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Starting point for svg export

Daniel Bambeck

December 26, 2018 19:14

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So, when you export a design into an SVG file, you end up with a polygon for each object that intersects the workplane.  The polygon is described in the resulting SVG file as a set of coordinates for vertices.  For instance, a very simple shape might end up looking like

<path d="M 40 40 L 60 40 L 60 60 L 40 60 L 40 40

...

which draws a square from (40,40) to (60,40) to (60,60) to (40,60) and back to (40,40).  In this case, the square starts at the (40,40) vertex, but I could draw the same square starting at any of the other vertices.

 

How does Tinkercad choose which vertex to start with?  I thought at first that it might be something like "the one closest to the upper left corner", or "the one with the lowest Y value, resolving ties by the lowest X value", or something of the sort, and it would be convenient for a project I'm working on if it worked that way, but it doesn't appear to be consistent in my trials:  Sometimes it starts in the upper left, sometimes the lower right, etc.

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2 comments

• 
  Wayne Losey January 03, 2019 17:19 Official comment

  Yes, this is true. There is no consistent mechanic that ties all the geometry constructions down to a single rule for start points. The starting point for each Shape was defined by the creator of each of the Shapes and the exported profile matches the coordinate profile of its parent Shape.

  Since this is so foundational, its not likely we will change this at any time in the near future, but I will capture it as a consideration for when/if we ever update the core Shapes.

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  Daniel Bambeck January 03, 2019 18:33

  So, does this mean that if I have a single shape, and I move it vertically to make multiple SVG slices, the starting points for each slice will (probably) be relatively close together?  That's probably good enough for me to work with.