: How to Batch-export layers of Inkscape-generated SVG-file to Bitmap for sprites? Batch -export means that I may need to add certain transformations such as anti-alias, contrast-fixes and resizing.

@Connie430

I've found a bash one-liner that can export all layers to separate files, maintaining page size:

for i in $(seq 1 12); do inkscape -f input.svg -z -C -i "layer$i" -j -h 1080 -e "$i.png" & done


This will loop over layers 1 - 12 and render each to a separate PNG file name layerN.png

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@Sherry646

You can use the commandline to export all layers. First, so see how many or which layers we have, with --query-all or -S:

$ inkscape --query-all presentation.svg | grep layer | awk -F, '{print }'
layer1
layer2
layer3


With the id (exakt name) of the layer, you can now export it with --export-id=ID or -i and -j, --export-id-only

$ inkscape presentation.svg -i layer1 -j -C --export-png=layer1.png


-C, --export-area-page defines the exported area (full page, as defined in document properties). You can also use --export-ps, --export-pdf, --export-eps and some other.



To automate it, you can generate a command list:

$ for id in `seq 1 15`; do echo "presentation.svg -jC -i layer$id -e layer$id.png"; done
presentation.svg -jC -i layer1 -e layer1.png
presentation.svg -jC -i layer2 -e layer2.png
presentation.svg -jC -i layer3 -e layer3.png


When you save this in a file (here commands.txt), you can invoke inkscape like this:

$ inkscape --shell < commands.txt


do execute all listed commands.

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@Samaraweera207

The following script allows for batch export (from command line) a set of objects using inkscape, each to its own file. github.com/berteh/svg-objects-export
Objects to export can be identified by some regular expression on the id, or using xpath. Any option from synfig's command line can be passed to the script, including the specification of your area to export (either --export-area-page or--export-area=x0:y0:x1:y1)

result command would be something like


./svg-objects-export.py --xpath "//svg:g[@inkscape:groupmode='layer']" --extra '--export-area=40:80:340:580 --export-id-only' -d output-dir/ input.svg


Hope this helps.

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@Debbie163

Well, sorry for resuscitating a thread whose solution was already accepted.

I was facing the same "batch layer exporting" problem, except I wanted to
export groups of layers together,
for instance LAYER0+LAYER1, LAYER0+LAYER2, LAYER1+LAYER2.
Neither JessyInk nor the script files from Inkscape Launchpad worked for me...

This is one of the first answers I read and it gave me some precious links for the custom lightweight script I wrote, that I now share with you guys, hoping it will be useful: sites.google.com/site/rameyarnaud/media/images/inkscape-export-svg-layers-to-gif-animation
Cheers!

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@Gloria351

Thanks to Freenode's #inkscape channel, the user su_.* and verbalsh.*. su_.* provided most of the below ideas. Please, notice that exporting to raster means an information loss. Besides, Inkscape has odd features such as anti-alias-always-on-in-exportation -feature and odd no-control-with-contrast-in-exportation -feature, meaning an extra information -loss. su_.* mentioned in this context: "always antialiased, same renderer as on-canvas".

According to su_*, "an earlier answer by the author of JessyInk to a related question" is here where you export each layer together with a common background -layer (which defines bg color or maybe export size).

Related feature requests



"Optionally disable anti-aliasing for bitmap export" -thread here or the newer "Kill anti-aliasing for bitmap export" -thread here
Granular PNG Export Options here
'Feature Request - Export Layers to PNG sequence…' (GUI, mostly) here
'Selectively Export layers from Command Line Interface' - already doable AFAIU with '--export-id'
here



Solution candidates



JessyInk: "extension bundled with Inkscape to create a layers-based presentation, which includes an output format (via 'Save') called
'JessInk zipped pdf or png putput (.zip)"*. It "can create a zip
archive optionally with a PDF or PNG per layer". More
here.
"[E]xport by id from the command line" but there are some problems such as extra-work in hiding the other layers "if the sprites are all
on top of each other". A sample shell script to export each layer to
png
here.
"[D]efine the export areas on the command line", more here.
[Novel idea] "another external extension (designed to create animations) also can batch export each layer to bitmap", more
here.



References



Inkscape manual about exportation here.
Command line -usage instructions with $ inkscape --usage.

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@Dunderdale640

I think Inkscape has no such option. A workaround is to use the chain ExportOverlays + Ghostscript.


ExportOverlays exports n Inkscape layers into n pdf files. More here.
Then with ghostscript, you convert each pdf into a bitmap. More here.


This does "batch export layers into bitmaps" on a Linux system. I don't know the how-to for Mac and Windows.

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