Xara File Format Compression

[sculptex]

Is there any way to turn off the file compression when saving a Xara file?

I am trying to parse a file and am failing when I hit the TAG_STARTCOMPRESSION followed by rec len 4, data bytes 63 00 00 00. I then hit 8d as the first byte of the zlib compression stream which is invalid?

At least if I could turn the compression off, I could get on with it!

[Odat]

There are two ways you can go here...

The more technical thing here is that in Xara essentially calls inflateInit2 (&stream, -MAX_WBITS) instead of inflateInit (&stream). Essentially this tells zlib that it shouldn't expect to see any zlib header information in the compressed stream, which is probably the error message that you're getting.

On a less technical front, if you get ExpandXara from http://support.xara.com/index.php?_m...temid=10&nav=0
and run it, it will create an uncompressed file for you to parse. If you do this, you'll notice a few records in the file with tag 9999. This is a bogus tag that expandxar inserts into the file in place of the records that turn on and off compression, since some of the records back-reference other records in the file. It also replaces the original creator information in TAG_FILEHEADER with information about itself, which may or may bother you.

Coincidentally I was fighting with this very problem just last week!

[PhilM]

Hi Sculptex & Odat,

Use regedit to set the Options/Filters/CompressV2Format value to 0.

For other readers: Obviously we don't recommend this for most users and you can damage your installation of Xtreme and Windows if you make mistakes in the registry so don't be tempted to change this unless you really know what you're doing.

PhilM

[sculptex]

thanks v much guys, I am spoilt for choice!

now I can get on and parse, parse, parse!

[remi]

You're also able to export your drawing as ASCII text, if you choose "File" -> "Export" -> Filetype "Xara (*.wix)". This creates a ASCII file for debugging or learning the structure of .XAR files.

Regards,
Remi

[GerryI]

You can also hit Ctrl-Shift-8 in Xtreme and Xtreme Pro to open a special file format debugging dialog. While this dialog is open, any .xar,.web or .wix file imported into the document by drag and drop will not actually be imported but will be displayed in the dialog instead (e.g. open the dialog and then drag a .xar file into the document view, not the dialog itself).

Gerry

[sculptex]

COOL - that debug is awesome!

Thanks guys, only shame is I already wasted a lot of effort trying to create something that already existed

[accessD]

Eahhh!!

I knew about this dialog, but I can not figured out to DRAG file in Xara.
Now I know. Thanks, it is great help. Little too late

[huorn]

whoa!! that can't be found in help, thx a lot
about compression, i think best way for xara is link option in bitmaps import