WISHLIST: Proxy render ability.

Could you please gives some pointers where proxies are described or where proxies are used.
I actually don't know what this means; caching, lowering the accuracy or ...
Thx, Adib.

Proxies are used extensively when the technology horsepower can't quite deliver adequate performance. In the case of an Inkscape proxy, it would be a form of pre-rendered caching.

This form of proxy layer would be one that you would not be able to adjust much like a locked layer.

To give a demonstration:

1) Create an HD resolution image of 1920x1080.
2) Create approximately ten objects of larger size.
3) Blur each of them until the system becomes painfully unresponsive - it shouldn't take too long ;).
4) Select the layer and render it to PNG with alpha.
5) Re-load the PNG version as a layer alone.
6) Disable the visibility on the original SVG layer that is causing your system to grind to a halt.

Now you should be able to work with that layer at any resolution and get back nearly all of your processing power. When you want to render off of the actual work, turn on the visibility of all of the SVG layers and disable the visibility of the PNG layers.

IF we can make Inkscape work with proxy layers, we GREATLY enhance its ability to cope with complex images. Seeing as how no performance can assure the end artist / designer that their designs will work 100% of the time, a proxy system such as this provides a mechanism for the individual to produce amazingly complex work in a far more rapid fashion as compared to manually doing the above steps.

The easiest way to enable this would be to perhaps provide an 'auto proxy' for locked layers that automatically does the above behind the scenes in memory OR provide a proxy button.

Logically, I can see no reason why 'locked' couldn't be proxied. Perhaps though, it is wiser for selection purposes and other needs that the layer have an explicit 'proxy' toggle.

Still nightmarish performance in Inkscape. Any progress on this? Anyone even taking it seriously?

This sounds more complicated than necessary. Why is Inkscape re-rendering all the layers every time I zoom in or out, when they haven't changed? Can it not tell which zoom levels I usually use, and render a bitmap of each layer at each of those levels?

This is most certainly the only effective means to alleviate _all_ performance issues with a singular stroke. It is also future friendly in that more taxing processing can also be proxied.

There is no way around it.

Does anyone see a way to implement this painlessly?

It's almost 2011 and we still have horrible performance. This would at least provide a work around that deals with all levels of complexity.

The only overhead hit is the alpha compositing, which is an order of a magnitude less than what we currently have.

inkscape currently renders tiles of the image.
1.) this can be distributed to the different cores.
2.) also inkscape can render in two passes; first with lower accuracy and the second having the full accuracy. To get a full repaint quickly.
3) Inkscape should respond to user input after drawing a single tile

points 1) and 2) are to be implemented.
I have no glue about 3)

my 2 ct.

Now partially fixed in trunk. There is a cache for SPCanvasArena, so path highlights, or selecting and deselecting objects does not cause a redraw of the SVG drawing.

I'm going to mark back to Confirmed and remove the milestone, I don't see any indication that Krzysztof has plans to implement this for 0.49.