Comment 5 for bug 170665

Your idea of having a tool that auto-generates image maps directly from Inkscape sounds quite useful and efficient. While I'm not aware of any specific tool that does exactly this, there are a few potential approaches and alternatives you could explore:

Inkscape Extensions: Inkscape supports extensions that add functionality to the software. You might be able to find or develop an extension that automates the process of creating image maps. While this might require some coding skills, it would offer a more integrated solution.

Inkscape Layers: You could use Inkscape layers to separate the elements you want to include in the image map. For example, you could place the image map shapes on a separate layer. Then, when exporting, you could selectively hide the layers that you don't want to include in the image map. This would require some manual effort but could streamline the process compared to manually specifying coordinates.

Inkscape Object Properties: Inkscape supports attaching metadata to objects using the "Object Properties" dialog. While this doesn't directly create image maps, you could potentially use these properties as a basis for a script that generates an image map based on the specified properties.

Export and Automation: After exporting your Inkscape design to PNG, you could use image processing and automation tools to convert the design into an image map. For example, you could write a script in a programming language like Python that reads the exported PNG, detects objects, and generates an HTML image map based on the object positions.

External Image Map Generators: While not directly integrated with Inkscape, there are online tools and software that can help you create image maps more efficiently. These tools often allow you to upload an image and then draw shapes to define clickable areas. After creating the image map, you could manually adjust the coordinates to match your Inkscape design.

Feedback to Inkscape Developers: If this is a feature that you believe would benefit many users, you could consider reaching out to the Inkscape development community with your idea. They might find it valuable and consider incorporating it into future versions of Inkscape.

Remember that while creating such a tool or workflow might require some initial effort, it could save you a lot of time in the long run by automating the tedious process of handcrafting image maps. I Personally tested it for my project https://www.shopbot.com.au/store/myer/