Importing from Legacy Products! (Serif PagePlus and DrawPlus)

[Jim B]

I was a buyer of all of the legacy Serif products for decades, constantly upgrading and as an amateur user of them found that they satisfied my needs.

Continuing my career as a serial buyer I've bought Affinity Photo, Designer and now Publisher but I am very disapointed to find that in producing these products the company has completely ignored the legions of people who supported them in the past as Publisher (in particular) does not recognise the old Serif PagePlus or DrawPlus files which cannot, it appears, be imported.

I guess I've wasted cash upgrading to the latest products as I am forced to continue using the legacy products to access my existing files?

 

Edited June 25, 2019 by Jim B

[Lee D]

@Jim B

Welcome to the Serif Affinity forums  

The Affinity range is completely new and uses many new technologies when compared to the Plus range of apps. Due to these differences the Affinity apps can't directly import the older Plus range documents. However if you export to PDF or SVG  first you'll be able to import them in to the Affinity apps and use all the new tools and features, then save in the newer file format which can be opened in any Affinity app on macOS, Windows and iPad.

[Jim B]

Thanks Lee, I'll try that.

[Mario S]

11 hours ago, Lee D said:

@Jim B

Welcome to the Serif Affinity forums  

The Affinity range is completely new and uses many new technologies when compared to the Plus range of apps. Due to these differences the Affinity apps can't directly import the older Plus range documents. However if you export to PDF or SVG  first you'll be able to import them in to the Affinity apps and use all the new tools and features, then save in the newer file format which can be opened in any Affinity app on macOS, Windows and iPad.

This is not a satisfying answer and also not the first of this kind.

I  think you should merge Jim B to the following threat

Open PagePlus (*.ppp) file

Never mind, you guys already closed this topic in 2018 

Edited June 26, 2019 by Mario S

[Patrick Connor]

@Mario S

Welcome to the Serif Affinity forums.

The answer given by Lee is the best work around we have for someone who wants to use the current range with legacy documents. We have explained many times in that thread we are not adding import for any of the legacy range (specifically PagePlus, DrawPlus, or PhotoPlus). We realise that this means continuing to use those applications for precise editing of legacy documents or exporting and importing using PDF SVG and PSD files to move between ranges.

@Jim B For any purchase from the Affinity Store there is a 14 day money back guarantee, [that started on launch day 19th June, not your Publisher purchase date] If you think this was wasted money we would rather you got your money back than felt unhappy with your purchase. Your 2016 purchase of Designer is obviously not covered.

[Jim B]

Maybe I'm being a bit over sensitive this morning but I'm disappointed to feel that that seems to be about the closest I've had to 'get stuffed' from any company I've been using for 20 years or so.

As is the decision to not include the means of opening legacy documents in the Affinity range, in my opinion.

I never learn, keep buying stuff and not using it.

What a pity, never mind.

Edited June 26, 2019 by Jim B

[Mario S]

Hi Patrick,

Let assume, that I am willing to convert all my over 3.000 files into PDF, which can change the colors of the design slightly, but still significant if you are a printing company or just picky like me.

Unfortunately, I have to go through this procedure no matter what program I choose for the future.

What is guaranting me that the same doesn't happen in the future to the affinity files, if there is a new product line lunched?

 

Cornerstone-rem.pdf

Cornerstone-rem.ppp

[Patrick Connor]

How often are you opening 3000 .ppp files at the moment (in PagePlus)? 

Why convert anything you aren't using regularly. I suggest you use PagePlus on your .ppp files and whichever application takes your fancy on new documents.

[Mario S]

On average, I am using 10 .ppp files a day and I am adding new files every day. These files are print ready and I use them as a proof and backup. I used to save all my files as a PDF, but because I had some issues with color change, objects missing etc. sometimes when reopening the file in PagePlus, I started to save them as .ppp files only.

The problem is, that no matter how careful you look to find these defects, the chances are, you are going to miss something and there is always somebody pickier than you, which is the customer.

I can easily lose $300 just because some check box wasn't there and the customer needs the product the next day.

It is not necessary to me to import .ppp files directly into Affinity, which would be ideal and for me it is incomprehensive why it isn't done, but any reliable option to get the files transferred into the new program will do.

A file converter perhaps, which I would be happy to buy.

[NilsFinken]

Nothing keeps you from continuing to run PagePlus alongside Affinity Publisher for existing publications  - neither is by subscription ().

I, for one, am happy to have access to alle the new features of Publisher and do not wish to go back to PagePlus despite its features. Importing from legacy products rarely seems to work flawlessly (try Quicken or even Lightroom for example...). 

Embrace progress! :-)

 

[Jim B]

....until 'progress' (pause for laughter!) means that the next Windows update stops the now abandoned PagePlus from working at all.

[Martha Aitchison]

As Jim B,  I also bought all the SERIF products starting way back and while I was happily using Page Plus my computer broke down. Program and key sunk with it. No matter I told myself, the good old Serif team have come up with even better stuff and I bought Publisher, Photo and Designer. Only to find that .ppp files are  not supported! I have loads of files I need. Are you going to help here or shall I shoot myself?

[Bad_Wolf]

You can shoot yourself or you can export your .ppp files to PDF or you can download the PagePlus setup file again. But as I understand it, you do no longer have the PagePlus setup file and license key.

If I remember correctly, your license keys are in your Serif account. I think you can also download PagePlus from your account but here it is possible I am mixing things up. However, if you cannot download from your account, contact Serif and I am sure they will find a way so you can install PagePlus again.

I searched and found two links for getting your legacy downloads and license keys :

For your product key : https://www.serif.com/legacy/product-keys/

For your downloads : https://www.serif.com/legacy/downloads/ and older ones are here https://community.serif.com/forum/customer-services/4872/downloading-legacy-products

Serif was very clear from the very beginning, that those legacy software would not (never) be supported. I agree that this can be a very big problem but it is what it is and we have to accept that. In my opinion keep working with those legacy software is asking for trouble.

I wish there was a magic formula but I am afraid there is none. Keep an open mind and look for ways around the problem.

Chris

 

[Phil Friel]

I have all of my legacy Serif software on the original physical discs, plus all of the serial codes saved in a text file, plus all of the manuals, associated books, etc. I have boxloads of the stuff, virtually every piece of legacy Serif software going right back to Pageplus v1. So I've been with Serif right from the start and bought almost everything that they ever released. I'll never have a problem with reinstalling old Serif software, as long as I have an old Windows computer to run it on.

But Jim B has an excellent point. Windows is at version 11 now, and it's only a matter of time before Windows no longer supports Pageplus/Drawplus/Photoplus. It's not a matter of IF but WHEN. What do we do then? The only thing I can see is to permanently keep an old Windows 7 computer running just for the legacy Serif software, but that's simply not a realistic option for the majority of people. There is also the fact that many people have moved on to the Affinity software and have no wish to keep working with old software, but they absolutely still need to use the files produced by the legacy software, preferably in the new Affinity products.

I'm in the same boat as many others, with thousands of Pageplus, Drawplus and Photoplus files, and would love some kind of converter or import option to get those files into the Affinity software. We aren't talking about Serif having to actually support the legacy software, just provide an option to import the files from legacy software into the new software. Why have they not done this long ago? Forgive me if this has been answered elsewhere, but I've never seen a clear explanation.

Is it a matter of too much trouble/can't be bothered to implement? In which case this doesn't reflect well on Serif's attitude towards long term customers or bode well for the future, if the same situation ever arises again.

Or is it a technical/compatibility issue, meaning that it simply can't be done? In which case we'll just have to move on and try to find workarounds.

I'd just like to understand the reason(s).