generated text not visible in neither other application (Windows 8.1)

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secarica
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Joined: Sun Jul 04, 2010 9:13 pm
Location: Romania, Earth

generated text not visible in neither other application (Windows 8.1)

Postby secarica » Wed Jul 12, 2017 8:48 am

I ran out of ideas while trying to write a simple text and pass it as .svg file for further processing.

To put in summary:
  • I'm running Windows 8.1 64 bit
  • using Inkscape 0.92-1 64 bit (as example; however, it happens the same if deleting completely the 64 bit version and reinstall the 32 bit version; happens the same if installing either the .exe package or the .msi package; happens the same if running Inkscape 0.91 32 bit portable)
  • select the text tool, type any garbage
  • save the file with a random name
  • open the file with either Firefox browser / Opera browser / LibreOffice / Visio => page is blank (no text shown)
  • no matter if saving as Inkscape .svg or as plain .svg
  • at least Visio (2003 version; not fully trusted when it comes to svg file format) says this (with the file saved as plain .svg):

    Code: Select all

    Open SVG 1.0 Processing Log

    Source: C:\Users\secarica\Desktop\blah.svg

    Wed Jul 12 01:22:46 2017 Begin Session

    [Information] DataType: Element <svg>
    Context: Line 14 ID svg8
    Description: Unrecognized attribute type xmlns:dc. Attribute ignored.

    [Information] DataType: Element <svg>
    Context: Line 14 ID svg8
    Description: Unrecognized attribute type xmlns:cc. Attribute ignored.

    [Information] DataType: Element <svg>
    Context: Line 14 ID svg8
    Description: Unrecognized attribute type xmlns:rdf. Attribute ignored.

    [Information] DataType: Element <svg>
    Context: Line 14 ID svg8
    Description: Unrecognized attribute type xmlns:svg. Attribute ignored.

    [Information] DataType: N/A
    Context: Line 17
    Description: Unsupported element type metadata found. Element skipped.

    [Information] DataType: N/A
    Context: Line 19
    Description: Unrecognized element type rdf:RDF found. Element skipped.

    [Information] DataType: N/A
    Context: Line 20
    Description: Unrecognized element type cc:Work found. Element skipped.

    [Information] DataType: N/A
    Context: Line 20
    Description: Unrecognized element type dc:format found. Element skipped.

    [Information] DataType: N/A
    Context: Line 22
    Description: Unrecognized element type dc:type found. Element skipped.

    [Information] DataType: N/A
    Context: Line 23
    Description: Unrecognized element type dc:title found. Element skipped.

    [Information] DataType: N/A
    Context: Line 34
    Description: Unrecognized element type flowRoot found. Element skipped.

    [Information] DataType: N/A
    Context: Line 39
    Description: Unrecognized element type flowRegion found. Element skipped.

    [Information] DataType: N/A
    Context: Line 40
    Description: Unrecognized element type flowPara found. Element skipped.

    Wed Jul 12 01:22:47 2017 End Session

:?: :?:

A sample garbage text is attached:
Attachments
blah.svg
(1.25 KiB) Downloaded 296 times

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Xav
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Re: generated text not visible in neither other application (Windows 8.1)

Postby Xav » Wed Jul 12, 2017 4:37 pm

You've created "flowed text" - which is based on a draft version of the SVG specification, and never made it to the final spec. As such it's not supported by other applications.

Flowed text is usually created by dragging a box with the text tool, then typing into it. To create normal text, which is more compatible, just click with the text tool (rather than dragging a box), then type.

You can convert existing flowed text to "normal" SVG text using the Text > Convert to Text menu entry.
Co-creator of The Greys and Monsters, Inked - Inkscape drawn webcomics
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Moini
Posts: 3381
Joined: Mon Oct 05, 2015 10:44 am

Re: generated text not visible in neither other application (Windows 8.1)

Postby Moini » Wed Jul 12, 2017 10:16 pm

Something doesn't work? - Keeping an eye on the status bar can save you a lot of time!

Inkscape FAQ - Learning Resources - Website with tutorials (German and English)

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secarica
Posts: 10
Joined: Sun Jul 04, 2010 9:13 pm
Location: Romania, Earth

Re: generated text not visible in neither other application (Windows 8.1)

Postby secarica » Thu Jul 13, 2017 12:30 am

Thanks, I was not fully aware about the text type differences. I messed up with the whole text type tool and Inkscape versions while trying to lower the line spacing (and didn't succeed). I read few reports about this issue on version 0.92, the fact that in 0.92-1 something was fixed, the fact that 0.91 works ok on line spacing but has an issue with some missing style or something etc.

Now that I learn about the menu command for converting to text and by reading the mentioned link, I understand there may be a solution – or at least a workaround.

What I need: to enter a few lines of text and lower a bit the line spacing between them.
With 0.92, using flowed text this is possible, but the result .svg is most likely not compatible with other applications.
With 0.92, using plain text this seems to be impossible (I can only increase line spacing, but not reducing it).
With 0.91 this works fine, but the missing style or whatever could pose some problems in certain scenario (even if unlikely).

Now, based on the new findings, the solution seems to be this (using 0.92-1):
  • create a flowing text
  • reduce the line spacing to the desired one (say, from default 1,25% to 0,75%)
  • convert to plain text

Do I understand correctly ?

Moini
Posts: 3381
Joined: Mon Oct 05, 2015 10:44 am

Re: generated text not visible in neither other application (Windows 8.1)

Postby Moini » Thu Jul 13, 2017 2:28 am

Sounds good to me :)
Have you tried it out yet?

(but reducing line spacing should work for plain text, too, and give you a text that will be easier to edit later on - converted texts have... issues.)
Something doesn't work? - Keeping an eye on the status bar can save you a lot of time!

Inkscape FAQ - Learning Resources - Website with tutorials (German and English)

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secarica
Posts: 10
Joined: Sun Jul 04, 2010 9:13 pm
Location: Romania, Earth

Re: generated text not visible in neither other application (Windows 8.1)

Postby secarica » Thu Jul 13, 2017 2:45 am

Moini wrote:Sounds good to me :)
Have you tried it out yet?

Yes, and it seems to be working (but I'm not fully convinced).

Moini wrote:(but reducing line spacing should work for plain text, too, and give you a text that will be easier to edit later on - converted texts have... issues.)


This works (but useless for me):
Open Inkscape 0.92-1 -> create a few lines of text -> click on down arrow from line spacing box -> line spacing changes

This does not work (and this is what I need):
Open Inkscape 0.92-1 -> create a few lines of text -> select all text -> change font to whatever (Arial, Calibri, Corbel, etc.) -> click on down arrow from line spacing box -> nothing happens – even if line spacing becomes 0,00

Moini
Posts: 3381
Joined: Mon Oct 05, 2015 10:44 am

Re: generated text not visible in neither other application (Windows 8.1)

Postby Moini » Thu Jul 13, 2017 3:24 am

Text tool options for line spacing are a bit difficult to grasp in 0.92.1.
It has a concept of 'outermost text object' and 'inner text object parts'.
Line spacing can be set differently for both, but the value for the outermost line spacing determines the minimum possible line-spacing.

Click on the T icon in the text tool's tool controls bar to set the line spacing for the whole text object.
Or select text, then deactivate the T icon, to set spacing for the selected text only.

Not sure why the first option is useless - but if you explain what you want to achieve, we can help.
Something doesn't work? - Keeping an eye on the status bar can save you a lot of time!

Inkscape FAQ - Learning Resources - Website with tutorials (German and English)

User avatar
secarica
Posts: 10
Joined: Sun Jul 04, 2010 9:13 pm
Location: Romania, Earth

Re: generated text not visible in neither other application (Windows 8.1)

Postby secarica » Thu Jul 13, 2017 4:30 am

Moini wrote:Text tool options for line spacing are a bit difficult to grasp in 0.92.1.
It has a concept of 'outermost text object' and 'inner text object parts'.
Line spacing can be set differently for both, but the value for the outermost line spacing determines the minimum possible line-spacing.

Click on the T icon in the text tool's tool controls bar to set the line spacing for the whole text object.
Or select text, then deactivate the T icon, to set spacing for the selected text only.

This seems to solve the issue, except that it is totally confusing when is who and what.

From the very beginning I used the line spacing up/down near the AA icon, assuming it *only* does what its tooltip says, i.e. "Spacing between baselines (times font size)". It does not mention anything about different line spacing types or some other switch that should be taken into account that affect which baseline it changes. It also makes no sense why in some circumstances changing the font type then something changes here also.

Will try to struggle with these settings as is, because I insist for myslef to use 0.92 instead of 0.91 for a totally unsuspected reason: I translate Inkscape for Romanian and so I need to check several of my translation strings with the real thing, in its current release – otherwise I would get rid of 0.92 and use 0.91 because the line spacing in that one just works pure and simple.

Moini wrote:Not sure why the first option is useless - but if you explain what you want to achieve, we can help.

Because I need to work (fit to particular area) a block of text with the actual font size and type, not to guess or imagine how it would look like if the font will change sometimes in the future and possible have to go back and change something if the result does not fit or look as expected.

Moini
Posts: 3381
Joined: Mon Oct 05, 2015 10:44 am

Re: generated text not visible in neither other application (Windows 8.1)

Postby Moini » Thu Jul 13, 2017 8:45 am

Yeah, I know, the line-spacing user interface design in 0.92 sucks. Good news is that the devs seem to have plans on improving it:
https://inkscape.org/en/news/2017/07/12 ... fest-2017/

Hope you'll get to an acceptable result, secarica!
Something doesn't work? - Keeping an eye on the status bar can save you a lot of time!

Inkscape FAQ - Learning Resources - Website with tutorials (German and English)


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