Affinity Designer can't open a Adobe Illustrator file, However Photopea does.

[albertkinng]

I received a file from a client and Designer wasn't able to open it. I went to Photopea website and upload the file and it was opened easily, I was able to export it in editable PDF and also in Photoshop format and after that I was able to work with it using Designer. Anyone knows another way to open Illustrator files without all this steps? I can't stand the idea that a free online Photoshop copycat editor is more powerful than one Affinity App.

[walt.farrell]

Affinity applications understand only the PDF file that Illustrator will optionally include in its .ai files. 

The actual .ai data has a proprietary format that no applications understand unless they expend a large effort in reverse-engineering that data format.

That reverse-engineering is both complex and risky, as the format can be changed or extended by Adobe at any time, and you can never be sure if you understood everything correctly and completely.

Serif has chosen not to do that, which I consider the right decision.

You could ask the user who supplied the .ai file to regenerate it, including the PDF data. That may be called something like "compatibility mode". Otherwise you'll need something like the complex workaround you found.

 

[albertkinng]

@walt.farrell Thanks for your reply. I will be making a list of real life situations that our job as Graphic Designer will encounter if we want to keep using Affinity Apps as our main apps. The more projects I get the more challenging it get for Affinity apps. Thanks God for Photopea website. It’s becoming the link between me and my clients. 

[Pšenda]

8 hours ago, walt.farrell said:

That reverse-engineering is both complex and risky, as the format can be changed or extended by Adobe at any time, and you can never be sure if you understood everything correctly and completely.

Serif has chosen not to do that, which I consider the right decision.

I would also like to add the fact that reverse engineering, whether it is the application code but also the format of the stored data, is prohibited - see the license agreement. Of course, this is normally done, but then you run the risk of getting into court (for example, when it suits them in a competitive struggle).

[albertkinng]

On 5/3/2022 at 3:15 AM, Pšenda said:

when it suits them in a competitive struggle

Just adding a fact to help confused readers. Competition is not illegal in any form if the way of handling the conversion is not even alike to the original programming code. Example of successful attempts are Pixelmator, Acorn, and so on. Those alternatives let you save a PSD with editable text and open Illustrator files as well. If Photopea is using reverse engineering, it will be punished with all weight of the law any time soon.