosting/designer-pro/) and there is another one planned before your next renewal. If all 3 updates aren't persuasive for you, then please (everyone) bear in mind that renewals aren't required, you can continue to use the software after expiration of the Update Service, so what I always recommend is that you wait till you see enough things that are relevant to your particular use, and only update when the new features seem like good value for money for you.

Also I'll just float an idea that might be worth considering for some of you. As you know we migrated some of the pro illustration features into Photo & Graphic Designer with the November / December updates. If you aren't using any of the web features of Designer Pro you might want to consider changing to the (much cheaper) Photo & Graphic Designer.

Kate Moir

Hallo Kate,
first let me whish You a happy new Year.

Thanks for Your answer.
You wright You unserstand me and the other designers herein.
I think You don't. Xara and Magix neither.

Our wish list for improving vector tools is long and old, very old. Nothing has changed, except for an insufficient update for the brushes have been added.
I wish that Xara/Magix makes a clear statement and tells us, the paying users: "In the next update function xy be improved/re-introduced."

Also a clear NO there are no changes to the core, are better than spongy promises.

I like the possibility to create websites in Xara. I have enough examples of that. But I do not need templates, neither on the web nor in print. I earn my money by making printed materials and making them ready for printing.
So exactly the claim that XDP has according to advertising.
But the "professional" tools are missing. The first step but unfortunately only halfway was the introduction of PDF/X4. The OpenType approach has also been implemented half-heartedly.

It seems to me that the whole program consists of a patchwork carpet in which nothing fits together anymore. I think if Xara does not make a 360° turn, Xara will lost many loyal users.

Instead of putting all the power into a fresh start (see Serif) useless things like online designers and online content are being developed. Let the users decide whether they need the online content or not. Who needs it can buy separately.

I hope, I wish Xara can reinvent herself.

[webmaster]

As regards switching to P&GD, that's all well and good once it has everything that XDP has regarding print work. But until then, what is the real advantage beyond cost?
Mike

I think it now has everything for print work, except Pantone support. And for those who are focussed only on vector illustration, then I think the lower cost may be a sufficient advantage in itself.

Have you ever tried, for instance, one of the default templates and adding bleed and have that hit a PDF? It's an inane process to do so. Or try the Print on all plates and have that object hit spot color plates? The list goes on and on for issues that have actually existed in XDP for years and years that make certain functions more difficult than they ought to be.

Mike

I'm not actually aware of any bugs with bleed and PDF, is this something you have reported? It sounds like something we might prioritize. Or do you mean the process itself is the problem? Similarly print on all plates, not sure I've understood the issue - my first thought was that I might not expect it to work if it was only spot color, but actually I'm not sure that's what you mean - so if you haven't already reported the issue it would be good to get full details on the problem, preferably with a ticket to support via support.xara.com, and if you can include example files that would be excellent. Bugs aren't logged until we can reproduce them, so example files are a massive help.

Kate Moir

[webmaster]

Ditto. I only use a website development program a few times a year and was surprised when I discovered I had to pay US$60 to get content I thought came with the program. If my club hadn't offered to pay the (so-called) "upgrade" cost, I would have developed in Wordpress.

The $60 renewal cost includes access to all feature updates as well (which you can see listed at http://www.xara.com/web-designer/whats-new/), it isn't simply the cost of accessing the online content. But if you don't necessarily want feature updates there are 2 options I can suggest: Firstly you can add a backup DVD to your order, if it is offered in your country, that has all the templates. Alternatively you can download all the content to your Local Designs Gallery with a right click on each folder in the Designs Gallery > Download all content. Then when your Update Service expires the content will still be accessible.

Kate Moir

[webmaster]

Not quite sure where to start on this, I don't actually recognize most of the issues you raise!

So I let my update service run out - only to find that more or less exactly a month after the update service expired XDPX suddenly refused to export to PDF any more. Since that is my bread and butter, I was not amused. I found out that only an update to XDPX would fix this and that to update I had to renew my subscription.

I'm am very sorry indeed if someone here advised you to renew your Update Service because your PDF export stopped working. afaik PDF export in v12 has never completely stopped working, and if this was after your Update Service had expired it can't have been related to an issue we introduced and could therefore fix with an upgrade. Could you give me the ticket number of your discussion with support on this issue, and I will personally follow it up.

Only to find out that the new version had a massive PDF export bug which added a white background plane to all exported files, which meant that I had to open each and every PDF exported from XDPX in Adobe Illustrator again to delete that white background. This was in September and this bug is still in the current version of V12.

I have just asked support about this white background bug and they are looking blank. Do you have a ticket number for this one too, I am probably simply misunderstanding? Is anyone else having this problem?

To get rid of this I had to upgrade to V15 to get a version that finally exports to PDF correctly again - a fix to core functionality that took you more than two months to implement. Only now I had to find out that V15 introduced a bunch of new bugs concerning image scaling.

Two issues here. Firstly I realize we have caused confusion by changing the version number from v12 to v15, we have only ourselves to blame, and I've tried to clarify elsewhere. v15 is just a regular update in the normal Update Service sense, you are entitled to that update free, if you have a current Update Service. Secondly I have to tell you the image scaling change in v15 was actually intentional, not a bug, but following the feedback in this forum we are discussing this change again.

[Guest]

I'm am very sorry indeed if someone here advised you to renew your Update Service because your PDF export stopped working. afaik PDF export in v12 has never completely stopped working, and if this was after your Update Service had expired it can't have been related to an issue we introduced and could therefore fix with an upgrade. Could you give me the ticket number of your discussion with support on this issue, and I will personally follow it up.

The issue I was having was exactly as discussed here. The consensus of this thread and the cited feedback from technical support was to wait for a bugfix. This fix came after my renewal period had expired.

I have just asked support about this white background bug and they are looking blank. Do you have a ticket number for this one too, I am probably simply misunderstanding? Is anyone else having this problem?

Everyone is having this issue. It was discussed here and later on escalated to the "Dear XARA" section.
If your support team is unaware of this issue, how did you manage to fix it for V15?

Two issues here. Firstly I realize we have caused confusion by changing the version number from v12 to v15, we have only ourselves to blame, and I've tried to clarify elsewhere. v15 is just a regular update in the normal Update Service sense, you are entitled to that update free, if you have a current Update Service.

You're missing my point. Yes, my update service is still valid. But what about the customers whose update services ran out between September 2017, when your update introduced that bug, and December 2017, when V15 was released?

As far as my understanding of that matter goes they are left with the latest release of V12, which - to my knowledge - still has that very issue. And that's where your subscription model really doesn't work (for me), when bugfixes take that long.