In article <b0ckg2hlopknqjj5h2jklbkaifcrqc0k5p@4ax.com>,
Owen Ransen <willy@wonker.com> wrote:
Quote:
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What I'd really like to know is how layers are possible in the program if they are not possible in the file format... Easy to use graphics effects: http://www.ransen.com/
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Think postscript. Illustrator's data is mostly postscript with custom
dictionary functions, though metadata can be present in the file itself.
Adding a 'tag' to an element's data to specify a layer isn't all that
hard, nor is grouping or arranging elements into specific encapsulated
data sets. Define a 'layer' dictionary function- not necessarily a
graphicstate operator - and parsing out elements to a specific layer by
the application isn't all that hard and can be handled much like element
grouping (I believe it's that last method that's used by Adobe, though
my intimate Illustrator postscript knowledge doesn't reach beyond
Illustrator 88, and even that's a little fuzzy now).
If you want a rough analog to wrap your head around, think about HTML
tables and how they're handled. That's not an exact translation, but it
should give your head a hint about how it's done.
- Doug
Question about Illustrator and .ai format
Linear Mode
