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


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On 6/15/2019 at 5:51 AM, GunnarRoxen said:

I forgot to mention I already preordered Affinity Publisher as I'm confident it will get there - I'm just excited!

I received the notice to download the release version of Affinity Publisher. I likewise preordered it. The download link was a bit elusive, but I found it in My Account. I'm wondering, though, does this version include IDML import? You know, that feature that people have been going on about for 19 pages on this blog? Hope so.

Guess not. I tried to import an IDML file and it was not recognized. I tried to open the file, with the same result. I'm disappointed, to say the least. Publisher will be of little use to me without IDML support. I paid for the initial release version, in part because the price was reduced, but with the hope they had included the much requested IDML support. Failing that, it is my hope that they will include it soon. Some news on that front would be useful. How long will we have to wait? Without IDML support, Publisher will languish in my Applications folder. And I will continue to use InDesign CS6. This will suffice for some time because I have no intention of upgrading to macOS 10.15 Catalina—where use of 32bit apps will be discontinued—for a good long while yet. Meanwhile, if Serif expects to sell many copies of Publisher, they'd better get going with implementing IDML import. It's clearly the most requested feature.

Edited by Whitedog
Tried Publisher. Doesn't support IDML import.
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2 hours ago, Whitedog said:

I'm wondering, though, does this version include IDML import? You know, that feature that people have been going on about for 19 pages on this blog? Hope so.

Guess not. I tried to import an IDML file and it was not recognized.

It was not in the beta so of course it was not in the final version by som magic. Just because a thread has many pages doesn't mean features pop into existence from thin air.

Affinity has stated, as mention multiple times here, that they are working on it but there is no timescale yet

Quote

We will be able to import InDesign IDML files but not .indd files. The feature is being written but we don't have a timescale yet. 

 

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On 8/30/2018 at 7:54 PM, otheroom said:

The ability to import InDesign files is a very important feature for me. I've been able to move my pixel and vector work to Affinity Photo and Designer completely because they do a reasonable job opening up PSD and AI files.

I don't use InDesign nearly as often but I do have files going back almost 20 years that I need to open from time to time.

I’ve also had years and years of InDD files. What I was able to do in Designer, even before Publisher was in beta, was export uncompressed PDFs from Indesign and then open the PDF in Designer - even easier now with Publisher. You can even try that with highly designed PDFs that you didn’t design and now adopt the layout. Nothing else does that so easily and becomes so editable. 

Of course there are glitches and one user here reported facing page issues. Easy to fix. My glitch issue is that text gets strangely kerned and I find I have to reimport the text sections. Or simply copy all text. Paste in a pure text editor and then paste back. It’s not as difficult as it seems and until the true InDD to AfPub converter is out this is really a viable solution. I have converted over a hundred documents this way and now don’t even use InDD, and with the new Publisher released yesterday why would I?

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Really all depends upon circumstances. Although I've purchased Publisher, it was a bargain price I will still be using ID. If/when there is IDML import feature then no doubt I'll be using Publisher more often at that time.

For now though, unfortunately I don't think we'll ever see a pure INDD import especially as Adobe manage to keep tweaking the thing at their convenience. Remember how long it took Adobe to overcome QExpress. Was it v4 until InDesign managed to gain some traction and they certainly have far more resources behind them than Serif. 

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Hello. So the final now has been released, the most important next step must be to get Indesign-CS6-files imported. Or even CS6-IDML-files, which couldn't be too complicated.

Without IDML-import Affinity-Pub may be a nice tool but useless for professionals who are desperately looking for an abo-alternative to Adobe since the next MacOS-Version will kick-of CS6 as 32-bit-apps will be no longer supported on that Macs.

So please, please get this IDML-import first in the to-do-list! Non-perfect-import would do it – format-settings and other finetuning-configurations could be done afterwards.

Greetings - uro

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17 hours ago, uro said:

Non-perfect-import would do it – format-settings and other finetuning-configurations could be done afterwards.

If only all customers were as forgiving as this. Thanks for your support.

Patrick Connor
Serif Europe Ltd

"There is nothing noble in being superior to your fellow man. True nobility lies in being superior to your previous self."  W. L. Sheldon

 

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The team have done a wonderful job in creating this software. Users will always seek refinements that their own situation demands but for me there are workarounds that I can get by with and given the cost of the product compared to the Adobe offerings, patience is the least I can offer to say thanks for breaking the mold!

Great job on all your products Serif!

George

MacOS Ventura
iMac (Retina 5K, 27-inch, 2017)
Intel Core i7(4.2 GHz)
32GB DDR4 2400MHz 
1TB SSD Hard drive
12TB OWC Thunderbay 4
Built-In Retina LCD  5120 x 2880
AMD Radeon Pro 580 8GB

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It might not be the boon one is expecting because if one upgrades to the next Apple OS release one will not be able to open any kind of InDesign document anyway, unless, possible of course, there is some software (already released or to be released) that will open InDesign after the fateful day/upgrade . . . ?

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28 minutes ago, ABP said:

It might not be the boon one is expecting because if one upgrades to the next Apple OS release one will not be able to open any kind of InDesign document anyway, unless, possible of course, there is some software (already released or to be released) that will open InDesign after the fateful day/upgrade . . . ?

That's why you should convert your old InDesign documents (.indd) to IDML ahead of that, to make them as future proof as possible. I've written about a great script for that previously in this thread here and here (the script requires InDesign still being able to run). 

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30 minutes ago, ABP said:

It might not be the boon one is expecting because if one upgrades to the next Apple OS release one will not be able to open any kind of InDesign document anyway, unless, possible of course, there is some software (already released or to be released) that will open InDesign after the fateful day/upgrade . . . ?

I'm not sure what this is getting at. InDesign is a 64-bit app, so there won't be any problems running the current version of ID on Catalina, if that's the issue.

I am definitely looking forward to being able to take my existing books (all in InDesign) and transition into Publisher, when that becomes an option, and my books going forward will be Publisher from the start.

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On 11/29/2018 at 6:17 PM, BLKay said:

That must be because Affinity is British.  I've been there and the people were far more polite than even Canadians. Last time I was in the U.S. in Oregon and Washington State the people were so amazingly polite and friendly.  I hate to give credit to Trump but the American's I suggested this to agreed they were trying not to be like him. So Trump is making America polite again. I hope I didn't break any posting rules here. I apologize if i did. haha 

Yeah, Make America Polite Again was his original slogan but a typo at the hat shop came out as “MAGA” so he had to change the slogan. Lol. 

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1 hour ago, bdonovanw said:

I'm not sure what this is getting at. InDesign is a 64-bit app, so there won't be any problems running the current version of ID on Catalina, if that's the issue.

I assume we are talking about those still on old licences (CS5 and CS6) and do not want to, or cannot afford, to pay continuously for Creative Cloud just to be able to open old documents. I think CS6 and everything earlier is 32 bit.

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2 minutes ago, AdrianB said:

I assume we are talking about those still on old licences (CS5 and CS6) and do not want to, or cannot afford, to pay continuously for Creative Cloud just to be able to open old documents. I think CS6 and everything earlier is 32 bit.

Ah, yes, that makes more sense. They definitely are, and will not be upgraded—Adobe has said so publicly—so for anyone hoping to migrate from ID CS6 or earlier to Publisher, this import will be absolutely essential. Like many others on this thread, I'm quite disinclined to rent InDesign indefinitely, and purchased Publisher specifically to alleviate my concern there. The import of ID files is a personal necessity, but it is not so critical that I can't move forward with new projects in Publisher now. I am eagerly anticipating the ability to import existing ID files into Publisher, however, and look forward to being able to jettison ID (and eventually CC) entirely.

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Yes indeed, InDesign CS6, which I have, is 32 bit. It will not work with Apple's next OS. Therefore surely IDMLs created now will not open in any way with the next Apple OS. If I am right, then if one goes over to Apple's next OS, IDMLs will not open in Affinity, simply because they cannot be opened . . .

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On 6/17/2019 at 7:08 AM, Wosven said:

Qualifying my earlier comment at buying Affinity Publisher and of the disappointment that it is not able to open InDesign files (of which I have many). I will have to continue to use InDesign on my older files, as and when clients need them updating. However, I have recently used A.Publisher and like it very much, along with my 'well used' superb A.Photo and A.Designer. So despite some disappointments along the way, as a freelance designer/artist I just want the thank Affinity for producing a keenly priced alternative to Adobe that I can afford and am comfortable using.

 

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19 hours ago, ABP said:

...then if one goes over to Apple's next OS, IDMLs will not open in Affinity, simply because they cannot be opened . . .

No that is a misunderstanding. There is nothing intrinsically 32-bit about the IDML file. CS6 is a 32-bit application, and [you say] it will not run. However any application that is 64-bit will run on the next OS and of those any application that opens IDML files will continue open them. So convert while you have the chance is my recommendation.

Patrick Connor
Serif Europe Ltd

"There is nothing noble in being superior to your fellow man. True nobility lies in being superior to your previous self."  W. L. Sheldon

 

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21 hours ago, ABP said:

IDMLs created now will not open in any way with the next Apple OS.

There are apps that open them and will open them.

 

21 hours ago, ABP said:

It will not work with Apple's next OS.

Perhaps there will be a solution that makes it possible.

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@Iztok

Welcome to the Serif Affinity forums :)

Yes this is possible, but PDFs are really a viewing format, and do not include things like text styles or even text frames, though they can be guessed at on import. This thread is saying that INDD and IDML would give better quality import results than can be reasonably expected using PDF import.

Patrick Connor
Serif Europe Ltd

"There is nothing noble in being superior to your fellow man. True nobility lies in being superior to your previous self."  W. L. Sheldon

 

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For some, opening a PDF made from InDesign will be fantastic.  An example are advertisements. Some simple adjustments and re-link photos and done. 

For others, not. But I must say it's better than nothing.  InDesign (CS4) does not open PDF's.  I wish it didn't.  I don't get many clients sending me much more than a logo, photo and ad copy. But when they do send me PDF's I wish InDesign opened them like APub does.  Note that I haven't truly used any PDF's I've opened in APub... I've only opened them and looked.  So? 

That said the idml support will be better. I've open Quark files with InDesign every week as I receive content for publication. It's not perfect but it is better than a PDF screwing up text boxes. 

I know it's not very possible for Affinity to keep up to supporting indd files like InDesign does with Quark files. But I must say that was a key killer in regards to Adobe nearly killing Quark.  

Perhaps a third party will work on this and keep up with Adobes fixes. Especially being able to batch. 

On another note after using InDesign for so many years now and trying APub (which is amazing), my habits are hard to change. When the flow is happening and your mind is on the job, it's a bit difficult to focus on a new software. I've done this before going from Ready,Set,Go! (which was great).  Going back now and trying it, IT SUCKS BAD.  So.... this too can happen to APub users once you get used to it.  Like the rest of life. 

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Sorry, @BLKay is right, PDF import will often do a fine job

Patrick Connor
Serif Europe Ltd

"There is nothing noble in being superior to your fellow man. True nobility lies in being superior to your previous self."  W. L. Sheldon

 

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