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)
- QuarXPress Xtag files – documentation available here and here (PDF)
Text
- AbiWord (initial, but maybe outdated info here and here. Contact the AbiWord developers for further information)
- AmiPro/WordPro (KWord has an import filter for sam/lwp files)
- 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.
- Applix Word (AbiWord has an import filter for aw files.)
- DocBook (AbiWord has an import filter for xml and dbk files.)
- KWord *Kword is moving to Open Document - already supported by Scribus. (AbiWord has an import filter for kwd files.)
- LaTeX
- 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.
- MS Write (AbiWord has an import filter for wri files.)
- Papyrus
- RTF (Cf. librtf)
- StarOffice Writer 3x-5x (AbiWord has an import filter for sdw files.)
- TextMaker
- WordPerfect *A library for that purpose already exists: libwpd
Bitmap
- Corel Photopaint
- 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.
- Kodak Photo CD
- Krita
- Mac Pict PICT tech doc from Apple. XaraLX has a PICT import filter.
- PaintShop Pro (GIMP has an import filter)
- Photoline
- Picture Publisher
- Sun Rasterfile File Format Doc ImageMagick can convert it
- Truevision Targa – TGA v1 specification, TGA v2 specification
Vector
- Acorn Draw (Cf. http://bugs.scribus.net/view.php?id=112)
- Adobe Illustrator - The native format of Illustrator 9.0+ is actually PDF. PARTIALLY DONE FOR 9+ IN 1.3.5
A closer look at ai2svg, an Illustrator to SVG converter written in Python might be useful. Moreover, skencil and sK1 have native ai support.
- AutoCAD Interchange
- Corel Draw – UniConvertor can convert CDR 7-X4 files to SVG and EPS.
- Corel Presentation Exchange Format *supported by skencil and sK1
- Enhanced Metafile - libEMF is a GPL library, UniConvertor can convert EMF to SVG and EPS.
- Macromedia Freehand
- StarOffice Draw 3x-5x – Use OO.o code? --C schaefer 02:19, 16 February 2008 (CET)
- Windows Metafile *Cf. libwmf DONE IN 1.3.5
- Xara Xtreme – The spec is available here
- Xfig MOSTLY DONE IN 1.3.5
Other
- Acorn !Impression (Cf. http://bugs.scribus.net/view.php?id=115)
- 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)