Copyright: Copyright © Micrografx, Inc., 1994


AI Translator Help Topics

Importing an AI File

Exporting an AI File

AI Output Filter Setup Dialog Box

Creating a New Profile

New Profile Menu Dialog Box

Import Considerations

Export Considerations

Compatibility

INI File Settings

Limitations of the AI File Format


AI Export Setup Dialog Box
AI Output Filter Dialog Box

The AI export translator allows you a convenient way to export Adobe Illustrator AI files from Designer for use with other applications. When you click the Setup button for the AI export translator, the AI Output Filter Setup dialog box opens.

Profiles

You can choose Standard Options - AI or a profile you have created from the Profiles list box, depending on the format you want. AI is an Adobe Illustrator drawing.

New Button

Click New to create a new profile. The New Profile Menu dialog box opens. Type a name in the Profile Name box, and choose an existing profile on which to base the new profile from the Template Profile list box. Your choices for color translation, line cap mode, text as curves, and gradients, and so forth are saved to the new profile. Profiles you create are saved with an asterisk (*) at the beginning of the name.

Delete Button

To delete a profile you have created, choose the profile name in the Profiles list box and click the Delete button. You cannot delete the original profiles.

Defaults Button

Click the Defaults button to return the dialog box to its original settings.

Color Translation

Choosing Normal exports all colors in the Designer drawing to the nearest available color in the AI format. If you choose Inverse, black is changed to white, red is changed to green, blue is change to yellow, and so on.

Choose Gray Scale to change each color to a corresponding shade of gray. Choose Inverse Grays Only to change only the gray colors to their inverse color (that is, dark gray to light gray, light gray to dark gray). Choose Inverse Gray Scale to change all colors to their inverse shades of gray.

Line Cap Mode

You can choose either Device or Stroked. When you choose Device, all exported lines are mapped and converted to the closest matching line style in the AI format. Choosing Stroked exports all lines with an exact simulation of the original line styles and caps.

Export Text as Curves Option

This option lets you select whether you wish text to be exported as text, or simulated by first converting the text to curves before it is exported. Text that is exported as text will lose special attributes such as line fills, and might map to a different font than the one selected. However, such text can still be edited.

Text that is exported as curves will retain the same appearance, but will not be able to be edited as text in the target application. Only text in a scalable font can be converted to curves.

Export Gradients Option

This option lets you select whether you wish gradient fills to be exported using a solid color (if deselected), or simulated by converting the gradient to many solid-filled polygons before it is exported (if selected). Exporting a gradient fill as a solid color saves disk space. Exporting a simulated gradient retains the same appearance, but uses more disk space.

OK Button

The OK button closes the AI Output Filter Setup dialog box and saves the configuration settings for use with all following translations.

Cancel Button

The Cancel button closes the AI Output Filter Setup dialog box without saving any changes to the configuration settings.

Related Topics

Procedure information

Compatibility

INI File Settings

Limitations of the AI File Format


Exporting an AI File

To export an AI file:

1.	Select the symbols you want to export. If no symbols are selected, the entire page is exported.

2.	Open the File menu and choose Export. The Export dialog box opens.

3.	Choose a drive and directory for the exported files destination, if necessary.

4.	Type a name for the file.

5.	Click the down arrow in the List Files of Type list box.

6.	Choose AI - Adobe Illustrator AI. Designer automatically adds the proper extension to the filename.

7.	Click Setup. The AI Output Filter Setup dialog box opens.

8.	Choose the AI profile you want.

9.	Choose the color translation you want.

10.	Choose the line cap mode you want.

11.	Choose Export Gradients, if necessary.

12.	Choose Export Text as Curves, if you want.

13.	Click OK.

14.	Click Export. Designer exports the file in AI format.

Note: If you skip steps 7 through 13, Designer uses the settings previously used when exporting to an AI file.

Related Topics

Dialog Box information

Creating a New Profile

New Profile Menu Dialog Box

Compatibility

INI File Settings

Limitations of the AI File Format


New Profile Menu Dialog Box

The New Profile Menu dialog box lets you name a new profile and select an existing profile on which to base the new one.

Profile Name

You can type a name in the Profile Name box.

Template Profile

You can choose an existing profile name from the Template Profile list box (including ones you have already created) on which to base your new profile.

Related Topics

Creating a New Profile

AI Output Filter Setup Dialog Box


Creating a New Profile

To create a new profile:

1.	Click the New button in the AI Output Filter Setup dialog box. The New Profile Menu dialog box opens.

2.	Type a new profile name in the Profile Name box.

3.	Choose a profile from the Template Profile list box to use as a template.

4.	Click OK.

5.	Choose other settings in the AI Output Filter Setup dialog box and click OK.

Note: All the settings you choose, except for the check box options Export Gradients and Export Text as Curves, are saved to the new profile.

Related Topics

New Profile Menu Dialog Box

AI Output Filter Setup Dialog Box


Importing an AI File

To import an AI file:

1.	Open the File menu and choose Import. The Import dialog box opens.

2.	Click the down arrow in the List Files of Type list box.

3.	Choose AI- Adobe Illustrator AI Drawing.

4.	Change to the drive and directory you want.

5.	Highlight the name of the file you want to import.

6.	Click Import. The dialog box closes and the imported file appears in the drawing area.

Related Topics

Compatibility

INI File Settings

Limitations of the AI File Format


Limitations of the AI File Format

Patterns

Adobe Illustrator does not support bitmaps, gradients, masked symbols, or symbol fills, so these features do not export. The Export Gradients option in the AI Export Setup dialog box lets you choose how gradients are translated to the Adobe Illustrator file.

Related Topics

Compatibility

INI File Settings


AI Compatibility

The AI translator is compatible with Adobe Illustrator 4.0.

Related Topics

INI File Settings

Limitations of the AI File Format


Import Considerations

Miscellaneous

Patterns are all vector type and are not supported.

AI does not differentiate between Edge attributes and Line attributes.

AI line dashes are user defined, and therefore a best-match algorithm is used to map them to pre-defined types.

Clipping paths are not supported.

Variable word spacing is not supported.

Justified text is not supported.

Independent Characterwise Kerning is not supported.

Related Topics

Importing an AI File

Limitations of the AI File Format

AI Compatibility


Export Considerations

Miscellaneous

Only Even/Odd fill mode (skip overlaps) is supported.

When using only the AI subset of EPS, bitmaps are not supported.

Auxiliary color is supported only for hatch patterns.

AI does not support strikeout and underline as a text attribute.

AI patterns are tile definitions that are replicated and masked against the area to be filled. Only Adobe Illustrator and Postscript printers will support this.

Even text justification is not supported.

Related Topics

Exporting an AI File

AI Output Filter Setup Dialog Box

INI File Settings

Limitations of the AI File Format


INI File Settings

The AI translator stores configuration information in the files named IMAI9.INI and EMAI9.INI for import and export, respectively. AI export options are automatically configured in the AI Output Filter Setup dialog.

Related Topics

Compatibility

Limitations of the AI File Format