I am a web developer with 20+ years experience. I don't do design work professionally, I write HTML, CSS and JS , on a daily basis, and integrate that into several different backend systems built in different backend languages (node, PHP, CF).
I have been using PS for decades to create mockups, and I am very fluent in PS, and I have recently tried to jump on the XD bandwagon.
I brought over a simple PSD into XD, and none of the text was formatted correctly with line height all over the place. The background layers were all wider than the artboard and so many layers were overlapping other layers. Every smart object was brought in as SVG, and I could go on, but these are the underlying reasons why this "tool" cannot and should not ever export anything made in it to any form of HTML and CSS.
The potential to do so much bad is too easy. If you wanted to force it to create an export, then you would need to drastically overhaul the way it creates layers and groups layers. You would need to add some form of DOM viewer in order to make sure that the "layers" are stacking correctly in the markup, and not just dropping in wherever. Ensure proper markup and responsive functionality, a way to add breakpoints when they are needed and not a fixed css framework like bootstrap et all.
I think the better approach, rather then force this nightmare of a design tool to do even more work and do it badly, is to simply allow import from XD to DW, and let DW figure out how it needs to be fixed. I have not used DW in about 12 years, as now I hand code everything, but I remember Paul Tranni showcasing some kind of PSD to DW workflow back in the day a few years ago, with some weird breakpoint tool.
Anyway the point is this is not the tool you want to use for design -> website workflow. this project should be scrapped really, as I still have to use PS and/or AI to create the assets I need so I can then import them into XD... why is that a thing... who thought that was a good idea? "I know what we need, another design tool so we can just make assets in PS and AI, and then import them into this new tool to display them!"... "Can't we do that already in PS and AI?" "Sure, but we need to up the price for CC, and this is a perfect justification for it; only this tool will be of lower quality and be harder to work with!" Thumbs up all around I guess.
I am a web developer with 20+ years experience. I don't do design work professionally, I write HTML, CSS and JS , on a daily basis, and integrate that into several different backend systems built in different backend languages (node, PHP, CF).
I have been using PS for decades to create mockups, and I am very fluent in PS, and I have recently tried to jump on the XD bandwagon.
I brought over a simple PSD into XD, and none of the text was formatted correctly with line height all over the place. The background layers were all wider than the artboard and so many layers were overlapping other layers. Every smart object was brought in as SVG, and I could go on, but these are the underlying reasons why this "tool" cannot and should not ever export anything made in it to any form of HTML and CSS.
The potential to do so much bad is too easy. If you wanted to force it to create an export, then you would need to drastically overhaul the way it creates layers and groups layers. You would need to add some form of DOM viewer in order to make sure that the "layers" are stacking correctly in the markup, and not just dropping in wherever. Ensure proper markup and responsive functionality, a way to add breakpoints when they are needed and not a fixed css framework like bootstrap et all.
I think the better approach, rather then force this nightmare of a design tool to do even more work and do it badly, is to simply allow import from XD to DW, and let DW figure out how it needs to be fixed. I have not used DW in about 12 years, as now I hand code everything, but I remember Paul Tranni showcasing some kind of PSD to DW workflow back in the day a few years ago, with some weird breakpoint tool.
Anyway the point is this is not the tool you want to use for design -> website workflow. this project should be scrapped really, as I still have to use PS and/or AI to create the assets I need so I can then import them into XD... why is that a thing... who thought that was a good idea? "I know what we need, another design tool so we can just make assets in PS and AI, and then import them into this new tool to display them!"... "Can't we do that already in PS and AI?" "Sure, but we need to up the price for CC, and this is a perfect justification for it; only this tool will be of lower quality and be harder to work with!" Thumbs up all around I guess.