sK1 (program)
sK1 is an open-source, cross-platform illustration program that can be used as 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.
 A screenshot of sK1 vector graphics edit. | |
| Developer(s) | sK1 Team |
|---|---|
| Stable release | |
| Repository |  |
| Written in | Python, C, wxWidgets |
| Operating system | Linux, Windows |
| Platform | IA-32 and x64 |
| Type | Vector graphics editor |
| License | GNU General Public License v3 |
| Website | sk1project |
 | |
| Developer(s) | sK1 Team |
|---|---|
| Stable release | |
| Repository | |
| Written in | Python, C |
| Operating system | Linux, Windows, macOS |
| Platform | IA-32 and x64 |
| Type | Vector graphics translator |
| License | GNU Affero General Public License v3 |
| Website | sk1project |
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+). Although an attempt was made to unify the project with Skencil, it failed.
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] As of 2008, the sK1 project claims to have the best import support for CorelDRAW file formats among open source software programs. 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. Informally the project is positioned as a free open source alternative to the commercial CorelDRAW.
Functionality
- Tools
- Selection
- Node edit
- Magnifier glass
- Drawing of joint lines (polylines)
- Bézier curves drawing
- Rectangle drawing
- Ellipse drawing
- Polygon drawing
- Text editing
- Gradient drawing/editing
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
- 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.[6][7][8] Within a framework of Google Summer of Code 2008 the support of UniConvertor is being prepared for Scribus.
- 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.
- CDR Explorer
- a program that simplifies the reverse-engineering of CorelDRAW formats.
- LinCutter
- an application for interactive work with cutting machines (PLT format).
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.[9]
- 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.
- 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.
- In 2009 the UniConvertor project was awarded the first place in the Trophées du Libre open source project contest in the "Multimedia" category.
sK1 versions
| Version | Date | OS | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0.9.0 | 9 May 2009 | Linux | First public release |
| 0.9.1 | 10 November 2010 | Linux | Release "Made in Brazil" |
| 0.9.2 | 5 December 2014 | Linux | Backport release with branch 2.0 changes |
| 0.9.3 | 19 February 2015 | Linux | Bugfix release |
| 2.0RC1 | 6 May 2016 | Linux, Windows | First public release for branch 2.0 based on wxWidgets |
| 2.0RC2 | 20 October 2016 | Linux, Windows | Completed vector graphics editor, but there is not import/export functionality |
| 2.0RC3 | 13 April 2018 | Linux, Windows | Bitmap graphics import (more than 100 file formats), import filters for GPL, SOC, JCW, CPL, ASE, XML palettes, SVG, PDF, WMF. |
| 2.0RC4 | 27 May 2019 | Linux, Windows | Import filters for CGM, FIG, CDR(CDRX), CMX, CCX, SVGZ. Export functionality for CGM, CMX, CDR. |
| 2.0RC5 | --- | Linux, Windows | Under active development. |
| 2.0 | --- | Linux, Windows | Future final release |
Legend: Old version Older version, still maintained Latest version Latest preview version Future release | |||
UniConvertor versions
| Version | Date | OS | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1.0.0 | 15 November 2007 | Linux | First public release |
| 1.1.0 | 21 December 2007 | Linux, Windows, MacOS X | Win32 and MacOS X support |
| 1.1.1 | 1 February 2008 | Linux, Windows | CorelDRAW X4 file format support |
| 1.1.2 | 24 March 2008 | Linux, Windows | Bugfix release |
| 1.1.3 | 25 July 2008 | Linux, Windows | PDF and PostScript support |
| 1.1.4 | 5 June 2009 | Linux, Windows | PLT import/export |
| 1.1.5 | 26 June 2010 | Linux, Windows | DXF, DST, PES, EXP, PCS import. MSI installer. GUI frontend. |
| 1.1.6 | 25 February 2014 | Linux, Windows | Bugfix release |
| 2.0RC4 | 27 May 2019 | Linux, Windows | First public release for branch 2.0; export for CDR and CMX, import/export for GPL, SOC, ASE, CPL, JCW, ACO, SKP |
| 2.0RC5 | --- | Linux, Windows, macOS | Under active development |
| 2.0 | --- | Linux, Windows, macOS | Future final release |
Legend: Old version Older version, still maintained Latest version Latest preview version Future release | |||
References
- "sK1 and UniConvertor 2.0RC4 release". Retrieved 2019-05-27.
- "sK1 and UniConvertor 2.0RC4 release". Retrieved 2019-05-27.
- "sK1 illustration program - The history of sK1". Retrieved 2010-12-01.
- "Libre Graphics Meeting 2007 - Friday May 4". Retrieved 2010-12-01.
- "CDR explorer". Retrieved 2010-12-01.
- "Can I open/import *.cdr (Corel Draw Vector drawing file) files in Inkscape?". Retrieved 2010-12-01.
- "UniConvertor at GitHub". Retrieved 2019-11-13.
- "UniConvertor - universal vector graphics translator". Retrieved 2019-11-13.
- "The 2007 edition winners". Les Trophées du Libre. Archived from the original on 2009-09-02. Retrieved 2009-06-06.
