What is the best way to import Freehand files to InDesign?

Question

Has anyone developed a fast workflow to convert Freehand files intact to InDesign CS3?
Illustrator CS3 will import Freehand files directly, but from there I cant bring editable and formatted text into ID CS3. Formatted text is converted to paths via the clipboard. This is incredibly frustrating.
Till recently I used "Copy Special" within Freehand MX which allowed a reasonably useful way to copy graphics and fully-editable and formatted text across to ID. This is too slow for multiple FH pages however.
Adobe have provided a useful tool to open Freehand files via Illustrator but why on earth didnt they see that many Freehand files are set up as page layouts and are better placed into InDesign?
Any constructive ideas or successful workarounds most appreciated. Thanks. JETNZ

Answer 1

> Maybe I don't appreciate the robust functionality of FH.
I can't let the Freehand-bashing go undefended.
Freehand was never "just" an illustration program. And for many people, it was the "only" page layout program available.
b Freehand had a huge following in Israel
where it was the first multi-page program that allowed people to set type in Hebrew (right to left). For small documents (I always put a limit of 20 pages), Freehand was a terrific product.
b Freehand has a huge market share in South Africa.
During the years of apartheid, many American companies, including Adobe, honored the boycott of doing business in South Africa. Macromedia chose not to honor the boycott. Therefore Freehand became the only program available. I don't justify the decision to do business in SA, but it explains why people used Freehand.
Apart from market share, there were also many legitimate reasons to use Freehand as a page layout program:
b Freehand had a "wrapping" tab feature
that made it unnecessary to put tabbed text into separate boxes as Quark and PM required. This wrapping tab is still unique to Freehand and would be a bonus in many word processing and layout programs.
b Freehand has different sized pages
in the same document. How many times have I heard people ask for such a feature here? Yet Freehand has it where Quark, PM, and ID don't.
b Freehand has some of the most advance selection tools
in the business. I'm thinking of the ability to select items within a range of stroke weights as well as other attributes. Again neither Quark, PM, or ID have such a feature. And even Illustrator, which has a "Magic Wand" selection tool can match Freehand's selection dialog box.
There are other features, but I don't need to go into them.
However, I do agree that Macromedia did not give Freehand the time and attention it needed to do well in today's market.
The code is ancient.
The output to PDF directly from Freehand is stuck back on Acrobat 5.
Some of the transparency features are not what we consider true transparency.
And so on.
But to just lump anyone who uses Freehand into a category of not professional is wrong.