Imports from Indesign aren't possible?

[RolWg]

Hello everyone,
I have the latest version of Affinity (1.10.6 as far as I can tell from the microprint under "About") and received indesign files. Affinity can't seem to import them. Is there a workaround or what can I do?

[kaffeeundsalz]

Hi @RolWg,

first off, Affinity Publisher is the only one of the three Affinity applications that can deal with InDesign content. This means you'll have no luck whatsoever with both Photo and Designer. Second thing is, Publisher can import IDML files from Adobe InDesign, but not native .indd files. You'll have to convert your .indd documents to .idml with Adobe InDesign before you can import them with Affinity Publisher.

Cheers
kaffeeundsalz

[MickRose]

Hi @RolWg People don't normally send INDD files to others. As a workaround it might be worth trying the free version of Viva Designer. It can open indd files. Then export as IDML or make a PDF and open in AfPublisher. Obviously you might have missing fonts and images and you certainly won't have text styles etc.

[danlb46]

Wondering just why you have to convert the files to .idml: the file format was from Adobe CS4, which is now close to 15 years ago.

[R C-R]

1 hour ago, danlb46 said:

Wondering just why you have to convert the files to .idml: the file format was from Adobe CS4, which is now close to 15 years ago.

Which format are you talking about, IDML or INDD?

[danlb46]

I use Adobe Creative Cloud apps, and to import an InDesign file to Affinity Publisher, you first have to convert it from .indd to .idml while in InDesign. Affinity Publisher cannot handle an .indd file format, but there are other non-Adobe apps that can.  What I find curious is that the .idml format is so old: it was used in the Adobe CS4 suite and dates from 2008.

[MikeW]

2 hours ago, danlb46 said:

Wondering just why you have to convert the files to .idml: the file format was from Adobe CS4, which is now close to 15 years ago.

Because .idml is a documented and is constantly updated as to new InDesign features. 

.indd is not documented and so is a blackbox file format. There is at least one application that can open an .indd, VivaDesigner. 

[R C-R]

3 minutes ago, danlb46 said:

What I find curious is that the .idml format is so old: it was used in the Adobe CS4 suite and dates from 2008.

What is curious about that? It's XML based so it can be & has been updated as needed, as @MikeW just mentioned.

[MikeW]

21 minutes ago, R C-R said:

What is curious about that? It's XML based so it can be & has been updated as needed, as @MikeW just mentioned.

To add, the .idml file itself is just a .zip container the has several folders of .xml files. 

[ajen010]

I'm trying to upload an idml file to affinity designer version 1.10.6. Affinity won't even recognize the file type. How do I get affinity to open the file?

[Brian_J]

22 minutes ago, ajen010 said:

I'm trying to upload an idml file to affinity designer version 1.10.6. Affinity won't even recognize the file type. How do I get affinity to open the file?

IDML files can be opened in Affinity Publisher, but not in Designer.

[PaoloT]

8 hours ago, MikeW said:

There is at least one application that can open an .indd, VivaDesigner. 

Can it? I read that it can import and export IDML files, but not INDD ones. But maybe I'm lost in that messy web site.

Paolo

 

[MikeW]

22 minutes ago, PaoloT said:

Can it? I read that it can import and export IDML files, but not INDD ones. But maybe I'm lost in that messy web site.

Paolo

Yeah, the website has always sucked.

It can read both formats, but only export .imdl