Inkplot

Inkplot makes PDFs and PNGs out of Inkscape SVG documents using a simple YAML file that describes for each image or pdf page page:

• the source SVG
• visibiilty for each of the SVG's layers
• the page's zoom extents

It's purpose is to make it easy to produce PDFs from SVGs where the workflow includes turning layers on and off and zooming around to different spots in the document space.

The project's original aim is to enable the creation of a set of planning documents with title blocks, page numbers, compass rose and scale, etc. with pages that include various systems like water, septic, and electrical with labels and line weights appropriate to the scale.

I've often wanted a tool like this to exist, but only just embarked on the project that's involved enough to justify the effort.

I hope other folks find it useful. Enjoy!

Pages

To keep things brief, inkplot pages can use shared layersets and zoom rectangles:

shared:
  layersets:
    - name: hide-all
      source: farm.svg
      hidden:
        - '**'
    - name: basemap-imagery
      source: farm.svg
      visible: True
      layers:
        - "site>>basemap>>**"
    - name: titleblock-frontpage
      source: farm.svg
      visible:
        - "titleblock>>full extent frame>>boxes"
        - "titleblock>>full extent frame>>mask"
        - "scale>>full extent scale"
  zoom-rectangles:
    - name: whole-site-frame
      id: residences-site-frame-lg
    - name: both-residences-frame
      id: residences-site-frame-sm

To define the PDFs that can be generated using inkplot and the render definition YAML file, A page definition can reference layersets and simply define any additional layers that need to be turned on or off above and beyond the shared layersets listed in include-layersets:

pdfs:
  - name: example_pdf
    pages:
      - name: frontpage
        source: farm.svg
        include-layersets:
          - "hide-all"
          - "basemap-imagery"
          - "titleblock-frontpage"
        layersets:
          - visible: True
            layers:
              - "titleblock>>full extent frame>>title>>overview-basemap"
        include-zoom-rectangle: whole-site-frame

And, because it's a YAML file, we can gain a bit more brevity yet using YAML aliases:

pdfs:
  - name: example_pdf
    pages:
      # this one defines the front page but also makes a template of sorts named
      # pg-imagery-with-titleblock that can be used later
      - &pg-imagery-with-titleblock
        name: frontpage
        source: farm.svg
        include-layersets:
          - "hide-all"
          - "basemap-imagery"
          - "titleblock-frontpage"
        layersets:
          - visible: True
            layers:
              - "titleblock>>full extent frame>>title>>overview-basemap"
        include-zoom-rectangle: whole-site-frame
        
      # this defines a page that includes everything in the frontpage def, but
      # redefines the layersets (keeping the layersets referenced in
      # include-layersets)
      - *pg-imagery-with-titleblock
        name: siteplan
        layersets:
            visible:
              - "titleblock>>full extent frame>>title>>site-plan"
              - "bldgs>>**"
              - "site/infrastructure/fences/**"

To define images, that, like pages, can be generated at the command line, we can include an images section that is very similar to the pages section:

images:
  - name: site-range-hill
    source: farm.svg
    include-layersets:
      - "hide-all"
      - "titleblock-brewery-site"
      - "shared-brewery-site"
    layersets:
      - visible:
          - "proposed>>brewery>>sites 1>>range hill"
      - hidden: []
    include-zoom-rectangle: brewery-site-plan-frame

Using the CLI

To create all defined PDFs and images, use the simple CLI:

inkplot example.yml

and to create individual PDFs and images use:

# produce a single PDF
inkplot example.yml --pdf example_pdf

# produce an individual image
inkplot example.yml --image site-range-hill

And that should do it.

Installing

Installing is as simple as:

pip install inkplot

and you'll need to have Inkscape installed.