The online manual states that Inkscape pictures can be saved in .XCF format. I'm using Inkscape v0.48.0 r9654. When I open the "save as" dialog and check the drop-down list, the .XCF format isn't present; i.e., isn't listed there as an option. Is there some trick to saving in .XCF format that I'm missing, or is this absence in the drop-down list a flaw in the program?

Okay, I read further in some other posts and I see that yes, I was missing something. Checking my extension-errors.log file, I discovered

Extension "GIMP XCF" failed to load because a dependency was not met.
Dependency:
type: executable
location: path
string: gimp

Gimp was previously installed, so my guess from this is that the installation program of Inkscape didn't find & log the presence of Gimp. A little extra data: If I click on a file having .XCF extension, Gimp is activated for working with the image file. Therefore, the .XCF extension IS properly registered in my OS, as being the province of Gimp, and is properly linked to the Gimp executable for the sake of activating it.

Any suggestions, how I can fix this to make .XCF format become an option when doing "save as"?

scruffyeagle wrote:Therefore, the .XCF extension IS properly registered in my OS, as being the province of Gimp, and is properly linked to the Gimp executable for the sake of activating it.

Any suggestions, how I can fix this to make .XCF format become an option when doing "save as"?

It might help if you tell us which OS you use.

The export file format 'GIMP XCF' is not yet supported on Windows [1] in Inkscape 0.48.0, nor does it work with 'GIMP on OS X' (GIMP installed as osx app), in case you are using a Mac.

[1] Bug #616193 in Inkscape: “Gimp XCF export doesn't work on Windows” (fixed for upcoming 0.48.1)

~suv: Yes, I'd be glad to let you know which OS I use, but let me pause for a moment to wipe the egg off my face. There, that's better. I was mulling over the situation, digging into various files in the Inkscape program directory, when it hit me that I hadn't shared that particular detail with you here. So, I came back and discovered your response to what I'd posted. Thank you, for replying so quickly.

My machine uses Windows XP w/ all the available updates & service packs installed. I see from your post that v0.48.0 won't support XCF format on Windows yet. So, would you suggest me seeking a copy of v0.47 Inkscape? If yes, then is it possible to run both versions of the program on the same machine without causing a conflict? That way, I could probably work in v0.48 to gain use of whatever advanced features might be available there, save as SVG, open the SVG in v0.47, and save it from there as XCF.

scruffyeagle wrote:So, would you suggest me seeking a copy of v0.47 Inkscape?

No. AFAIK it never worked on Windows so far. Wait for 0.48.1.

In the mean time, export each layer as bitmap (File > Export bitmap…) and import the bitmaps in GIMP (the export file format does only few additional things (with grid and guides), but no further magic: basically it exports each layer to a bitmap (PNG) and calls GIMP on the command line to create the XCF file with the bitmaps, using the original layer names).

~suv: Hi again! Boy, I'm glad you replied as quickly as you did. I went and tracked down a v0.47 copy of Inkscape, and was going to experiment via uninstalling v0.48 and installing v0.47. But, I checked back here first. Good thing, huh?

I'm not sure what to think, about what you wrote about Inkscape's relation to Gimp; that it never has been able to export for Gimp. I consider Gimp to be THE pre-eminent leader in pixellated art freeware. That makes me feel that saving for Gimp connectivity should have been a high priority in the work flow of developing Inkscape. Of course, I also consider the JPG format to be more accurate than the PNG format, for representing vector contents in a pixellated medium. (I posted along this line in the "Ideas" area, and there are examples & explanations there if you want to know why.)

I understand via what you wrote, that any connectivity to Gimp will need to be accomplished through manually massaging the Inkscape layers as output. Then, manually importing what Inkscape output, as layers being input into Gimp. Thank you for your explanations, and time responding to my inquiries!

scruffyeagle wrote:I'm not sure what to think, about what you wrote about Inkscape's relation to Gimp; that it never has been able to export for Gimp.

I was referring to the Windows port of Inkscape. Please remember that Inkscape supports many platforms, Windows is just one of them.

scruffyeagle wrote:I understand via what you wrote, that any connectivity to Gimp will need to be accomplished through manually massaging the Inkscape layers as output. Then, manually importing what Inkscape output, as layers being input into Gimp.

I only described a workaround to manually accomplish (nearly) the same as long as you cannot export to XCF directly from your Inkscape version on Windows.