NewFromTemplateSpec

'New from template' dialog's specification

Page : NewFromTemplateSpec

Synopsis

Long-time users tend to keep a great deal of templates around. Inkscape allows to pick templates from a simple submenu which isn't flexible enough.

Implementing a Scribus-like New From Template (further as NFT) dialog with additional search capability would help keeping templates organized and easily accessible.

Templates

Definition

Definition of template : ClipTemplates.

Abstract : templates are svg files included in « /usr/.../inkscape/templates/ ». Others templates can be easily adds in « ~/.inkscape/templates ».

Attributes

Listing of attributes for each templates:

must be set

• a default english name (en: desktop 1024x768)
• a category

if necessary

• some translations of the name (fr: fond d'écran 1024x768)
• a description in english
• some translations of the description
• some keywords (see talk page)
• a Licence
• a date
• name(s) of author(s)
• an email address
• a website link

Name

Every template must have an default english name. If name is not set, the file name will be displayed.

Default english name:

   inkscape:template-name="desktop 1024x768"

French translation:

   inkscape:template-name-fr="fond d'écran 1024x768"

Category

Templates must be categorized. That's why we must add a new attribute named « category » into every templates svg files. This attribute will allow the NFT dialog to only display categories with at least one template.

Use "/" for subcategories. You can put more than one "/". Examples: "Covers/CD/Front" ; "Covers/CD/Back"

Use " " between words and not "_". Examples: "Paper sizes" and not "Paper_sizes"

Examples:

• if you make a new CD cover template, you have to put:

   inkscape:template-category="Covers/CD"

• if you make a new paper sizes template:

   inkscape:template-category="Paper sizes"

Keywords

Those keywords can be used in order to research a template. For example if you type "Desktop" in the search entry of the NFT dialog, it will show you all template witch contain the keyword "Desktop" (see talk page about usefulness).

Date

Only in english notation : 10/23/2005"

Structure in SVG files

<sodipodi:namedview
   inkscape:template-name="Web banner 728x90"
   inkscape:template-name-fr="Bannière Web 728x90"
   inkscape:template-category="Web/Banner"
   inkscape:template-description="A banner for a website, size: 728x90 px"
   inkscape:template-description-fr="Une bannière pour site web, taille : 728x90 px"
   inkscape:template-licence="GNU GPL"
   inkscape:template-date="12/20/2008"
   inkscape:template-authors="Albin, Binnette, John"
   inkscape:template-contacts="albin@ink.com, john@mail.com"
   inkscape:template-websites="http://john.inkscape.org, http://binnette.perso.net"
/>

Current categories

From ClipTemplates.

• Covers
  • CD
    1. CD_cover_300dpi.svg
  • DVD
    1. DVD_cover_regular_300dpi.svg
    2. DVD_cover_slim_300dpi.svg
    3. DVD_cover_superslim_300dpi.svg
    4. DVD_cover_ultraslim_300dpi.svg
  • TAPE
    1. no file
  • VHS
    1. no file

• Desktops
  1. desktop_1024x768.svg
  2. desktop_1600x1200.svg
  3. desktop_640x480.svg
  4. desktop_800x600.svg

• Labels
  1. no file

• Backgrounds
  1. no file

• Banners
  1. no file

• Icons
  1. icon_16x16.svg
  2. icon_32x32.svg
  3. icon_48x48.svg
  4. icon_64x64.svg

• Paper sizes
  1. A4_landscape.svg
  2. A4.svg
  3. business_card_85x54mm.svg
  4. business_card_90x50mm.svg
  5. Letter_landscape.svg
  6. Letter.svg

• Videos
  1. video_HDTV_1920x1080.svg
  2. video_NTSC_720x486.svg
  3. video_PAL_720x576.svg

• Slideshows
  1. LaTeX_Beamer.svg

• Web
  • Buttons
    1. no file
  • Banners
    1. web_banner_468x60.svg
    2. web_banner_728x90.svg

• Fonts
  1. fontforge_glyph.svg

• Template themes
  1. no file

• Others (and uncategorized)
  1. black_opaque.svg
  2. white_opaque.svg
  3. no_borders.svg
  4. no_layers.svg

• Default
  • Language (Files in this category will not appear in NFT dialog. Only the good language will appear)
    1. default.be.svg
    2. default.ca.svg
    3. default.cs.svg
    4. default.de.svg
    5. default.eo.svg
    6. default.es.svg
    7. default.eu.svg
    8. default.fi.svg
    9. default.fr.svg
    10. default.hu.svg
    11. default.it.svg
    12. default.ja.svg
    13. default.lt.svg
    14. default.nl.svg
    15. default.pl.svg
    16. default.pt_BR.svg (Portuguese_Brazil)
    17. default.sk.svg
    18. default.svg (in English)
  • Units (will probably be removed and replaced by a combobox that's allow to select unit)
    1. default_mm.svg
    2. default_pt.svg

about languages

About Portuguese Brazil. See the list of language in the User Profile that wiki (pt-br) or locale bash pt_BR. I think that only BR may conflict with other language. Also use about.pt_BR.svg .. RFC1766 meta-tag in HTML4 or history http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Language_localisation ... Acceptable change to BR only if there is a conflict with another BR.

Functionality

Types of templates

NFT dialog provides access to both static and dynamically created (procedural) templates. Static templates are simple SVG files. Dynamically created templates are scripts like Perfect-Bound Cover. See GUI mockup section below for GUI considerations.

GUI

Scribus

Scribus NFT dialog is really good ! We have to reproduce this dialog. Uses tabs: tab 1 for custom and tab 2 for templates.

Mockup

Mockup of NFT dialog for static templates:

Mockup of NFT dialog for procedural templates:

Behind the curtains

Integration with ccHost

ccHost is deprecated ! prefer GetHotNewStuff

Integration with GetHotNewStuff

See:

• http://ghns.freedesktop.org/
• http://inkscapestuff.org/

Integration with OCAL

See:

• http://www.openclipart.org/ (Open Clip Art Library)

Future improvements

In case someone comes up with a decent web service to host updatable templates, the dialog should notificate on updates and allow grabbing updated versions.