Illustrator CS backward compatibility

[Del_Shimandle@adobeforums.com]

Just upgraded to OS X Panther (10.3) and entire Adobe CS.

I've found that I can't open EPS files created with Illustrator CS in any older versions of Illustrator on PC or Mac. I've read Adobe's reason for this problem, and their solution is to use the Export option, and create a "legacy EPS" file.

Though I can understand that the new font features in Illustrator would make a native AI file non-backward compatible, I am rather dissapointed that they are forcing me to use the Export option (which is buried in a menu, and requires several steps to get desired settings) rather than having a "legacy EPS" option right in the "Save As" dialog box. It smacks of forcing the industry and individual users into an upgrade spiral.

Anyway, enough rant.

What I'm here to ask about is this:
1. Anyone have any custom actions or scripts for exporting to "legacy EPS, v. 8"? I know what actions and scripts do, but I'm not knowledgeable at how to create them. Tips or already-created actions would be a nice help if anyone has them.
2. Can the app be modified (prefs file, or whatever) to get a more intuitive interface for Exporting to legacy files (i.e., changing the Save As dialog) etc.
3. Even the Export dialog is clunky, and I'm wondering how I can modify it so that the same options I always choose come up when I invoke the Export command? As it is, everytime I call it up I have change from .bmp to legacy .eps, and switch the preview option to .tiff instead of 8-bit Mac, etc. Anyone have tips on how to set this dialog (and others) to settings I always prefer, rather than the defaults?

Thanks from a Forum newbie,
Del Shimandle

[Gary_Newman@adobeforums.com]

When you Save a file in CS:

Hit Command - S.
In resulting dialog, select Format and click Save.
In resulting dialog, select Options and click OK.

Go to Edit - Keyboard Shortcuts, and set up a command for the Export menu item. Then, when you Export a file in CS:

Hit your new shortcut.
In resulting dialog, select Format and click Save.
In resulting dialog, select Options and click OK.

Same number of steps.

[Del_Shimandle@adobeforums.com]

Thanks a ton for the input Gary. Color me "duh" but I just never thought of modifying the key commands to invoke the "Export" process. That does take care of much of my frustration.

I'm still wondering if you [or anyone else out there] could inform me as to how to modify the "Export" dialog boxes. The defaults start with a saving to a ".bmp" file format; when I change that to "Illustrator legacy EPS (.eps)" the next dialog is set "Version: Illustrator 10" and to "Preveiw: Macintosh (8-bit) format."

If I could modify this process to always be my preferred outputs (first dialog would be set to "Illustrator legacy EPS (.eps)", the next dialog would always be set to "Version: Illustrator 8" and "Preview: TIFF 8-bit color") then this could all be a much quicker process for me.

Any thoughts?

Thanks in advance,
Del

[Gary_Newman@adobeforums.com]

Modifying those options has been a feature request of mine for a long time, and I suggest you post this in the Feature request forum. I’d like the same options as you to be saved in prefs (after all, when you say “preferred outputs,” that’s what Preferences should be for). In fact, I can’t find any reason to have the PICT preview at all any more, and wish it would just be TIFF, since TIFF is understood by all platforms, and PICT is Mac only.