Does PS read .WMF?

AK
Posted By
Alian_Kovaks
May 24, 2005
Views
783
Replies
17
Status
Closed
One of my software generates some WMF pictures.It’s easy to read in Word, etc, and it’s a "vectorial" file (I’m not sure of the correct word… I’m a french user…).
I thought Pshop won’t have any problem… I was wrong. Does the new version CS2 read the WMF now? Or if somebody have a solution to help me?

Thanks.
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read wmf

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S
stevent
May 24, 2005
WMF – windows Metafile, IS a vector(close) file format used for clipart in MS Word primarily.

Vector images are composed of Paths instead of Pixels like raster(Bitmap) images; therefore the ideal use of vector images would be for logos and web animation like Flash – the advantage with vector images, is that they can be scaled to any size and resolution without any loss in quality.

Photoshop can’t open WMF files – even though Photoshop has some vector capabilities(paths, vector shapes etc) it is a Raster editing application. Adobe Illustrator IS a vector editing application and can open and edit WMF.

For just viewing the WMF, try IRFANVIEW <http://www.irfanview.com/>
BL
Bob Levine
May 24, 2005
Steven,

A good description, but not for WMF. WMF don’t support bezier curves so any curve is going to be made up of a whole lot of small straight lines. If you scale them up too far, they get pretty ugly.

As far as getting them into PS, you’ll need another application. You could place them in Word, create a PDF and open that in PS. You could also open them in Illustrator or CorelDRAW and save them out as EPS. That can then be opened in PS.

Bob
S
stevent
May 24, 2005
oh yes, forgot that WMF has no bezier curves – I never use the format anyway. Thanks for the reminder Robert!
DG
Dana_Gartenlaub
May 24, 2005
Why bother? It sounds like the WMF files are for a specific purpose that Photoshop doesn’t address. You need to use Illustrator or some other program that uses the format.
SA
sm_adelhoff
May 25, 2005
There’s a freeware import filter which is able to read wmf and rasterize it (it’s imported into PS as bitmap). If I remember correctly, it’s name is WMFFORMA.8BI

Sven
AK
Alian_Kovaks
May 25, 2005
The software I use is a mapping software (Editop). It creates geographical maps, and the ability to zoom is quiet nice. But the software isn’t complete yet, and I need to add some texts to these maps.

But by using the solutions you said, that should work. Thanks a lot, everybody!
S
stevent
May 25, 2005
If you import the WMF into Photoshop, it will no longer be a vector image, and you won’t be able to save it as such.
Adobe Illustrator or Macromedia Freehand (maybe) is what you need to edit these files.
S
SpaceGirl
May 25, 2005
wrote:
If you import the WMF into Photoshop, it will no longer be a vector image, and you won’t be able to save it as such.
Adobe Illustrator or Macromedia Freehand (maybe) is what you need to edit these files.

You could paste the image in as a smartobject. It is still editable, and still remains vector….
I
ID._Awe
May 25, 2005
Re: "WMF don’t(sic) support bezier curves so any curve is going to be made up of a whole lot of small straight lines."

Don’t know where you got that idea, but it is totally wrong, WMF does use bezier curves and IS NOT made from a ‘whole lot of small straight lines’

CorelDraw would suit your purpose quite well.
S
stevent
May 25, 2005
Are you sure?
Whenever I’ve exported a graphic with bezier curves from Illustrator to WMF, the curves are gone, leaving a polygon.
I
ID._Awe
May 25, 2005
Absolutely! Did you read the last line?

Don’t know what you are doing wrong, but this has never been a problem for me exporting from Illustrator.
BL
Bob Levine
May 25, 2005
News to me, too.

Bob
I
ID._Awe
May 25, 2005
Just takes a minute to do some homework.
S
stevent
May 25, 2005
I don’t think there are any export options for WMF files, at least in CS2, I haven’t checked CS. And the Bezier curves are definitely converted to polygons – tried with a simple circle.
I
ID._Awe
May 25, 2005
Well-l-l-l-l-l-l if you converted the ‘simple circle’ to ‘curves’ then it would have Bezier ‘curves’. Get it!
S
stevent
May 27, 2005
EMF supports bezier curves, maybe thats what you’re thinking of
I
ID._Awe
May 27, 2005
No, I’m talking about WMF. Opened one right out of the Word shared clipart directory into CorelDraw (also imported into Illustrator) and had bezier curves.

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