Tools

SVG Validator

A <a href="http://jiggles.w3.org/svgvalidator/">validator service</a> (and downloadable tool) is provided by the W3C. It will complain about sodipodi or inkscape namespaced items in the document, unless you've exported to plain SVG.

SVG::Metadata

A <a href="http://search.cpan.org/CPAN/authors/id/B/BR/BRYCE/SVG-Metadata-0.10.tar.gz">Perl module and set of scripts</a> to help in adding and processing metadata in SVG files.

Autotrace and Frontline

Autotrace is vectorization program by Martin Weber. That means you can convert bitmap images (like scans) to vector graphics. While not optimal for photos, it does good job on line art and poster-like images. Doesn't do too well with color.

Frontline is GUI frontend to Autotrace by Masatake Yamato. Frontline can be run as standalone aplication, but it can also be directly accessed from Inkscape and GIMP.

If you want to have tracing option, yo have to install both Autotrace and Frontline before compiling Inkscape. Inkscape automatically detects these programs, and adds inline raster to vector conversion option to image menu.

Both autotrace and frontline can be downloaded from <a href="http://autotrace.sourceforge.net/">http://autotrace.sourceforge.net/</a>.

potrace

...is now embedded into Inkscape. You don't need to run it separately.

<a href="http://potrace.sourceforge.net/">http://potrace.sourceforge.net/</a>

So how the f--- do I use it via Inkscape????StupidQuestion 00:17, 9 February 2006 (PST)

Import the bitmap you want traced (File -> Import...), select the bitmap, then choose Path->Trace Bitmap. In that dialog you can choose the tracing type (I guess that's what you can call it), tweak the setttings, get a "preview" to see if it's actually going to trace the way you want, then click OK. It'll think for a second. Close the dialogue box and what once used to be a bitmap is now a grouped set of vector shapes. Autodmc 11:23, 9 February 2006 (PST)

Delineate

Front end written in java that does interesting things with color images.

<a href="http://delineate.sourceforge.net/">http://delineate.sourceforge.net/</a>

ill2svg

ill2svg (Illustrator to SVG) is a small script that helps turn Adobe Illustrator .ai files into SVG. While it doesn't always do a perfect job, it can sometimes be of great help.

To use the program, just type:

ill2svg.pl [-l "string" -h] infile > outfile.svg

options: 
    -l specify the file's line-ending convention: dos, mac,
    or unix; the default is unix

    -h print this message and exit

gimp2sodipodi

Shandy Brown has assembled a somewhat obscure but useful set of tools to get from GIMP to Sodipodi (and thus to Inkscape). That is, convert raster to vector.

The Gimp

Gimp is firstly a bitmap graphic tool, but:

• It imports SVG (with help of librsvg) into bitmap or vector path, exports SVG.
• Gimp selection can be converted to vector path, and path are exported/imported in SVG.

Gimp can be used to create nice textures to use in inkscape or shapes that can be vectorized in Inkscape. and, importing SVG drawings from Inkscape to Gimp, allow to do several effects by filling and stroking shapes.

There is limited drag'n'drop features between Gimp and Inkscape:

• path, can be drag'n'droped from Gimp path dialog to Inkscape
• pictures can be drag'n'droped from Gimp document history to inkscape it that's a recognised format for Inkscape.

<a href="http://gimp.org">http://gimp.org</a>

<a href="http://www.xs4all.nl/%7Esalsaman/lives/">LIVES</a>

LIVES is the Linux Video Editing System that permits editing and making video without worries about formats, frame sizes, or frame rates. It doesn't support SVG directly yet, but you can create animated works by moving your shapes in Inkscape and exporting as numbered png's.