File formats that should be supported by Scribus (wish list)

Below is a list of file formats users think should be supported by Scribus. This doesn't mean that they will be actually supported, but the list will save numerous bug reports/RFEs. Feel free to add your suggestions. Please also see the Scribus FAQ on propietary imports

Note: Some of these formats may impossible to support for patent (in the U.S) and/or other practical reasons. Notably, no public documentation or mis-matches where a program X has a feature or vice versa. I have added some comments with * to indicate status or existing request --mrdocs 00:24, 17 March 2007 (CET)

=Import=

DTP

 * PageStream (file format spec is available here)
 * InDesign Exchange files (INX) IN PROGRESS
 * InCopy Markup Language (ICML).
 * InDesign Markup Language (IDML) DONE
 * FrameMaker Interchange Format (MIF). The spec is available (PDF) from Adobe.
 * Microsoft Publisher (PUB). While the PUB format isn't documented at all, it seems to use existing MS formats like DOC, WMF etc., so it may be possible to create at least a basic import filter.
 * QuarkXPress Tags – documentation available here and here (PDF) DONE
 * Xtags IN PROGRESS
 * Quark QXML files
 * Serif PagePlus PPP files (the new XML-based version). No spec available.
 * VivaDesigner XML files.

Text

 * AbiWord (initial, but maybe outdated info here and here. Contact the AbiWord developers for further information) IN PROGRESS. See: AbiWord Plugin Project.
 * AmiPro/WordPro (KWord has an import filter for sam files, OO.o can import lwp files). See also here.
 * Apple Pages *Basic documentation that may be sufficient for useable text import filters can be found here).
 * AppleWorks (AbiWord has an import filter for cwk files). IN PROGRESS. See: AbiWord Plugin Project.
 * Applix Word (KWord and AbiWord have an import filter for aw files). See also here and here. IN PROGRESS See: AbiWord Plugin Project.
 * DocBook (AbiWord has an import filter for xml and dbk files). References can be found here and here. IN PROGRESS. See: AbiWord Plugin Project.
 * KWord *Kword is moving to Open Document - already supported by Scribus. (AbiWord has an import filter for kwd files). See also here. IN PROGRESS. See: AbiWord Plugin Project.
 * LaTeX (might be possible via plasTeX to DocBook, then import DocBook using AbiWord Plugin Project)
 * LyX
 * MHTML (See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MHTML, http://people.dsv.su.se/~jpalme/ietf/mhtml.html)
 * MS Word 95 *Partly supported via antiword. If Antiword is installed, Scribus will automatically detect this. The Windows versions of Scribus have this already installed with the installer. IN PROGRESS. See: AbiWord Plugin Project.
 * Microsoft Compiled HTML Help Files (CHM) via CHMLIB. See: http://code.google.com/p/htmlhelp/wiki/CHM
 * MS Works (OO.o has an msw importer)
 * MS Write (AbiWord has an import filter for wri files.) See also here. IN PROGRESS. See: AbiWord Plugin Project.
 * Papyrus: No public spec available. Ask R.O.M. Logicware for the necessary information. IN PROGRESS
 * RTF (Cf. librtf) IN PROGRESS. See: AbiWord Plugin Project.
 * StarOffice Writer 3x-5x (AbiWord has an import filter for sdw files). Basic information can be obtained here and here. IN PROGRESS. See: AbiWord Plugin Project.
 * TextMaker No public spec available. Ask Softmaker for the necessary information.
 * WordPerfect *A library for that purpose already exists: libwpd IN PROGRESS. See: AbiWord Plugin Project.

Bitmap

 * Corel Photopaint – CPT files are based on TIFF, so that an import filter shouldn't be hard to write, according to Boudewijn Rempt.
 * GIMP -  The GIMP developers have specifically recommended against using XCF as an interchange or import as some of the format relies on GIMP internals. Export TIFF or PNG. DONE (GSoC 2008, via GraphicksMagick)
 * IMG/IMG GEM (still used by Corel Ventura Publisher)
 * Kodak Photo CD See here. DONE (GSoC 2008, via GraphicksMagick)
 * Krita (KRA): According to Boudewijn Rempt from Krita, "the pixel data is 64x64 blocks of as many bytes as needed for a pixel, and the rest is xml and self-explanatory."
 * Mac Pict PICT tech doc from Apple. XaraLX has a PICT import filter. DONE
 * Open Raster (ORA) -- Once a reliable spec is available ...
 * PaintBrush Image (PCX) (See: http://www.qzx.com/pc-gpe/pcx.txt) DONE (GSoC 2008, via GraphicksMagick)
 * PaintShop Pro (GIMP has an import filter), See here, here and here.
 * Photoline
 * Picture Publisher
 * Sun Rasterfile File Format Doc DONE (GSoC 2008, via GraphicksMagick)
 * Truevision Targa (TGA/VDA/ICB/VST) – TGA v1 specification, TGA v2 specification DONE (GSoC 2008, via GraphicksMagick)
 * Windows Bitmap (BMP, RLE) DONE (GSoC 2008, via GraphicksMagick)

Vector

 * Acorn Draw (Cf. http://bugs.scribus.net/view.php?id=112) UniConvertor can convert AFF to SVG and EPS. The spec is available here. DONE (GSoC 2008)
 * Adobe Illustrator - The native format of Illustrator 9.0+ is actually PDF. PARTIALLY DONE FOR 9+ IN 1.3.5, for older versions via UniConvertor.
 * Calamus Vector Graphics (CVG) DONE
 * Computer Graphics Metafile (CGM) DONE
 * Corel Draw – UniConvertor can convert CDR 7-X4 files to SVG and EPS. DONE (GSoC 2008)
 * Corel Presentation Exchange Format *UniConvertor can convert CMX to SVG and EPS. DONE (GSoC 2008)
 * Dia (See http://svn.gnome.org/viewvc/dia/trunk/doc/)
 * Enhanced Metafile - libEMF is a LGPL library.
 * Karbon14 (KARBON) from KOffice
 * KChart (CHRT) from KOffice
 * Kivio (FLW)
 * Macromedia Freehand
 * Micrografx/Corel Designer (DSF)
 * Micrografx Draw (DRW) IN PROGRESS
 * OpenDocument charts (ODC)
 * PICT (vector content) DONE
 * StarOffice Draw 3x-5x – Use OO.o code? --C schaefer 02:19, 16 February 2008 (CET)
 * MS Visio (vsd) and Visio XML (vdx). See vdxtosvg and the vdx spec. See also: http://www.redferni.uklinux.net/dia/vdx/
 * Windows Metafile *Cf. libwmf DONE
 * WordPerfect Graphics DONE
 * Xara Xtreme – The spec is available here (fschmid) DONE
 * Xfig DONE
 * XPS (The spec is available from MS).

Resources

 * GIMP gradients (ggr) DONE
 * OpenDocument gradients (sog) IN PROGRESS
 * Photohop gradients (grd) IN PROGRESS
 * Illustrator gradients (AI/EPS)
 * Illustrator vector patterns (AI/EPS)
 * Photoshop patterns (pat)
 * GIMP patterns (pat) DONE
 * OpenDocument hatching (soh)
 * OpenDocument pattern table (sob)

Other

 * Acorn !Impression (Cf. http://bugs.scribus.net/view.php?id=115).
 * A spec (sort of) can be found here.
 * Code to read files can be found here.
 * Apple Keynote
 * OpenOffice.org Presentation
 * OpenDocument Presentation
 * PowerPoint 95
 * PowerPoint 97-2003
 * StarOffice Impress 3x-5x

The difficulty with presentation file formats is they often have embedded objects beyond the native graphics.


 * ChordPro (see http://bugs.scribus.net/view.php?id=3408) IN PROGRESS


 * InDesign Proof Profiles (IDPP)

=Export=
 * PDF/X-1a DONE
 * PDF/X-4 DONE
 * PDF/X-5
 * XPS


 * ICML
 * IDML
 * Xpress Tags
 * Xtags