SVG to EMF export not working in IIS

[Andrew Farmilo]

I'm having the same issue as described here: http://forum.inkscapecommunity.com/index.php?topic=609.0 using various Windows OSs.

In v0.91 I use Inkscape to convert SVG files to EMF with the command line (--export-to-emf). This works in v0.91 BUT does not export any text if run as a background task (with no logged in user/no gui) - this is the main issue for me.

However, in v0.92.2 the SVG to EMF export does not work at all!

Many thanks,

Andy

[Patrick Storz (ede123)]

Could you please give more details (ideally precise steps on how to reproduce this issue?).

I just tried to export a simple SVG (including text) to .emf on the command line and it worked flawlessly.

I suspect you might have used the wrong command, though: The switch is called "--export-emf" (without the "to").

[Patrick Storz (ede123)]

P.S. While testing I noticed we do in fact have some kind of regression since Inkscape should warn when encountering an invalid command line option. Command line output seems partially broken in 0.92.2 for which I filed bug #1714278.

[Andrew Farmilo (ajfarmilo)]

Thanks for the quick replies Eduard and apologies I

1) made a typo in the command - I have been using --export-emf and indeed this kind of format specifically: inkscape backgroundtest.svg --export-emf backgroundtest.emf

2) When I say v0.92.2 does not work I mean as a background task, whereas v0.91 was at least exporting something but not the text. If I export using the command line manually then it does indeed work!

I've attached 4 files: an example backgroundtest.svg, the backgroundtest.emf which gets created in v0.92.2 which is not openable, the withouttext.emf version from v0.91 and the manualtest.emf which shows it can convert manually.

When I say I use a background task I have an ASP.NET website which will run the export as requested. The website is running in IIS and not as a specific user so I wonder if that is where the issue lies but all the Inkscape folders have the same permissions and it seems to at least be doing something.

Interestingly in v0.91 if I delete all the sub folders in the Inkscape folder then I get a text-less .emf even if I run the export manually so I wonder if something in the Inkscape code is accessing the sub folder locations in an unusual way...

Thanks again for your help!

Andy

[Patrick Storz (ede123)]

OK, thanks for clarification, just wanted to make sure the "does not work at all" part in 0.92.2 was due to a typo...

> When I say I use a background task I have an ASP.NET website
> which will run the export as requested.
> The website is running in IIS and not as a specific user

1. Can you provide instructions to replicate this on a local machine
   (without needing IIS or whatever?)?
2. Inkscape tries to write to "%appdata%\inkscape"
   at the very least
   - might this be causing issues?
   - did you ever try the portable version?
3. Inkscape accesses files in sub-folders (not in any
   special way, though, as far as I'm concerned
4. To determine the location of the executable Inkscape uses
   "GetModuleFileNameW()" [1] (with hModule set to Null)
   If the specific environment does not allow this /
   returns wrong results this might be an issue

[1] https://msdn.microsoft.com/de-de/library/windows/desktop/ms683197(v=vs.85).aspx

[Patrick Storz (ede123)]

Related (with details on the text-related issues): bug #1441998
There's also some workarounds presented there as well as the likely source (fontconfig), i.e. might need to be reported upstream.

[Patrick Storz (ede123)]

> OK, thanks for clarification, just wanted to make sure the "does not
> work at all" part in 0.92.2 was due to a typo...

(I meant "was *not* due to a typo")

[Andrew Farmilo (ajfarmilo)]

Thanks so much Eduard! I think the bug you identified (#1441998) is the problem but unfortunately didn't help me resolve the issue. However, I have reverted to version 0.48 of Inkscape and this does appear to be working so that is what I'll use for now.