Casual Notes on Xara Cloud+ and Xara Pro+ Combo

[Gypsyjoe]

Sorry Acorn but is that a misspell or is that how you Brits spell organization? Just had to ask after a previous conversation we had over color!!!!

[Acorn]

Sorry Acorn but is that a misspell or is that how you Brits spell organization? Just had to ask after a previous conversation we had over color!!!!

GJ, yes. Organisation as listed in the Oxford English Dictionary, although the z-spelling is acceptable too.

I was brought up on -sation (conversation) and it seems natural to follow on from the way British English handles related verbs:
In American English, verbs end with -ize, versus British English, in which the spelling changes to -ise.

• American English: finalize, realize, emphasize, standardize
• British English: finalise, realise, emphasise, standardise

It waxes and wanes: https://rapidbi.com/organisational-organizational/ but I suspect people only have MS spell-checking to fall back on.

Acorn

[Gypsyjoe]

I actually have to thank you for the explanation Acorn as I was more having fun with you with my question but your explanation really taught me something. Thanx!!!!

[Egg Bramhill]

Here he goes with his Noah Websters "Thanxs" .... I don't even know if that's really attributed to Noah Webster but he did love his "z's" & "x's" We say "Thanks".

[Acorn]

SVG Exports
Much more usable especially together with https://jakearchibald.github.io/svgomg/.

Acorn

[Acorn]

Include a PDF download

@Xara+: you need to perform a clean-up in %localappdata%\Temp\ for PDF documents created as each and every Preview generates a new one and these are not purged.

I do not understand why these are generated with a random xarHHHH.pdf filename (H(3,4): hex 0-F), adrift from the generated output, yet the one "published" is always there as Xara_XPSV17_DDDD\index_htm_files\XaraDocument.pdf.
Combine the two so that Preview accesses Xara_XPSV17_DDDD\index_htm_files\xarHHHH.pdf and actual Export/Publish accesses Xara_XPSV17_DDDD\index_htm_files\XaraDocument.pdf.

Acorn

[Acorn]

Previewing a Print Document or Presentation
The default Template is a Print document.
Xara defaults this (and a Presentation) to a Vertical Supersite.

If you Preview this (freshly minted) or change it to a Presentation, the display now shows the following:

• Banner - "powered by xara" link to https://xara.com/ - brash and quite insidious.
• A "Full screen" link - this is different to the original and still present Full screen (F11) so bear with me. It gets rid of Banner and Footer and renders the page with a jet black pasteboard.
• A "Download" link - this now presents the page/site/presentation as XaraDocument.pdf.
  
  • I don't know what the PDF settings are.
  • This PDF can be prevented in Web Export Options: untick Include a PDF download.
  
  
• The Footer shows a set of page thumbnails to allow quick navigation of a site that has no Next/Previous links.

Issues:

• Full screen reverting is pressing the Home icon. Esc, which reverted the original Full screen display, actually closes the Preview.
• The Download link opens the PDF in an IE (!!!!) browser.
  
  • Do not import such a file with name XaraDocument.pdf onto your design; I am sure it will cause havoc.
  
  
• Selecting any of the available browser icons opens the site/presentation or as expected but you are stuck with the Banner and Footer. Full screen removes these but at the expense of losing the browser furniture. There is no way to view the page as I "expect" my end-user to. [One could add code to hide #xr_pgmn1 & #xr_pgrgalc]!

@Xara+: While I can accept that a Print Document and Presentation can benefit from the Footer, the forcing of both Banner and Footer into my Web Supersite is a total non-starter. I don't want your marketing mar my site's presentation. These additions need to be options not forced on me! Web Export Options: Include a PDF download should be unticked by default. The Banner and PDF inclusions are two orthogonal choices. I would propose that when you lose the "powered by xara" plug, the download and full screen links could fit into the Footer.

For a moment, can you imagine my going to a client and showing off an update to an existing site and the client asks "What's this above our very impactful site header?" My reply, "Oh, it's just what Xara now thinks all its sites needs to show." "Goodbye, ex-website designer!"

Acorn

As the Xara Inertia Bus is still parked, here is a demonstration of the total mess your approach has introduced onto a viable Timeline design: http://acorn.xara.hosting/timeline/.
I have an Embed a Website Widget that is not very tall, which has been swamped by your botched topping and tailing of my design.
If I untick Thumbs & PDF, I still am presented with a mess.
I, and many others, cannot revert to an earlier Pro version as you have conveniently kludged up the works with the Pro+ implementation.

You would expect Xara to learn from similar mistakes (c.f., forcing a Groups to publish as separate images, for one).

I start off advising you Xara of a Bug, expecting an acknowledgement.
These are very rare and are usually Rob_Xar trying his best (Post#6), under pressure. Suggestion: Select > Rob_Xar > Clone > Clone > Clone.

I analyse the Problem and sometimes TGers uncover a workaround.

Time passes; here, 14 days.
These Bugs are quite detrimental and most other companies release a bug-fix within days.

I will re-iterate: I dare not try and republish under Pro+ because of identified Bugs that affect my delivery.
I still have sites that I republish under v11 or v15.

I stopped endorsing Xara products years ago. It is time I took my own advice.

It is really simple. Acknowledge there is a Problem and, regardless of Xara (unpublished) Roadmaps, the current Customer-base has priority.

Acorn

[Eva-K]

As the Xara Inertia Bus is still parked, here is a demonstration of the total mess your approach has introduced onto a viable Timeline design: http://acorn.xara.hosting/timeline/.
I have an Embed a Website Widget that is not very tall, which has been swamped by your botched topping and tailing of my design.
If I untick Thumbs & PDF, I still am presented with a mess.
I, and many others, cannot revert to an earlier Pro version as you have conveniently kludged up the works with the Pro+ implementation.

You would expect Xara to learn from similar mistakes (c.f., forcing a Groups to publish as separate images, for one).

I start off advising you Xara of a Bug, expecting an acknowledgement.
These are very rare and are usually Rob_Xar trying his best (Post#6), under pressure. Suggestion: Select > Rob_Xar > Clone > Clone > Clone.

I analyse the Problem and sometimes TGers uncover a workaround.

Time passes; here, 14 days.
These Bugs are quite detrimental and most other companies release a bug-fix within days.

I will re-iterate: I dare not try and republish under Pro+ because of identified Bugs that affect my delivery.
I still have sites that I republish under v11 or v15.

I stopped endorsing Xara products years ago. It is time I took my own advice.

It is really simple. Acknowledge there is a Problem and, regardless of Xara (unpublished) Roadmaps, the current Customer-base has priority.

Acorn

Hi Acorn,

I am happy to let you know, that this bug has been fixed with today's release (see the point no 2 of 'what's new' section): https://www.talkgraphics.com/showthr...678#post625678.

>> We've made some further improvements to the new Supersite navigation bar options. The checkbox has been updated and will now both enable or disable the top download bar and the bottom navigation bar.

Thank you so much for using Xara and all your feedback!

Enjoy the new release!

Best,
Eva

Product Manager @xara

[Acorn]

Hi Acorn,
I am happy to let you know, that this bug has been fixed with today's release (see the point no 2 of 'what's new' section): https://www.talkgraphics.com/showthr...678#post625678.
>> We've made some further improvements to the new Supersite navigation bar options. The checkbox has been updated and will now both enable or disable the top download bar and the bottom navigation bar.
Thank you so much for using Xara and all your feedback!
Enjoy the new release!

Best, Eva
Product Manager @xara

Eva, I have thanked you in your other HiRes Beta Thread but, again, thank you.

It was the first and immediate thing I checked: http://acorn.xara.hosting/timeline - v20dot1/index.htm has the topbar and PDF unticked so I can now see what works and what doesn't.
I can also advise that prior version handle the changed design file properly, regardless of whether, PDF and Thumbs is slected.

I hope that Xara will further separate out the PDF download from the option as there are User Stories where having a PDF export is necessary.
If not having the top bar scared and only visible when the bottom bar tab is clicked is an alternative as I could then endure this small tab's closed presence.

A one hour turnaround from my moan to a solution is a Xara record!

Acorn

[Acorn]

Xara Cloud+ Templates

Observations:

• Xara has not provided a Download All for the Cloud+ Templates to be stored locally in Pro+.
• One could spend forever opening and saving each template to a Cloud location and then re-opening in Pro+.
• There are list of Cloud Templates at https://www.xara.com/templates/.
• I had to ask to then be told that to access the Real Estate ones, https://www.xara.com/templates/real-estate/, you have to change your team profile industry to Real Estate.
• So the Cloud+ All Templates listing is not a true nested tree view and I have little patience in switching industries back and forward just to view a template.

Acorn