Export from AD to AI converts lines to shapes - all settings correct, nothing works

[Erica]

Hello,

I am trying to export an Affinity Designer file to AI and all the lines are converted to shapes with a center line, instead of maintaining the vector strokes. I've "Selected All" in the AD file and applied the following attributes:  1) double clicked the properties button on the stroke panel and set it to "None" 2) stroke align is set to center 3) miter is set to 1 4) Stroke style is set to Solid Line Style. I am exporting to eps (and tried pdf and svg) as well, nothing works. I'm on Windows 10 using 1.7.1.404 (I realize that's not the latest version but when I try to update it fails -- but that's a separate issue and shouldn't affect this.) Image of my settings is attached below.

 This is really disheartening. Any ideas?

Thanks in advance.
Erica
 

[stokerg]

Hi Erica,

Could you attach the afdesign file for this. 

In my tests using the Basic Brush, the exported EPS/SVG imported into AI without issue.

 

[Erica]

Hi there,

I've simplified the file and attached one artboard with a few line so that it's not so overwhelming. Even simplified, I still get an outline with a center stroke, no matter if I export to eps or svg, on opening in Illustrator.

Thank you so much for taking a look,

Erica

exporttestfile.afdesign

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[Erica]

Hi Lagarto,
Thanks so much. I did not reset the curve properties as you describe (as that didn't seem to do anything?) but rather duplicated the Cap, Join, Align settings for the stroke as you set them in the Stroke panel, and I was able to confirm your result: that on export to AI that resolves the problem with the circle, but not with the other strokes.

These curves were drawn directly in Designer, to answer your question.

I've attached a visual summary of your partial debug to hopefully help this along. This is tremendously frustrating; it's a dealbreaker for me actually. Another further thoughts on what the problem could be here?

Thanks so much for your help Lagarto...
Erica

[Erica]

I've done some further experimenting, and from what I've been able to best determine, it appears that strokes that have transparency or are clipped within a layer (or even that have been at a previous point) will appear as outlined shapes rather than vector lines when opened in Illustrator. It doesn't appear to be enough to simply to modify them, i.e. unclip them or make them opaque to get them to convert as vectors, it appears they have to be redrawn in order to convert as vectors.

In my opinion, there are so many conditions that have to be adhered to and it's so problematic in a file of any complexity to get vectors rather than outlines on conversion to Illustrator, any claims that Affinity Designer is compatible with Illustrator are rather premature. Although I think this is a great, inexpensive product in some ways and applaud the efforts of the development team with regard to some of the program's features; with regard to Illustrator compatibility, I am extremely disappointed. I am having now to spend hours to rework many hours of work done, and I had picked AD precisely for the reason that it was supposedly Illustrator compatible.

[Erica]

These are my conclusions at this point:
 

In order to maintain vector strokes instead of outlined shapes on export to Illustrator:

Stroke panel properties must be set to:

• Style: basic stroke (2nd box)
• Cap, Join, Align: first box in each selected seems safest (no mitre in Join at any rate)
• Properties: Pressure Box completely filled (reset if necessary)
• Strokes can not be or have been transparent
• Strokes can not be or have been clipped within other shapes
• Export to eps seems to maintains fidelity to stroke width (svg does not)
• 72 dpi to maintain same size

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