Our graphics person uses Adobe Illustrator and we'd like to use her images inside our WPF application as paths. Is there a way to do this?
A:
Get her to export the illustrations as some other format (recent versions of Illustrator support SVG) that you can use or convert to something that will work.
ConcernedOfTunbridgeWells
2008-09-30 16:32:46
I am going to give this a try. Thank you
Scott
2008-09-30 17:39:25
I've tried this. The image that she created is 14,400 x 14,400 and when you convert to XAML using this plug in, it creates a viewbox and series of canvases and paths all at 14,400 x 14,400. Any attempt to change the size in Blend really screws up the image.
Scott
2008-09-30 17:32:31
+2
A:
We use Expression Design to do this.
Unfortunately, there currently is no free beta preview like Blend 2.5, however, you can download a trial copy (which I think you can use for 90 days).
If you don't want to go this route, I know that a lot of people also use Mike Swanson's exporter that is pointed to by curtisk above.
cplotts
2008-09-30 19:10:52
This is the ultimate route I took. I just copied and pasted directly from AI to Design, then exported the XAML. This worked out a little better than the SVG-to-Design route, athough that was an excellent suggestion. Thanks!!
Scott
2008-10-01 14:45:29
When Copy Pasting, did it keep the text as text or converted the text to paths?
gyurisc
2010-08-25 06:40:02
@gyurisc If you're talking about copy pasting from Design to Blend (using Copy XAML) .... it actually does keep the text as text. (I was surprised, I just tried this myself.) However, it added a MatrixTransform for the RenderTransform on the TextBlock which wasn't to my liking ... so I had to clean it up.
cplotts
2010-08-25 13:58:05
@gyurisc If you're talking about copy pasting from Adobe Illustrator to Design ... I had no idea that you could even do this! I have always just imported/opened the .ai file right in Expression Design. However, copy/pasting works too ... and it keeps Text as Text.
cplotts
2010-08-25 14:02:33
@gyurisc Finally, I always like to import and export (from Adobe to Design to Blend) ... saving intermediate steps along the way. I feel this gives the ultimate control and gives you save points to revert to if you need to iterate on something.When you manually export from Design to Blend, make sure you select the Canvas route and also select Editable TextBlock ... in order to keep Text as Text.
cplotts
2010-08-25 14:07:52
@cplotts I have not tried the Copy-Paste between Illustrator and Design. I should give it a try. My problem is the .ai import to design and that I loose the text what makes my file really really big
gyurisc
2010-08-26 08:27:33