Hi!
I'm currently implementing a calligraphy tool, much like the one present in Inkscape, for Karbon as a Google Summer of Code project.
I've heard rumors that there is a plan to rewrite the calligraphy tool of Inkscape, but I couldn't find anything in the ml archives about it. If I understood it correctly the main reason is to make it possible to edit the path in an easier way--actually making it possible to edit the path drawn instead of the final shape created by the tool. I've heard the idea seem to be to use pattern on path, but that doesn't seem to me to be very easy to get right, particularly becase in this case the "pattern" depends on the path.
I would like to hear more about this, is there any concrete idea about how it would be implemented, or is it only a vague idea? Also, if you have any other kind of advice, please share! =)
Thanks, - fela
On Sun, May 25, 2008 at 4:11 PM, Fela Winkelmolen <fela.kde@...400...> wrote:
I've heard rumors that there is a plan to rewrite the calligraphy tool of Inkscape, but I couldn't find anything in the ml archives about it. If I understood it correctly the main reason is to make it possible to edit the path in an easier way--actually making it possible to edit the path drawn instead of the final shape created by the tool. I've heard the idea seem to be to use pattern on path, but that doesn't seem to me to be very easy to get right, particularly becase in this case the "pattern" depends on the path.
I think it's doable to some extent, if the pattern is generated on the fly uniquely for each path. But it will be difficult and I don't think it will ever match the result of the current calligraphic code one-for-one. Besides, any LPEs add slowness to path rendering. So, while it is a possible development, I don't think we'll ever abandon our current approach completely - we may just add a special mode for producing pattern-on-path objects. The speed and naturalness of our calligraphic pen are really impressive, we would be crazy to abandon that entirely :)
The problem is, I think, is how to represent calligraphic strokes in the repr tree.
Similar to Inkscape's layers being implemented with svg's <g>roups, we would need some kind of model for calligraphic stroke data that would fit into the scheme of things.
Just my 2c
bob
bulia byak wrote:
On Sun, May 25, 2008 at 4:11 PM, Fela Winkelmolen<fela.kde@...400...> wrote:
I've heard rumors that there is a plan to rewrite the calligraphy tool of Inkscape, but I couldn't find anything in the ml archives about it. If I understood it correctly the main reason is to make it possible to edit the path in an easier way--actually making it possible to edit the path drawn instead of the final shape created by the tool. I've heard the idea seem to be to use pattern on path, but that doesn't seem to me to be very easy to get right, particularly becase in this case the "pattern" depends on the path.
I think it's doable to some extent, if the pattern is generated on the fly uniquely for each path. But it will be difficult and I don't think it will ever match the result of the current calligraphic code one-for-one. Besides, any LPEs add slowness to path rendering. So, while it is a possible development, I don't think we'll ever abandon our current approach completely - we may just add a special mode for producing pattern-on-path objects. The speed and naturalness of our calligraphic pen are really impressive, we would be crazy to abandon that entirely :)
participants (3)
-
Bob Jamison -
bulia byak -
Fela Winkelmolen