Fireworks 9 - Illustrator CS3 import

Question

I have designed a very simple web layout in Illustrator and
want to finalise it for a prototype in Fireworks. When I try to
open or import it in FW I get the very helpful and descriptive
message:
"Could not open the file. An internal error occurred." I
pulled the file apart and tried various times until I removed the
culprit - a greyscale bitmap with a Luminosity Tranparency applied.
So I assume the great new AI compatibility feature fails with
transparency blends.
Now when I opened it in FW it all worked except any bitmap
whatsover which was linked in the original AI was missing in the
FW. One of the bitmaps was in a clipping path. I selected the
content and tried pasting it into the path in FW (which imported
without the bitmap) but nothing happened. I just tried a straight
paste and nothing happened. I then released the clipping path in
illustrator, selected the bitmap and then pasted into the path.
Nothing. Finally I did a straight paste and got it, copied it
within FW and then successfully pasted into the path.
However none of the other bitmaps which weren't in clipping
paths would paste in the FW document at all! The bitmaps are in the
clipboard, and viewable in the clipbook viewer, but will not paste
in FW! All that appears is a "group" of 1 object the same shape and
size of the bitmap, no line, no fill.
There is no mention of bitmap incompatibility issues with FW
importing AI anywhere on the Adobe website, in fact there is no
mention of any problems at all. Just glowing references to how in
CS3 you can
"Open Illustrator files in Fireworks while preserving
hierarchical layers, patterns, linked images, text attributes,
transparency, and more." This is clearly NOT the case!
I have encountered serious problems in my
first attempt at a
simple import operation - I hate to think of the problems I
might encounter witth a more complex file.
Does anybody have any suggestions of how to resolve these
issues?
Platform: Windows XP SP2

Answer 1

Integration is best achieved through the Fw File > Import
command.
In Illustrator, open you doc, go file Save As, and at the
dialog prompt, ensure Include Linked Files is ticked and proceed.
In Fw, File > Import the .ai and you should get your
necessary items into your doc.
I just did a test with Clipping Mask and Linked Bitmap images
and they imported fine.
h