[Solved] Using OO Draw with Lotus Freelance files

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henryfm
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[Solved] Using OO Draw with Lotus Freelance files

Post by henryfm »

For over 20 years, I have maintained a detailed strip map (essentially a sketch map) to show the route of an 80 km event. A lot of work has gone into this, so I would like to preserve the data. However, I created the map on Lotus Freelance, which is becoming increasingly obsolete. In W10, I have to use an old compatibility mode. I print it to a .pdf file, and then print that. It works at present, but I am concerned that I will lose the capability in the future.
Can OpenOffice help me? Firstly, can OO Draw open Freelance .prz (or .pre) files? Not necessarily, the latest version of OO; if the current version can't open these files, is there an earlier version that I can get that would? My main computer used W10, but I also have a Win XP machine.
The sketch map uses many vectors, i.e. lines and arrows (straight, bent and curved), shapes (filled in, various patterns), and grouped items (schematic fences, gates, etc), all of which can be copied, moved, twisted, modified. Does OO Draw have this capability?
Last edited by Hagar Delest on Wed Nov 16, 2016 9:41 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Reason: tagged [Solved].
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Stan101
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Re: Using OO Draw with Lotus Freelance files

Post by Stan101 »

I have the same problem. Have you found a solution?
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RoryOF
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Re: Using OO Draw with Lotus Freelance files

Post by RoryOF »

Officially OO cannot read Lotus pre/prz files. They may be readable by old versions (pre 2002) of Powerpoint, so it is worth seeing if OO can attempt this. If you wish. upload a file to the forum and someone will see if it can be read.
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henryfm
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Re: Using OO Draw with Lotus Freelance files

Post by henryfm »

I haven't come across a solution yet, Stan101
Following your suggestion, RoryOF, I am uploading (simple) versions of .prz and .pre files, extracts from larger (4 page) maps.
I got the message that .prz and .pre are not allowed, so I added .txt to the file names. Download the files and remove the .txt extension, accept that file may become unusable!

Any suggestions would be appreciated
Attachments
Changes 2016.PRZ.txt
Added .txt to file name as .prz not permitted
(51.47 KiB) Downloaded 262 times
CHANGE~1.pre.txt
Added .txt to file name as .pre not permitted
(42.88 KiB) Downloaded 264 times
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RoryOF
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Re: Using OO Draw with Lotus Freelance files

Post by RoryOF »

Neither opened for me in OO 4.1.3.
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henryfm
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Re: Using OO Draw with Lotus Freelance files

Post by henryfm »

Thanks for trying - For completeness, I downloaded the files, changed file type by deleting .txt and they loaded into Lotus Freelance; they hadn't been corrupted.
Does anyone else have an alternative idea?
Last edited by henryfm on Tue Nov 15, 2016 3:23 am, edited 2 times in total.
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Villeroy
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Re: Using OO Draw with Lotus Freelance files

Post by Villeroy »

What's wrong with Lutus Freelance? You have it. Use it!
Please, edit this topic's initial post and add "[Solved]" to the subject line if your problem has been solved.
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henryfm
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Re: Using OO Draw with Lotus Freelance files

Post by henryfm »

Yes, I am using it, but I can see it's not future-proof. I have to use it in a compatibility mode in W10. How long will that be available? W10 is progressively and secretly updated, meaning existing features are removed without notice to accommodate new features/ without full integrity checking that backwards compatibility is being maintained. I can't print to a printer; I have to print the file to a .pdf file and then print that. OK, it's not terminal, but indicative. I'm not sure how good Draw/PowerPoint would be for drawing and copying, i.e. editing the maps, so I want to keep both balls in the air. One thing for certain, I can include pictures (e.g. road signs) with PowerPoint (and I assume Draw). It came as a surprise that Freelance won't include pictures! How times have changed over the last 2 decades - pictures are now the norm!
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Stan101
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Re: Using OO Draw with Lotus Freelance files

Post by Stan101 »

henryfm
Do I understand that you have Lotus Freelance installed and working in Win10?
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henryfm
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Re: Using OO Draw with Lotus Freelance files

Post by henryfm »

Yes, I have managed to get Freelance (97 Edition) to work in W10, in compatibility mode, Win XP (Service Pack 3).
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Villeroy
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Re: Using OO Draw with Lotus Freelance files

Post by Villeroy »

This is the natural consequence of using proprietary file formats. In W10 compatibility mode you can use it for several years to come. Wikipedia says that this program can save Powerpoint presentations. OpenOffice can open Powerpoint presentations more or less well. I would expect that https://libreoffice.org/ can do even better.
Please, edit this topic's initial post and add "[Solved]" to the subject line if your problem has been solved.
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acknak
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Re: Using OO Draw with Lotus Freelance files

Post by acknak »

If you can open the file, have you looked into the possibility of export/save in some format that OO can open? SVG maybe? CGM? WMF/EMF?
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henryfm
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Re: Using OO Draw with Lotus Freelance files

Post by henryfm »

Thanks for the contributions. My initial problem was that my version of Freelance did not have an option to save to Powerpoint. My work-round was to load PowerPoint 2000 on an old XP machine, copy .pre file across, read into PPT and export as .ppt. I did get multiple slides (some info said I would only get one), with changes that would require time-consuming editing (change of line width, colour, text format, even page size). So, I have a route forward; I just have to identify the best drawing software to use. I may continue to use Freelance, but at least knowing it won't be a dead end; I can get out later.
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DougCH
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Re: [Solved] Using OO Draw with Lotus Freelance files

Post by DougCH »

henryfm wrote:Yes, I have managed to get Freelance (97 Edition) to work in W10, in compatibility mode, Win XP (Service Pack 3).
As it happens I have all the Lotus SmartSuite millennium edition elements working in 'normal' W10 mode.
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henryfm
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Re: [Solved] Using OO Draw with Lotus Freelance files

Post by henryfm »

Interesting - but can you get the millennium edition still?
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