Exporting Question

[Jamie Christy]

I use Inspire 1.6 as my main design tool but to produce to edge I export. Here is what I have to go through:
1. Export From Insp. to Corel 8 by using .ai
2. Export from c8 using .eps
3. then import the .eps into Omega

Omega will not read .eps or .ai created by Insp. My problem is the .ai files, when opened in corel 8 need a lot of clean-up.

Anyone have any ideas?:

Thanks
Jamie

 

[Fred Weiss]

There are two import filters in Omega for AI and two for EPS. The newer ones have (GSP) after the file type. The older ones do not.

I would check to see how the old ones work and suspect that they will and will permit you to skip going through Corel altogether.

What you should realize however is that Inspire is an application that uses straight lines and arcs. It is not a Bezier curve application. This is one of the reasons it was discontinued in favor of Flexisign. As such, you have more nodes than you perhaps realize in your original file and more added when Inspire recreates the file as an EPS or AI export.

As a cross check, check when you are importing into Corel which import filter you are using. If you have the file type set to All Formats, it will select PostScript Interpeted rather than AI/EPS. This particular import filter will add a zillion nodes to the file. The AI/EPS version will do a much cleaner job.

Let us know if any of this helped.

 

[Colin]

Hi Jamie, I'm glad to hear there's someone else still using Inspire 1.6 - me too. I haven't done the change to Flexi due to the fact that Inspire does everything I want it to, and, the "upgrade" is so darn expensive. I'm told that Inspire will not run on XP, but mine does because I've upgraded to XP from '98 on a slightly older machine. I'm worried now that when I eventually need to upgrade to a newer system, I'll have to fork out the dough, or I'll just get a "cut" software for my CorelDraw.

One correction Fred: Inspire uses both beziers and arcs, you can convert them from one to the other with one simple command. I personally find the beziers a royal pain in the butt! They are SO lame compared to arcs. With arcs, there's none of those retarded node handles to deal with, you can just point & click on the line and move it. (I'm open to hear others' comments on this). Is Flexi Beziers only?

Jamie, you should be able to get an eps from Inspire to work. Fred has mentioned a few good points. Try the beziers or Arcs thing (under the "Graphics" menu) and see if one or the other works. I suspect that IF Omega is beziers only, it will want the file this way from Inspire. Muck around with it and let us know how you do.

Also, why do you need to export from Inspire to Corel as an ai? eps works fine for me. Just make sure you select "eps interpreted" when importing on the Corel end. Also, I think that if the vector file's physical size is really small in Inspire, it will be rough - not smooth, when imported to Corel, just enlarge it to take care of that.

Cheers

 

[Fred Weiss]

Colin, I used to be a CasMate reseller and a user of that product. It evolved to a Windows version which then evolved into Inspire.

The Bezier you see in Inspire is internal only and the math running behind it all is still CAD based lines and arcs. When it exports, it exports the lines and arcs.

The problem with Scanvec's approach was that to get clean cutting they used a routine which sent the job to the cutter using a final command to "smooth all points and align tangent to the next". Unfortunately, this never carried through to their export filters which often suffered in quality when imported into another application. Flexi, OTOH, has been likened to Illustrator on Steroids since it's original introduction. It is pure Bezier and uses PostScript interpreters as part of what it does.

Omega and Corel are also Bezier based and will do a clean job of importing most vector formats, providing they are saved in a low enough version to be read.

AI is the native format of Adobe Illustrator and contains page size and other information. EPS is the same AI file, as to the vectors, but without the page size information and usually with a TIFF preview and a placeable header. There is no benefit, other than having a preview, to EPS as far a opening them in various signmaking and desktop drawing applications. Either way you get the same vectors.

 

[Tony Teveris]

Ai / Eps / Ps / Pdf

I would like to state as a programmer that AI, EPS, PS and PDF are not a "format" but a language containing many commands (instructions). The interpreter of these commands be it a “RIP”, import filter, etc. determines the output effect of those commands. I can tell you first hand this is NOT and easy task.

 

[Jamie Christy]

There are two import filters in Omega for AI and two for EPS. The newer ones have (GSP) after the file type. The older ones do not.

I would check to see how the old ones work and suspect that they will and will permit you to skip going through Corel altogether.

What you should realize however is that Inspire is an application that uses straight lines and arcs. It is not a Bezier curve application. This is one of the reasons it was discontinued in favor of Flexisign. As such, you have more nodes than you perhaps realize in your original file and more added when Inspire recreates the file as an EPS or AI export.

As a cross check, check when you are importing into Corel which import filter you are using. If you have the file type set to All Formats, it will select PostScript Interpeted rather than AI/EPS. This particular import filter will add a zillion nodes to the file. The AI/EPS version will do a much cleaner job.

Let us know if any of this helped.

In Omega there are acually 3 different filter for .eps. But Fred, again, you are the man! The last one on the bottom of the list is ".eps Encapsulated Postscript" worked bautifully. Don't know how I missed it.
Thanks! :U Rock:
Jamie

 

[Fred Weiss]

Actually there are just two. The EPS (GSP) at the bottom is identical to the one near the top.

Glad to be of help Jamie.

 

[Tony Teveris]

Filters

Jamie, you missed it like most because, one there are too many filters, second the order should be in alphabetical (sp?) order.

The reason we leave the older ones in is because as soon as we take it OUT one of you users will scream. It should be configurable. Maybe we should have a poll on what to get rid of.