Is it possile to import to Draw a layered vector file (.cdr, .AI, etc) and preserve the layers as seperate entities?
Try it. It depends on the availability of graphic input filter.
PS: when asking here, always mention OS name, LO version and, when doculent files are involved, save format. Also, it would be nice to cite explicitly the application used to create file (.cdr = Corel Draw? .AI = “a”-“eye” or “a”-“ell”???).
Hi,
Thanks for the response. I did try to open both Corel Draw (V24) *.cdr and Adobe -.ai into LibraOffice Draw 7.5.4.2 under Win 10 and Linux mint. In all four cases all the different layers just got merged into one layer – and hence where unusable.
Which is why my question is generic – though I perhaps did not emphasise the generic nature -. So”
Is it possible to import to any version of Draw on any operating system a layered vector file (E.G. produced by Corel *.cdr, adobe Illustrator *.ai, or any other source {except LibraOffice Draw}) and preserve the layers as separate layer entities in Draw?. If so, from what source to what sink?”
Peter
It depends on the abstract definition of a “layer” and on the public nature of the document structure specification. then some developer should have implemented an input filter accepting as many features from the format as possible.
I had a look at the Draw-supported file formats (in Insert>Image) and I didn’t see .cdr (nor .
xcf for GIMP either). I wonder how you could open it.
Draw is not an image manipulation program. It is intended for simple diagrams. It indeed has layers but I don’t think the concept can handle the sophisticated implementation of GIMP, Photoshop or others.
OK thanks again. If Draw is not intended for that kind of use – I guess I should look elsewhere. Re the corel .cdr – I just opened it. Whist I have not looked deeply – a .cdr with only one layer may well open fine.
Peter
I don’t get good results opening .ai or .cdr in LibreOffice. Inkscape can open .ai and layered/grouped svg files better than LibreOffice, but it cannot open .cdr.
Converting in original program to .svg might be a way to use the files more readily in LibreOffice.
Looks like this is leading me in a useful direction - thanks
It is; just the import filters are imperfect. Even though Draw supports custom layers, the existing layers in the specific external file formats are ignored, which is a bug - and that was what @ajlittoz told, when hinted that it needs to be implemented. If there is no bug report, there would never be a fix.