Wikipedia:WikiProject Maps/PDF map conversion to SVG: Difference between revisions

Revision as of 12:40, 23 June 2008

Revision as of 12:57, 23 June 2008

Line 3:

*[[Wikipedia:Graphic Lab/Images to improve#Image:APISmap1.pdf]]

It takes only a few seconds to convert a [[PDF]] to an [[SVG]], using nothing but [[FOSS|free]] software. Go [[Open Source]]! This tutorial assumes familiarity with installing programs and downloading, saving, opening and uploading files.

===How to convert a PDF to SVG===

#Download [[Inkscape]] 0.46 from www.inkscape.org

#Download the PDF you want to convert

#Run Inkscape

Line 22:

This should work for most PDF to SVG conversions, but if it doesn't there are some things you can do:

*Check that you have the 0.46 or later version of Inkscape. Earlier versions do not have PDF support.

*There may be compatabilitycompatibility problems between the Wikipedia / Media rendering engine and Inkscape:

:* (This is a shameless ripoff of [[User:Phidauex/SVG tips]])

:* Select everything ''(Ctrl-A)'' and choose the ''Path>Object to Path'' command.

:* Select everything ''(Ctrl-A)'' and choose the ''Path>Stroke to Path'' command.

:* In the ''File>Save As..'' dialog look for the drop-down menu just above the ''Save'' button and save as a ''Plain SVG''.

*If that doesn't work, call your local friendly WikiGraphist at [[Wikipedia:Graphic Lab/Images to improve]] or [[Wikipedia talk:WikiProject Maps]].

===Basic navigation in Inkscape===

Line 44:

If you have comments about this tutorial or it doesn't work for you, please comment on the talk page.

It might be worth mentioning that this won't magically convert any [[raster graphics]] included in the document into [[vector graphics]]. This is excellent if the PDF has vector graphics, but not so useful if it has a photograph inside.

It can help you to extract the photo, but won't make it an SVG.

Line 52:

I feel ignorant - but a quick wiki-search and Google-search did not enlighten me. I know how to put any graphic file into a pdf - but my strong hunch is that it takes more than this to make it a "pdf map"!

:Good Q. An example of a (vector) PDF map ready for conversion to SVG is [[:Image:APISmap1.pdf|this]]. PDFs can contain practically any type of information, the most common ones being text, raster images (ordinary images like bitmaps) and vector graphics. The vector information has to be coded into the PDF as such. Quite a lot of organisationsorganizations publish vector information (like maps) this way, so it's handy to be able to convert ''out'' of PDF, but putting things into PDFs is pointless for us, it doesn't change the type. If you need a raster image converted, best to [[Wikipedia:Graphic Lab/Images to improve|speak to a WikiGraphist]] - [[User:MissMJ|MissMJ]] is the resident pro and very approachable.