GIMP goes SVG

An anonymous reader writes "The GIMP developers released a new snapshot in the development series. Version 1.3.21 (aka the path to excellence release) features an improved path tool with superb path stroking and adds SVG support. You can now export your GIMP paths to SVG and the new SVG import plug-in not only renders Scalable Vector Graphics for you at the desired resolution, it also imports SVG paths as GIMP paths."

Comments

SVG is the future

[CausticWindow]

Get an SVG enabled Mozilla build and start playing with it. It's fun.

Re:LAMENS TERMS

[arcanumas]

I am Greek and yet i could not understand it. thanks.

What does this mean for Sodipodi?

[Chilltowner]

I wonder what the Sodipodi developers are going to do with this. Hopefully, there will be lots of cooperation. Sodipodi is rapidly maturing into a truly great vector graphics app for Linux and Windows (and OS X over X11, I'd guess). If the two projects cooperated, we could have an Illustrator killer on our hands!

Re:What does this mean for Sodipodi?

[Raphael]

One of the goals of adding SVG support in the GIMP was to allow better cooperation between the GIMP and Sodipodi or other vector-based applications.

Until recently, if you were using Sodipodi, you had to convert your SVG file to a bitmap format (such as PNG) before being able to load it in the GIMP. Now it is possible to import the SVG file directly into the GIMP and make some minor adjustments before creating the final image. You can also convert some parts of the SVG (imported as paths in the GIMP) to selections and apply more complex effects that what SVG would allow.

Note that the SVG support in the GIMP is only due to the integration of the SVG plug-in that had been available since a while as part of libsvg. So it's nothing really new, although including it as part of the default GIMP distribution seems to make a significant difference.

Three Questions

[Jameth]

1) Did they waste time writing it all themselves, or are they interworking with SodiPodi? SodiPodi is an excellent piece of software if you want to edit SVG.

2) Does it just import them and make paths, or is it a full-featured SVG editor? Someone else commented on it now being Photoshop+Illustrator, but that's a whole different thing. Photoshop also supports importing SVG and AI format, it just doesn't edit them. (see question three)

3) Does it make this simple? I've tried to figure a way to do both Vector and Raster editing in one program before, and had some ideas, but nothing that would truly make it easy. The reason Illustrator and Photoshop are separate is not for the chance to sell two products (although I suspect that influences the idea a bit) but because there isn't a way to do vector and raster editing in a well mixed manner. At best, you end up with something that changes back and forth between being a vector editor and a raster editor depending on what is selected.

Re:Three Questions

[Jameth]

Sorry. That sounded rude. I should think longer before I say things.

Re:Three Questions

[bolsh]

> 1) Did they waste time writing it all themselves, or are they interworking with SodiPodi? SodiPodi is an excellent piece of software if you want to edit SVG.

We (or rather Sven) used rsvg to read and render the SVG as a bitmap.

> 2) Does it just import them and make paths, or is it a full-featured SVG editor? Someone else commented on it now being Photoshop+Illustrator, but that's a whole different thing. Photoshop also supports importing SVG and AI format, it just doesn't edit them. (see question three)

It just imports SVG to a rastermap, and exports paths to SVG. There is no support for the funky stuff like gradient fills, object groups, etc. This is not a vector graphics program.

> 3) Does it make this simple?

Yes. You load your SVG, specifying the size of the bounding box, and there you go.

Cheers,
Dave.

Re:JPG properties

[Captain Large Face]

Apparently, EXIF data is kept in JPEG files from version 1.3.16, which should be what you're after.

Re:SVG a Huge plus

[Jameth]

What would put GIMP on the map is an easier interface (although 1.3 is a vast improvement, it still ain't photoshop)

Also, if you want a good vector graphics editor for free, try SodiPodi. It's good. Especially for a 0.3 level program.

P.S. This isn't meant to be rude to GIMP. It's being compared only to THE BEST. They actually have a better interface than most other programs that compete with Photoshop (that is, programs that I've tried).

The GIMP New Web Site

[Pope Raymond Lama]

The GIMP is on the road for a 2.0 release that shall happen this year. Actually, this 1.3.21 release shall be the last one before the 2.0pre release series.

Do not miss the new GIMP site, taht will soon replace the contents in www.gimp.org: mmaybe.gimp.org .

Re:SVG rendering engine?

[msevior]

I believe it uses librsvg. The fastest and most complaint SVG renderer out there.

(Maintained by my good friend and fellow AbiWord developer Dom Lachowicz)

Martin

Other goodies to look foward to in gimp 1.3.x

[Anonymous Coward]

The new improved GUI, complete with easier menus, new docking system, frendlier help.

CMYK support!

Now uses GTK 2, no more ugly fonts, no more GREY, its all in the colour you want!

Hundreds of new plugins, and there is the excellent plug in registry as well. If there isn't a filter you wan't then it can easily be created due to the GIMP's API

Support for standards from the freedesktop project, including thumnails.

The new Docking gui, which allows you to reduce your screen clutter! Just drag and drop those tabs!

Much faster, starts in around 3 seconds, and it uses MMX extentions to accelerate your graphics filters.

Simply put, gimp 1.3.x is really powerful, and Adobe should start to become worried. Remember, if the feature you wan't isn't there, it will be soon due to the extremly rapid development. Even a 0.01 increment == TONS of features!

Also, the "gimp" himself looks a lot cuter in SVG.

I don't mean to gripe but....

[MarcoAtWork]

This is not flamebait, but why instead of focusing development efforts on stuff that has marginal appeal at best, the developers don't try to implement the #1 missing feature in GIMP (for photo retouching, IMHO of course)

Adjustment layers! (with masks)

and no, you can't really 'emulate' them with the currently available toolset unfortunately (remember that they have masks and are non-destructive).

I love GIMP but the absence of this feature (which is not exactly a new thing, even PSPro has it!) is really killing me...

Re:SVG is not the future

[caseih]

IE doesn't support flash either, and it's wide-spread. All you need is to embedd a link to the SVG active-X control and users will pick it up on the fly. No big deal. Average Joe's don't even know flash isn't supported natively. They still use it.

Don't look for any new features in IE for the next several years. By integrating it tightly into the OS and killing it as a standalone product, Microsoft has effectively eliminated all potential innovation in the browser area, since browser releases now equals OS releases. IE 7 won't be out until Longhorn (at least a year away), and even then it won't be widely used as most people will never migrate off XP for the life of their machines.

This is an unprecedented opportunity for Mozilla to win the browser war. Being a standalone installable app (that can run on win98 and up), Mozilla can add new features and support new standards. Just spread the word. Tell your friends. Talk to your favorite web developers.