Import/export from/to *.sketch files

[mistical2008]

As I know, *.sketch files have *.json structure. Would be better make import from *.sketch. Hudge amount of ui-designers use Sketch, and for gaining popularity for Akira need compability with most popular tools Sketch, Figma and etc.

[Alecaddd]

The file format of Akira will be a JSON file.
In the roadmap, I already have an importer feature for Sketch files, but I don't think I'll implement an export for it.
It adds an extra layer of complexity and maintenance that I can't afford. If I do that, it means I have to have a Mac and Sketch always updated in order to properly test the file with the new version, which it defeats the purpose of Akira, allowing content creators to not be tied to an OS.
Linux is the priority here.
Thanks for the suggestion.

[julientaq]

I agree with @Alecaddd that creating a specific exporter is a loss of time: if sketch changes the way the files are structured, then it means that you need to update the exporter, which comes at great cost.

But at the same time, if we say that akira is linux first/only, then we need ways to collaborate with others.

At the same time, i'm working with mac users with sketch, and the way i look at it, i think we need a UI unified format, like the UFO (http://unifiedfontobject.org/) for the font files, that each app should be able to handle.

Meantime, Figma just shipped an API to work with the files. Since we're using json, be sure that the api for Akira's files is well documented, and we'll have a very good starting point for collaboration.

[Alecaddd]

Thanks for the info.
Definitely, making Akira useful and usable for as many users as possible is the final goal.
For now, in this early stage of development, I'm mostly worried about making it solid, fast, and highly scalable for big projects.
Everything else will come a bit naturally in the future, and hopefully, things will be developed faster if I can slowly build a team of developers around it.
Cheers

[ryantheleach]

I've seen Lunacy on Windows struggle with .sketch files, So whilst this would be a killer feature for me, I think it's likely to be a complete sinkhole of work supporting that proprietary format from the start.

[albfan]

Is hard to keep in sync with other formats, but to avoid a complete no, we can make import/export a pluggable system, giving plumbings for anyone who wants to take care of these things.

[Benjamin-Davies]

I think that @albfan's idea for how to structure an import/export system is great. I personally would find a DXF import/export to be useful, even just for basic shapes.

[adrianocr]

Sorry to be that guy but is there any update on this? I would pay a ridiculous fee for it if this project wasn't open source. Having access to sketch files is the ONLY thing that's keeping me from switching to Linux full-time.

[albfan]

I just can say sketch file format seems to be readable.

https://github.com/AnimaApp/sketch-web-viewer. We can code a skeleton for pluggable sketch reader/writer but will take time until it is full featured, and definitely not in roadmap now.

That doesn't mean we cannot read some basic examples as PoC. Indeed that will help us to abstract a reader for svg, as we do with https://github.com/akiraux/libgtkcanvas.

Can you upload an original sketch file and a PNG/SVG capture with a real basic example so we have examples when we are ready to prototype this?

[adrianocr]

@albfan Shopify's UI kit is provided as sketch files and is very extensive: https://polaris.shopify.com/resources/polaris-ui-kit.

I don't think I can upload one of my personal ones because they're all client work and I'm not sure how they'd feel about that.

[Alecaddd]

Hey @adrianocr, thanks for your interest in Akira.
I'm in your same situation as I'm forced to use macos for design work only due to Sketch.
Having the ability to import sketch files will come in the future, but not immediately with the first release.
It'll be tricky, especially due to the fact that sketch doesn't use only standard SVG in order to offer unsupported features like cone gradients.

Offering the ability to cross collaborate with Sketch is one of our many end goals, something that will probably happen once Akira gets a good and stable couple of releases and the user base and contributions grow.

[12people]

@albfan The Sketch file format has been officially fully documented at https://github.com/sketch-hq/sketch-file-format

[albfan]

@12people If you can attach a sketch file and a screenshot at some point we can check what can be done). Some easy and complex examples would be better than only one.

[albfan]

@adrianocr same for shopify, but see this could be in backlog for some time.