Hendreforgan

A lot of PP users were asking about the ability to open/import their older records into this new software but the thread was closed and, as Affinity Photo will NOT import ".spp" files from the previous image editor, it's - sadly - highly likely that your PagePlus files will remain void. Just wish Serif would permit an acceptable compromise and permit re-saved older documents on ALL their new software to be re-edited in Affinity

Given that it wasn't that long ago that the official word from Serif was that they had no intention of adding a Windows version to the Mac version of Affinity Photo and now here I am enjoying the beta version of that software I would be surprised if the above answer is set in stone? Certainly as a long time supporter/purchaser of Serif products I've had MoviePlus on my PC since the very first edition and, though I almost jumped ship in purchasing Sony Movie Studio Platinum 12, surprisingly I still return to MoviePlus X6 rather often to knock out efficient videos. I'm sure I'm far from alone in really wanting Serif to do an Affinity on MoviePlus . . I'm even going to hold off on taking advantage of the discounted prices for upgrading to Vegas from Magix . . just in case next year Serif change their mind.

The small issue with that answer I'm afraid is does anybody have a crystal ball, who knows now what they want to re-open several years from now? It is much more sensible to either have the means to open .SPP files by it's replacement or a genuinely reliable means to convert them. This may turn out to be an issue for your longer term supportive customers a lot more than the new business you'll get from refreshing your products image and as we all know Serif have depended upon, and given good bonuses to, their existing customers. The "corporate answer" coming out of Serif isn't what many of them will want to hear. The policy as it stands would rest more upon Microsoft than Serif with regard to "future proofing", I use Capture NX2 for RAW images from my Nikon DSLR which, though it's running happily on W10, was shelved/sold off by Nikon years ago and the new owner used the name within it's Nix Collection and, though Nikon seem to be rolling out "Capture NX-D", it's not a true replacement. So, at some point, upgrades to W10 will make my copy of Capture NX2 useless . . . and the same thing then is destined for presently working editions of PhotoPlus. If the reason why is genuinely "physical" in that the "engine" within Affinity simply can't communicate then that's the conclusion to your argument but please tell us so . . but if it's based more upon Serif's requirement to earn new business, thus it's a "promotional" decision, then I for one suggest that Serif re-consider.

Whilst I can see the reason for "distancing" earlier Serif products from Affinity I do find the official response a little frustrating. I've been a loyal purchaser of Serif PhotoPlus since it's very early days and though over time it's "instant solutions" aimed at casual users caused me frustration you could get the software to do exactly as you wanted by manual controls, maybe more than 75% of my private collection are still stored as SPP files. Indeed it wasn't until I evolved to a Nikon DSLR and a Sony NEX-VG20 that the need to handle RAW files meant I started to use Capture NX2 and Capture One Pro instead, thus I'm finding the GUI for Affinity more comfortable then the leap from SPP. Yet I have carefully stored almost all of my earlier 35 mm film scans as SPP files . . why do anything else as that was where I would be using them. So thinking of the time it will take me to use PhotoPlus to convert these to an intermediary file format isn't that welcoming. Yet I'm glad that Serif have moved on . . they were in danger of losing the very users that they built up their business on. The King is dead . . . Long live the King!