[Feature] Copy in vector format

[Karl DD]

Alpha 002 adds the ability to copy the canvas to the clipboard as a bitmap image.
Going one better would be to do this as a vector. After trying to implement this with a PDF file I could not get it to work. I am not sure exactly how this can be implemented in Java at this stage.

[q_x]

Actually almost no software makes possible to copy vector to clipboard and paste it in other place. If they can do it - they (AFAIK) use WMF or SVG to migrate. Hard, almost impossible task.
Luke

[Karl DD]

Thanks for the heads up about this, being a java application, the job is not made any easier...
For now the Switch Vector function might have to do.

[tobias]

The Switch Vector and Switch Bitmap functions doesn't work on Linux. I've tryed to use "/usr/bin/inkscape" for vector and "/usr/bin/gimp" for bitmap.

A simple "/usr/bin/inkscape /tmp/AlchemyTempVectorFile51270.pdf" works. But even with this way I have always to click away the PDF import dialog in Inkscape. It would make the workflow with Inkscape much nicer, if you could export as SVG.

[Karl DD]

Thanks for reporting that.
Looking at the code, I didn't include Linux in there at all:

Code: Select all

   /** Open the appropriate application with the temp file and 'switch' */
    private void openSwitch(String file, String app) {
        File path = new File(app);
        try {
            String[] commands = null;
            switch (Alchemy.PLATFORM) {
                case MACOSX:
                    commands = new String[]{"open", "-a", path.getName(), file};
                    break;
                case WINDOWS:
                    commands = new String[]{"cmd", "/c", "start \"" + path.getName() + "\"", "\"Alchemy\"", file};
                    break;
            }
            if (commands != null) {
                Runtime.getRuntime().exec(commands);
            }
        //Runtime.getRuntime().exec("open "+file);
        } catch (IOException ex) {
            System.err.println(ex);
        }
    }


I just need to find how to launch a file in an application using the exec() command on Linux.
Some info here: http://www.rgagnon.com/javadetails/java-0014.html
In particular:

Code: Select all

String[] cmd = {"/bin/sh", "-c", "ls > hello"};
Runtime.getRuntime().exec(cmd);

Might be time to install linux...

RE: SVG
I figure we could do that for the Switch stuff instead of PDF perhaps. PDF is nice to use for the session saving I think though. We could also add an SVG export to the menu using Batik

[tobias]

Please tell me if you have something new. I'll be happy to test it.

[Karl DD]

I have just installed Ubuntu and it is very nice
But I was wondering if anyone knows how to open a file in a specific application using the Linux command line?

On OSX this goes like:

Code: Select all

open -a /path/to/app /path/to/file

I found the gnome-open command but it looks like that just launches the file with the default application.
Once I figure out this little bit of command line trivia I can get the switch stuff working in linux... Cheers!

[Karl DD]

Ah I figured it out, all it is is:

Code: Select all

/path/to/app /path/to/file

and nothing else, very simple.

[Steren]

Re: SVG
I would love to be able to "Export" and "Switch Vector" in the SVG file format.
Did you already start something in this way ?

As you said Batik could be used, I've seen the SVGGraphics2D class that could be given to the paintComponent() method of the Alchemy canvas. What do you think ?

[Karl DD]

Yeah, we intend to do this... it is just a matter of getting around to it.
If it can overwrite the Alchemy Graphics canvas then it should be pretty easy then.
Do you know Java very well?