Lackey Patch: SVG vs Scribus?

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Q_x
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Lackey Patch: SVG vs Scribus?

Post by Q_x » Tue Aug 02, 2011 08:11

Again I started to wonder if I'm in the right place and time.
I just downloaded whole FTP pack, which is nearly gigabyte now, just to see that nearly 10% of this are damn svg files.

Now, I've done the templates for a very good reason. They are PITA to prepare, but are quite easy to work with later, certainly less laborious than creating and maintaining Inkscape files.
This is in place since very long - in fact long enough to get a bit outdated, but it's still quite usable:
http://chaosrealm.net/wtactics/wiki/ind ... d_Template

I guess to save my nerves I should ask politely why do you work that way. If it's your way of doing things, I'll just have to let you walk it, and not disturb too much and see how it went out in the end.
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Re: Lackey Patch: SVG vs Scribus?

Post by snowdrop » Tue Aug 02, 2011 12:30

(Edit: I split this topic from the Lackey-patch one since it involves the FTP stuff instead. The files I used for the patch )
Q_x wrote:I just downloaded whole FTP pack, which is nearly gigabyte now, just to see that nearly 10% of this are damn svg files.
All code is/should be hosted in a VCS or wherever its maintainer wants it. That leaves us mainly with all binaries as original images that eat a lot of space and bulky handling. Hence we moved away from bzr on your request, which is reasonable given bzr never worked that great for us in the first place. For now we're trying out the FTP, until I or somebody else sets up a VCS for binaries.

A huge majority of all those mb is raster. A very few files (2-5?) are GIMP-files, and the rest are Inkscape SVG, coupled with a very few Scribus files.

On the FTP there are only two SVG files that hold the Gaian templates: gaian creature template.svg & gaian event template.svg. They are 6-7mb in total. They are also not officially needed since they were mainly used to create the base which is imported into Scribus.

Whatever else is SVG on the FTP is so either because a) it's vector and something was created as such and in such a case odds are it should stay vector - it's good having the original around in case we should want to alter it some day no matter what we export it to, or b) it is SVG because it hasn't been phased out (meaning deleted and properly replaced by something else) yet.

I'm not certain I understand the problem and which SVG files got you fuelled up here :| In the case of b) somebody has to do it and the only stuff I can think of that needs to be migrated from SVG and imported into something has already been done by you - the template.

Which other files do you refer to? (E.g. there is a SVG dedicated to the mark symbol you designed, but I think it's excellent keeping it SVG since that's the original. Then again, only you would know how to properly import/export it into Scribus for usage in it since I don't know know what actually works and doesn't in Scribus or sizes used in it, nor what the needs are in those files due to print-related issues which you are far more qualified for.)

To lessen the burden on bandwidth I also created a /temp dir on the FTP some time ago that is supposed to hold all "unofficial" work files etc. There is a README in it and I have already begun putting some of scattered shit in it, but I'm sure there is plenty more that needs to be moved into it by all of us.

Now, I've done the templates for a very good reason. They are PITA to prepare, but are quite easy to work with later, certainly less laborious than creating and maintaining Inkscape files.
This is in place since very long - in fact long enough to get a bit outdated, but it's still quite usable:
http://chaosrealm.net/wtactics/wiki/ind ... d_Template

I guess to save my nerves I should ask politely why do you work that way. If it's your way of doing things, I'll just have to let you walk it, and not disturb too much and see how it went out in the end.
I know you have worked long and hard on the Scribus templates and in the end they are still the ones - and only ones - to be used for all work with the cards. As for the files I used to create the latest LackeyCCG patch, they're still local on my harddrive and haven't been released to the public for that very same reason.

Personally I did not use Scribus to create the LackeyCCG patch because:

a) My files don't matter since they're not official, are not nor will be released as a "replacement" for the Scribus files. The way I did it is not supposed to be the official work flow or how we'll ask people to do it. There is however a good reason for why I myself deviated from it:

b) It was my understanding, from chat and probably mail, that you were in a stage where you were currently typesetting all the Gaian cards and maybe even the rest. It was also my understanding that this would take a while as you found it not all too exciting, as you explained somewhere - it is your every day job and you find it easy but not shemxy.

c) As you know we have an ongoing topic about the resource system, if it is broken or not. Just recently I released a video of an attempt to show some game play flow. Obviously it has many short comings, some of which you pointed out in the forum. In an attempt for us to actually start concept testing again instead of just doing forum abstractions :D and to also get some nicer cards for future videos into Lackey I was in a hurry to release a "working" patch for Lackey. I also was looking forward to finally be shown, by playing in Lackey, many of the various issues you have alerted us about since it would help me understand them and your take on them way better.

d) I don't know Scribus (yet). I don't know how stuff is supposed to be in it properly typeset. Sure, you wrote an excellent piece on working with it, but it doesn't answer all questions that will arise about details. I don't know how the stuff, when it is properly done as you imagine it, will look like for sure in Scribus, since I haven't seen the 100% finalised typeset cards yet as they were not completed and you were working with them as far as I know.

e) I have had font-problems on my machine(s) that have messed things up in the Scribus and perhaps other files. Since you were typesetting I figured it's the last thing we need to add to the equation right now.. although I think I have finally managed to solve them.

Combine all that and it seemed unwise for me to use Scribus. I saw no reason to start doing what you already were doing and probably doing more properly than I would have - then we'd just end up with two different sets of Scribus files suddenly. I also currently work faster in Inkscape and the files were just going to be used for the LackeyCCG patch anyways, so I did it in Ink to finish it as fast as I could.

Summed up: Once you have done a final typesetting of the cards we can set "standards" on how it's supposed to look and operate and also extend the docu on it somewhat. When that's done there should, as you write, be no need to use anything else.

I just wanted to move things along so we can get back to concept testing as fast as possible.
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Re: Lackey Patch: SVG vs Scribus?

Post by Q_x » Tue Aug 02, 2011 17:55

I'm far from judging or criticizing you, really. Don't need to explain.
I was just just stunned to see you preparing nearly 90 MB of files, that were completely unnecessary to be made that way, some of them still with missing images, that's all. If you insist on sketching stuff in Inkscape - just go for it. Even that is easier/faster in Scribus though.

As I wrote (in mail, but may be worth spelling it out on forums as well), I'm on 90% holidays, 10% being sending remarks to Santi and keeping an eye on how are things going around here, and dropping some card ideas from time to time. I have to collect more mana tbh, my motivation for anything is basically gone - here, as well as for other stuff (PARPG, photography, dishwashing, put anything here... BTW: Chillis I planted on March, if you remember that experimental breed, grown like 20 cm tall now... Not much of a plant, there are like two flowers in total. Complete failure, and I blame climate, weather and lack of a proper care or greenhouse.)
Lots of books to read accumulated too.
Participating in new projects will not happen as well, even if I think they're worth some time, like UFO:AI.

FTP, if we tackle this subject: I reviewed the directory structure carefully, and it still holds on pretty well - what I mean is that it's clear and more or less intuitive. Moving files in FTP is a bit of PITA (I have to specify the path by hand while renaming the file), also WinSCP may be the right windoze client (supports automated synchronization, filezilla may only underline the files that need attention), but I have not tested that client yet, so anyway.

I was about to start typesetting, but I think I started too early. Nothing done.
All stuff I leave here is better taken as "wontfix", as I don't know when I'm going back to normal development. I may send you some more files I find useful in the future, I just have too hook up external hdd and look if they are still there.

As for Scribus v. Inkscape again - Scribus is not that bad tool for the job if you avoid too much "creativity" and don't customize every aspect of every card. Especially if you're thinking seriously about things like adjusting some things in the background, quality printing, and translating cards, first and last is what I'd call maintenance really. Even with the revolution that will hopefully happen in Inkscape, it will be still less work to use Scribus instead, even for biggest changesets, and use Inkscape for designing stuff only, which it handles really great. Approaching the learning curve in Scribus is a bit unpleasant, but it's all OK after doing like three cards properly and you go like a machine after next three. What is bad is the most used toolbox (F2 pops it) usually needs some extra clicking; better one was not yet invented. I think it was stretchable in Linux, so quite better than what I have here, fixed in size.

I wouldn't call that doc I've prepared "excellent" :P
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