how can I export from affinity publisher to indesign

[MikeW]

1 minute ago, R C-R said:

My question is how could APub export that document to the IDML format & preserve that property?

We cannot actually answer that, can we?

Currently, I can create an ID file using say text highlighting in a current version. I can export it to an .idml file and open it in CS6, which didn't have that capability. CS6 ignores that property whether it is part of a paragraph style or manually applied. 

That is, should be, what happens with an APub created .idml file.

[R C-R]

19 minutes ago, MikeW said:

That is, should be, what happens with an APub created .idml file.

So if it is ignored, how could the span columns property be included in the APub created IDML export? IOW, what tag should it use, if any?

[MikeW]

9 minutes ago, R C-R said:

So if it is ignored, how could the span columns property be included in the APub created IDML export? IOW, what tag should it use, if any?

As Apub cannot do span columns, I don't think the question means much. 

[lacerto]

Obsolete.

[Wosven]

1 hour ago, R C-R said:

My question is how could APub export that document to the IDML format & preserve that property?

Sometimes, ID's files can be corrupted and bugged... the first reflex is to save as... and if it's not enough, we try export to IDML. This can take longer depending of the file. It's also possible opening the file or IDML with another ID version will correct the problem.

I didn't looked at the resulting IDML, but it's possible it's checking and deleting any data or propertie unused by the document, or causing trouble, as a repair mode.

[MikeW]

40 minutes ago, Lagarto said:

Certainly. In the IDML Cookbook (still in SDK 17.1), the following is mentioned:

...so the SDK could be used e.g. to create complex .IDML files from a database, that, when opened in InDesign, would produce complete, accurately laid out InDesign documents...  

Yes, but in general the ID server version is used for this.

I did once work with a company to export .idml from a database against my wishes. After some success, I wrote a routine for their database overnight in my hotel room to export to tagged text. That's what they then went with. It too can create fully crafted ID or QXP files. 

[R C-R]

1 hour ago, Lagarto said:

...so the SDK could be used e.g. to create complex .IDML files from a database, that, when opened in InDesign, would produce complete, accurately laid out InDesign documents.

But how does that translate into creating documents that can be opened accurately in other apps, for example ones that do not support some of InDesign's features?

[MikeW]

41 minutes ago, R C-R said:

But how does that translate into creating documents that can be opened accurately in other apps, for example ones that do not support some of InDesign's features?

If you haven't understood "non supported features are ignored" by now, you just aren't going to. 

If a valid .idml is created by ANY means, features the receiving application can use, are used. And features that can not be used are disregarded. 

The .idml file needs to be created to specifications. Those specifications are known.

[R C-R]

3 hours ago, MikeW said:

If a valid .idml is created by ANY means, features the receiving application can use, are used. And features that can not be used are disregarded. 

If the receiving app is InDesign, then obviously it can use any feature in the idml specs. But that is not what I am asking about, which is how (for example) APub can create valid idml for features APub itself does not support.

[walt.farrell]

8 hours ago, R C-R said:

If the receiving app is InDesign, then obviously it can use any feature in the idml specs. But that is not what I am asking about, which is how (for example) APub can create valid idml for features APub itself does not support.

It can't.

But who has said that IDML export from Publisher will allow perfect interchange? Haven't all (or most) of us been saying all along that it can't be perfect for interchange purposes?

If you want lossless interchanges for collaboration both ends of the process need to use the same applications.

[R C-R]

2 hours ago, walt.farrell said:

But who has said that IDML export from Publisher will allow perfect interchange? Haven't all (or most) of us been saying all along that it can't be perfect for interchange purposes?

Most of us, myself included, have been saying that isn't possible but there are still a few suggesting that it is, for example because IDML uses XML & its schema is well defined. Clearly, that isn't enough.

[MarcelP102]

Has there been any improvements regarding IND/IDML support with the release of version 2.0? Or should we wait till 3.0..

[simon_says]

As an underdog Serif has the privilige to implement the export to IDML feature (regardless of the possible losses) into the Affinity Publisher.

Furthermore I'm expecting also some kind of backwards compatibility between Publisher 1 and 2. However "evil" Adobe might be, they allow different users with different versions of InDesigns exchange files via IDML format as oppose to Affinity Publisher that's locking users in. It's disappointing ...

[sceyefeye]

Funny, the talk about IDML and shifting specs.

Adobe specifically state that, amongst other things, IDML allows backward compatibility with earlier InDesign versions. IDML, is, as far as I understand the spec, the "DXF" exchange format for this sort of stuff.

Honestly, if the exchange is not 100% perfect, but reduces the work load back in InDesign to fixing things like column spans.

I am in the similar position of having to use InDesign due to being in a team, but I effing hate InDesign, for the simple reason of being unable to scroll with mouse wheel, completely inconsistent with the rest of their suite. Bloody stupid imo and where Affinity does shine! Same interface across all 3 apps. 

To me, compared to the heavy lifting the Affinity Programmers have done to write these three amazing products, writing an IDML exporter should surely be a relatively trivial task? Surely? I mean writing a PSD exporter had to be much harder than IDML which is clearly defined?

 

[PaoloT]

On 6/23/2023 at 12:00 PM, sceyefeye said:

To me, compared to the heavy lifting the Affinity Programmers have done to write these three amazing products, writing an IDML exporter should surely be a relatively trivial task?

Maybe I'm making things too simple, but since they have a good IDML --> AFPUB converter, the reverse should be easy to make. But I don't know the intricacies of coding (I've tried with modifying the Pandoc --> ICML filter, and I'm still shocked).

Paolo

 

[orhan]

The fact is that Adobe unfortunately has a monopoly in the graphics software industry. Documents should be able to be switched between different software with import and export options. Otherwise, monopolization cannot be prevented and software will not improve. 

The European Union has made the USB-C standard mandatory for the iPhone. In the same way, the standardization of software formats should be addressed as soon as possible. In order to prevent monopolization, it should be mandatory for all software to be able to export-import to at least one common format.

[R C-R]

27 minutes ago, orhan said:

Documents should be able to be switched between different software with import and export options. 

The problem with that is not all software apps support the same features, & the implementation of some of those features are considered proprietary trade secrets, so there is no way to guarantee everything imported or exported will be will be interpreted in exactly the same way by different apps.

For that matter, not everything can be imported or exported between Adobe's flagship apps without some compromises.

[MikeW]

2 hours ago, R C-R said:

The problem with that is not all software apps support the same features, & the implementation of some of those features are considered proprietary trade secrets, so there is no way to guarantee everything imported or exported will be will be interpreted in exactly the same way by different apps. ...

That's true. However, that's the beauty of .idml that the features that are not supported are gracefully ignored. In another thread, I demonstrated such a thing in three non-Adobe applications. One had the same capability (e.g., highlighting text via custom underlines) and two did not, instead used what they could to represent this effect (using a regular underline) and in both those applications, one had the ability to create the effect using what APub calls Decorations--which newer versions of ID can also do. The custom underline was the only means of text highlighting in ID for years and years.

2 hours ago, R C-R said:

... For that matter, not everything can be imported or exported between Adobe's flagship apps without some compromises.

Eh, Adobe has never claimed this capability. Just that, for instance, ID can place AI & PS files (and in the case of .psd files, hide/show various layers as QXP can also do). As far as I know, only Serif applications are designed to have the same file format that makes interchangeability even possible.

[R C-R]

14 minutes ago, MikeW said:

However, that's the beauty of .idml that the features that are not supported are gracefully ignored.

There is nothing 'beautiful' about it if some feature that is important for a project is just ignored by some other app. I did not make it very clear but that's part of what I meant about there being no way to guarantee everything will be interpreted the same way by different apps.

As you mentioned, the only exception I know of is interchangeability among the 3 Affinity apps.

[artnok]

Has someone tried Markzware yet?
This is not the first time I'm landing on this page: 
https://markzware.com/products/pdfmarkz/
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It's pricey and I'd like to know if someone has tested this tool. The principle seems easy: Converting a suitable PDF file into INDD or AfPub.
For now, this could be a great solution for those, like me, who love working in Affinity Publisher and have to share the work with a team on Adobe InDesign.
And I must say that for me, when I have no other solution than working INDD, I can feel the pain  Way much longer, way much unintuitive... Text boxes are a hell on INDD... Resizing takes ages. No way. 
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So any feedback on Markzware is awesome. Let us know. 
Regards, 

[walt.farrell]

1 hour ago, artnok said:

It's pricey and I'd like to know if someone has tested this tool. The principle seems easy: Converting a suitable PDF file into INDD or AfPub.

There are, of course, issues with collaborating via PDF files. You would lose all the Text Styles, for example. And I'm sure there's other information that would be lost, too.

[artnok]

We bought a licence for our studio. I must admit it's pretty impressive. The INDD file has saved many styles in the document, after a small cleaning, everything's ok. Finally, for us, it appears to be a professional and working solution.