[IDML Implemented] How can I open Indesign (indd and idml) Files in Publisher?

[Wosven]

43 minutes ago, BLKay said:

indd files like InDesign does with Quark files

From what I know, only the first and perhaps second version of  ID were  able  to open  QXD files. After this version,  you had to buy a script for this, and we  keep an old PC with ID CS6 for this purpose, but don't use it a lot, once a year, that's all.

[MikeW]

55 minutes ago, Wosven said:

From what I know, only the first and perhaps second version of  ID were  able  to open  QXD files. After this version,  you had to buy a script for this, and we  keep an old PC with ID CS6 for this purpose, but don't use it a lot, once a year, that's all.

And only up to version 4 Q files natively. Markzware makes a plugin for opening newer versions, Q2ID. But their ID2Q converter works better.

[dannymontani]

Sorry to say this program is going to be dead without the ability to open InDesign files. The only way it will survive is brand new users out in the universe. Money not spent well. I'm sure we will pay for the option....way out in the future. Damn it.

[walt.farrell]

57 minutes ago, dannymontani said:

Sorry to say this program is going to be dead without the ability to open InDesign files. The only way it will survive is brand new users out in the universe. Money not spent well. I'm sure we will pay for the option....way out in the future. Damn it.

Serif has said they plan to provide IDML import capabilities, and my guess is that it will happen sometime during version 1, which would make it a free update. But yes, it will be sometime in the future, perhaps in 1.8 rather than in 1.7. x. We'll just have to wait and see.

[Alchemist42]

IDML files are straight forward...  I've written apps that parse them for embedded scripts and hit databases to generate content on the fly.   IDML is essentially a renamed ZIP container with a hierarchical folder tree of xml documents.   Hopefully they can support an IDML import... that should be straight forward at least for features AP supports. 

[AdrianB]

7 hours ago, dannymontani said:

Sorry to say this program is going to be dead without the ability to open InDesign files. The only way it will survive is brand new users out in the universe. Money not spent well. I'm sure we will pay for the option....way out in the future. Damn it.

That's just BS. Those who need to open InDesign files are a large group, no doubt, but not the entire market. They do love to come here and demand support for InDesign files, for sure. 

With the low price of AP they reach segments that Adobe never did. I've been using InDesign since it was Aldus Pagemaker and going forward I'll be using Publisher (with great joy). My business is not big enough to justify the continuous payment of CC, even if I wanted to. But Publisher is a no-brainer. 

[3joern]

6 hours ago, Alchemist42 said:

 IDML is essentially a renamed ZIP container with a hierarchical folder tree of xml documents.  

Wow this is really impressive, I just tested it with a really big IDML. Renamed it in zip and open it, only xml files with many infos, really cool to know.

[cyclopsdx]

We handle projects which have to be designed in a range of client templates which have all been built in InDesign. I like what I've seen with the Affinity suite but I know I couldn't convince the clients to change their working practices (they're multi-territory companies with a US bias), but I'm very keen to look into converting the supplied ID files into Affinity as soon as I'm able to and then proposing them as a set of alternative templates to the clients. I'm so unhappy with Adobe CC that I'll probably do this free of charge, just to make our lives easier in the studio. Times are a-changing and I'm so pleased Publisher has finally been released. I just need that functionality to be able to consider a full switch. Keep up the good work and I look forward to the ID>AP update!

[Oval]

5 hours ago, cyclopsdx said:

I'm very keen to look into converting the supplied ID files into Affinity as soon as I'm able to and then proposing them as a set of alternative templates to the clients. I'm so unhappy with Adobe CC that I'll probably do this free of charge

Great, but isn’t life too short to do this because you “couldn't convince the clients to change their working practices”?!

[Oceanwatcher]

20 hours ago, Alchemist42 said:

IDML files are straight forward...  I've written apps that parse them for embedded scripts and hit databases to generate content on the fly.   IDML is essentially a renamed ZIP container with a hierarchical folder tree of xml documents.   Hopefully they can support an IDML import... that should be straight forward at least for features AP supports. 

So... You could potentially write an app that parse the IDML file and write an Affinity Publisher file?

[fde101]

11 minutes ago, Oceanwatcher said:

 So... You could potentially write an app that parse the IDML file and write an Affinity Publisher file?

The Affinity file format is proprietary and not publicly documented, so while someone outside of Serif could certainly write an app to read IDML, trying to write to an Affinity format is another story altogether.

[Oceanwatcher]

2 minutes ago, fde101 said:

The Affinity file format is proprietary and not publicly documented, so while someone outside of Serif could certainly write an app to read IDML, trying to write to an Affinity format is another story altogether.

Too bad! So the logical suggestion would be for Serif to openly document their file format. That way, the community might be able to help by writing plugins. Could someone from Serif comment on this?

[fde101]

7 minutes ago, Oceanwatcher said:

So the logical suggestion would be for Serif to openly document their file format.

This has come up before... they have good reasons not to do this (they have already commented on it).

 

8 minutes ago, Oceanwatcher said:

the community might be able to help by writing plugins

For this, we need a plugin API/SDK.  This is much more likely to happen eventually.

[MikeW]

9 minutes ago, Oceanwatcher said:

Too bad! So the logical suggestion would be for Serif to openly document their file format. That way, the community might be able to help by writing plugins. Could someone from Serif comment on this?

Serif will not open their file format. They've stated that in the past. 

They may publish an api so people can write plugins. 

They will be providing idml import in a future upgrade or update.

[AmyBeads]

Being able to import InDesign files would be a major plus, since a lot of businesses use it (including the place I currently work). If I were to do freelancing with my preferred (non-subscription) software, it could make things a lot easier and probably more profitable.

[cyclopsdx]

17 hours ago, Oval said:

Great, but isn’t life too short to do this because you “couldn't convince the clients to change their working practices”?!

Life's not too short but workflow practices are important and need streamlining. I want to be able to design in a programme that I'm not swearing at every 5 minutes and one that actually allows me to enjoy doing my job again. If I can present clients with artwork template alternatives that I and other agencies may be able to make use of, I'm helping spread the benefits of other design software solutions. For Affinity to become an industry standard and break the industry hold Adobe have over us, I'd be happy to spend some time doing that. Currently, using InDesign and the rest of CC depresses the hell out of me and I hate it, so alternative solutions that bring back some of the fun of creating will improve my outlook, not restrict it, so I think it's worth the effort.

[Oval]

9 hours ago, cyclopsdx said:

If I can present clients with artwork template alternatives that I and other agencies may be able to make use of

People did this in the past, clients concluded that they payed too much money and the result was that Adobe got even bigger. So good luck. We like people with idealism.

[joaocrfonseca]

Hi guys!! Try this tutorial... Works fine for me. Best regards to you all.

 

[Freddie360]

As Adobe's pricing policy made me abandon their suite that I have worked with for 30 years, I really wanted to use the 'final' program in Affinity's stable. I am a very satisfied user of Affinity Photo and Designer and have recently bought Publisher. However, I thought I would have to continue to use InDesign for updating older files, this looks like a viable option for some files until Publisher imports InDesign files proper.

[R_G]

Being able to open InDesign files directly into Publisher would be extremely helpful, especially for those of us who are making the switch from Adobe, which seem to be quite a few.

[mscwebmaster]

I've never created an IDML. I've never (well, mostly) worked with XML. I've worked with small ad agencies who need to open their INDD files. I've had them come back to me a year or two after working on the file and ask me to open an old INDD client file, or send it to them, or whatever. If I can't open an INDD file in Publisher, it's a no-starter for me. I'm trapped into using InDesign. There are certain advanced features (like creating interactive URLs) within InDesign I'm not sure I can do within Publisher. For a recent client, that would have been a no-starter. There's no reason to try pay for and try Publisher if it can't do these basic things.

[Patrick Connor]

39 minutes ago, mscwebmaster said:

I'm trapped into using InDesign.

Agreed, until your important (or all files) are in a format that can be read reliably by another application. You have effectively saved files in a proprietry (undocumented) file format [INDD] that no external company can interpret reliably or correctly in a reasonable time. This is the case for almost all propritary digital file formats. Very few people ever consider an exit strategy, but the change of tack by some companies to move to a software rental model has pushed this 'trap' to a whole new level. This problem is not of our making, and we would solve it if we could, but cannot see a way to. The "prize" of opening INDD files directly is apparent but please do not blame us for the conundrum of undocumented propritary file formats and exit strategies from the rental model.

It may well be that Publisher is not the magic panacea for you and others, we wish it was, sorry

[mscwebmaster]

Well, considering I've been using InDesign for nearly 20 years, and using Quark Express for 4 years prior to that, and since I'm doing more and more web work, but still some graphic design, it's not surprising I might have not considered an exit strategy.

And the tone of your "support" just sucks. You are not in sales or marketing, right?

[Patrick Connor]

I am not in sales or marketing, no

You had already rejected our work-around solution of IDML and so I was addressing the problem with us providing INDD import, which I thought you would like to be addressed by a member of staff.

[Fixx]

It is a good practice to always include IDML file with original INDD and if you are sending your project outside it is even easy with newer InDesign Package command. At the moment freelancers and agencies are using so many versions of CS/CC that IDML is must. Including a PDF is also a good idea, though it should be made clear if it is for press, printing or just view.