Hello World

Example

hello_word.py

In this example, we will make a GenerateExtension which will render the text “Hello World”.

First, copy the inx template, rename it hello_world.inx, and fill it in with the title Hello World.

Next, create a file named hello_world.py. We begin in our hello_world.py by importing the main inkex module, like so:

#!/usr/bin/env python
# coding=utf-8

import inkex

from inkex.elements import TextElement

You will notice that we also imported TextElement from the elements submodule. This allows us to create a text node. We now create the class for our extension by extending the inkex.GenerateExtension class.

class Greet(inkex.GenerateExtension):
  def generate(self):

In the documentation there are many methods to use. We will just use the generate method, because it serves our purpose. It simply requires us to return an SVG node, which will then be inserted into the document.

Now, we can write the logic. We first create the text node, then set the text attribute to “Hello World”, and finally return the text node.

textElement = TextElement()
textElement.text = 'Hello World'
return textElement

Next Steps

Try these things on your own.
  • Make the text a different color, size, or font.
  • Place the text on a different position on the canvas.
  • Currently, long text will render on one line. Try to accomodate for long strings using flowed text.