Hi!
I just downloaded and installed Inkscape (for Windows, my Linux desktop is currently running a slightly outdated distribution, so I don't think I can install it there until I upgrade). However, I am quite amazed that I cannot seem to be able to import other vector graphics formats, just bitmap formats.
Is it supposed to be able to import vector graphics, and there's just something wrong with my install (it did complain about not finding Perl, even though I do have Cygwin with Perl installed)? I have a couple of vector images in Micrografx Windows Draw format (.drw) that I'd like to convert to SVG. I exported it in Draw to all the vector graphics format I could find, but Inkscape didn't seem to understand any of them, the file selector just listed raster graphics formats.
On Thu, Mar 17, 2005 at 05:49:28PM +0100, Peter Karlsson wrote:
Hi!
I just downloaded and installed Inkscape (for Windows, my Linux desktop is currently running a slightly outdated distribution, so I don't think I can install it there until I upgrade). However, I am quite amazed that I cannot seem to be able to import other vector graphics formats, just bitmap formats.
Is it supposed to be able to import vector graphics, and there's just something wrong with my install (it did complain about not finding Perl, even though I do have Cygwin with Perl installed)? I have a couple of vector images in Micrografx Windows Draw format (.drw) that I'd like to convert to SVG. I exported it in Draw to all the vector graphics format I could find, but Inkscape didn't seem to understand any of them, the file selector just listed raster graphics formats.
Inkscape has an 'extension' mechanism that allows it to use other programs to convert into SVG. If you can find another program that can convert .drw into .svg, for example, then you can import the files. I'm pretty sure no one has found a tool to do this, but possibly it's just because no one has looked until now. So I'd encourage you to do some research and see if there are any open source tools available to do that. If there is, that would make a good enhancement to include in Inkscape.
Btw, sometimes if you can't find an X-to-svg converter, you can find an X-to-ps converter and use Inkscape's Postscript importer; it's better to convert directly to svg to avoid data loss, but sometimes PS will do if nothing better is available.
Bryce
Bryce Harrington wrote:
Inkscape has an 'extension' mechanism that allows it to use other programs to convert into SVG. If you can find another program that can convert .drw into .svg, for example, then you can import the files. I'm pretty sure no one has found a tool to do this, but possibly it's just because no one has looked until now. So I'd encourage you to do some research and see if there are any open source tools available to do that. If there is, that would make a good enhancement to include in Inkscape.
Hi,
I have been looking for a DXF-to-SVG converter. I notice there is a RFE for directly importing into Inkscape (#1062140), but perhaps an input converter program would actually fulfil the role quite well. Although there exists dxflib for reading DXF as an open-source project (http://dxflib.sourceforge.net/), no-one has written an SVG outputter based on this, which seems a shame. All the other converters I could find are commercial paid-for software. If I had more spare time, I'd write a DXF-to-SVG converter app. based on dxflib...
Regards, Rick
On Mon, Mar 21, 2005 at 09:13:40AM +0000, Beton, Richard wrote:
I have been looking for a DXF-to-SVG converter. I notice there is a RFE for directly importing into Inkscape (#1062140), but perhaps an input converter program would actually fulfil the role quite well. Although there exists dxflib for reading DXF as an open-source project (http://dxflib.sourceforge.net/), no-one has written an SVG outputter based on this, which seems a shame. All the other converters I could find are commercial paid-for software. If I had more spare time, I'd write a DXF-to-SVG converter app. based on dxflib...
Ah, good idea.
It seems as though there's a bunch of input/output converter extensions that various people need. Unfortunately, not very many developers are working on converters. Does anyone have some ideas for ways we could stimulate interest in developing these converters?
Bryce
participants (3)
-
Beton, Richard -
Bryce Harrington -
Peter Karlsson