Musaed

It's been seven years since the initial release of their software. I think it's safe to assume they'll never support complex script or RTL text. Even if they do waaay into the future it might not be relevant anymore. Just stick to Adobe Creative Cloud, folks. It's getting better and more cost effective. Or use some of the wonderful open source stuff. The latest releases of Inkscape and Scibus are amazing.

It doesn't seem they'll ever support complex and RTL languages. I'd say just stick to Adobe Creative Cloud.

Deflating answer. I'm glad I renewed Adobe CC.

Don't hold your breath for true RTL support (text direction, complex script, document direction). It doesn't appear on any of their road maps.

Well, I got super excited at first and bought Designer and Photo. But I had to renew my subscription to Adobe CC when it became totally clear that Serif wouldn't really bother about RTL support. Yeah, yeah it's complex I get it, but saying (repeatedly) that it''s not planned for several years into the future is what made me realize they'll have to settle for competing with open source software and certainly not with the likes of Adobe.

Seems like a hopeless request right now. I renewed subscription to Adobe CC.

Are you defending their lack of support for RTL and complex script there? LOL I wouldn't say it's a day's work for sure, but I find it hard to imagine that it's such a HUGE undertaking so much so that they are don't even have an ETA for it!

@enq It appears that you need to keep subscribing to inDesign "for years to come"... to quote Afinity's ominous statements

Whenever we ask for RTL and complex script support they keep breaking our hearts with replies like: not planned for any time soon... At the moment and in the foreseeable future, the only serious alternative to inDesign is the lovely open source software Scribus. I'm so glad we have it. Affinity Publisher? Wonderful software but can't be taken seriously without RTL and complex script support.

Add to that the need to support RTL page and section order.

Thanks, dominik. Yes, I and many others on this forum are quite disappointed. I do understand the general technical challenge but I have a hard time understanding why it has to be "years" into the future... If support for major RTL languages is not one of the priorities, then I don't know what is! They could at least give a general time frame. I personally need to know whether or not to invest time and money into Affinity products or to seek alternatives. At the moment I'm using Scribus, Inkscape, and GIMP. But I was lured by Affinity's intuitive user experience only to be shocked by the fact that RTL support is absent and not even planned for the near future...

Why?? Is it really THAT tough?!

Dare I ask why?! How tough can it be?! If Behdad Esfahbod single-handedly developed harfbuzz (for no money!) and made Scribus, LibreOffice, Android, etc support all types of complex and R-to-L languages and presented a wonderful service to billions of people why can't Serif do the same?!

I fully agree. Without R-to-L and complex script support Affinity's lovely products will NEVER compete against Adobe and others.

That would be a dream come true. And let me add that we also need support of R-to-L page and section order along with TOC and indexing for such scripts. IMHO this is THE step that would make Affinity products a serious threat to Adobe's. R-to-L and complex script support is NOT only needed by countries that speak languages with non-roman-based script... Virtually EVERY DESIGNER in the world needs that now. A lot of design works are global in nature, so such support is sorely needed. Most of my work is in English, but without support for complex and R-to-L script, I can't take the product seriously, TBH. I hope they add it soon. They probably need to introduce an advanced text-shaping engine similar to the wonderful open source harfbuzz. I find it strange that open source applications like Inkscape, GIMP, and Scribus support complex R-to-L script (some more advanced than others) while Affinity products still don't...! Yes I understand they are still new products but they have ancestry in Serif's older products. At least they should let us know they are going to add support soon and release an approximate time frame. Being totally silent about this is not reassuring..