I just purchase the full version of X7, because my CorelDRAW X3 was too old to qualify for the upgrade. Unfortunately the very first time I attempted to open one of my older images I received this beautiful error.
This file was last saved in version 3.0. Files from CorelDRAW 5 and earlier versions are no longer supported and cannot be opened or imported in CorelDRAW version 17.0.
I cannot find any discussions or information on how to migrate these images. I still have my X3 installation, so I suppose I can export the image into a compatible format of some type. However, I am really irritated that Corel doesn't seem to have this documented in an easy to find location. I seem to remember having this problem back when I bought X3 and having to use a third party tool to migrate my older Corel images. Is there such a tool available today? (I found one that would convert them to AI format.)
Note to Corel: This is really unprofessional. You said I couldn't get a discount to upgrade older software, but did not mention that the images would be incompatible and not importable.
For the record: I exported is as an AI file in CorelDRAW X3 and opened it in CorelDRAW X7 without any problems, quickly made the changes that I needed for the website update and saved it as a CDR file. I don't know what I would have done if I didn't have a working copy of X3. How is it the Adobe team knows how to maintain format compatibility over the years, but the Corel team doesn't?
van_cleef said:> Please read the error message again. It says version 3.0 and not X3. X3 = 13.0. Running X3 and opening the file, the file information doesn't tell you what version the file is... However, it says it was last modified in 1993! (Since I pulled it out of a tar archive, it thinks the create date was yesterday. :) ) However, if I go to save it, it clearly states that it is version 13.0. Which means the error message is incorrect.
Go to File > Document properties.
If you open the 3.0 file in X3, and then SAVE it as X3, and then open the X3 in X7, it should work just fine. So maybe you dont save it as X3 before opening up in X7.
van_cleef said:> Have you tried to publish to PDF...? Out of the long list of formats show in "Save As", is there one that will maintain the vector formats and still be readable by Corel X7? Normal PDF format doesn't seem like a good candidate, however Adobe Illustrator might be.
Open the File > Publish to PDF in X3 and X7. I am not sure if 3.0 actually Published to PDF/Export to PDF. Version 3.0 is an old version as you know. See to that you use the PDF type I mentioned. If you do, then yes, you wil be able to open it. BUT if you open the 3.0 in X3 and save inside X3 to a X3 file, then just open that directly in X7. No need to use Publish To PDF.
Normal PDF? In the Publish to PDF and Export, you choose in the dialog settings the PDF format type you need.
van_cleef said:I want to use the components of my old images as part of updating my web site to add support for mobile devices. It would really suck if I had to change the look and feel of the site just because Corel engineers were too incompetent to maintain image support across multiple generations or provide an image migration tool.
The engineers at Corel as you put it, are not incompetent. Please.
You wouldnt be totally sure in opening a Adobe Illustrator 1.0 file in the latest CC either. But lets not go there. Its a blaming back and forth game, and I am not so much into that.
van_cleef said:It blows my mind that they didn't even bother to change the file extension to indicate that things have evolved. What is up with that?
Seriously?
You are talking about a file that is originally 3.0. Now there are tons of issues to why a file format that old, either works or not.
> You are talking about a file that is originally 3.0. Now there are tons of issues to why a file format that old, either works or not.
I agree with that statement. However, it doesn't justify the lack of documentation. The only reference to older versions by Corel was that you could not get an upgrade discount for anything more than 3 versions back. Nothing about file compatibility anywhere on their web site. The reason I bought the new version of the software and paid over $400 was to avoid issues like this! I assumed, incorrectly, that older images would be imported and updated. That was my mistake.
> Go to File > Document properties.
Right clicking on the file name in windows and selecting properties tells me it is "CorelDRAW X7 Graphic (.CDR)", since that was the last software package installed that flagged itself as the owner of that extension.
When I opened the file with X3, it said it was 13.0 for probably for the same reason. It was going to save it as a CDR file, which it took for granted was version 13.0.
Check out www.zamzar.com . They can convert almost anything. Now that I know that the AI format can be used to migrate older images, I will be able to use them in the future.
No program provides backwards compatibility for over 20 years. You can't open any CDR files in AI.