New features expected in Affinity Studio

[Eric Designer 2023]

New features expected in Affinity Studio:

I'm a graphic designer and I intend to use Affinity Studio as a base in the future. Not only for the cost-benefit, but also for the innovation presented at various points and for being in a "single package" what we need. I downloaded the trial version of Affinity 2.3 to analyze, and it's really good. However, I missed several features in the three programs. And if they could be present in the programs, I believe both sides would win. And these features can be implemented over time or in a future release with all of the majority of these that I will list below.
If you really do this programs like: those from Adobe, Corel Draw, VIVA GmbH - VivaDesigner, QuarkXpress, Markstein Sofware - MarkStein Publisher. They lost their customer base and you gained it. Because you came to fill that gap.
This is the list and is below:

- Affinity Designer:
vectorize image, import and export: AI-CDR natively, create object extrusion, create mixture of objects as a blend, create barcode and qr code, create calendars natively (Its structure and models).

- Affinity Photo:
Import and export PSD compatibility layers (including effects, whether on one side or the other), open and save avif and exif files, have third-party filters suitable for Affinity Photo, be able to natively install Photoshop filters and actions, natively open and save files from: Photopaint, Paintshop Pro and GIMP.

- Affinity Publisher:
Open and natively save and export files: INDD, IDML (At least 90% compatibility for Indesign, VivaDesigner, Scribus, QuarkXpress, MarkStein Publisher). Open files natively and, if possible, save, from the following programs: Indesign, VivaDesigner, Scribus, QuarkXpress. create calendars natively (its structure and templates), create barcodes and qr codes, automatically translate text from one language to another and adapt it to the text block. Integrated text editor as found in Indesign, Vivadesigner, QuarkXpress, and MarkStein Publisher. Import texts in the best way: RTF, doc-docx, txt. Import content in XML in the best way possible. Best import excel table files like: xls-xlsx.

And common to all three:

Imposition of pages for printing. And finally the implementation of accurate implementation of file closing and pdf preflight inspector and editor such as: Callas Sofware-pdfToolbox Desktop, Enfocus-PitPitStop Pro.

I believe that if this is implemented or implemented throughout each version, both sides will gain in terms of cost-benefit.

[fde101]

Hi @Eric Designer 2023, welcome to the forums!

In general it is best to limit a thread here to one feature, and to at least try to search the forums for existing threads making the same request before starting a new one.  These things are specified in the guidelines for posting to this area of the forum.

Many of the things you are asking for have already been discussed in the past and there are existing threads on these topics; a few highlights and comments:

 

On 12/21/2023 at 6:28 PM, Eric Designer 2023 said:

vectorize image

We have basically been told that Serif does hope to implement this at some point, but they are not content with the solutions they currently could use, so it may be some time before this appears as they want to develop something better for when it does come out.

 

On 12/21/2023 at 6:28 PM, Eric Designer 2023 said:

import and export: AI-CDR natively

Unlikely to happen due to the proprietary/undocumented nature of these formats.

 

On 12/21/2023 at 6:28 PM, Eric Designer 2023 said:

create object extrusion

Serif has been adverse to adding any 3D features to the Affinity apps and this has often been lumped in with those (correctly or not).

 

On 12/21/2023 at 6:28 PM, Eric Designer 2023 said:

create mixture of objects as a blend

There are multiple threads where people are begging for this; indications are that it will come eventually.

 

On 12/21/2023 at 6:28 PM, Eric Designer 2023 said:

create barcode and qr code

This has also been requested multiple times; I don't remember Serif specifically commenting on how likely this is to happen, but given the plethora of 3rd-party tools which are inexpensively available (in some cases free) which can easily generate these and export them in a form that can be used within the Affinity apps, I would imagine it to have a relatively low priority compared to various other features which have been requested which would not be so easily done outside the apps.

 

On 12/21/2023 at 6:28 PM, Eric Designer 2023 said:

Import and export PSD compatibility layers (including effects, whether on one side or the other)

I vaguely remember seeing that even PSD text objects are not fully supported because they are not as well-understood (possibly proprietary/undocumented) as other types of layers?  I would imagine that to be true of the effects also...

 

On 12/21/2023 at 6:28 PM, Eric Designer 2023 said:

have third-party filters suitable for Affinity Photo

Some PhotoShop plugins are supported.  An SDK for native ones is already under development (see the "Scripting" thread pinned at the top of the forum, in which both a scripting API and a native SDK for compiled add-ons are being discussed together).

 

On 12/21/2023 at 6:28 PM, Eric Designer 2023 said:

Open and natively save and export files: INDD, IDML (At least 90% compatibility for Indesign, VivaDesigner, Scribus, QuarkXpress, MarkStein Publisher)

INDD is proprietary and undocumented and its internal format is known to change between releases, so support for that is extremely unlikely.  IDML is currently supported for import only.  Note that this is also true of QuarkXPress: it can import IDML, not INDD, and likewise does not currently support exporting IDML.

 

On 12/21/2023 at 6:28 PM, Eric Designer 2023 said:

import excel table files like: xls-xlsx

I can't imagine them implementing XLS support at this point.  I could see XLSX but tables in general need a lot of work in Publisher and there are probably bigger fish to fry than XLSX import support (ex. a table in Publisher cannot currently span multiple pages).

 

On 12/21/2023 at 6:28 PM, Eric Designer 2023 said:

Imposition of pages for printing.

Limited imposition functionality is currently integrated into the Print dialog, but is curiously not available for "proper" professional PDF export (which has been pointed out and complained about many times in other threads).  Extending existing imposition features to the Export dialog for PDF would be more than welcome and I too would love to see that happen.  A few other options could likely be added within reason, but more complete imposition functionality is likely better in the domain of a dedicated application designed for the purpose.

 

On 12/21/2023 at 6:28 PM, Eric Designer 2023 said:

pdf preflight inspector

A preflight inspector for already-exported PDF files is likely best handled using a separate dedicated application.  There are already pre-export preflight features available in Publisher, but they are not included in the other two applications, and I would not expect that to change in the near future as it was obviously a conscious decision on the part of Serif to limit them to that one application.

Note however that Photo and Designer files can easily be opened in Publisher to perform any needed preflight work.

[walt.farrell]

28 minutes ago, fde101 said:

I can't imagine them implementing XLS support at this point.  I could see XLSX but tables in general need a lot of work in Publisher and there are probably bigger fish to fry than XLSX import support (ex. a table in Publisher cannot currently span multiple pages).

XLSX is already supported. XLS is unlikely.

Yes, the Table support needs more work.

[David Cake]

Bar and QR codes is the sort of thing I expect will be relatively easy to do as a plugin, or even script, once the scripting and plugin features are available. Calendars too. 

[MikeW]

On 12/25/2023 at 7:02 AM, fde101 said:

...INDD is proprietary and undocumented and its internal format is known to change between releases, so support for that is extremely unlikely.  IDML is currently supported for import only.  Note that this is also true of QuarkXPress: it can import IDML, not INDD, and likewise does not currently support exporting IDML. ...

QXP 2024 can now export to .idml

Viva Designer can import/open .indd files, and keeps up with changes to the format. The more complicated a design, there will be issues, but it will open.

Neither, like APub, deal with all .idml properties in a 1:1 faithful way with InDesign. Some do better with a particular .idml file than the others and vica versa.

[Eric Designer 2023]

On 12/25/2023 at 12:02 PM, fde101 said:

Hi @Eric Designer 2023, welcome to the forums!

In general it is best to limit a thread here to one feature, and to at least try to search the forums for existing threads making the same request before starting a new one.  These things are specified in the guidelines for posting to this area of the forum.

Many of the things you are asking for have already been discussed in the past and there are existing threads on these topics; a few highlights and comments:

 

  On 12/21/2023 at 8:28 PM, Eric Designer 2023 said:

vectorize image

We have basically been told that Serif does hope to implement this at some point, but they are not content with the solutions they currently could use, so it may be some time before this appears as they want to develop something better for when it does come out.

 

  On 12/21/2023 at 8:28 PM, Eric Designer 2023 said:

import and export: AI-CDR natively

Unlikely to happen due to the proprietary/undocumented nature of these formats.

 

  On 12/21/2023 at 8:28 PM, Eric Designer 2023 said:

create object extrusion

Serif has been adverse to adding any 3D features to the Affinity apps and this has often been lumped in with those (correctly or not).

 

  On 12/21/2023 at 8:28 PM, Eric Designer 2023 said:

create mixture of objects as a blend

There are multiple threads where people are begging for this; indications are that it will come eventually.

 

  On 12/21/2023 at 8:28 PM, Eric Designer 2023 said:

create barcode and qr code

This has also been requested multiple times; I don't remember Serif specifically commenting on how likely this is to happen, but given the plethora of 3rd-party tools which are inexpensively available (in some cases free) which can easily generate these and export them in a form that can be used within the Affinity apps, I would imagine it to have a relatively low priority compared to various other features which have been requested which would not be so easily done outside the apps.

 

  On 12/21/2023 at 8:28 PM, Eric Designer 2023 said:

Import and export PSD compatibility layers (including effects, whether on one side or the other)

I vaguely remember seeing that even PSD text objects are not fully supported because they are not as well-understood (possibly proprietary/undocumented) as other types of layers?  I would imagine that to be true of the effects also...

 

  On 12/21/2023 at 8:28 PM, Eric Designer 2023 said:

have third-party filters suitable for Affinity Photo

Some PhotoShop plugins are supported.  An SDK for native ones is already under development (see the "Scripting" thread pinned at the top of the forum, in which both a scripting API and a native SDK for compiled add-ons are being discussed together).

 

  On 12/21/2023 at 8:28 PM, Eric Designer 2023 said:

Open and natively save and export files: INDD, IDML (At least 90% compatibility for Indesign, VivaDesigner, Scribus, QuarkXpress, MarkStein Publisher)

INDD is proprietary and undocumented and its internal format is known to change between releases, so support for that is extremely unlikely.  IDML is currently supported for import only.  Note that this is also true of QuarkXPress: it can import IDML, not INDD, and likewise does not currently support exporting IDML.

 

  On 12/21/2023 at 8:28 PM, Eric Designer 2023 said:

import excel table files like: xls-xlsx

I can't imagine them implementing XLS support at this point.  I could see XLSX but tables in general need a lot of work in Publisher and there are probably bigger fish to fry than XLSX import support (ex. a table in Publisher cannot currently span multiple pages).

 

  On 12/21/2023 at 8:28 PM, Eric Designer 2023 said:

Imposition of pages for printing.

Limited imposition functionality is currently integrated into the Print dialog, but is curiously not available for "proper" professional PDF export (which has been pointed out and complained about many times in other threads).  Extending existing imposition features to the Export dialog for PDF would be more than welcome and I too would love to see that happen.  A few other options could likely be added within reason, but more complete imposition functionality is likely better in the domain of a dedicated application designed for the purpose.

 

  On 12/21/2023 at 8:28 PM, Eric Designer 2023 said:

pdf preflight inspector

A preflight inspector for already-exported PDF files is likely best handled using a separate dedicated application.  There are already pre-export preflight features available in Publisher, but they are not included in the other two applications, and I would not expect that to change in the near future as it was obviously a conscious decision on the part of Serif to limit them to that one application.

Note however that Photo and Designer files can easily be opened in Publisher to perform any needed preflight work.

Thank you very much for the answers and information.

Edited December 29, 2023 by Eric Designer 2023

[Eric Designer 2023]

On 12/27/2023 at 4:45 PM, MikeW said:

QXP 2024 can now export to .idml

Viva Designer can import/open .indd files, and keeps up with changes to the format. The more complicated a design, there will be issues, but it will open.

Neither, like APub, deal with all .idml properties in a 1:1 faithful way with InDesign. Some do better with a particular .idml file than the others and vica versa.

Yes. I tested the QXP24 and it only exports 50% compatible. By exporting only the text and markup of the images that importing into Indesign, the images will have to be manually replaced in the image frames. At Indesign.

With Vivadesigner, reliability and compatibility reaches 90% compatible. And when IDML is created in Indesign, QuarkXpress cannot open it and is incompatible. And without working with svg in Vivadesigner and exporting to IDML, the texts that are in vectors are scrambled. The only programs that accept Vivadesigner's IDML are: Affinity Publisher - Adobe Indesign - Scribus.
Thanks for the answers.

Edited December 29, 2023 by Eric Designer 2023

[Eric Designer 2023]

On 12/27/2023 at 3:35 PM, David Cake said:

Bar and QR codes is the sort of thing I expect will be relatively easy to do as a plugin, or even script, once the scripting and plugin features are available. Calendars too. 

Yes. I also look forward to this functionality being implemented. Both Affinity Designer and Affinity Publisher.
As they say: It will be a hands on task. It will make creating in both applications much easier.

[Eric Designer 2023]

On 12/26/2023 at 1:54 AM, MC909 said:

In the meantime, Inkscape is a nice compliment to Designer & Publisher in that it can create bar/QR codes and also vectorize. This kind of content can be copied and pasted between desktop apps easily

Thank you for the tip. While these functions are not implemented in Affinity Designer, I will use Inkscape as a complementary program.