Vectordesigner can’t import pylab/matplotlib eps/pdf files

A research colleague of mine suggested to me that Vectordesigner, a powerful yet lightweight vector drawing application might prove to be a good tool for gathering research plots into figures for publication.  I started using it about 6 months ago, and was largely impressed, however I noticed that it was having trouble importing the plots that I was making with pylab.

Specifically, the imported pdf and eps files were losing their formatting, getting their size changed, fonts changed, and sometimes even lines would lose their formatting.  After trying everything I could think of, I was about to break down and throw VD in the trash can, and get used to the confusion of Illustrator.  (I tried to email the makers VD three times, and never got one reply.  Great customer service guys, considering I actually spent $70 instead of just stealing it like everyone else…)

Finally I figured out how to solve the problem.  All I had to do was uncheck the little box “Parse file contents” on the import sub-menu.  I can’t “ungroup” what results, and transparency for eps files is still messed up but at least now my plots look right.  Hope this helps someone else; I feel bad trashing Tweakersoft, but man, all it would have taken was a 2.5 second email saying “Were looking into it” on ONE of my three emails.  Customer service just isn’t what it used to be…

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