Pagmaker/Quark to Calamus

Is it possible for someone to write a converter so that either types of these formats can be directly converted and imported from calamus. Many times people come with either of these types and they don't want to hear "well you have to export it in eps or ps". They want "yes we can". I think this would even help Calamus in sales at least here in America. If inverse could advertise -- importing Quark/Painmaker on the fly -- this surley would get peoples attention especially at the price. AN CALAMUS IS POWERFUL ENOUGH TO SUPPLY THE BUYER WHAT THEY NEED --- NO GIMMIKS!

As a matter of fact, we cannot support direct import of "open" Pagemaker/Quark/InDesign etc. document files in Calamus. The same is true for these programs if you want them to directly import Calamus CDK documents.

A Calamus document is a very complex data structure which is subject to frequent changes. If you want Quark to open Calamus documents, you want Quark TO BE a Calamus and vice versa.

We started developping a real XML import/export right now ...

As a matter of fact, we cannot support direct import of "open" Pagemaker/Quark/InDesign etc. document files in Calamus. The same is true for these programs if you want them to directly import Calamus CDK documents.
A Calamus document is a very complex data structure which is subject to frequent changes. If you want Quark to open Calamus documents, you want Quark TO BE a Calamus and vice versa.
We started developping a real XML import/export right now ...

what is a XML?

also Ulf, don't the other programs have a way of converting the others files so that they can be imported. I see this in their advertising. In the ad's they read import convert pagemaker so you can import. Whether Calamus reads the literal info is one thing. But it seems like it should be able to take either of these 2 programs files and convert it so that it becomes a cdk. I say it as if I mean Calamus, I mean to say another program should do this.

: )

Gene

what is a XML?

XML is the new Internet format standard which will solve many problems of the now existing and frequently used HTML format.

I mean to say another program should do this.

Understood. As the Calamus CDK structure is closed in the MGI Non-Disclosure Agreement contracts, we are not allowed to give it to other software houses without permission of MGI. The CDK structure, too, is subject to frequent changes.

This makes it a little bit difficult ;-) for Adobe and others to implement CDK output in their applications.

The other way (Calamus would import Quark or Pagemaker files) is as difficult as the first way, too. All developers who managed to kind of import Quark files, had to HACK the document structure of Quark documents. This structure is not published until now. Etc., pp.

what is a XML? XML is the new Internet format standard which will solve many problems of the now existing and frequently used HTML format.
I mean to say another program should do this.
Understood. As the Calamus CDK structure is closed in the MGI Non-Disclosure Agreement contracts, we are not allowed to give it to other software houses without permission of MGI. The CDK structure, too, is subject to frequent changes.
This makes it a little bit difficult ;-) for Adobe and others to implement CDK output in their applications.
The other way (Calamus would import Quark or Pagemaker files) is as difficult as the first way, too. All developers who managed to kind of import Quark files, had to HACK the document structure of Quark documents. This structure is not published until now. Etc., pp.

What do you mean this structure is not published until now? If you mean quark and pagemaker then does that mean we will get a converter program eventually. The idea is not so that one program will be like the other but rather so that we who use Calamus can take the mainstream file and deal with it. Since we don't it's hard to get people to come to us cause they don't even know what postscript is...ALL THEY KNOW IS THEY HAVE A PAINMAKER OR QUARK FILE...and as soon as we say we'll output it to postscript they call the next company who will take it.

I would love to see this happen.

Sincerely Gene

what is a XML? XML is the new Internet format standard which will solve many problems of the now existing and frequently used HTML format.
I mean to say another program should do this.
Understood. As the Calamus CDK structure is closed in the MGI Non-Disclosure Agreement contracts, we are not allowed to give it to other software houses without permission of MGI. The CDK structure, too, is subject to frequent changes.
This makes it a little bit difficult ;-) for Adobe and others to implement CDK output in their applications.
The other way (Calamus would import Quark or Pagemaker files) is as difficult as the first way, too. All developers who managed to kind of import Quark files, had to HACK the document structure of Quark documents. This structure is not published until now. Etc., pp.
What do you mean this structure is not published until now? If you mean quark and pagemaker then does that mean we will get a converter program eventually. The idea is not so that one program will be like the other but rather so that we who use Calamus can take the mainstream file and deal with it. Since we don't it's hard to get people to come to us cause they don't even know what postscript is...ALL THEY KNOW IS THEY HAVE A PAINMAKER OR QUARK FILE...and as soon as we say we'll output it to postscript they call the next company who will take it.
I would love to see this happen.
Sincerely Gene

sorry about the typos.... I mean to sayas soon as we say "well we need the postscript" then they will run to the next shop who does use Quark or Painmaker.

what is a XML?

snip ... snip ...

as soon as we say "well we need the postscript" then they will run to the next shop who does use Quark or Painmaker.

Gene, I just read the entire thread, and just a comment.

Even if Ulf and Company wrote a convertor (filter, if you will) I wouldn't expect to always have 100% compatibility. It would be a moving target.

Even Microsoft can't accomplish this with different versions of MS Word, either forward or backwards compatible. I know that Word 97 will not correctly interpret some Word 6 macros. and Word 2000 has problems with some Word 97 macros. We won't even mention the supposed ability of a newer version saving the file correctly for an older version. (Just for those features available in both versions.

AutoDesk has the same problems with AutoCAD.