Render to SVG or other vector type graphic

What are the status for Blenders when we want to output an image as flat vector graphics instead of raster images. This to process it further in Inkscape or Illustrator.

I tried to search the net for addons but found nothing conclusive:
(1) “blender 2.6 svg export” (couldn’t figure out the download/install url: “https://gitorious.org/blender-2-6-svg-export”) and
(2) “PantoGraph” (Very old url and, I guess, not working in 2.66+: “http://www.blendernation.com/2008/03/03/pantograph-the-vector-renderer/”).

Do any know of other addons for svg output out there? And hints also?

Kind regards,
Mikael

To install the svg export plugin, just put the script in the scripts > addons folder and fire up Blender. The tools palette will show up in the “n” panel. From there, it’s a matter of experimentation to get the output you want. There are quite a few setttings, so don’t expect to get it right the first time.

Thanks, Safetyman.
Though: I know it sounds a bit silly, but I simply cannot see where to click for download on this page and the depository links seems empty. Do I miss something here?

Kind regards, Mikael

I think you should click the “source tree” button and get the python scripts there, then put them in right folder like Safetyman said.

https://gitorious.org/blender-2-6-svg-export/blender-2-6-svg-export/trees

There is a Download master button - here.
That downloads tgz archive. 7z should open it (if on windows).

First: Thanks alot, friends.
Second: May I still ask for some help from you?

I see the SVG-addon nowhere in Blender. I think I’ve done things properly (see screen grab). Done Blender restart. Have I missed something (again)?
Kind regards, Mikael


Hi, Eppo
Very good, thanks. The plug you described loaded and worked perfectly!

The functionality is described here: Info/panel

But the funny thing is that the item “svg_export.py” already was present in the Bl. 2.66 installation package plus the proper script folder, but didn’t show up in the preferences/addon-list/ (see framegrab in earlier post) until I downloaded and saved it over again.

Is this related what you stated about “Message on your screenshot about duplicated scripts is due to that svg import script being now bundled with export”. (I guess I’m not quite sure what this means: I’m not able to export SVGs in file menu by now, but import is ok).

Kind regards from Mikael

That’s weird, i just downloaded blender experimental win32 pack from buildbot and i do not see file “svg_export.py”. There is “export_uv_svg.py” which is another story. For import_svg, folder it lives in is:


 ..\2.67\scripts\addons\io_curve_svg
   [__pycache__]
   svg_colors.py
   import_svg.py
   __init__.py

All this script did all the time was File -> Import .svg functionality and i was glad to see liero’s script rendering svg’s couple of days ago.
For this oneBugtracker still does not mention anything about export .svg function in description, yet new file export_svg.py is there and maintained just yesterday.

What i did is i overwrite files in .\io_curve_svg with ones downloaded from github. File init.py is different, since it references newly added export_svg.py.
As i said - it was edited yesterday, however i’m still getting error


Traceback (most recent call last):
  File "***\blender-2.67-r57624-win32\2.67\scripts\addons\io_curve_svg\__init__.py", line 74, in execute
    from . import export_svg
ImportError: cannot import name export_svg

location: <unknown location>:-1

which is beyond of my “animal detective” abilities to trace this down. Code looks 100% the same for import_svg part, still there is this error.

What i see in screenshot of your’s is file export_svg.py in …\addons folder. This file alone is not able to use blender’s script registering functionality and would not appear in User prefs, Addons. I’m not sure if you have copied other files from archive to the same folder. If you did it, now there is one import_svg.py in …\addons and another one in …\addons\io_curve_svg folder and you have error message “Multiple addons same name found”.

More like technical bug or coding subject, but i hope since it deals with rendering i could be forgiven.

Hm, I’m not the right one to bring deeper wisdom on this :wink: but I notice that you’l find plethora of "init.py"s throughout the 2.66a-folder system turning on other plugins (I guess) on programme start thus returning a warning in preferences panel.


But this I’m having very little knowledge about … and the Liero-one works fine so I’m happy.

Kind regards and thanks from Mikael

init.py is a mechanism for python itself to find needed subroutines/modules - each of the scripts with some module hierarchy does have one. It’s legit. Here is more advanced and clear definition on what’s that for: http://stackoverflow.com/questions/448271/what-is-init-py-for

Glad to be of any help. o/

For my own perception but surely not fully correct I feel its somehow familiar to the “…”-marks like in old days MS-DOS.
Dont want to further go into this, though: You have indeed been a great help :slight_smile:


Kind regards,
Mikael

Thank you so much for the info and the link eppo.
I just subscribed to that thread :wink:

JDL