DrawPlus X6 to Affinity

[gcshep]

Hi I not long ago I switched from DrawPlus X6 to Affinity (PC) and the question I am asking is it possible to transfer the Gallery vector art work with all there grouping layers into Affinity I have tried several attempts. 

[Callum]

Hi Gcshep,

 

Welcome to the Forums :)

 

It isn't possible to transfer them automatically I'm afraid. If you drag them onto a page in DrawPlus then export that page as an SVG you could open the resulting SVG in Affinity :)

 

C

[Alfred]

I've found that PDF works quite well for transferring from DrawPlus to Affinity Designer, but any grouping is lost.

[gcshep]

Thank you to Callum and Alfred for the input.

I find it very hard to believe that you can open PSD (Adobe) files with all the layers and yet you are not able to open DPA (Serif) files with all groupings inside the layers so now I am in a situation that all my projects from DP x6 could become redundant because of Serif not showing loyalty to their existing customers but have showed to a rival i.e. Adobe customers giving them this opportunity.

 

A VERY POOR DOING SERIF.     

[MikeW]

Thank you to Callum and Alfred for the input.

I find it very hard to believe that you can open PSD (Adobe) files with all the layers and yet you are not able to open DPA (Serif) files with all groupings inside the layers so now I am in a situation that all my projects from DP x6 could become redundant because of Serif not showing loyalty to their existing customers but have showed to a rival i.e. Adobe customers giving them this opportunity.

 

A VERY POOR DOING SERIF.     

 

PSD files have had the specification out in the public domain for some time. Adobe Illustrator files on the other hand (the Adobe application more akin to AD) is something else.

 

It is the PDF data in an AI file that AD can open, not the real AI data. Same thing with DP files--only unlike AI files, there is no option in a DP file to also save PDF data. So it is an extra step to open the DP file in DP and export to a PDF (which can include layers).

 

In AI, there is an option to also save PDF data. It is the default setting in AI. But to save space, some AI users turn that off and for those files, AD cannot open the AI file.

 

When I opt to move from a given primary graphic design application (any application, really) to a new application that I will use as a primary deign application, I use the former application to make edits to existing files unless I have reason to port it to the new application. All new graphics are created in the new application.

[R C-R]

It isn't about loyalty to their customers. It is about keeping the doors open. It has been mentioned several times that developing the Plus range is no longer profitable, which I guess says something about the market for older apps built with less efficient legacy code & explains why they opted to start from scratch with entirely new code for the Affinity range.

 

It was also mentioned that because of this lack of code similarity developing fully capable importers would take years, & by then very few users would have any use for them.

 

I know that isn't what you want to hear but it is why things are as they are.

[gcshep]

Thank you for the info I take on board what you are saying.

 

HAPPY NEW YEAR TO ONE AND ALL

[DavidSilverSteel]

I have imported quite a few items from the DrawPlus Gallery by having both DP and AD open together. If you window both applications, you can actually drag from the DP Gallery to the DP document, then Drag from the DP document to the AD document. Then in AD, name the grouped objects in the Group layer before importing it into the assets file. Naming the group layer (with - say Lion) causes the item to show the name Lion when you hover the cursor over the asset in AD.

 

For those items that I have done, this has been very successful, with one exception, where I had to re-arrange the layers on the Bee in order for the eyes to come to the top.

 

A bit laborious but I shall work through this quietly while the rest of the family watch the other box in the corner of the room.

 

HAPPY NEW YEAR.

 

David

[Alfred]

For those items that I have done, this has been very successful, with one exception, where I had to re-arrange the layers on the Bee in order for the eyes to come to the top.

 

I think it might be rather easy to miss such things if the defect is more subtle. That aside, your method works quite well.

 

You can save a little time by opening the gallery file directly in DrawPlus, instead of dragging objects onto the page from the Gallery. You'll find that most of the items are piled on top of each other, but you can select the item groups via the Layers tab.

 

Happy New Year to you, too!

[gcshep]

Hi David I tried your suggestion and I still cannot get it to work I attached a screen shot is that what you mean when say “You window both applications”, also would you be able to do a video tutorial on the method you used it would be a great help it would put an old codgers mind at ease.

Best Regards

George

 

 

 

[DavidSilverSteel]

Hi George,

 

Yes, that is what I mean by windowed. The only thing I see possibly wrong is that in Affinity Designer, you have no layers present at all, and I don't think that you can drag something there. Try making an artboard, ensure that the artboard layer is the current layer and then drag your objects on to it.

Let me know how you get on, if you are stuck I will retry the method here, - setting up a video would take some time. (I am 72 so also an old codger)

 

I have another thread running on how to import vector image brushes from DP to AD, but that is only appropriate if you have lots of decorative brushes for DP.

 

Good Luck and happy new year.

 

Kind Regards

David 

[gcshep]

I can manage the drag and drop ok, but it drags the clipart as whole object but not the individual (Closed Curve Layers) is what I am after.

[DavidSilverSteel]

Hi George,

 

I just slid the Elf from DrawPlus to Affinity and this was one that is complicated and only partially worked. Two thumbnails attached.

 

1. First, I think that you have to have affinity set in the DRAW persona - see icon illuminated in top left corner.

2. When it arrived in AD it lacked the punch that it had when it was in DP. This was because the width of my stroke (top right) was set at ZERO - not 0.7 as shown in the photo.

3. Just ONE LAYER had arrived shown as "Group" and it is necessary to click the white arrow on the group to show all the other layers that are nested within that group, many of which are also groups and can be un-nested into smaller pieces.

4. It IS a vector image.

5. You will see that in quickly playing about with it, I have put a black outline on part of the hat, which is wrong. It should have zero stroke.

6. You will see that to illustrate the point about layers, I have selected three grouped layers at random and they become blue. Use the move tool (V) to select the layers. Contol+click to select additional layers or shift click for a range of layers on windows.

6. Please don't ask me why the hat band is missing - I have no idea.

7. So - by selecting individual parts (layers) you can choose what thickness of stroke or colour of stroke you wish to have on that piece.

8. This would be a pain in the neck - or lower down - to do on this part as there are so many pieces, but if you play around at opening the group layers you will get the idea.

9. You will see that when I selected the three grouped layers, the objects became selected in the drawing - one eye - nose - and something else!

10. If you really want to make sense of an object NAME ALL THE LAYERS. Top group label Elf Each other group label the part. This will help you to understand how it all works.

11. Remember that AD can nest layers within other layers.

 

Do not be afraid to play with things and remember Ctrl + Z immediately will undo the last thing you did - or pull up the history panel ( bottom right) and you can go backwards as far as you wish by clicking on a line.

 

I hope that this has been of help and is understandable.

Kind Regards

David

[Alfred]

If you export the Elf group as SVG, you can place it in your AD document while retaining all of the original detail (strokes, colours and layer ordering).

[DavidSilverSteel]

Hi Alfred,

 

Yes it does, but then it appears to be simply an embedded document which is not layered.

AD will not - it seems - import an SVG file into the assets. Also, whilst I am using DPX8 which understands SVG files, I think George is using DPX6 and if I remember correctly, export to SVG was only introduced in DPX8.

 

If I can import SVG into AD ASSETS then that would be great. Am I missing something here?

 

David

[Alfred]

Yes it does, but then it appears to be simply an embedded document which is not layered.

 

You just need to double-click the embedded document, David. It will then open in a new window, giving you full access to all of the layers. :)

 

AD will not - it seems - import an SVG file into the assets. Also, whilst I am using DPX8 which understands SVG files, I think George is using DPX6 and if I remember correctly, export to SVG was only introduced in DPX8.

 

No, I've just checked: DPX6 can export to SVG.

 

If I can import SVG into AD ASSETS then that would be great. Am I missing something here?

 

I don't think you can import SVG directly into the Assets panel. However, if you group the layers in the '<Embedded>' window, you can rename that group and then choose 'Add from Selection' via the menu icon in the Assets category to which you want to add the item.

[DavidSilverSteel]

"I don't think you can import SVG directly into the Assets panel. However, if you group the layers in the '<Embedded>' window, you can rename that group and then choose 'Add from Selection' via the menu icon in the Assets category to which you want to add the item"

 

Thanks Alfred - by the way I cannot find out how to include a quote correctly.

 

Yes you CAN un-group the embedded image - I couldn't do it at first, but then found that I had dropped it onto a locked artboard and no amount of double clicking would select the layers.

That is a great way of transferring things from DPGallery to AD Assets. 

 

Thanks for your help - are you reading this also George - Alfred has the answer.

 

Kind Regards

David  :)

[R C-R]

To include a quote, click on the Quote button below the post you want to quote from.

[gcshep]

A big thank you for ever ones help I finally import as a SVG straight onto a layer and got everything once again thank you.

 

Best Regards

George