Inkscape v. Koolmoves

[sm5574]

Has anyone successfully imported vector images from Inkscape to Koolmoves? I tried importing a couple of things. One was an image consisting of rectangles and skewed text. The rectangles came across okay, but the text was the wrong font, wasn't skewed, and wasn't anywhere near the location it should have been. Next I tried to import a circle with a gradient ellipse inside it, and the letter X (unskewed). The circle came across as a polygon (an octagon, to be specific), the gradient ellipse as a solid polygon (octagon again), and the font again had been changed. This time the text was in the correct location.

The problem with the text not being in the right spot seems to be related to whether or not the shapes are "grouped" in Inkscape. No biggie, as grouping is only a convenience, and I can do without it. But the other problems are critical. I can kind of understand the font issue except that I using the same machine for Inkscape and KM.

As it stands, KM is virtually useless when interacting with Inkscape, or am I missing something?

[evolbeagle]

Well, it probably depends on what you're wanting to do with the Inkscape/KoolMoves combo. I'm using it now for character animation and it works quite well. My suspicion on the skewed text problem is that, since KM doesn't support skewed text natively (you have to convert to shapes to skew text objects in KM), it probably doesn't support imported skewed text either. Did you try converting text to paths in Inkscape before importing to KM?

I've also noticed that gradients don't import, so I just plan to apply those in KM. Never noticed the circle/polygon problem, but then I rarely use regular shapes in my Inkscape/KM work. I mostly use Inkscape for variable line weights in drawings since KM doesn't have that one feature. Basically, I've just figured out which things I do that KM doesn't like to import (gradients or whatever) and I just save those steps until I'm in KM. So, all in all, it ends up being useful to me.

Matt

[blanius]

Bob continues to improve SVG import in KM. As it stands from what I've seen KM supports SVG better than anthing else.

First make sure that you save your Inkscape drawing as PLAIN svg that helps.

[sm5574]

I saved it as plain, but it didn't help.

As for doing most of my work in KM, for the most part that's possible, but Inkscape is far more powerful and easier to use in this regard. (That's not a knock against KM, as it isn't really what KM was designed to do.)

And I can't seem to get bones to work right in KM, but that's a topic for another post I'm not ready to make yet.

Anyway, as always I appreciate the responses.

:thumbsup:

[dniezby]

This is what happens when I try to import an SVG
http://www.nsfilms.com/files/kmcap.png

This is a PNG version of what the SVG file I tried to import.
http://www.nsfilms.com/files/redbutton.png

[Bob Hartzell]

I suggest that you send me the svg file(s) that is causing you problems.

[dniezby]

Here are two versions of the image that I tried to import.

[sm5574]

Strange...when I pull that up in Inkscape it doesn't look quite as nice as your png file. Specifically, the gradient that causes the button to be dark at the bottom doesn't show, so the circle itself is a flat red with only the white gradient highlight and shadow.

[dniezby]

Really? Both of them?
That is strange. They were created in Inkscape 0.45.
I'll took a look at them and they open fine here. I don't know what the problem could be.

[sm5574]

Yeah, well...

The day any software I use works correctly...

btw, I'm sure it doesn't make any difference, but I'm using 0.45.1

[dniezby]

Yeah, well...

The day any software I use works correctly...

btw, I'm sure it doesn't make any difference, but I'm using 0.45.1

LOL, I'll update my version and see if it's something else.

[dniezby]

Nope, checked it with the update. Works fine as well. Maybe one of the other components haven't been updated yet.

[evolbeagle]

In the FWIW Department:

I've been working a bit more on my animations and have a couple of observations and/or thoughts about the KoolMoves/Inkscape combo.

1) As a general idea, it would of course be awesome if KM could import svg files from Inkscape while preserving as many features of the original drawing as possible. Inkscape is already a really handy vector drawing tool and it's progressing in leaps and bounds. There are some half dozen Inkscape projects in this year's Google Summer of Code program. To whatever extent possible, leveraging Inkscape's features by honing svg import would seriously enhance KoolMoves.

2) A bit of a tip: I've sometimes run into the node misplacement issue when importing my character drawings from Inkscape. I normally see no problem if the drawing is held static, but I sometimes see it when the drawing is moved (animated) in some way. So far, I have always been able to cure this problem by putting the imported drawing into its own movie clip.

Matt

[w.brants]

I don't know if it will give you better results but there's a plugin for Inkscape to export as swf. If you do that and import the swf into KM as an editable movie, that might also work.