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

From Scribus Wiki
Revision as of 16:32, 2 November 2010 by C schaefer (talk | contribs) (→‎Vector)
Jump to navigation Jump to search


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

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 (AFF) DONE (GSoC 2008; UniConvertor)
  • Adobe Illustrator DONE
  • Autocad Drawing Exchange Format (DXF) DONE (GSoC 2008; UniConvertor)
  • Calamus Vector Graphics (CVG) DONE
  • Computer Graphics Metafile (CGM) DONE
  • Corel Draw DONE (GSoC 2008; UniConvertor)
  • Corel Presentation Exchange Format DONE (GSoC 2008; UniConvertor)
  • 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) DONE
  • OpenDocument charts (ODC)
  • Apple PICT DONE
  • Hewlett-Packard Graphics Language (PLT) DONE (GSoC 2008; UniConvertor)
  • 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 (jghali) DONE
  • WordPerfect Graphics DONE
  • Xara Xtreme (XAR) (fschmid) DONE
  • Xfig (FIG) DONE
  • XPS (The spec is available from MS).

Resources

  • Swatches (see the format documentation
    • Adobe formats (acb, acbl, acf, aco, act, ase, bcf, clr)
    • AutoCAD (acb)
    • Corel formats (cpl, pal)
    • Generic (eps, ai) DONE
    • GIMP (gpl) DONE
    • OpenOffice.org (soc) DONE
    • Quark (qcl)
    • sK1 DONE
    • Swatchbooker (sbz)
    • VivaDesigner (xml) DONE
  • Gradients
    • GIMP gradients (ggr) DONE
    • OpenDocument gradients (sog) IN PROGRESS
    • Photohop gradients (grd) IN PROGRESS
    • Illustrator gradients (AI/EPS)
  • Patterns
    • 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.

  • InDesign Proof Profiles (IDPP)

Export

  • PDF/X-1a DONE
  • PDF/X-4 DONE
  • PDF/X-5
  • XPS
  • ICML
  • IDML
  • Xpress Tags
  • Xtags