Introduction to SVG and related tools

SVG (Scalable Vector Graphics)

SVG is an open vector graphics Description Language Based on XML. SVG images are compatible with xml1.0. SVG elements are instructions for drawing images. The viewer interprets these instructions to display SVG images on specified devices. SVG allows you to display a variety of high-quality vector images on the web page. It supports many functions you can imagine: ry, animation, gradient, filter effect, and so on. The most important thing is that it is completely described in plain text! That is to say, this is a text-based image format specially designed for the network.

 

SVG is a combination of pgml and VML, so the advantages of VML become the advantages of SVG, such:

Based on XML standards

High-quality vector Images

Text-based images

We can use NotePad to generate an SVG image without any image processing tools. This may be incredible for image processing workers. In fact, if you think about it, you can understand that vector images are generally described by algorithm instructions. All the description statements in SVG images built on text can be directly observed, therefore, it is very easy to perform secondary modification and update. The "updatable" features can be properly reflected here.

 

SVG also has some advantages:

Flexible file formats

The scalable feature of SVG is not only manifested in secondary modification, but also in many other aspects, including the flexible file formats described here. In previous images, the text is saved as a bitmap. After the image is formed, the text cannot be modified separately. In PNG format, this is improved, text can be used as an independent layer. SVG extends the file format of an image more flexibly. It consists of three parts: vector graphics, bitmaps, and text. In this way, SVG can not only apply vector images and text objects, but also be incorporated into bitmaps to produce the effects that can be achieved by images in any other format. Because the file format is in text format, it can be easily modified at any time in the future. In addition, many parts can be instantly modified during page running, and the graphic description can be reused.

Supports interaction and animation

SVG supports SMIL (Synchronized Multimedia Integration Language), so that you can freely perform some interactive actions with the elements in SVG to achieve the set goal, at present, this cannot be achieved by relying solely on images. It must be implemented by script statements on the webpage.

Supports character search

Search for characters in "image" and make it possible in SVG. This is not possible in image files of other formats.

Supports xlink and xpointer

In this way, you can create a hyperlink between SVG documents.

 

As the image format officially recommended by W3C, SVG has many support organizations. Adobe has announced that it will integrate all SVG functions into its new Adobe Image Processing kits, such as Illustrator, Photoshop, golive, and cyber studio, as well as plug-ins for Netscape and IE, so that it can directly support the browsing of SVG files. Netscape and Microsoft have also begun to enter the SVG field, which indicates that in the future, Web browsers will have built-in support for SVG files.

 

SVG tools

Svgview: it is a plug-in that allows IE, Netscape, and other browsers to browse SVG. IE installed with the svgview plug-in can directly open the file in SVG format for browsing and download it from the website of Adobe.

Svgmaker: svgmaker is a discreet software component you can deploy standalone or as part of your own content production system. client Side and server side configurations of svgmaker generate SVG output from popular 3rd party programs including PowerPoint (TM), Excel (TM), word (TM), CAD, your in-house Windows applications and thousands more.

Geocon: open-source, implemented in C #. It can convert the format of MIF and SHP to the format of GML and SVG. Read Only.

Batik: a Java-based SVG (Extensible vector graph) toolkit. Applications or applets use this toolkit to view, generate, and process images in SVG format.