Note: This tutorial is almost complete thanks to ~suv at Launchpad.com. All that needs to be done is to add it to the Inkscape templates folder.

I am running Inkscape 0.47 on Mac OS 10.4.11 through the X Window System (X11 1.1.3) and would like to know the explicit steps needed to run and install the Python script (below) in Inkscape with this setup. I did a "Python" search of InkscapeForum.com and the results where all beyond my experience.

I'm looking for a basic "Installing Python Scripts In Inkscape Tutorial" without having to learn Python and Terminal—I just want to know how to use them to do this.

On page 330 of The Book of Inkscape, Dmitry Kirsanov writes:

"I wrote a simple Python script that creates a 200-by-200 px document with 100 empty layers:

print """<svg width="200" height="200"
[ ]xmlns:svg="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"
[ ]xmlns:inkscape="http://www.inkscape.org/namespaces/inkscape">"""
for i in range(100):
[ ]print '<g inkscape:groupmode="layer" display="none" id="%03d"/>' % (i + 1)
print '</svg>'

[Note:The > in the 5th line was omitted in original posting. ] I added the three sets of [ ] to indicate the indentations that were lost when the script was posted. If you copy this script remove these brackets—DO NOT TYPE THEM IN.

[Added info about script NOT ORIGINALLY POSTED]
All layers are created hidden (that's what display="none" is for), so in Inkscape, you will need to unhide them one by one (4.6.3) to draw on them. You can vary the number of layers created by the script (range(100)) as well as the dimensions of the artboard (width="200" height="200"). Save the script into the file generate-layers.py and, in a command-line (or "terminal") window of your OS, run it and capture its output to an SVG file. Then run Inkscape on this file:

$ python generate-layers.py > ani.svg
$ inkscape ani.svg

You can also put the resulting file (ani.svg) into your ~/.inkscape/templates folder where it will work as a template so the next time you will be able..."

I have been working my way through the forest of information on Inkscape, Python-IDLE, and Terminal trying to find out how to run and install a Python script (posted above) in Inkscape on Mac OS 10.4.11. Through trial and error and many detours I managed to put together a tutorial on the first part:

"Save the script into the file generate-layers.py and, in a command-line (or "terminal") window of your OS, run it and capture its output to an SVG file."

1. Open IDLE(Python) and go to IDLE Menu > File > New Window and an "Untitled" window will open. Type in the given Python script meticulously. The second, third, and fifth lines should be indented—formatting was lost when I posted the script. I'm going to rewrite this tutorial later.

2. Save the script by going to IDLE Menu > File > Save As... > Save As: "generate-layers.py" and save to Desktop—"Untitled" changes to "generate-layers.py..." with its pathname and the file icon appears on the Desktop.

To check to see if the script will run go to IDLE Menu > Run > Run Module and release— script should run in the Python Shell if you typed it in correctly. Quit IDLE.

3. Go to Finder (Mac OS X 4.10.11) > Applications > Utilities > double click on Terminal to open it. A window will appear with "Terminal — bash —80x24" in the top section. "bash" is Apple's chosen shell for Mac OS X 10.4. and the Terminal window is the UNIX OS Finder.

In the body of the Terminal window will be something like:

Last login: Sat Jan 8 15:08:55 on ttyp2
Welcome to Darwin!
(computer designation):~ (user name)$

and a small solid black rectangle following the command line prompt $ indicating you are in Terminal—if you click outside the Terminal window the rectangle turns white.

4. In the Terminal window at the command line prompt $ (type) python (and then a space).

5. Drag and drop the generate-layers.py icon from the Desktop into the Terminal window. At the command line prompt $ you will see python (space) and the pathname to the Python script. Press the return or enter key and you will essentially command the UNIX OS to open Python and run the script.

The Terminal heading will changed from "bash" to "Python" while script is running and back to "bash" when run is completed indicating you're back in UNIX at the command line prompt $.

Note. I tried this at Mac X11 Menu > Applications > Terminal > xterm window. Drag and drop does not work but typing the pathway in did but I could not select and save the output to an SVG file.

6. Select (capture?) the Output run in the Terminal window from the beginning "<svg..." through and including the last "...</svg>" then go to Terminal Menu > File > Save Selected Text As... > Save As: "ani.svg" > Where: "Desktop" > Click Save—the ani.svg file appears on the Desktop. Quit Terminal.

The ani.svg file will now work in Inkscape thanks to ~suv at Launchpad.net.

Tutorials written like this are the only way for me to learn the explicit steps required by a computer and its programs—finding those explicit steps hidden in a forest of implications, descriptions, and explanations is the difficulty. I am always surprised at how easy and simple it is to make a computer perform once the explicit steps are known. And after the mistake I made above I realized how meticulous I must be.

I do not know how well this attempt at 'tutorial writing' will be understood by others so any comments on or questions about this one would be appreciated. Teaching means to show and tell and that's what tutorials should do.

I'm totally ignorant of both Mac and Python issues, so can't comment on the content of your work. Just wanted to say that I'm moving it to the Tricks and Tutorials forum (although it will remain in place here too).