Your expectations

[quasado]

See https://twitter.com/quasado/status/225991305082310656 for flickering on videos

Alex

[tadpool]

NEW SOFTWARE
IMPORT
I would like "any" new software to be able to import my existing Freehand files into the new program. I don't expect seemless, but better than AI.
SPOT COLORS
I've worked in prepress and AI users can creat multiple version of the same spot color and it is difficult to get all graphics/object back to one version of the same spot color*. This has been one of my real gripes/headaches.
ACCESS LAYERS
*I would like to be able to click-down through the layers when multiple graphics are overlapping. InDesign has a similar feature - which I find useful.
PASTE-INSIDE
Have to keep this feature!
That's all for right now. - SoCal-U.S.A.

[daveleo76]

Here are some of the important Freehand features I want retained in the new 'Freehand Clone': (At least stuff I could remember for now. I might add more later on)
• The very wide space outside the page/es where we can put unused elements and photos which can be used later on. Unlike the VERY tight space available in InDesign.
• ALL Freehand keyboard shortcuts
• Multiple photo import unlike in Illustrator where you could only import one photo at a time.
• Exact clone of all Freehand windows

Here are some improvements / additions I want:
• In the current Freehand, color transparencies on top of photos do not appear when exported to PDF. I hope that would be fixed
• 'Multiply' option on color blocks/shapes and transparencies.
• Be able to open the latest Illustrator/EPS vector files
• More vector brushes. Not just the 'calligraphy tool' Freehand now has.

That's all for now. Thanks!

[p_allan]

Please, I would like to be able to open my old FH files. I have so many that I would rather not have to do all over again. Make it as intuitive as FH and be able to print in RGB. I know that CMYK is necessary to most of you, but don't lose RGB in the shuffle.

[FFH Thü]

Don't worry. RGB is the basic color mode of any application. It can not be lost and it is as essential for a design software as is CMYK anyway.

[prokoudine]

The first most important option is that Expressive will be able to open Freehand documents of any version as they are, also keeping intact the multiple panels presentations at it was saved in Freehand. I don't know how
challenging this wish is for you programmers and software designers, but unless we can get our hands to our original Freehand documents as they were saved, there is no getting out of this.

Rest assured that you will never get 100% compatibility People think it's easy. Well, it's not. Not in case of Freehand.

FH is a very complicated file format with quite a few questionable design decisions. My bet is that unless you have a dedicated developer who works just on FH compatibility at least a year, you won't have reasonable support even for v5-v11 (older versions of file formats tend to be simpler, though).

We spent few months reverse-engineering FH in our spare time and we only got as far as basics of v10 and v11, with some bits known about v8 and v9.

Compared to that, even CDR was easy enough (we got v1-X6 parsing/converting in under half a year), and VSD was just a piece of cake, really.

Also, the fact that latest FH doesn't open all FH documents most likely means that there were behaviour/internal changes in FH over time that cannot all be represented without adding tons of crappy solutions.

[vaa]

1- What FH docs doesn't FH open? I do not remember it happening to me, but I have few very old docs (they were mostly updated on customer demand at least once every second year so they are in FH 9, 10 or MX.
2- Is the idea of having a dedicated FH engine (perhaps under licence) to convert and THEN open vintage docs feasible?
3- A script which would search all FH docs on all HDs then convert them (in place or in one selectable location) to one usable format (keep the font live!) might be enough for most needs, whaddya think?
4- Whatever the complexity, I believe for many the conversion is essential.
I think that if FreeFreeHand has any leverage left on A. after this catastrophic negotiation, please, using it to obtain access to the necessary file format from A. would be the least thing they can still do. Reverse engineering does not sound promising…

[prokoudine]

1- What FH docs doesn't FH open?

MX11 only opens v5.x+, not older.

I think that if FreeFreeHand has any leverage left on A. after this catastrophic negotiation, please, using it to obtain access to the necessary file format from A. would be the least thing they can still do. Reverse engineering does not sound promising…

And put it online, like they did to the up-to-date PSD spec two years ago (after years of bugging them about it). Yes, that would totally make sense.

[Jules V]

Would need spot Pantone colours please, pretty essential for corporate stuff

[gudrunanna]

HI FFH THU
Thank you for your effort trying to free freehand from Adobe.
Sadly it did not work out so we must go on with plan B. I like the idea about Expressive. My expectations and hopes are that this application will be able to open Freehand files. Also that in future you can do works in Expressive with similar tools like in Freehand. Paste inside is important. How color swatches work, punch tool and expand stroke. Also it is important to me that it will be easy to convert or paste Expressive files to Illustrator or InDesign. Because often designers need to deliver there artwork in those applications. I have already donated some money to Quasado. Hope that many people will do so also.
Let make this happen.