GUI mechanism for opening peripheral files (extensions, palettes, document templates and symbol sets)
Migrated and expanded upon from https://bugs.launchpad.net/inkscape/+bug/1703419
From 2017-07-10
Summary:
Original title: Palette import method missing
Alex Mauer wrote...
Currently you can export a palette file (GIMP .gpl file) by using the
File → Save As…
dialog.By analogy one one would expect to be able to import the .gpl file by using
File → Open…
or perhapsFile → Import…
. Neither option works, instead you're supposed to drop the .gpl file into C:\program files\inkscape\share\palettes (a location which is normally only writable by administrators).Would definitely be better if there were an in-app place to load saved palettes.
Additional Comments:
Hachmann (marenhachmann) wrote on 2017-07-10:
You're supposed to drop them into your user config directory, which is accessible to you without admin priviledges. It might be that you still need to create the palettes directory there.
(User config directory: Edit -> Preferences -> System: User config)
Alex Mauer (hawke) wrote on 2017-07-10:
In that case, the FAQ should be updated...
In fact, it since has been updated for all OSes.
What should have happened?
Inkscape should have been able to open/import the .gpl file and save it in the correct hidden folder.
Migrator's Notes:
- There still is no user-friendly way to install peripheral files in Inkscape except for the hackerish "put the file in this hidden folder." If Inkscape can save .gpl files, it should be able to import them into the correct hidden folder. The same goes for extensions.
- A stickier situation is with gradients, symbol sets and document templates, as they are at present time saved as SVG files with no special "flags" denoting their type.
- Why do programmers insist that every computer user be as savvy as they are? Chefs don't insist all patrons be as well versed in the kitchen.
One minor documentation error:
The directory where the downloaded files need to be pasted is slightly different, depending on your operating system. To find it...and on a Mac, you may find that it is
/Users/username/.config/inkscape/
.
Since the move away from X11, this is no longer true on the Mac. It's ~/Application Support/org.inkscape.Inkscape
...or is it?
Version Info:
- Inkscape Version: n/a
- Operating System: n/a
- Operating System version: n/a