Load Page Plus Legacy Files

[Whisper3]

Why can't I find and load page Plus Legacy files, I have loads of them and have been using PP X2- X9 for years, mostly for writing educational guides etc. and changing them into PDFs.

I was hoping to be able to glide seamlessly, straight into Affinity, the same as Affinity Photo and Designer does with legacy files. I really don't like the idea that I may have to transfer text manually, just to be able to continue.  Unless I have missed something being a newbie to this program today. If not can this be done? After all, I have been looking forward to the launch of this program. 

Wisper3

[Callum]

Hi Whisper3,

Welcome to the forums!

I am sorry to hear that you are dissatisfied with Affinity Publishers inability to open PagePlus files.

We have said publicly since the announcement of Affinity Publisher that it will not open PagePlus files. This is due to Publisher and PagePlus having completely different codebases and not sharing the same feature set this means that if you were to open a PagePlus file in Publisher due to the features not being the same the document would be distorted and almost unrecognisable.

Thanks

C 

[Michael Taylor]

So if Affinity Publisher will not open Page Plus files, how do you suggest PP users access their old files with Affinity? Will it be possible to import or open pdf files that might have been converted from PP file, work of them and safe them as Affinity files?

Mike Taylor

 

[ernie-f]

Wow, thats poor.

I have tons of books I created woth PPublisher and now? All work again?

You dont think I'll do this. You will say you can't create a tool to convert native PP-files into Publisher? Is that thru?
The way to do with PDF is very pale. The PDF import in this Version (and Designer too) is very faulty.The others outside do a better job.

[DaveK16]

We went through this angst when photo and designer were released (or at least I did). After some deep thought about the reasons offered by the new programming team for the absence of compatibility, I came to the following conclusions;

The programs are not simply mega-updates of the Plus series from Serif - they are totally new programmes with a whole new and very different code base. To make the programmes able to accept Plus files would be nigh on impossible or severely limiting.

To create a conversion programme would entail a lot of work (different code base) - I'd rather the Affinity team concentrated on developing the Affinity series, especially since Publisher is still only in beta.

And with a blinding flash of recognition, I realised that my whimperings about all my 'legacy' Plus files was misplaced. They aren't legacy files because there aren't any new, super-charged Plus programmes that need to accept them. And I don't actually need a conversion programme because the vast majority of my Plus files are complete and I already have an excellent working programme on my PC that can load them and allow me to edit them and resave them. Yes, there are a few projects still in ongoing development and yes, these will either continue to be developed in PagePlus (which won't stop working just because Serif have abandoned it) or if they are likely to have a great deal of longevity, I will have to recreate them in Affinity - but I already have the text, images, icons etc saved on my PC along with the overall design/format so it's not a matter of recreating the content, just dropping it into the Affinity program and doing some reformatting.

Already created projects will stay as PagePlus and new projects will be developed on Publisher

So, for me at least, it's not really an 'end of the World' scenario.

And yes, I am a glass half full sort of guy

[Patrick Connor]

@DaveK16

Welcome to the Serif Affinity forums  

That is basically the approach we have taken in that the Affinity suites do not share any code with the Legacy range and the programming involved would be a mammoth task taking many 'programming years' and still not match feature for feature as there is not direct equivalence.

[ernie-f]

All right! I'm not the stupid little German who can only work with one program.
But you missed the claim to make a better DTP program.
PDF import, incorrect since AF-Designer. Performance of the Win applications is terrible, Adobe and all other manufactors of software bring better performance.
I don't want to be negative now but except for AF-Photo it's more of an amateur suite and not for professional use. A horror is the missing bleed view since the beginnig of AD until know no fix.
In Designer still nothing.
It looks like I'm not going to be a big fan of Affinity. A lot of positive things would have to happen to change it. 

[Alfred]

16 hours ago, Patrick Connor said:

@DaveK16

Welcome to the Serif Affinity forums  

That is basically the approach we have taken in that the Affinity suites do not share any code with the Legacy range and the programming involved would be a mammoth task taking many 'programming years' and still not match feature for feature as there is not direct equivalence.

As someone pointed out in another thread, the apps in the Affinity suite don’t share any code with Adobe Photoshop yet you manage to do a pretty good job of importing PSD files! Having said that, I can understand Serif’s decision not to spend time and effort on something which might well not end up being any better than the PDF import that we already have.

[Patrick Connor]

Agreed spending the effort on a file format of software that is still being developed seems to be a better use of the available resources. 

[ernie-f]

…and what is with the bleed-thing? Will it be fixed? Maybe in the next century?

[VolkerMB]

6 minutes ago, ernie-f said:

…and what is with the bleed-thing? Will it be fixed? Maybe in the next century?

Apparently you are not satisfied with the Affinity range but pretty happy with the features and performance of the Adobe Suite. That is totally fine. Nobody expects you to try out beta software. And nobody will force you to make a switch in the end. Adobe is not going to exit the market, so why don't you stick with their (quite capable) software. Or - if not pleased by them neither - look for something else? There is plenty of competition, e.g. Quark, CorelDraw, Corel PhotoPaint, Sribus etc...

[ernie-f]

Hallo Volker,

natürlich hast Du recht. Aber es ist nun mal so, dass Serif sich einen Anspruch gegeben hat und diesen nicht erfüllen kann.

Mach etwas besser – dann mach es aber auch besser. Das ist im Moment aber nicht der Fall.

Ich arbeite nicht nur mit Adobe, Corel, OpenSource etc. Software. Wer wie ich Geld mit seiner Arbeit verdienen will, muss sich  auch auf sein Werkzeug verlassen können. Und ein verbogener Nagel ist da nicht brauchbar, auch wenn er als das absolut Beste beworben wird.

[VolkerMB]

@ernie-f Sorry, that was not my point (I keep on writing in English so that others can join this conversation). The point is: APub is an early beta. With plenty of flaws. Did anyone exptected something else? Comparing it with InDesign CC 2017 that has been around for 20 years might be fun, but is a bit unfair.  Even once the first retail version has been released APub will come short on the feature list compared with ID or even QXP. But it offers an integration with a bitmap editor and a vector drawing application that is unprecedented. Combined with a consistent UI (in contrast to ID).  Additionally you will get this at a ridiculously low price point (by all standards!). If this is not value for money then I don't know what is! (The company I work for still has a couple of Adobe subscriptions, but just half the number we had a year ago - so there is an attractive business case for design agencies by switching to Affinity).

Although you are right regarding some bugs in ADesigner, it fullfills at least 95% of all requirements we have at our company (not ambitious enough? Maybe...). And with regards to the all-mighty market leader Adobe: I've tried to open an Affinity file in InDesign and Illustrator recently - but both programs failed terribly... Shouldn't Adobe have managed to create an import filter for Affinity files now that Affinity is around for app. four years?

Best, Volker

[ernie-f]

O.K. lets get the conversation in english so other users can follow it.
As I am self-employed and work for various publishers and agencies, I have to know, master and unfortunately also pay for all relevant programs.
Surely Affinity offers a lot for little money. I'm willing to spend more money and get the full performance for it.
It is good that the beta of the publisher has finally appeared but the current claim is not given. It is missing at all corners and ends. One should have taken some more time to bring out a product with essential functions. So this is a nice gimmick but not professionally usable.

Sorry for my bad english, it's not my mature language.