Performance issue with large SVG files created in Illustrator

[Bronwyn]

Using 0.47pre2

Where do I start? Doesn't want to open large svg file created in Illustrator. When open a small file, control-C brings up calligraphy tool, instead of copying. Control-Z brings up magnifying glass instead of undo. Copy a vector picture and when you paste it it's turned into a bitmap. Can't edit strokes except after drawing an object - i.e. the tools for changing strokes and fills are either greyed out when nothing is selected, or if they are not, clicking has no effect.

There are probably more, but I got too frustrated.

[su_v (suv-lp)]

1) Doesn't want to open large svg file created in Illustrator.
please attach the file so that we can try to reproduce this issue.

2) Crtl+C brings up calligraphy instead of copying
Probably an issue with your X11 preferences:
- Please check the options on the 'Input' tab in the X11 preferences dialog.
- Does it work as expected in other X11 apps (e.g. GIMP)?
- Do you use a '~/.Xmodmap' file that remaps the 'Alt' key and swaps 'Crtl' and 'Cmd'?

3) Ctrl-Z selects Zoom tool instead of 'Undo'
see 2)

3) Copy a vector picture and when you paste it it's turned into a bitmap
see FAQ <http://wiki.inkscape.org/wiki/index.php/FAQ#Copying_and_pasting_in_Inkscape_creates_pixellated_images_instead_of_copying_the_vector_objects> and related bug #307005

4) Can't edit strokes except after drawing an object - i.e. the tools for changing strokes and fills are either greyed out when nothing is selected, or if they are not, clicking has no effect.
That's how it works - on all platforms. You have to select an object first to change its attributes. You can set the default style for new objects in the preferences dialog, for each tool separately. Please read the basic tutorials at <http://www.inkscape.org/doc/> to learn more about the concepts of Inkscape.

I understand your frustration that Inkscape doesn't work as you expect it, but not everything is a bug in Inkscape. And please file separate reports for any further bugs you might encounter with Inkscape, it is hard to triage (and track) a bug report filled with several unrelated items.

[Bronwyn (bronwyn-carlisle)]

On 16/09/2009, at 12:01 AM, ~suv wrote:

> 1) Doesn't want to open large svg file created in Illustrator.
> please attach the file so that we can try to reproduce this issue.

It's too big. It's ~30MB and my email server won't let me send it.
>
> 2) Crtl+C brings up calligraphy instead of copying
> Probably an issue with your X11 preferences:
> - Please check the options on the 'Input' tab in the X11 preferences
> dialog.

Screenshot attached, but it's not that, I've changed each thing and it
makes no difference.

> - Does it work as expected in other X11 apps (e.g. GIMP)?

Yes it does, and it used to work the way I expect under Inkscape too,
before I upgraded to Snow Leopard.

> - Do you use a '~/.Xmodmap' file that remaps the 'Alt' key and swaps
> 'Crtl' and 'Cmd'?

No.

>
> 3) Ctrl-Z selects Zoom tool instead of 'Undo'
> see 2)

See above
>
> 3) Copy a vector picture and when you paste it it's turned into a
> bitmap
> see FAQ <http://wiki.inkscape.org/wiki/index.php/FAQ#Copying_and_pasting_in_Inkscape_creates_pixellated_images_instead_of_copying_the_vector_objects
> > and related bug #307005

Thanks - I had looked, but obviously not hard enough.
>
> 4) Can't edit strokes except after drawing an object - i.e. the
> tools for changing strokes and fills are either greyed out when
> nothing is selected, or if they are not, clicking has no effect.
> That's how it works - on all platforms. You have to select an object
> first to change its attributes. You can set the default style for
> new objects in the preferences dialog, for each tool separately.
> Please read the basic tutorials at <http://www.inkscape.org/doc/> to
> learn more about the concepts of Inkscape.
>
> I understand your frustration that Inkscape doesn't work as you expect
> it, but not everything is a bug in Inkscape. And please file separate
> reports for any further bugs you might encounter with Inkscape, it is
> hard to triage (and track) a bug report filled with several unrelated
> items.

Will do. The thing is that I have used Inkscape before, and found it
great. I work in a University doing scientific graphics and have
Illustrator to use myself at work, but I've been advising our post-
grad students to use Inkscape because obviously they are too poor to
buy Illustrator and I use it myself at home. After this upgrade it
just doesn't seem to work the way it used to. But again, I don't use
it terribly often, so some of those things my be just my memory. I was
SURE I'd been able to select a colour and style for a stroke before
making it - perhaps that's a preference which has had it's default
setting changed in the new versions?
>
> --
> Snow Leopard bugs.
> https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/429824
> You received this bug notification because you are a direct subscriber
> of the bug.
>
> Status in Inkscape: A Vector Drawing Tool: New
>
> Bug description:
> Using 0.47pre2
>
> Where do I start? Doesn't want to open large svg file created in
> Illustrator. When open a small file, control-C brings up calligraphy
> tool, instead of copying. Control-Z brings up magnifying glass
> instead of undo. Copy a vector picture and when you paste ...

[Bronwyn (bronwyn-carlisle)]

Am attaching a portion of the svg file that won't open. The whole file
contains about 12 copies of this pohutukawa flower (as a border), and
Inkscape just won't open it. Even just this single copy stresses it
quite a lot - copying and pasting take ages and moving it after it's
been copied is a real pain.

On 16/09/2009, at 12:01 AM, ~suv wrote:

> 1) Doesn't want to open large svg file created in Illustrator.
> please attach the file so that we can try to reproduce this issue.
>
> 2) Crtl+C brings up calligraphy instead of copying
> Probably an issue with your X11 preferences:
> - Please check the options on the 'Input' tab in the X11 preferences
> dialog.
> - Does it work as expected in other X11 apps (e.g. GIMP)?
> - Do you use a '~/.Xmodmap' file that remaps the 'Alt' key and swaps
> 'Crtl' and 'Cmd'?
>
> 3) Ctrl-Z selects Zoom tool instead of 'Undo'
> see 2)
>
> 3) Copy a vector picture and when you paste it it's turned into a
> bitmap
> see FAQ <http://wiki.inkscape.org/wiki/index.php/FAQ#Copying_and_pasting_in_Inkscape_creates_pixellated_images_instead_of_copying_the_vector_objects
> > and related bug #307005
>
> 4) Can't edit strokes except after drawing an object - i.e. the
> tools for changing strokes and fills are either greyed out when
> nothing is selected, or if they are not, clicking has no effect.
> That's how it works - on all platforms. You have to select an object
> first to change its attributes. You can set the default style for
> new objects in the preferences dialog, for each tool separately.
> Please read the basic tutorials at <http://www.inkscape.org/doc/> to
> learn more about the concepts of Inkscape.
>
> I understand your frustration that Inkscape doesn't work as you expect
> it, but not everything is a bug in Inkscape. And please file separate
> reports for any further bugs you might encounter with Inkscape, it is
> hard to triage (and track) a bug report filled with several unrelated
> items.
>
> --
> Snow Leopard bugs.
> https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/429824
> You received this bug notification because you are a direct subscriber
> of the bug.
>
> Status in Inkscape: A Vector Drawing Tool: New
>
> Bug description:
> Using 0.47pre2
>
> Where do I start? Doesn't want to open large svg file created in
> Illustrator. When open a small file, control-C brings up calligraphy
> tool, instead of copying. Control-Z brings up magnifying glass
> instead of undo. Copy a vector picture and when you paste it it's
> turned into a bitmap. Can't edit strokes except after drawing an
> object - i.e. the tools for changing strokes and fills are either
> greyed out when nothing is selected, or if they are not, clicking
> has no effect.
>
> There are probably more, but I got too frustrated.

Bronwyn Carlisle
Room 231
Department of Biochemistry
University of Otago

Postal:
PO Box 56
Dunedin 9054
New Zealand

Courier:
710 Cumberland St
Dunedin 9016
New Zealand

[phone]
<email address hidden>

[Bronwyn (bronwyn-carlisle)]

Whoops.

Correction. I hadn't copied and pasted in Gimp since the upgrade. No
the keystrokes don't work as expected in Gimp. So it's obviously a
Snow Leopard thing - will they have to fix it or will you?

On 16/09/2009, at 8:59 AM, Bronwyn wrote:

>
> On 16/09/2009, at 12:01 AM, ~suv wrote:
>
>> 1) Doesn't want to open large svg file created in Illustrator.
>> please attach the file so that we can try to reproduce this issue.
>
> It's too big. It's ~30MB and my email server won't let me send it.
>>
>> 2) Crtl+C brings up calligraphy instead of copying
>> Probably an issue with your X11 preferences:
>> - Please check the options on the 'Input' tab in the X11 preferences
>> dialog.
>
> Screenshot attached, but it's not that, I've changed each thing and it
> makes no difference.
>
>
>> - Does it work as expected in other X11 apps (e.g. GIMP)?
>
> Yes it does, and it used to work the way I expect under Inkscape too,
> before I upgraded to Snow Leopard.
>
>> - Do you use a '~/.Xmodmap' file that remaps the 'Alt' key and swaps
>> 'Crtl' and 'Cmd'?
>
> No.
>
>>
>> 3) Ctrl-Z selects Zoom tool instead of 'Undo'
>> see 2)
>
> See above
>>
>> 3) Copy a vector picture and when you paste it it's turned into a
>> bitmap
>> see FAQ <http://wiki.inkscape.org/wiki/index.php/FAQ#Copying_and_pasting_in_Inkscape_creates_pixellated_images_instead_of_copying_the_vector_objects
>>> and related bug #307005
>
> Thanks - I had looked, but obviously not hard enough.
>>
>> 4) Can't edit strokes except after drawing an object - i.e. the
>> tools for changing strokes and fills are either greyed out when
>> nothing is selected, or if they are not, clicking has no effect.
>> That's how it works - on all platforms. You have to select an object
>> first to change its attributes. You can set the default style for
>> new objects in the preferences dialog, for each tool separately.
>> Please read the basic tutorials at <http://www.inkscape.org/doc/> to
>> learn more about the concepts of Inkscape.
>>
>> I understand your frustration that Inkscape doesn't work as you
>> expect
>> it, but not everything is a bug in Inkscape. And please file separate
>> reports for any further bugs you might encounter with Inkscape, it is
>> hard to triage (and track) a bug report filled with several unrelated
>> items.
>
> Will do. The thing is that I have used Inkscape before, and found it
> great. I work in a University doing scientific graphics and have
> Illustrator to use myself at work, but I've been advising our post-
> grad students to use Inkscape because obviously they are too poor to
> buy Illustrator and I use it myself at home. After this upgrade it
> just doesn't seem to work the way it used to. But again, I don't use
> it terribly often, so some of those things my be just my memory. I was
> SURE I'd been able to select a colour and style for a stroke before
> making it - perhaps that's a preference which has had it's default
> setting changed in the new versions?
>>
>> --
>> Snow Leopard bugs.
>> https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/429824
>> You received this bug notification because you are a direct
>> subscriber
>> of the bug.
>>
>> Status in Inkscape: A Vector Drawing Tool:...

[Bronwyn (bronwyn-carlisle)]

I've talked one of the other Snow Leopard running guys at work into
installing Inkscape, and it's fine on his machine. He did a clean
install though. It's obviously an issue with my computer, so thanks
for your help and I'll wipe my computer and do a clean install of Snow
Leopard.

On 16/09/2009, at 8:59 AM, Bronwyn wrote:

>
> On 16/09/2009, at 12:01 AM, ~suv wrote:
>
>> 1) Doesn't want to open large svg file created in Illustrator.
>> please attach the file so that we can try to reproduce this issue.
>
> It's too big. It's ~30MB and my email server won't let me send it.
>>
>> 2) Crtl+C brings up calligraphy instead of copying
>> Probably an issue with your X11 preferences:
>> - Please check the options on the 'Input' tab in the X11 preferences
>> dialog.
>
> Screenshot attached, but it's not that, I've changed each thing and it
> makes no difference.
>
>
>> - Does it work as expected in other X11 apps (e.g. GIMP)?
>
> Yes it does, and it used to work the way I expect under Inkscape too,
> before I upgraded to Snow Leopard.
>
>> - Do you use a '~/.Xmodmap' file that remaps the 'Alt' key and swaps
>> 'Crtl' and 'Cmd'?
>
> No.
>
>>
>> 3) Ctrl-Z selects Zoom tool instead of 'Undo'
>> see 2)
>
> See above
>>
>> 3) Copy a vector picture and when you paste it it's turned into a
>> bitmap
>> see FAQ <http://wiki.inkscape.org/wiki/index.php/FAQ#Copying_and_pasting_in_Inkscape_creates_pixellated_images_instead_of_copying_the_vector_objects
>>> and related bug #307005
>
> Thanks - I had looked, but obviously not hard enough.
>>
>> 4) Can't edit strokes except after drawing an object - i.e. the
>> tools for changing strokes and fills are either greyed out when
>> nothing is selected, or if they are not, clicking has no effect.
>> That's how it works - on all platforms. You have to select an object
>> first to change its attributes. You can set the default style for
>> new objects in the preferences dialog, for each tool separately.
>> Please read the basic tutorials at <http://www.inkscape.org/doc/> to
>> learn more about the concepts of Inkscape.
>>
>> I understand your frustration that Inkscape doesn't work as you
>> expect
>> it, but not everything is a bug in Inkscape. And please file separate
>> reports for any further bugs you might encounter with Inkscape, it is
>> hard to triage (and track) a bug report filled with several unrelated
>> items.
>
> Will do. The thing is that I have used Inkscape before, and found it
> great. I work in a University doing scientific graphics and have
> Illustrator to use myself at work, but I've been advising our post-
> grad students to use Inkscape because obviously they are too poor to
> buy Illustrator and I use it myself at home. After this upgrade it
> just doesn't seem to work the way it used to. But again, I don't use
> it terribly often, so some of those things my be just my memory. I was
> SURE I'd been able to select a colour and style for a stroke before
> making it - perhaps that's a preference which has had it's default
> setting changed in the new versions?
>>
>> --
>> Snow Leopard bugs.
>> https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/429824
>> You received this bug notification because you are a di...

[su_v (suv-lp)]

1) Doesn't want to open large svg file created in Illustrator.

<http://launchpadlibrarian.net/31853822/P-kawa2.svg>
I can confirm the tediously slow reaction of Inkscape when moving selected parts of the drawing (MBP, 2GB, 10.5.8, 0.47pre2-2)
This might due to
a) general performance issue with inkscape - not one of its strongest features at the moment (but on the roadmap for 0.48/0.49)
b) the way Illustrator structures the SVG file: many nested groups for single path elements
c) many elements with reduced opacity, though it isn't faster when using 'outline' view mode.

2) X11 input/keyboard settings

You might consider asking on the X11-users mailing list before reinstalling SL (a clean install though might be better anyway - but then again I haven't upgraded myself yet ;-)
X11-users info page: <http://lists.apple.com/mailman/listinfo/x11-users>
X11-users archive: <http://lists.apple.com/archives/X11-users>

[Beluga (buovjaga)]

Confirmed sluggish perf, even on my very fast desktop with 32GB memory.

Arch Linux 64-bit
Inkscape 0.91 r13725