vector2png 0.2.0

Convert AI and DXF files into crisp PNG images

vector2png

Elegant Python utilities to transform Adobe Illustrator (.ai) and AutoCAD DXF (.dxf) files into crisp PNG previews. The project focuses on a polished developer experience with both programmatic and CLI workflows, documented in detail under docs/ with quickstart, CLI, API, and troubleshooting guides. The scope is 2D vector content (lines, shapes, text, gradients); 3D objects or heavy effects are not rendered—flatten or project them upstream before conversion.

📖 中文文档

Documentation

• Overview
• Quickstart
• CLI Guide
• API Reference
• Options Deep Dive
• Dependencies
• Troubleshooting
• FAQ
• Architecture
• Contributing

Highlights

• Intuitive functional API (vector2png.ai_to_png, vector2png.dxf_to_png) plus configurable converter classes
• Dual rendering strategy for AI files (PyMuPDF and pdf2image) with graceful fallback logic
• DXF rendering powered by ezdxf + PyMuPdfBackend, supporting custom layouts, page sizes, and color policies
• Lightweight CLI for quick conversions directly from the terminal
• Optional extras to keep the base install lean (pip install vector2png[ai], vector2png[dxf])

Installation

pip install vector2png           # installs the PyMuPDF core
pip install vector2png[ai]       # adds pdf2image + Pillow for the AI pipeline
pip install vector2png[dxf]      # adds ezdxf for DXF rendering
pip install vector2png[full]     # pulls in every optional dependency

pdf2image requires Poppler. On Windows install pdftoppm.exe (e.g., via OSGeo4W), on macOS use brew install poppler, and on Linux install the poppler-utils package.

License Notice

PyMuPDF (MuPDF) ships under the AGPLv3 by default. Because vector2png depends on PyMuPDF for both AI and DXF rendering, anyone redistributing or offering services built on this project must comply with the AGPL requirements or obtain a commercial MuPDF license from Artifex. MIT licensing only covers the code in this repository and does not waive the obligations imposed by PyMuPDF.

Quick Start

Python API

from vector2png import ai_to_png, dxf_to_png, AIOptions, DXFOptions

# AI example
ai_to_png("logo.ai", "logo.png", AIOptions(dpi=200, transparent=True))

# DXF example with custom layout
options = DXFOptions(layout_name="ISO_A1", background="white", color_policy="monochrome")
dxf_to_png("floorplan.dxf", "floorplan.png", options)

CLI

vector2png ai source.ai output.png --dpi 200 --transparent
vector2png dxf drawing.dxf output.png --layout Layout1 --color monochrome
# Optional DXF helpers:
#   --pdsize 2.5                 # explicit point size to silence ezdxf relative-size notice
#   --normalize-relative-size    # expand MTEXT relative \\H...x markers to absolute sizes

Run vector2png --help to see all flags and defaults.

Example Scripts

The examples/ directory contains simple scripts:

• examples/ai_basic.py: reads examples/files/example.ai and exports PNG preview.
• examples/dxf_basic.py: reads examples/files/example.dxf and exports PNG preview.

Configuration Overview

Converter	Key options
AI	dpi, transparent, background_color, prefer_method, fallback
DXF	dpi, background, color_policy, scale, layout_name, page_width, page_height, margins, lineweight_scaling, max_width, max_height, pdsize, normalize_relative_size

Every option is exposed through the corresponding dataclass (AIOptions, DXFOptions) so IDEs can offer autocomplete and validation.

Background handling for AI conversions:

• transparent=True forces an RGBA PNG and overrides any background_color.
• background_color applies only when transparent=False; both PyMuPDF and pdf2image paths will composite the color (requires Pillow).
• If you prefer PyMuPDF but set background_color without Pillow installed, a dependency error will be raised.

Error Handling

All Runtime errors funnel through ConversionError (or the more specific DependencyMissingError). When an optional dependency is missing, the error message explains which extra to install. The CLI echoes the same error text and exits with a non-zero status code.

Roadmap Ideas

• SVG and PDF conversion support using the same interface
• Batch-processing helpers with concurrency controls
• Richer diagnostic logging (page bounding boxes, render duration)

Acknowledgements

• PyMuPDF (MuPDF) for high-quality PDF/AI rendering.
• pdf2image and Pillow for the alternate AI pipeline.
• ezdxf for DXF parsing and drawing helpers.
• The broader open-source community for testing tools and inspiration.

Contributions and suggestions are welcome!