NewFromTemplateSpec

'New from template' dialog's specification

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 easili accessible.

Templates

Definition

Definition of template : ClipTemplates.

Abstract : templates are svg files included in « /usr/.../inkscape/templates/ ». Others templates can be easily addes 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
• a date
• name(s) of author(s)
• an email address
• a website link

Template name

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

Default english name:

<sodipodi:namedview
   inkscape:templateName="desktop 1024x768"
/>

French translation:

<sodipodi:namedview
   inkscape:templateNameFr="fond d'écran 1024x768"
/>

Template 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.

Examples:

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

<sodipodi:namedview
   inkscape:templateCategory="Covers/CD"
/>

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

• if you make a new desktop template:

<sodipodi:namedview
   inkscape:templateCategory="Desktop"
/>

• if you make a new paper sizes template:

<sodipodi:namedview
   inkscape:templateCategory="Paper sizes"
/>

Q: Should we use underscore between words ? like "Paper_sizes"

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 (Q: Is this the same category as Desktop ?)
  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 (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_mm.svg (don't respect spec ! must be renamed default.mm.svg)
  15. default.nl.svg
  16. default.pl.svg
  17. default.pt_BR.svg (Q: what's pt_BR ? is 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. )
  18. default_pt.svg (don't respect spec ! must be renamed default.pt.svg)
  19. default.sk.svg
  20. default.svg (in English)

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

Q: what is it ?

see also : http://inkscapestuff.org/

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.