Boxes.py is using the Cairo graphics library to generate SVG and PostScript (which is then converted to more formats with pstoedit). This has always been a pain. There is little control over the actual output. Getting the library to run on Windows is a real pain and creates a continuous stream of tickets, questions and complaints.

So there has always been the thought of replacing Cairo with something else. But thoka finally put in the work to put together a native Python backend. After me not finding the time to take care of the PR for much too long it is now ready to be tested. Please check out https://www.festi.info/boxes.nocairo/

Beside not needing Cairo it has the following improvements:

• Continues outlines for most parts
• Better grouping within the SVG file
• Improved burn correction with inner corners now being a loop instead of changing direction twice

Other changes

• Text rendered as text not as glyphs
• <deleted>No use of hlines and vlines (yet)</deleted>

Please test with you tool chain and report issue back. Either here as comments or in the GitHub PR or a new ticket.

If you want to test locally there is a nocairo branch in the main repository.

Thank you!

Update:

Turns out I had to redo the text "rendering". The text was never that well thought out as Boxes.py is not a word processor. I now do know much more about PostScript and it's font system than I ever wanted...

To give the code more exposure I now moved the main instance (https://www.festi.info/boxes.py/) to the nocairo branch. The Cairo back end is still available at https://www.festi.info/boxes.cairo/ . But I expect to call the new back end final and ditch Cairo completely soon - if there are no major issues popping up.