In Test Charts, PNG height (pxls) has no effect: with Save PNG (bitmap) file checked, the PNG comes out at the chart's native size whatever height you enter, for example 1050 × 750 pixels for an SFRplus 5×7 chart.
This applies to the SVG charts (Pattern 13 and above) in Imatest Master 2021.1 and later, where saving a PNG alongside the SVG was introduced.
Cause
Imatest doesn't draw the PNG itself. It saves the SVG, then passes it to Inkscape, a free SVG editor, with the PNG height as a command-line option:
"C:\Program Files\Inkscape\bin\inkscape.exe" --export-type=png -h 1120 "C:\imatest\Graphics\chart.svg"If Inkscape isn't installed, or isn't where Imatest expects it, that step fails. The SVG is still saved, but no PNG is created, so the height setting never takes effect. In current releases the only sign is a warning titled PNG write (along with SVG) failed, quoting a Windows "is not recognized" message.
A PNG made from the SVG any other way (a browser, an image viewer, an online converter) comes out at the chart's native size, which is the size described above.
Solution
Install Inkscape and tell Test Charts where it is:
- Download and install Inkscape 1.0.1 or later from inkscape.org. It's free for Windows, Mac and Linux. Uninstall any version older than 1.0.1 first; those use different command-line options.
- In Test Charts, choose an SVG pattern so the PNG controls appear below the preview. Click SVG > PNG and select the Inkscape executable:
- Windows:
C:\Program Files\Inkscape\bin\inkscape.exe - Mac:
/Applications/Inkscape.app/Contents/MacOS/inkscape
- Windows:
- Check Save PNG (bitmap) file, enter the PNG height (pxls), and click Create test chart.
The width follows the chart's aspect ratio. A 1120-pixel height gives a 1568 × 1120 PNG for SFRplus 5×7.
The SVG Test Charts documentation refers to the SVG > PNG button as Setup.
If you can't install Inkscape
Without admin rights, any of these gets you a PNG at the height you need:
- Use Inkscape's ready-to-run archive. The Windows downloads on inkscape.org include a compressed (.7z) archive containing the ready-to-run program, which is extracted rather than installed. If your IT policy allows running it, extract it to a folder you can write to and point SVG > PNG at
bin\inkscape.exeinside it. - Export on another computer. Create the SVG in Test Charts, open it in Inkscape anywhere it is installed, choose File > Export, set the image Height in pixels, and click Export.
- Ask us. Send the chart settings and the height you need to Imatest support and we'll generate the PNG for you.
Inkscape 1.5 and later need 64-bit Windows 10 or later; on Windows 7, use Inkscape 1.4.