I've noticed a couple of things when passing SVG's between Illustrator CS3 and Inkscape on my Windows XP:

• An SVG created in Illustrator will not scale properly when opened in Inkscape. It will actually open at 80% of its real size, so you might want to resize it by 125% to correct that.
• Be careful with gradients created in Illustrator: when openeing in Inkscape a duplicate gradient will be found in the library for each object with that same gradient.
• If you plan on importing your Inkscape SVG in Illustrator, make sure that transparencies are only set in the Opacity (from 0 to 100%). If you use alpha transparency, like #ffffff00, Illustrator will not properly interpret it.

Thanks for sharing this info.

For reference, I think the size difference is perhaps caused by Inkscape using a DPI of 90 whilst Illustrator uses a DPI of 72 (72/90 = 0.8).

I actually thought the multiple copies of the same gradient should be expected with Illustrator since the same gradient applied to different object in Illustrator are edited indipendently of each other anyway. Or are you talking about when you define a gradient in the swatch and set it to be global (I think the feature was called global) it's not treated as global in the SVG?

To extend on the third issue, you can't use transparency in your gradients either. Also, I believe most filters won't display in Illustrator such as blur.

It's strange that Adobe was the one pushing this format originally with the release of the SVG plugin for IE, but their own software has pretty limited support for it.

Thanks for the DPI explanation. It does make sense indeed.

Yes, Illustrator does apply gradients independently of each other. I'm not familiar with pre-defined gradient: I usually end up pulling my hair out when trying to edit gradients in Illustrator. Even though Inkscape treats gradients as global, gradients in SVG made with Illustrator are imported as duplicates.

I too am puzzled by the way SVG seems to offer better possibilities with alpha transparency. Oddly, SVG is featured as a native format in Illustrator, alongside PDF.

fejack wrote:I'm not familiar with pre-defined gradient:

In Illustrator, if you check the properties for items in the swatch, I think you'll see a "Global" checkbox which allows you to edit one gradient and have it change on all objects - but I don't know if that'll work SVGs.

fejack wrote:I usually end up pulling my hair out when trying to edit gradients in Illustrator.

The poor handling of gradients in Illustrator is the single biggest reason I switched to using Inkscape

Mm, Illustrator is also rather peculiar when it comes to layers. When I imported my SVG to Illustrator, objects on each layer were grouped together, and then the layers were merged. That can be dealt with without too much trouble, but then when it comes to moving objects between layers... every object was embedded within sub layer within sub layer, or something.

Left it rather bizarre to try cleaning up directly through the layer functions.

Scribblette wrote:Mm, Illustrator is also rather peculiar when it comes to layers.

I don't think SVG has layers which is why you'll run into trouble. Inkscape uses its own system for layers management which other editors won't necessarily understand.

Yes, SVG doesn't have layers, so Inkscape just uses specially marked groups. Other editors will see these as ordinary groups.

I discovered similar things when passing Illustrator CS3 SVG's to Inksacape.

When opening the Illustrator SVG in Inkscape:

• the size differs from the original (80%) as already mentioned (is there a way to change Inkscape's inside code to fix the problem??? or will I always have to set 125% in Illustrator?)
• gradients are somehow fixed and not moving with the object, therefore moving, resizing ... of objects affects or looses the gradients, see picture (any solving proposal for that?)
  
• Fonts are not interpreted correctly (or at all), Inkscape uses standard font instead. While having a closer look to the sourcecode:
  

  Code: Select all

  <text transform="matrix(1 0 0 1 9.5757 146.7793)" font-family="'NimbusSanL-bol'" font-size="12">...
  
  the font-family seems to be defined correctly by Illustrator, but for Inkscape it's not. Somehow Inkscape is supposed to rather recognize fonts by style-attributes

  Code: Select all

   style="-inkscape-font-specification:NimbusSanL Bold;font-family:NimbusSanL;font-weight:bold;font-style:normal;font-stretch:normal;font-variant:normal;font-size:10.00000031px;text-anchor:start;text-align:start;writing-mode:lr;line-height:125%">...

I'm trying to find a way to solve all problems by not correcting everything in Inkscape and I'm wondering to hear and read nothing about these problems and their solutions. Neither from Inkscape's nor from Adobe's side, nothing on the web. There seem to be no efforts to get the conversion going (...) but SVG is such a great format, offering vector graphics with even translatable text. By the way I'm working as a technical writer using inkscape together with a DMS but getting illustrations from graphic illustrators using of course Adobe Illustrator

Dennis wrote:(is there a way to change Inkscape's inside code to fix the problem??? or will I always have to set 125% in Illustrator?)

I believe 90 DPI is the W3C recommendation for SVG, so arguably Illustrator needs to change from using 72 DPI.

Dennis wrote:gradients are somehow fixed and not moving with the object

On the tool control bar with you'll find a toggle which controls if the gradient should move with the object or not.

You might like to try contacting the developers about support for font attributes (or log a Launchpad issue for it).

microUgly wrote:On the tool control bar with you'll find a toggle which controls if the gradient should move with the object or not.

Thank you very much for the tip, this was exactly what I wanted.

Hhhhm concerning the 90dpi problem, I think probably none of us can either convience Adobe or W3C to get equal with it.
So, the only workaround will be the 125% scaling.

As for the font-problem I'm not quite sure what's causing it, but I'll be after it, letting yoo know if there is a solution.