Import shapes

[Jan Kilsholm]

Feature request:

As new to incscape there may be something I have missed in my search.

There are many shapes out on the web but it is difficult and time consuming to import them.

I could be nice with a tool that can import a whole sheet of shapes directly. This will make it easy to exchange shapes between users and to update other PC’s

[Jan Kilsholm (jan.kils)]

Shapes are here meant to be Symbols.
Sorry.

[Mc (mc...)]

like symbol libraries ? See for instance https://github.com/Xaviju/inkscape-open-symbols (and the "how to install" section)

[Jan Kilsholm (jan.kils)]

This is a bit over my skills at the moment.

I tried to copy a single symbol svg file into the “%PROGRAMFILES%\Inkscape\share\symbols” folder as described.
But the icon did not show up.
Normally I end up opening the svg sheet with inkscape and then adding the symbols manually one by one.

My issue is that this could be made more user friendly so users with low PC skills can figure it out.

1: I generate a symbols and collect them in a library and it is save as a svg file.

2: Export the symbol library. It can be that it is as simple as copying the file to a selectable export folder.

3: On the other PC, Open import, Browse to the folder where the symbol library file is located and import it. This may also be as simple as copying the file into the correct folder as I don’t know how this works in inkscape.

A simple way to make it essy for the user

[Jabiertxof (jabiertxof)]

Hi Jan:

Basicaly:

Add title to document (Thos name show in the symbol set dropdown after
restart inkscape) This can be done in "document propietes -> metadata"

For each symboy you want to add to your custom symbol set:
* Draw one item
* Add title to it (right click propieties)
* Press on each "add symbols from current document"
* The symbol appear in the "current document" symbol sets
* remove item, symbol still here dont worry :) you can see on tour
current document symbol set, this is to minimize load times
* save in your Inkscape symbols folder
* Restart inkscape

* Note try to save as plain(+) or optimiced svg(++), it load faster
(but keep original file backup)

Hope it help you.
Cheers, Jabier.

-----Original Message-----
From: Jan Kilsholm <email address hidden>
Reply-to: Bug 1727658 <email address hidden>
To: <email address hidden>
Subject: [Bug 1727658] Re: Import shapes
Date: Fri, 27 Oct 2017 07:22:17 -0000

This is a bit over my skills at the moment.

I tried to copy a single symbol svg file into the
“%PROGRAMFILES%\Inkscape\share\symbols” folder as described.
But the icon did not show up.
Normally I end up opening the svg sheet with inkscape and then adding
the symbols manually one by one.

My issue is that this could be made more user friendly so users with
low PC skills can figure it out.

1: I generate a symbols and collect them in a library and it is save as
a svg file.

2: Export the symbol library. It can be that it is as simple as copying
the file to a selectable export folder.

3: On the other PC, Open import, Browse to the folder where the symbol
library file is located and import it. This may also be as simple as
copying the file into the correct folder as I don’t know how this works
in inkscape.

A simple way to make it essy for the user

[Jan Kilsholm (jan.kils)]

Hej Jabiertxof

That was actually what I did in the beginning.

The problem is when I want to exchange these between more PC's then it gets a bit difficult.

At the moment we just have a default drawing with all the symbols on and that one is updated from time to time.
This default drawing is distributed to all PC's

When you use it then you place all symbols out site the drawing area and copy in the ones you want to use.

So I don't have any problem generating the symbols nor problems adding them to current document.

The problem is to exchange them in an easy way between more PCs.

/Jan

[Jabiertxof (jabiertxof)]

To it you need to copy your symbols file to each pc symbols file and restart inkscape. Is important document has title if not it not show in the dropdown.

[Jabiertxof (jabiertxof)]

your symbols file to each pc symbols file > your symbols file to each pc symbols folder

[Jan Kilsholm (jan.kils)]

Spot on.

That is where it could be nice to have an export / import function which will check for these things and copy the file in / out to a user defined folder.
The user then don't need to know where to place files inside inkscape.

I/we have something which works but the feature request was to make it easier to use for users which have low PCs engine skills.

:o)

[Patrick Storz (ede123)]

What could be interesting is an option for Inkscape to have a "shared" INKSCAPE_DATADIR (i.e. share/inkscape) that can be placed on a network drive or similar which can be updated with additional working files (similarly to what is already possible with the inkscape folder in the user configuration directory).

Everything beyond that is probably out-of-scope for the Inkscape project or can already be achieved by a scheduled task or similar.

[grey tomorrow (gtomorrow)]

Hi - thanks for reporting this bug, I've manually migrated it to Inkscape's new bug tracker on GitLab, and closed it here.

Please feel free to file new bugs about the issues you're seeing at
https://inkscape.org/report .

Moved to: https://gitlab.com/inkscape/inbox/issues/3622
Closed by: https://gitlab.com/greytomorrow