Footnotes/Endnotes

[kfriis]

1 hour ago, Pedrober said:

I am quoting https://affinity.serif.com/en-us/publisher/ipad/?fbclid=IwAR0moAEsCMQvJcemy4HRPoJf00KX6oI6p7MLEU8cGckP4Hrj44kyI05mts4:

"We’re aiming to launch Affinity Publisher for iPad soon, alongside some other major developments to the rest of the Affinity suite!"

Maybe footnotes?

It doesn't look as if it is a worthwhile addition to my iPad anymore.

I need comprehensive Word file import (with style handling(creation), and as a minimum full footnotes, endnotes and decent ePub export (fixed format) with full support of audio, video and html widget animation. Probably even full support of unencrypted ePub material import too.

What would have sufficed a year or more ago, will not cut it anymore.

Publisher on iPad doesn't really matter. It's just another platform, delivering lacking support for my needs. Why would I pay for that?

Publisher is a dead end for me and my use cases, unless dramatically extended in capabilities. A primarily, if not only "print media/magazine" targeted tool, has the same value for me, as a film based "Super 8" camera for a Tik-Tok creator (in other words - a tool for yesterdays market, quietly vanishing into oblivion    

Regards

[PaoloT]

2 hours ago, kfriis said:

Tik-Tok creator

I fear Serif indeed forgot all that ever growing market of tik-tokers in need of endnotes and an equation editor.

Paolo

 

[sfriedberg]

13 hours ago, kfriis said:

It doesn't look as if it is a worthwhile addition to my iPad anymore.

We thought you gave up on all this back in June, kfriis.

[kfriis]

11 hours ago, PaoloT said:

I fear Serif indeed forgot all that ever growing market of tik-tokers in need of endnotes and an equation editor.

Paolo

 

Ah, yes… it’s guaranteed, that someone would get the wires crossed, and misunderstand my message (on purpose?) 🙏🏻

[kfriis]

1 hour ago, sfriedberg said:

We thought you gave up on all this back in June, kfriis.

I have, and still do. But I continue to follow the topic, just in case.

And decided to comment on the upcoming iPad version mentioned, and Publisher in general (for my use cases).

Regards and a big, holier than thou smile 😇🤪🙏🏻

[spinko]

15 hours ago, kfriis said:

Publisher is a dead end for me and my use cases, unless dramatically extended in capabilities

1+

[Will Wallace]

Publisher is a dead end for me, too -- not only because of the lack of footnote support, but also because of the lack of EPUB export/conversion.

Quite honestly, it's like the developers are working overtime to ensure that people WON'T buy their program.

 

[Pyanepsion]

3 hours ago, Will Wallace said:

Publisher is a dead end for me […] because of the lack of EPUB export/conversion.

There is much difference between producing a medium on paper (CMYK universe, fixed positions, fixed dimensions, layering of objects, enormous file weight, high resolution) and producing a medium on the Internet (RGB universe, variable positions, unknown dimensions, no overlapping of objects, very light file weight, low resolution).

An EPUB book is not created with DTP software extension, but with specialized software (30 to €100). The extensions that exist for QuarkXpress and Indesign are pitiful and give a result that is anything but professional.

[John Kay]

Books are still more popular for reading and are still generally preferred by most readers to reading from a screen. DTP programs today need to cover all the traditional requirements of paper book publishing. This market won't go away. The best program that copes properly with all its requirements, with all its faults and shortcomings is PagePlus X9. It is still working as well as it ever did and I wouldn't be without it. It is a crying shame that Serif have washed their hands of it and have not seen fit to incorporate all of its excellent qualities in Publisher.

John

[PatrickOfLondon]

Likewise. I can understand why Serif / Affinity discontinued Page Plus X9 while they were hoping that Affinity Publisher would replace it in the market, but as AP still has not done so in certain functional areas, why not offer PP X9 as an old and unsupported but still viable alternative for certain types of user. When it became a legacy product it was on sale for about £20. Sell it at the same price as Affinity Publisher if you are fearful of taking too much away from Affinity Publisher sales — but at least offer it, while it still does the things that Affinity Publisher cannot do.

[mixedcolors10]

Hi everyone I just joined I did a trial run of affinity and loved it and I'm considering getting it for some book projects. I wasn't going to make a new post for a question I have since this topic clearly has been discussed through the brain. But I simply wanted to know that if you import(or copy and paste) a document into affinity will it still bring over the number that you have superscripted in word? I understand it won't be formatted the same but if I have to go page by page and format my footnotes I would like to have at least the number that I assigned in my text there for me to work with. Thanks. 

[Will Wallace]

16 hours ago, Pyanepsion said:

There is much difference between producing a medium on paper (CMYK universe, fixed positions, fixed dimensions, layering of objects, enormous file weight, high resolution) and producing a medium on the Internet (RGB universe, variable positions, unknown dimensions, no overlapping of objects, very light file weight, low resolution).

An EPUB book is not created with DTP software extension, but with specialized software (30 to €100). The extensions that exist for QuarkXpress and Indesign are pitiful and give a result that is anything but professional.

Serif PagePlus could export to EPUB -- and it wasn't through an extension.

 

Of course formatting a file for EPUB is different than formatting for print. Nobody said otherwise. But the program Affinity Publisher replaced could export to EPUB, yet after years of requests, Affinity still hasn't added that capability to Publisher.

There's an old saying: "Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me." As far as I'm concerned, Affinity isn't interested in repeat customers, or in recommendations. I can't in good conscience recommend that anyone waste their time and money on Affinity Publisher. YMMV.

[kfriis]

On 10/7/2022 at 7:54 AM, Pyanepsion said:

There is much difference between producing a medium on paper (CMYK universe, fixed positions, fixed dimensions, layering of objects, enormous file weight, high resolution) and producing a medium on the Internet (RGB universe, variable positions, unknown dimensions, no overlapping of objects, very light file weight, low resolution).

An EPUB book is not created with DTP software extension, but with specialized software (30 to €100). The extensions that exist for QuarkXpress and Indesign are pitiful and give a result that is anything but professional.

There really is not much difference between a fixed format pdf and a fixed format ePub (for some reason, ePub detractors mostly relate to fre-flowing novel content or alike), seen from the editing tool perspective.

I use the same tool for pdf and ePub (fixed format), where possible. No difference in work environment, media, content etc).

Only when using “interaktive” elements, video or audio, there are differences.

Mostly this is reduced to me positioning a 16:9 video (for instance) replacing a 16:9 image (with hugely reduced content and usability). Similar for interactive elements. One image with limited to no usability in real life is replaced by a “widget” (in real life inserted as a ‘complete blob’ to be scaled and positioned in the same way as an inserted image, and ready formatted for inclusion as a complete element - akin to videos, but different in composition and content).

PDF output Is a modified/reduced Postscript description representing a fixed format document of required size (similar to physical prints, but portable in digital format).

EPUB output is a slightly reduced/modified html description (in this case) representing a fixed format “web page“ with dynamic elements with predetermined position and size (just as images, but far more powerful in use and content).

In fact, most ePub documents (one unit analogous to a one unit pdf) can be exported directly as a web page too. The same tool can output fully formed pdf documents (with heavily limitations in usable content), fully formed epub documents and fully formed web pages, that can be published as part of corporate or publishing networks.

Same tool. Publisher with the capability to accept and manage “blobs” of inserted media, like audio, video and animation, and delivering the material in standard epub or html output format instead of pdf. The actual editor interface will to a huge extend be similar to identical.  Only minor modifications due to extra format handling is required.

No “rocket science” at all required. Just a broadening of minds and minimal extension of capabilities.

You may not need it.

I do. Have had the main requirement of epub handling since start of 2013.

Regards

 

 

 

 

[pfbt]

I love Publisher for what it does do, but it's been a major disappointment that, to date, it's not lived up to the promise of being a replacement for InDesign. I think we can truthfully say it was a reasonable expectation.

Via Twitter, I reminded Serif that communication is everything. Companies like Apple might be able to get away with saying nothing about what they're developing because we know that at least twice a year they deliver something.

Right now, there seems to be no hint of whether Serif is even working on Publisher. Their lack of communication on topics like footnotes might have been excusable for, say, a year. But more than 4 years down the track, they're saying nothing. Very poor form and does nothing to engender ongoing trust in the company.

I'd  like to see them concentrate less on all the fancy integration between Designer, Photo, & Publisher for a time while they simply get in the functionality that we've been pleading for.

Meanwhile, I will keep using Publisher for documents that don't require footnotes, etc. However, for documents/books requiring footnotes, endnotes, cross-referencing it's Mellel (which is truly fantastic with those features).

[Pyanepsion]

On 10/7/2022 at 2:15 PM, mixedcolors10 said:

if you import(or copy and paste) a document into Affinity will it still bring over the number that you have superscripted in word?

Hello Mixedcolor10 and welcome to the forum.

Affinity Publisher correctly handles superscripts imported from Word (as well as styles). The Footnote feature is not yet integrated. It is necessary to create them by hand in the old way. See examples of footnoted files on several pages further back in this discussion.

@Will Wallace: No EPUB extension in any DTP software is satisfactory! It is much better to buy specialized software. Expect to pay between £35 and £70 for the best pay ware.

@kfriis: The print and screen industries are very different! The Postscript Description File (PDF) is also very different from electronic publication files (EPUB). There is a lot you can do on a paper document, a little less on the Internet, and very little on an e-book.

 

[spinko]

discussing footnotes for APublisher is like discussing Trump's crimes and expecting an indictment. It may or may not happen. 🙂

Affinity, what is the roadmap for the desktop version (I can't see myself working on a tablet for DTP) ? 

Thank you.

 

PS maybe there should be a Pro Version of AP with all the bell's and whistles (c.f. Adobe InDesign). The current version reminds me of an app called Swift Publisher my kids used years ago to format their school publications. (Just checked and It actually still exists). Not a bad app by any means.

[PaoloT]

1 hour ago, spinko said:

The current version reminds me of an app called Swift Publisher

You are very far from truth.

Paolo

 

[Will Wallace]

2 hours ago, spinko said:

The current version reminds me of an app called Swift Publisher my kids used years ago to format their school publications. (Just checked and It actually still exists). Not a bad app by any means.

Swift Publisher, however, is only available for Mac -- not available for Windows.

[spinko]

2 hours ago, PaoloT said:

You are very far from truth.

Paolo

 

truth ?

[Pedrober]

The new version is coming. It will be a big disappointment if it doesn't include footnotes support.

[Last Chance]

Agreed - I saw the nonsense video and assume the big announcment is for APub to become a grown-up program at last.

 

Here's a link to the video:

https://affinity.serif.com/

[Will Wallace]

1 hour ago, Last Chance said:

Agreed - I saw the nonsense video and assume the big announcment is for APub to become a grown-up program at last.

 

Here's a link to the video:

https://affinity.serif.com/

That right there is an extremely cringe-worthy video. "Nonsense" doesn't even begin to describe just how painfully idiotic it is.

[Jim Slade]

I bought publisher as a small investment in the company, knowing that I would not be able to use it. I that was was a little something I could do to help people get off Adobe as soon as possible.

Adobe has demonstrated why the public should never fall for the subscription model scam. There has been virtually no improvement in Creative Suite in 20 years.

Of course the same could said about M$ Word which is trying to sell the subscription mode as well. I had to upgrade from Word 2011 to Word 2021 when I got my M1 Mac. I have yet to find any feature improvement that benefits me. Word still cannot justify text with any degree of reasonableness. Word still can't hyphenate property. Word's style handling is still atrocious. The only thing new I have noticed is the "read aloud" command where the OS did (and still does) the same thing for you.

I am looking forward to Nov. 9th.

[Ramon56]

2 hours ago, Pedrober said:

The new version is coming. It will be a big disappointment if it doesn't include footnotes support.

Don't hold your breath. Serif has already disappointed me enough.

[spinko]

2 hours ago, Pedrober said:

The new version is coming. It will be a big disappointment if it doesn't include footnotes support.

... and multi-page-spreads and a bunch of other niggling details ... but judging from the video, the new version should be all we are hoping for ... and ... much more 🤪 ... We'll have to see if the hype is justified. I would be prepared to pay for software that can break my dependance on Adobe (but no subscription, please !)