Batch conversion of old Freehand clipart files to AI or EPS?

I've found several threads about simply opening an old Freehand file into Illustrator, but I am looking for a utility that can convert the entire disk, or at least entire folders at one time. Looks like I have the Freehand 5 and Freehand 7 clipart disks and booklets.
I have Macromedia MX, along with the CS5 Design Premium suite on this Windows7 system.
A lot of the clipart from that period looks very similar. I start to wonder if I don't already have the same artwork in other packages.
I have been copying my clipart CDs to my hard drives and started trying to catalog them. Extensis Portfolio 8.5 appears to be reading AI, EPS, TIF, BMP, JPG, & WMF, but I don't think it is generating preview images for FH5 or even Corel Draw's CDR formats,
Any help or advice would be appreciated.
M. Jackson

Okay, I can answer a bunch of my own questions!
A: I originally tried converting FH5 files from an old Freehand 5 disk. Photoshop CS5 can work with version 6 and above.
B: I had to burn a Freehand 7 disk from my Mac to work on the PC. That worked okay.
C: I ran the script inside Illustrator mentioned earlier.
D: It worked, but there are a bunch of BIG caveats. See list below.
A: Norton Immediately reported a High Memory Useage for Illustrator
B: After the first file opened in Illustrator, the message bar at the top of the screen said Illustrator was not responding. After using the "Close Window" command in the toolbar, I noticed it actually created 44 files.
C: I emptied the folder and started everything up again. I got the same messages, but I could see the program was converting the files one at a time...and very slowly.
D: After about 15 minutes, it had converted 380 files out of 800 in the folder. These were very small files, too.
E: The worst part of all of this is Illustrator was taking control of all resources. I could not use any other program. There is no "abort" or "cancel" command visible. I ended up using the Close Window command to stop the process midstream.
All things considered, it appears it would be faster to open a bunch of files in Freehand MX and saving them as Illustrator using quick keys.
Good luck you try it!
M. Jackson

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No longer have a system that can run Freehand but have 1000's of old Freehand files. Can I convert them to something CC can open, like AI?

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Your timing is actually good! This plugin was released this month for doing what you need into Illustrator CC:
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PDF2DTP | Markzware
PDF to InDesign converter
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—Mark

Help converting old Freehand files

I have several old Freehand files, to be honest I don't
remember the versions, but they were definitely before 9. I'm on a
PowerMac running Freehand MX and Illustrator CS3 and do not have
the Classic 9 operating system still on this machine. Am I
completely out of luck?

> She hacks the old files, tricking AI CS3 into believing
they are FH7 files.
My apologies. The hack trick doesn't work for old FreeHand
files but does
work for old AI files.
Since you are using a PowerMac (which probably came with a
version of Mac OS
9) I suggest installing OS9 and running FH8. A time-limited
FH8 demo and a
batch processing script is is available here.
http://www.adobe.com/go/tn_14946
From the same technote:
"Identifying FreeHand 3 and 4 files
On Windows, FreeHand 3 files will have a .fh3 extension, and
FreeHand 4
files will have a .fh4 extension. On Macintosh, a FreeHand 3
file will have
a file type of FHD3, and a creator of FHA3. For a FreeHand 4
file, the file
type is AGD1, and the creator is FH40."
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did a good job of
opening and translating FH2 files. Open in FH5. Save as FH5.
FH5 files can
then be opened in FH8 and saved as FH8 files.
Older FH installers are available here:
http://www.freehandsource.com/
http://www.freehandsource.com/_frames/_news/_fhnews/fh_installers.html
I found a link to a FH 5.5 demo here. Download at your own
risk.
http://www.geocities.com/Athens/4204/gtools.htm
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I have a new IMAC with a Maverick platform (I can update to Yosemite). I did all graphics on a G5 Power PC (very old), in Freehand (very old)...
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Let me see if I've gotten this right! You want to remove an account from BOTH machines? Do this for your new machine first, then for the other.
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Thats all there is to it.
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How do I Opening an OLD Freehand file in Adobe Illustrator CC 2014?

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Use the FH Import interface plugin by tensai.co.uk

Need help opening really old FreeHand files

I have some very old FreeHand files, I'm not sure what
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app icons.
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dugost wrote:
> I have some very old FreeHand files, I'm not sure what
version but probably
> around v.5 or so. I have all the source files and fonts
and I'd like to
> reconstruct FreeHand files in version 10 or even 9 if
possible. Problem is I
> can't open the old FreeHand files through the menu
options or by dragging the
> files onto the app icons.
>
> Does anyone have any suggestions? I downloaded FreeHand
BNDL Resources from
> FreeHandSource.com a while back but they didn't seem to
do anything. Any help
> is appreciated.
>
Are you on a Mac? If your version of Freehand can open the
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Does Adobe offer an app to perform a batch conversion from Canon CR.2 raw files to TIFF files?

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Trevor.Dennis wrote:
Note the option to open the first file and apply settings.
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When a plugin to open old Freehand files?

When a plugin to open old Freehand files?

You are in the wrong place... this place is to discuss the operation of the forums, not software
Click the "Adobe Forums" link above-left and then scroll until you find the correct forum
Also, the SPACE here is provided by Adobe... for other USERS like you to try and help each other

Need PCD filter or converter to open old photo disc files

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Which version of mac os x are you using?
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QT movie batch conversion in iPhoto library

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Bruce:
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Do you Twango?
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Batch conversion of Microsoft word to PDF?

Hi Gang,
I'm not sure which forum to put this in, but I've been all over google and can't find a solution. I'm hoping someone here has a suggestion.
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Need advice on software for batch conversions

Hi,
I have a need for some software that will help me batch convert images in Photoshop CS3. I run Windows XP SP2. The computer has 2.40GH and 1GB of RAM.
I do product photography and the main output to clients is a cd with their images in multiple file types and sizes. Up until now, I've been using Extensis Portfolio 7 to do this most efficiently. For some unknown (to me) reason, since I've upgraded to CS3 and use LightRoom for initial screenings of images, some of the edited tiff images don't want to convert in Portfolio. I've also noticed that if I try to view them in Windows Explorer, the problem tiffs won't preview as thumbnails and when clicked on, I receive the message "drawing failed." Do you have any idea of what that means? I tried looking it up under Help, but that doesn't seem to be covered.
Unfortunately, Extensis no longer supports my version of Portfolio, I asked the guys at the NAPP help desk and to be brief, they weren't helpful either. I'm reluctant to buy the update to Portfolio if there's another less expensive program that can help me with just the batch conversion function. That's really all I've been using Portfolio for.
Why is this a more complicated problem? I have been told by one client that when she tried opening the tiff images I placed on her cd that they wouldn't open and at first I thought she just inexperienced, didn't have the right software on her MAC, whatever, now I susupect that there may be something fatally wrong with the tiffs. They open just fine on my computer as long as I am opening them in the CS3 that created them. And the weird thing is that most of the images from the shoot are just fine. I tried using another raw image of the same object and going through the whole editing process and had the same problem. I'm so puzzled and wondered if someone where you are could provide any clues.
I've spent hours and hours trying to puzzle this out on my own and I can't seem to see any differences between the images that seem to work just fine and the ones that don't work.
Any ideas you might have or referrals to someone else who might be able to help me figure this out and fix it would be so great.
Thanks for reading this,

Thanks for your response.
Any suggestions on places to post the file?
To answer your question on why not just use the batch action in PS:
I could and have, but the Portfolio option just made it much more streamlined for the large number of images I have to convert at one time. Often, they are not uniform in dimension. As I see it there are 3 variables I have to convert for:
file type, tiff and jpeg
file size, 300 ppi vs 72 ppi
file dimensions, various sizes
As I have experimented with the PS batch conversions I can only work with one or two of these 3 at a time. Portfolio let me deal with all 3 at once. So, if I convert from tiff to jpeg with PS batch conversions, I can adjust for the file dimensions but then I have to go back each time and individually adjust the file size. When I have 20 or 30 images, that gets to be time consuming and aggravating.
I tried opening the problem images in the Paint utility and got the message "this is not a valid bitmap file or its format is not currently supported." The files I can open in Paint are the same ones that open in Portfolio.
Is it possible that when these files are loaded into LightRoom, that something is being converted without my request? The newest variable in the equation has been my addition of LightRoom into my workflow.
Any ideas are welcome!

Batch conversion of old Freehand clipart files to AI or EPS?

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