SVG size

Module Design
1

I am a bit confused (or let’s say I lack information) about the way SVGs are handled in VASSAL (3.2.17, MacOS 10.11). The Designer Manual (still on 3.1, it seems) does not explain these things in detail, that’s why I ask here. Please point me to a source of information if it has been answered before.

I create my SVGs from Illustrator and can load them into VASSAL as map or piece images without problems. When I select an SVG image, let’s say for a map, the size settings disappear – logical, it seems, as an SVG is vector except for embedded images and should scale to any size. But OTOH VASSAL has to render the SVG to some size – which? Looking at screenshots and the coordinates shown during Region creation I think it uses the size given in
<svg version=“1.1” xmlns=“http://www.w3.org/2000/svg” xmlns:xlink=“http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink” x=“0px” y=“0px” width=“782.177px” height=“1587.4px” viewBox=“0 0 782.177 1587.4” enable-background=“new 0 0 782.177 1587.4” xml:space=“preserve”> ?
Indeed the map does scale brilliantly to any size until the heap runs out of space.

So, when I mix PNG and SVG, I guess I should use the height/width as shown in the SVG source as a reference? In other words, for all things concerned with size, scale etc. I should treat the SVG as an image of the px size given in the tag?

Thanks in advance,
Lutz

PS: Yes, I know I should have avoided fractional px sizes from the start.
PPS: I’d be ready to help with writing new docs.

2

I’ll add something that may be interesting for other Illustrator users:
It looks as if Illustrator calculates the canvas and viewbox sizes (they are identical if you save the SVG with the “use Artboard” option) as the size in px of a 72 ppi preview. This is regardless of document settings (I use mm) and raster Effect settings (I use 300 dpi).
This means that I will never have “clean” coordiante values in my SVGs, try what I may, unless I decide to work in relation to 72 ppi all the time (which would be absurd, and not only because of the “i” part of the unit).

3

Thus spake PunTheHun:

So, when I mix PNG and SVG, I guess I should use the height/width as
shown in the SVG source as a reference? In other words, for all things
concerned with size, scale etc. I should treat the SVG as an image of
the px size given in the tag?

Yes, that’s exactly right. VASSAL takes the 100% size of the SVG image
from the width and height attributes of the svg element.

–
J.

4

Great! Thanks a million. And on I go…

5

Thus spake PunTheHun:

Great! Thanks a million. And on I go…

For your information, there will be a way to specify the natural size
of SVG external to the SVG file itself in VASSAL 4. That doesn’t help
you now, but it’s what’s coming.

–
J.

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