Using Emacs to prepare files for external applications like Autodesk Sketchbook Pro

Posted: - Modified: | emacs, org

To make it easier to draw using Autodesk Sketchbook Pro on my laptop (a Lenovo X220 tablet PC), I’ve created several templates with consistent dot grids and sizes. Since I want to minimize typing when I’m drawing, I wrote a couple of functions to make it easier to copy these templates and set up appropriately-named files. That way, I can save them without the grid layer, flip between files using Sketchbook Pro’s next/previous file commands, and then process them all when I’m ready.

Index cards

I’ve been experimenting with a habit of drawing at least five index cards every day. Here’s a function that creates five index cards (or a specified number of them) and then opens the last one for me to edit.

(defvar sacha/autodesk-sketchbook-executable "C:/Program Files/Autodesk/SketchBook Pro 7/SketchBookPro.exe")
(defun sacha/prepare-index-cards (n)
  (interactive (list (or current-prefix-arg 5)))
  (let ((counter 1)
        (directory "~/Dropbox/Inbox")
        (template "c:/data/drawing-templates/custom/0 - index.tif")
        (date (org-read-date nil nil "."))
        temp-file)
    (while (> n 0)
      (setq temp-file
            (expand-file-name (format "%s-%d.tif" date counter)
                              directory))
      (unless (file-exists-p temp-file)
        (copy-file template temp-file)
        (setq n (1- n))
        (if (= n 0)
            (shell-command
             (concat (shell-quote-argument sacha/autodesk-sketchbook-executable)
                     " "
                     (shell-quote-argument temp-file) " &"))))
      (setq counter (1+ counter)))))

Afterwards, I call sacha/rename-scanned-cards function to convert the TIFFs to PNGs, display the files and ask me to rename them properly.

Rename scanned index cards

(defun sacha/rename-scanned-cards ()
  "Display and rename the scanned files."
  (interactive)
  (when (directory-files "~/Dropbox/Inbox" t "^[0-9]+-[0-9]+-[0-9]+-.*.tif")
    ;; Convert the TIFFs first
    (apply 'call-process "mogrify" nil nil nil "-format" "png" "-quality" "1"
           (directory-files "~/Dropbox/Inbox" t "^[0-9]+-[0-9]+-[0-9]+-.*.tif"))
    (mapc (lambda (x)
            (rename-file x "~/Dropbox/Inbox/backup"))
          (directory-files "~/Dropbox/Inbox" t "^[0-9]+-[0-9]+-[0-9]+-.*.tif")))
  (mapc (lambda (filename)
          (find-file filename)
          (delete-other-windows)
          (when (string-match "/\\([0-9]+-[0-9]+-[0-9]+\\)" filename)
            (let ((kill-buffer-query-functions nil)
                  (new-name (read-string "New name: "
                                         (concat (match-string 1 filename) " "))))
              (when (> (length new-name) 0)
                (revert-buffer t t)
                (rename-file filename (concat new-name ".png"))
                (kill-buffer)))))
        (directory-files "~/Dropbox/Inbox" t "^[0-9]+-[0-9]+-[0-9]+-.*.png")))

I might tweak the files a little more after I rename them, so I don’t automatically upload them. When I’m happy with the files, I use a Node script to upload the files to Flickr, move them to my To blog directory, and copy Org-formatted text that I can paste into my learning outline.

Automatically resize images

The image+ package is handy for displaying the images so that they’re scaled to the window size.

(use-package image+
 :load-path "~/elisp/Emacs-imagex"
 :init (progn (imagex-global-sticky-mode) (imagex-auto-adjust-mode)))

Get information for sketched books

For sketchnotes of books, I set up the filename based on properties in my Org Mode tree for that book.

(defun sacha/prepare-sketchnote-file ()
  (interactive)
  (let* ((base-name (org-entry-get-with-inheritance  "BASENAME"))
         (filename (expand-file-name (concat base-name ".tif") "~/dropbox/inbox/")))
    (unless base-name (error "Missing basename property"))
    (if (file-exists-p filename)
        (error "File already exists")
        (copy-file "g:/drawing-templates/custom/0 - base.tif" filename))
      (shell-command (concat (shell-quote-argument sacha/autodesk-sketchbook-executable)
                             (shell-quote-argument filename) " &"))))

By using Emacs Lisp functions to set up files that I’m going to use in an external application, I minimize fussing about with the keyboard while still being able to take advantage of structured information.

Do you work with external applications? Where does it make sense to use Emacs Lisp to make setup or processing easier?

You can comment with Disqus or you can e-mail me at sacha@sachachua.com.