Is it possible to print directly from a python extension?

I have a slightly modified barcode generator script that I use with my laser engraver. I'm doing one part at a time, incrementing the barcode & printing to the engraver each time.

Its pure laziness on my part, but if there were a way to trigger a print operation directly from the python script that would save me a couple of clicks and speed up the process. I haven't been able to find any clues on how to do this in a python extension script (besides doing it from the command line interface), but it seems like it would be rather trivial.

Any thoughts or suggestions would be appreciated.

Thanks.

Hi.

Here are a list of command line verbs;
http://how-to.wikia.com/wiki/How_to_use_Inkscape_in_commandline_mode/List_of_verbs

Code to wet your appetite;


On my system (win 7) this stops with the print dialog box open ready to click "print" - still working on how to get inkscape to print to default printer from the script - stay tuned.
(if you find the solution - chime back!!)

RGDS
Ragnar

Hi Ragnar,

I thought about doing the commandline options, but I figured there must be an API call to print directly from an extension script (something like CurrentDocument.print(), etc.). My modified barcode extension just drops a barcode into an empty document, so I could do the commandline print, but it would require saving the "new" current document which I'm also not 100% sure how to do exclusively in the extension.

Thanks.

Hi.

How are you generating the bar code?
What type of code?
Do you make a bitmap that's "dumped" to the laser?

Might be an idea to leave Inkscape out of the equation altogether.
No problem printing direct from a python application.
See info on this page;
http://timgolden.me.uk/python/win32_how_do_i/print.html

Chime back if you need more help.

RGDS
Ragnar

I'm using a combination of the standard barcode extension and hershey text to create a barcode with a single line vector font. Inkscape was a pretty good solution for this all around. I'm just trying to cut out a half dozen or so clicks in between parts. When youre doing a hundred parts those clicks (and missed clicks) really add up.

Hi

I have tried 978 (or more) ways to get Inkscape to print to the default win printer without much luck (When Inkscape is started from a Python script).

Can I see an example SVG file that you send to the laser?

Might be able to create a python program to generate the barcode (plus text) and start the print.
I reckon you just want to have one operation (mouseclick) for every print?

Ragnar;

What type of code?

spankyx;

I'm using a combination of the standard barcode extension hershey text to create a barcode with a single line vector font.

No problem to create the bar code (from python) as long as I know which one you use, in Inkscape you got these options;
EAN5, EAN8, EAN13, UPC-A, UPC-E, Code25 Interleaved 2 of 5, Code39, Code39 Extended, Code93, Code128, RM4CC / RM4SCC.

Do you need to use a single stroke font for your laser?

RGDS
Ragnar

I am using the python extension mechanism of inkscape (i.e. an inkscape instance is already running and I've added a script and .inx file in the extensions folder). I thought about using the CLI to trigger that custom extension, but the laptop I have attached to the engraver is a bit slow. Too slow to startup a new instance of inkscape each time (I'm really splitting hairs here in trying to speed things up... I should just deal with the extra clicks to print)

The way the extension popup window works is really nice because it provides a numeric increment and doesn't go away between runs. That way I'm less prone to mixing up the numbers from typing. I could do the same with a separate GUI and a shell call to the inkscape CLI, but then I'm back to the instance startup time.

I was hoping there would be a simple API call from within the extension framework, but as best I can tell, the script extension framework only allows access to the DOM. I haven't dug into the source code, but that may be my next stop.


Incidentally, its Code128 and because its a laser engraver I needed to invert the barcode and add a border around it (that way the black anodized aluminum becomes the bars, while the engraved areas become the "white" background). It was pretty easy doing this through the extension scripting. I'm sure I could generate the barcode apart from inkscape, but I have another piece that gets a serial number and has a more detailed (although static) vector graphic around it. At this point I am sort of married to the extension infrastructure, because I have already implemented the meat of what I need done. It would just be nice if I could also trigger a print operation from within the extension, but that is looking less likely to be possible exclusively from within the extension framework.