Skip to main content

Import an SVG and have Server Rack attributes attached?

  • 7 August 2023
  • 7 replies
  • 18 views

This is very related to:


https://lucidchart.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/community/posts/360065993832-RACK-SERVER-SHAPE


 


I'd like to make some custom SVGs to import as Server Rack items (IE - a blade server). If I do this the object does not follow the 'U' size designation that the built-in server objects have which means I have to manually fiddle with sizes and snap-to grids and such which can get cumbersome with larger diagrams.


Is there a way to import an SVG and have it follow the scaling/sizing rules that other Server Rack objects have? I've tried exporting an existing object editing it and re-importing it but the Server Rack metadata does not seem to be preserved.


 

Comments

Whittney C
Userlevel 2
Badge +6

Hi Chris thanks for commenting in our community. When you import an SVG it will not automatically include the correct scale or size that other Server Rack objects have. However you can import the SVG and create a custom library of your own that includes the correct size. First import the SVG drag it onto the canvas and resize as desired. Then drag them into your custom shape library. It will now be your standard shape if you pull it from there going forward. Hope this helps! Let me know if you have other questions.

Chris W102

That's not quite what I'm after. In the above animation I'd like to drag that existing shape (the plain gradient in that image) from "New Library" out to the canvas and have it's height be measured in "U".

If I were to drag the object out now and resize it it will be constrained to whatever size the background snap-to is set at which is not "U".

Whittney C
Userlevel 2
Badge +6

Hi Chris thanks for that clarification. Unfortunately sizing measured by "U" is not currently supported in Lucidchart. However we're always looking for ways to improve Lucidchart and your feedback is the best way for us to do that. Would you mind adding your idea to our feature request form? Ideas submitted to this form are passed on to the product development team for their consideration. I apologize for any inconvenience this may cause you! 

Chris W102

By "sizing by U" I mean exactly what is happening in the animation earlier in this thread. A Server Racks object has a U designation under it.

In the case of the animation the Raid Array object is "1U".

When you drag the corner to resize the Raid Array object it snaps to 2U 3U 4U etc. The "U sizing appears to be independent of any options in the Document Settings pane.

Additionally when you open the Layout options of a Server Racks object there are additional special properties; Size (which is in U) Text Location and Show Label.

This is only the case with objects that are in the Server Racks Shapes. Other objects do not have a U designation attached to the icon and do not have the Size Text Location and Show Label options in the Advanced Options pane.

What I want to do is import an SVG and have it behave like an item in the Server Racks Shapes category.

Micah
Userlevel 6
Badge +18

Hi Chris jumping in here - thanks so much for clarifying what you're hoping to see. Unfortunately as you mentioned the advanced options of Size Text Location and Show Label are available only to the server rack shape library and this same metadata and behavior cannot be applied to custom SVG imports. I'm sorry for the inconvenience!

I wonder if using the Match Size function available within the right-click menu could be useful to reduce manual adjustments of your SVG imports. If there is an existing server rack object in the "U" size you'd like to use you could then import your SVG click-and-drag to select both objects right-click then select Match Size -> Height. I've demonstrated this in the GIF below:

 

 

You'll notice after I click Match Size both have the size "5U." I hope this helps!

Chris W102

I can give that a try thanks!

Is there a 'developer' path (and data spec) if we wanted to build and contribute 'special' objects like these?

Richard U
Userlevel 4
Badge +7

Hi @chris w102 ! That's an excellent question. As it involves using our APIs let's continue this thread in the Lucid for Developers Community space. Please visit this new post for a response to your question and let's continue the discussion there!

Reply


Lucid Software Inc. Supplemental Community Terms