Last Updated: May 12, 2008

XSL Formatter INX Output Option

XSL Formatter INX Option works with XSL Formatter and outputs INX (InDesign® Interchange) files.

Option Summary

INX is the XML file that is used to interchange between InDesign® and its older version, or other products such as InCopy®, Golive®. INX format keeps all of the InDesign® objects and properties as XML elements or attributes. XSL Formatter generates INX file from the Area Tree that is the intermediate format of the formatting.

By outputting INX files, you can edit the formatting result of XSL Formatter using InDesign®.

Product
• XSLFormatter V4
• PostScript Output Option
• PANTONE Option
• Web Service Interface
• INX Creator
• CGM Option
• SVG Output Option
• MathML Option
• Plug-in for xmlspy®
• Barcode Option
• WordMLToFO Stylesheet
• XML Viewer

Following is the snap shot of InDesign® GUI after reading INX file that XSL Formatter outputted. You can edit contents or output PDF using InDesign® functions.

InDesign snap when read INX file

INX output mode

In InDesign®, the object that holds text is called "text frame". There are 3 methods to create text frame in INX Output Option. User can specify it at output time.

  1. Text area output mode

    This mode generates text frame from text area. The text area corresponds to the fo:inline in XSL-FO. This mode can convert most closely to the result of the formatting result of XSL Formatter. Sometimes the different decorated successive inline areas are divided into plural text frames in INX output. Thus, it is sometimes difficult to edit after INX conversion using InDesign® in this mode.

  2. Line area output mode

    This mode generates text frame from line area. The line area corresponds to the each line generated from fo:block in XSL-FO. This mode enables line editing more easily than Text area output mode. But the conversion precision is behind in the Text area output mode.

  3. Block output mode

    This mode generates text frame from block area. The block area corresponds to the fo:block in XSL-FO. This mode is more easily to edit than above two modes. Instead the conversion precision is lost at expense.

Comparing three conversion modes from the perspective of layout reproduction and easiness of edit are as follows:

Layout reproduction

Good          Wrong
1   >   2  >  3

Easiness of edit

Good          Wrong
3   >   2  >  1

Limitation

Following limitations exist in INX OutputOption concerning XSL-FO elements and properties.

Table

  • Texts and images in the table cell are converted InDesign® anchor object. And the conversion mode is fixed to Text area output mode in the table cell.
  • Due to the differrence of character placement between XSL Formatter and InDesign®, the text in the cell sometimes go beyond the cell frame.

Border

  • Border styles other than double, dashed, dotted, dot-dash, dot-dot-dash are assumed solid.
  • Borders other than table cell are implemented by using line tool.
  • Border assignment for fo:table is ignored.
  • A diagonal rule is effective for table cell only.
  • A radiused rule is not supported. It is converted into square rule.

Graphic

  • About the graphic, because the graphic size cannot be correctly converted into INX, user must resize the graphic object by hand on InDesign®.
  • Supported raster graphic formats are BMP, JPEG, PNG, TIFF, GIF and supported vector graphic are WMF, EMF, EPS. Vector graphic such as SVG, MathML, CGM, Excel Chart are not supported. As the PDF is rasterized at reading INX on InDesign®, the graphic quality degrades.
  • INX output does not support background-repeat="repeat".
  • Graphic files are embedded into INX file.

Text

  • Due to the difference of character placement between XSL Formatter and InDesign®, occasionally the text frame cannot hold all of the texts. In this case, user must enlarge the text frame by hand.
  • If letter-spacing is specified, the text frame is made by every character.
  • Occasionally display result differs between XSL Formatter and InDesign, if text-align="justify" is specified in FO and the text contains U+200B.

Font

  • If non-exist font such as bolded MS-Mincho is specified in XSL-FO, it causes warning error when InDesign® reads the INX file. It is changed by alternative font.

Leader

  • Leader styles supporterd are double, dashed, dotted, dot-dash, dot-dot-dash, dots, use-contents. Other is assumed as solid.

Others

  • PDF book mark becomes unstructured.
  • INX Output Option does not support crop region.
  • INX Output Option does not support document information.
  • INX Output Option does not support annotation.
  • INX Output Option does not support ICC Color Profile.
  • INX Output Option does not support complex script language such as Hebrew, Arabic, Thai.
  • If a line has line number (axf:line-number), the output mode is fixed to text area output mode.
  • If the upper line and under line is specified at once, the under line takes the precedence. (Because in InDesign®, upper line is part of the under line.)
  • If text and graphic exists in one line, the output mode is fixed to text area output mode.
  • XSL-FO can define multiple page size master in one document, but InDesign® cannot do it. INX Output Option adopt first used page master when output INX file.

System Requirement

XSL Formatter V4.3 or later is required. System requirement depends on XSL Formatter.

Pricing and Licensing

Pricing

Type of license Price
XSL Formatter INX Output Option for Standalone $300.00
XSL Formatter INX Output Option for Server $1,000.00

Licensing

  • The license of XSL Formatter V4.3 or later is required to use INX Output Option.
  • After getting XSL Formatter a user can purchase INX Output Option as an option.
  • XSL Formatter INX Output Option is designed to work with XSL Formatter product version. It's not available to use only INX Output Option.
  • XSL Formatter INX Output Option can run only on a computer that it is installed by a user who is registered. This license does not allow to provide the function of XSL Formatter INX Output Option for other computers directly or indirectly that is accessible to the computer XSL Formatter is installed.

How to buy

You may buy XSL Formatter INX Output Option through our Resellers, or direct order to us. See also: Purchasing Assistance.

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