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Native support for Affinity formats in other software


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Hi Affinity team. Love the software. I have it all on my PC and iPad.

So what is the chances of getting native support for the Affinity formats in other programs like After Effects and Cinema 4D? I do use EPS currently, but it would accelerate my workflow massively if I could just pull in the Affinity documents directly.

Is the Affinity format documented, so that a third party could maybe make an importer for other software?

 

...g

www.slowlymakingsmoke.com

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  • 4 weeks later...
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At this moment in time.... Pretty close to 0%. Our file format is quite complex. We have no plans to document it, or provide an API.

 

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  • 2 weeks later...

Thanks for the reply Ben. Understand the complexities must be quite hectic and constantly evolving. Maybe something that could be looked at down the line? And might I be so bold as to suggest making the format Open Source? You guys have done something special with the blending of pixel and vector based art and I could see the adoption of your format across the industry. Affinity as THE standard would be a good thing.

 

...g

www.slowlymakingsmoke.com

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On 1/3/2019 at 12:04 PM, fxgogo said:

You guys have done something special with the blending of pixel and vector based art

Not to discount Affinity's achievement in any way but this isn't really something new. Canvas could already do this 20 years ago in a single program, but it does leave some things to be desired on other fronts (e.g. typography support for OpenType features, but they are working on a rewrite to allow for unicode use etc.) Canvas is formerly from Deneba and was initally Mac only, now from ACDSee but recently turned into a semi-independent subsidiary of ACDSee.

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Their (Serif's) legacy previous generation is even older....

And well, Canvas ( I got some old versions in magazines, I'm with computers since '85) seems now is... 600 bucks perpetual license. And I keep suspecting from those vendors who are now (or even if for a while) introducing subscription as an option (here we are a ton of refugees running from that...)

And in a certain way, Xara did as well, too (it's an easy UI to work with pixels and vectors, tho never liked the raster take at it). I don't see the point. Today's Affinity offer is not just a bargain, is a collection of great factors (price, purchase-ONLY, UI, ease of use, pro capability, impact in so many people, cross platform, lightweight, modern). So, whether or not has a set of features similar to others, older or recent, for me what is ground breaking is the combination of factors. How I can have an entire suite (for my needs, which are extremely varied, and professional, and Davinci and Blender do the rest of what I'd ever need, plus my usual set or arsenal of utilities) for ~ 150, with 3 main apps.

More on topic, is always an issue. Top dogs wont help in any way competitors to open their native files. In the other direction, even if Affinity's would document their format... I mean, I'm very sure Affinity is starting to be a slight bit of a worry to Adobe: I don't see them clearing Serif's path by making their apps fully compatible with  theirs...that tends to happen when/if the competitor gets the 1st place, and becomes dominant. But then the situation would be a extremely different one, and not likely to happen any time soon... (if ever. And I'm very fine with it..)

I always see a very clarifying way in what happens with FBX format from Autodesk, and the spartan tries of Blender team to make importers and exporters for that. And I've watched a Ton's video on some details of the situation, which tells you why it simply wont ever happen, or very rarely ( a top dog making it easy for a dangerous competitor, even if quite below its position).

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Yes, I don't expect other software to open Affinity's native files anytime soon. So it is up to Affinity to support the major proprietary file formats in an at  least decent way to import them as good as possible and in some cases also export to those formats.

Canvas is aimed at a different kind of user than Affinity, so there is not really a competetion between the two, not to mention that the current Canvas implementation is severely outdated in some aspects compared to the Affinity trio of programs. That being said, it is nice to be able to use a single program for all this stuff if implemented well. So I really hope the integration between the Affinity programs is working as advertised as that will make quite a difference.

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Yes, I don't expect other software to open Affinity's native files anytime soon. So it is up to Affinity to support the major proprietary file formats in an at  least decent way to import them as good as possible and in some cases also export to those formats.

I'd love that, but that's also a hard path....I mean, the problem is that those companies are not making their proprietary, native formats open, fully open. IE, the case of FBX, as far as I know. So, is really difficult for a developer to play a guess work there, or that I have been told by several friend developers. And these are formats that store a ton of native stuff, related with how the internals, features work in those apps. Maybe wouldn't be even enough if counting with a complete specification. and for the same reason, I don't see ( in the line you also agree) that those companies would be facilitating that internal info, either... But I speak about a field (programming) which I don't know, just its effects on my workflows.

So , the 'at least decent way', might be just a flattened one layer, no text info, etc...Not that useful, or, if reaching that situation, is better to use a more commonly supported format (Tiff, etc), if all what one can get is a very simplified flat export/import... IMO.

I bet they, like me, would love that it'd be possible to open a native ps file and be able to do a seamless import even with very complex files (files also with smart objects, etc).

I see in the export a similar issue. If they can't know how is that internal file structure, how could they build a complex layered file with layer effects, etc, that would open perfectly and fully seamlessly in PS? I mean, again, I'm speaking without having any real clue on the issues. But is what seems from outside, to me.

 

AD, AP and APub. V1.10.6 and V2.4 Windows 10 and Windows 11. 
Ryzen 9 3900X, 32 GB RAM,  RTX 3060 12GB, Wacom Intuos XL, Wacom L. Eizo ColorEdge CS 2420 monitor. Windows 10 Pro.
(Laptop) HP Omen 16-b1010ns 12700H, 32GB DDR5, nVidia RTX 3060 6GB + Huion Kamvas 22 pen display, Windows 11 Pro.

 

 

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