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Add an existing Adobe FXG file

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You can add Adobe FXG (.fxg) files directly into an open Blend for Visual Studio 2012 project. Adobe FXG support is available when you install Blend Add-in for Adobe FXG Import and Blend Service Pack 1 (SP1). After you import FXG symbols, the symbols are available as UserControls in the current project.

Important

Blend supports only FXG 2.0 files with symbols defined.

For more information about working with Adobe FXG files, see Working with FXG on the Adobe Illustrator site.

For more information about working with symbols, see Symbols on the Adobe Illustrator site.

To add an Adobe FXG file

  1. On the File menu, click Add Existing Adobe FXG File.

  2. In the Select Adobe FXG File to Import dialog box, locate your FXG file, and then click Open.

    Tip

    The FXG file must have symbols defined in order to be added to Blend.

    For more information about creating symbols, see Create a symbol on the Adobe Illustrator site.

  3. In the Add Existing Adobe FXG File dialog box, under Check any symbols to add as UserControls in the Assets panel, select the symbols that you want to add as UserControls. Select Check all to add all of the symbols.

    Add Existing Adobe FXG File in Expression Blend

  4. View a preview of the art on the left side to make sure that it appears the way that you want it to. The preview is based on the symbol that is highlighted under Check any symbols to add as UserControls in the Assets panel.

    Tip

    If there are unsupported features in your FXG file, the Add Existing Adobe FXG File dialog box displays an information icon informing you which FXG features are not supported. Any unsupported features will be ignored. Move your pointer over the information icons to review any messages.

  5. Under the preview, in the Action to perform when Adobe FXG file changes drop-down list, select one of the following:

    • Update automatically   Automatically updates the FXG files and builds the project every time the file is changed in Adobe Fireworks or Adobe Illustrator.

    • Prompt with a dialog box   Alerts you when the FXG file is changed in Adobe Fireworks or Adobe Illustrator and prompts you to update the files in Blend. Blend automatically builds the project after you update the files.

    • Do nothing   Does nothing when the FXG file is changed in Adobe Fireworks or Adobe Illustrator until the next time a Blend project build occurs.

  6. Click OK.

After you add an FXG file to an Blend project, you can locate the FXG file in the Projects panel. The symbols you selected also appear as UserControls in the Project category in Assets panel under the name of the FXG file that you imported. You can add the UserControls directly to the artboard from the Assets panel.

If the FXG file contains images, the imported image files are available in the Projects panel in the .assets folder associated with the FXG file that you imported.

To edit an FXG file

  • Right-click the file in the Projects panel and then click Edit Externally. The FXG file will open in the application associated with the FXG file type.

    Tip

    If a file association hasn’t already been made for FXG files, locate and right-click the original FXG file, click Open With, and then locate the application that you want to use.

    Important

    Imported FXG files are added to the Blend Project folder. Only those changes made to the files in this folder will be reflected in the Blend project. Changes to the original files will not be reflected in Blend.

    For more information about editing symbols defined in FXG files, see Edit or refine a symbol on the Adobe Illustrator site.

After you edit the file, the symbols will be updated based on the selection that you made in step 5. Updates will be reflected in all instances of the associated user controls in the current project.

To configure an FXG file

  • Right-click the FXG file in the Projects panel and then click Configure Adobe FXG File.

You can configure which symbols are included in your project at any time.