SK1 (program)

Open source cross platform illustration program From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

SK1 (program)

sK1 is an open-source, cross-platform illustration program that seeks to be a substitute for professional proprietary software like CorelDRAW or Adobe Illustrator. Unique project features are CorelDRAW formats importers, tabbed multiple document interface, Cairo-based engine, and color management.

Quick Facts Developer(s), Stable release ...
Developer(s)sK1 Team
Stable release
2.0RC5[1] / 31 August 2021 (2021-08-31)
Repository
Written inPython, C, wxWidgets
Operating systemLinux, Windows
PlatformIA-32 and x64
TypeVector graphics editor
LicenseGPL-3.0-or-later
Websitesk1project.net/sk1/
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Quick Facts Developer(s), Stable release ...
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History

A small team led by Igor Novikov started the project in 2003, based on the existing open source vector graphics editor Skencil. sK1 is a fork of the Skencil 0.6.x series which used Tk widgets for the user interface (this version had been dropped by the main Skencil developers who were working on a branch of the program based on GTK+).

In 2007 the sK1 team reverse-engineered the CorelDRAW (CDR) format.[3] The results and the first working snapshot of the CDR importer were presented at the Libre Graphics Meeting 2007 conference taking place in May 2007 in Montreal (Canada).[4] Later on the team parsed the structure of other Corel formats with the help of CDR Explorer.[5] Export into CDR and CMX file formats was presented at the Libre Graphics Meeting 2019 conference taking place in May 2019 in Saarbrücken (Germany).

Target audience

Since the project was started by a small team of Ukrainian professionals in prepress, it was unambiguously focused on full support for PostScript, PDF, CMYK color model and color management at the expense of developing some advanced functions for illustrators[citation needed]. Informally the project is positioned as a free open source alternative to the commercial CorelDRAW[citation needed].

Functionality

Compared to Inkscape, sK1 has a limited feature set, adequate for simple sketching, while its user interface remains clean. Drawable objects include circles and ellipses, rectangles, text, Bézier curves, and straight lines. Those can be transformed in typical manners and aligned in multiple ways.[6]

Supported formats

Import
  • CorelDRAW v7-X4 (CDR/CDT/CCX/CDRX/CMX)
  • Adobe Illustrator up to version 9 (based on PostScript)
  • Postscript (PS) and Encapsulated Postscript (EPS)
  • Computer Graphics Metafile (CGM)
  • Windows Metafile (WMF)
  • XFIG
  • Scalable Vector Graphics (SVG)
  • Skencil/Sketch/sK1 (SK, SK1, SK2)
  • Acorn Draw (AFF)
  • PLT - HPGL cutting plotter files
  • CorelDRAW palettes (CPL and XML)
  • Adobe Swatch Exchange palettes (ASE)
  • Adobe Photoshop palettes (ACO)
  • Xara Designer palettes (JCW)
  • GIMP/Inkscape palettes (GPL)
  • LibreOffice palettes (SOC)
  • Scribus palettes (XML)
  • sK1 palettes (SKP)
  • Adobe Photoshop files (PSD)
  • GIMP files (XCF)
  • Images BMP, PNG, JPG, JPEG2000, TIFF, GIF, PCX, PPM, WEBP, XBM, XPM
Export
  • AI - Adobe Illustrator 5.0 (based on PostScript)
  • PDF - Portable Document Format
  • PS - PostScript
  • SVG - Scalable Vector Graphics
  • SK/SK1/SK2 - Skencil/Sketch/sK1
  • CGM - Computer Graphics Metafile
  • WMF - Windows Metafile
  • PLT - HPGL cutting plotter files
  • CorelDRAW palettes (CPL and XML)
  • Adobe Swatch Exchange palettes (ASE)
  • Adobe Photoshop palettes (ACO)
  • Xara Designer palettes (JCW)
  • GIMP/Inkscape palettes (GPL)
  • LibreOffice palettes (SOC)
  • Scribus palettes (XML)
  • sK1 palettes (SKP)
  • PNG - Portable Network Graphics

Side projects

Summarize
Perspective
Thumb
Skencil 1.0 alpha on Ubuntu 10.04
Skencil (revitalization)

On 19 November 2006, On 19 November 2006, Bernhard Reiter and Bernhard Herzog asked Ihor Novikov to join Skencil development, stalled since 2005.[7][8]

On 31 October 2010, Skencil 1.0 alpha was released, as a result of revitalization work done by Ihor Novikov.[9][10][11]

On 4 November 2016, Skencil 1.0 rc1 was released, and the last code changes committed on 7 February 2020.[12]

UniConvertor
an application for conversion of files from one vector format into another one. In fact it is a part of sK1, rewritten as a standalone code and being developed by the same team. UniConvertor is also used by Inkscape for opening CorelDRAW, WMF and Sketch/Skencil files.[13][14][15]
Color Palette Collection
a set of free palettes provided in different native file formats for sK1, Inkscape, GIMP, Scribus, LibreOffice, CorelDRAW, Adobe Illustrator, Xara Designer etc. For sK1 2.0 the palette collection is available as a web service.[16]
CDR Explorer
a program that simplifies the reverse-engineering of CorelDRAW formats.
LinCutter
an application for interactive work with cutting machines (PLT format).[17]

Awards

  • In 2007 the project was awarded the second place in the Trophées du Libre open source project contest in the "Multimedia and games" category.[18]
  • In 2008 the project was awarded the third place in the contest Hackontest, organized by the Swiss Open Systems User Groupd /ch/open and sponsored by Google.[citation needed]
  • In 2009 the project was awarded the second place in the contest "The best free project of Russia", conducted by Linux Format magazine. Among the group projects.[19]
  • In 2009 the UniConvertor project was awarded the first place in the Trophées du Libre open source project contest in the "Multimedia" category.[citation needed]

sK1 versions

More information Version, Date ...
VersionDateOSDescription
Old version, not maintained: 0.9.09 May 2009LinuxFirst public release
Old version, not maintained: 0.9.110 November 2010LinuxRelease "Made in Brazil"
Old version, not maintained: 0.9.25 December 2014LinuxBackport release with branch 2.0 changes
Old version, not maintained: 0.9.319 February 2015LinuxBugfix release
Old version, still maintained: 2.0RC16 May 2016Linux, WindowsFirst public release for branch 2.0 based on wxWidgets
Old version, still maintained: 2.0RC220 October 2016Linux, WindowsCompleted vector graphics editor, but there is not import/export functionality
Old version, still maintained: 2.0RC313 April 2018Linux, WindowsBitmap graphics import (more than 100 file formats), import filters for GPL, SOC, JCW, CPL, ASE, XML palettes, SVG, PDF, WMF.
Latest version: 2.0RC427 May 2019Linux, WindowsImport filters for CGM, FIG, CDR(CDRX), CMX, CCX, SVGZ. Export functionality for CGM, CMX, CDR.
Latest preview version: 2.0RC5---Linux, WindowsUnder active development.
Future version: 2.0---Linux, WindowsFuture final release
Legend:
Old version, not maintained
Old version, still maintained
Latest version
Latest preview version
Future version
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UniConvertor versions

More information Version, Date ...
VersionDateOSDescription
Old version, not maintained: 1.0.015 November 2007LinuxFirst public release
Old version, not maintained: 1.1.021 December 2007Linux, Windows, MacOS XWin32 and MacOS X support
Old version, not maintained: 1.1.11 February 2008Linux, WindowsCorelDRAW X4 file format support
Old version, not maintained: 1.1.224 March 2008Linux, WindowsBugfix release
Old version, not maintained: 1.1.325 July 2008Linux, WindowsPDF and PostScript support
Old version, not maintained: 1.1.45 June 2009Linux, WindowsPLT import/export
Old version, still maintained: 1.1.526 June 2010Linux, WindowsDXF, DST, PES, EXP, PCS import. MSI installer. GUI frontend.
Old version, still maintained: 1.1.625 February 2014Linux, WindowsBugfix release
Latest version: 2.0RC427 May 2019Linux, WindowsFirst public release for branch 2.0; export for CDR and CMX, import/export for GPL, SOC, ASE, CPL, JCW, ACO, SKP
Latest preview version: 2.0RC5---Linux, Windows, macOSUnder active development
Future version: 2.0---Linux, Windows, macOSFuture final release
Legend:
Old version, not maintained
Old version, still maintained
Latest version
Latest preview version
Future version
Close

See also

References

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