I created svg file using Clip Studio Paint, but am unable to import it to Synfig. The canvas in Synfig remains blank. I dont know if the problem is with export from CSP or import into Synfig. Any suggestions?
zoom out as much as you can and try to find out where is the square bounding box is being created. Once found, just move the origin to that square and using transform widget, bring artwork to the centre of the canvas. [it could be possible that the origin of the canvas of your artwork is not the same as the origin of canvas in synfig.]
no luck so far. upon importing I get one folder called ‘Group’ containing another folder ‘Inline canvas’. Nothing more. I was hoping to see a list of splines.
The svg text file contains lots of lines beginning with <path d=
I wonder if you had a simple svg file that works with Synfig, and could post it in reply? I could compare the structure, and maybe identify the problem?
Can you give your SVG, so that I can check.
(You can upload here on forum or using something like Google drive)
Here is svg with a hand/stylus-drawn triangular vector. The preview here doesn’t look identical to what I made in CSP: the line thickness in the original varies randomly along the line, about 50 control points total, but this might not be so in Synfig.
Thank you for looking at this!
I would recommend one work around for this, Synfig import for SVG isn’t good, most of times it wouldn’t work properly.
To get working with it,
You can use Inkscape, (for exporting in .sif file format). Open any SVG in Inkscape and then save as .sif file from Inkscape. (this might not work sometimes, but having something is better than nothing, in the above case the width stroke of the triangle is lost, but if I just put the same value for stroke width within Inkscape, then only it will take that into action)
If possible use Inkscape for creating your vector graphics. If you use Inkscape, it’s lot better and all your artwork will export to .sif format without any problem at all.
thank you. Sounds like I should learn Inkscape.
I any case, upon further testing, CSP doesnt actually do what I hoped for. in particular, the line thickness isnt fully implemented when vector drawing.
i still have some gaps in my knowledge of Synfig. I would typically draw a raster image in CSP, import to Synfig, and use the Spline tool to convert, and this wasnt always easy. but now I see the Draw tool that is more intuitive when drawing.
thank you.
Do you try it to open it with Inskcape and save it as: .Sifz?
ok, I plyed with Inkscape a bit. It’s nice, but am not sure if it will be much better than drawing or splining in Synfig. The variable thickness lines are imported into Synfig as the outlines of the thick lines. this is a problem because I do animation of splines, and these outlines of thick lines essentially double the number of vertexes that I need to adjust in each frame.
From what I read so far, svg format doesnt allow variable line thickness.
fyi, I love animation in Synfig, but converting of my raster drawings is tedious, and doesnt feel like a natural way of drawing. At least to me. but maybe that’s how it is.
Anyway, trying to strike a balance between ease of drawing and ease of animating.
I know the problem reason. Synfig SVG importer is based on Inkscape SVG. Inkscape follows the (extensive and flexible) SVG standard, but the generated files always follow a pattern.
So, for the sake of simplification (and author’s sanity I suppose), the focus was support Inkscape SVG pattern.
The exact problem here is Inkscape defines the fill and stroke info in the element style attribute. SVG standard allows it. However, it’s (now) more common to write such data as the attribute itself – it’s also allowed by SVG standard.
Inkscape version (that Synfig supports)
<rect
width="210" height="297" x="0" y="0"
style="fill:#d35f5f;stroke:#008000;stroke-width:0.542999;" />
Other way (currently not supported) – This is how your file is:
<rect
width="210" height="297" x="0" y="0"
fill="#d35f5f" stroke="#008000" stroke-width:"0.542999"
/>
I detected it recently and now I submitted a change proposal for Synfig. I don’t know if it’ll reach stable version soon, though. Maybe the next development version.
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Yes variable outlines is not supported by standard SVG, so when you apply the effect in Inkscape they will be converted to path.
But if you are comfortable with Inkscape, one advice would be - don’t add any variable width, just keep it as a stroke and when you are in Synfig change the width parameters.
You can also use raster images in Synfig, not necessary that they must be vector.
Also Synfig it self doesn’t follow all SVG standards (for vector shapes), for example.
You can see the above svg, White frame is a single object, the inner vertex points are looped and outer are also looped and they fill the shape between the inner vertices and outer vertices, anything like this is not possible at all in Synfig, there is workaround for this (you can create a shape and set it’s blend method to alpha over and you will have that hold). But it doesn’t support it natively. I understand that Synfig is for animation so it’s not necessary for it to follow SVG standards as there would be no need to export for SVG.
But just considering the above example animating I wanted to scale the inner vertex points larger than the outer vertex points (i.e inner vertex are now outer vertex). You can’t just do that in Synfig, you have to change the blend method of both object (put the opposite blend methods). That also adds a little more work, it doesn’t seem a problem for my example, but some times there might be no way.
(I don’t know if I am using proper terms, but I hope you get it)
Also I think that more people aren’t using Synfig for what it is created. It is focused on vector animation and should be more used in motion graphics stuff, and other work where vector graphics are used.
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thank you guys for the comments. I certainly will be importing raster images where animation is not needed, eg backgrounds.
will have to play more with Inkscape to see if it works better (for me) than drawing/splines in Synfig.