Exporting Custom SVG Designs with Fonts in Inkscape: Tips for Seamless Conversion to FreeCAD

When exporting custom SVG designs that incorporate fancy fonts from Inkscape to FreeCAD, it's essential to understand the intricacies of the import and export process. This article provides valuable insights into optimizing your SVG files for seamless conversion to FreeCAD.

To begin with, it's crucial to use the export method provided by the importSVG module in FreeCAD. This method allows you to export objects from Inkscape to FreeCAD while preserving their design integrity. When working with custom fonts, it's essential to ensure that they are properly exported and imported to avoid any formatting issues.

Scaling can be achieved in two ways: either by modifying the width, height, and viewBox attributes of the SVG file in Inkscape or by performing scaling operations within FreeCAD itself. If you need to maintain precise control over your design elements, it's recommended to work on User Units (px) in Inkscape.

One common issue that arises when importing SVG files into FreeCAD is the rounding of values. To avoid this, ensure that your Inkscape document is set to work in millimeters and use odd values for dimensions. As FreeCAD is agnostic to the precision of rounding done in Inkscape, these values will not be rounded on input.

It's essential to note that all output from the SVG import module has to be considered converted to 90 DPI and rounded to six decimal places. Additionally, relative units like em, ex, and % are currently not supported by FreeCAD, so it's recommended to use absolute units in attributes inside the SVG file.

When importing SVG files into FreeCAD, it's important to understand that all Z information will be disregarded, meaning that 3D objects will be flattened during the import process. This is because SVG is a 2D format by design.

In terms of compatibility, FreeCAD can export the following types of objects: Part, Sketcher, and Draft elements. On the other hand, the following SVG objects can be imported into FreeCAD: paths, text, rectangles, ellipses, polygons, and circles.

It's worth noting that FreeCAD will not import path objects that have only one point, as this is considered an invalid object in the context of SVG design. To avoid any issues during the import process, ensure that your Inkscape drawing contains a minimum number of points for each path object.

In conclusion, exporting custom SVG designs with fonts from Inkscape to FreeCAD requires careful attention to detail and a thorough understanding of the import and export process. By following these tips and best practices, you can ensure seamless conversion of your designs and achieve the desired results in FreeCAD.

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