# \[BUG-11342\] Perspective - Can't draw any shapes

**URL:** <https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/bug-11342-perspective-cant-draw-any-shapes/20690>\
**Category:** Ignition Early Access\
**Created:** [November 9, 2018, 12:10am UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/bug-11342-perspective-cant-draw-any-shapes/20690 "2018-11-09T00:10:17Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 10\
**Page:** 3

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**Author:** ![tamerplc](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/d78d45/32.png) [@tamerplc](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/u/tamerplc)\
**Post date:** [June 26, 2023, 9:48pm UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/bug-11342-perspective-cant-draw-any-shapes/20690/41 "2023-06-26T21:48:19Z")

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I think some good news coming on ICC2023

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**Author:** ![Steve\_Laubach](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/inductiveautomation/user_avatar/forum.inductiveautomation.com/steve_laubach/32/60900_2.png) [@Steve\_Laubach](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/u/Steve_Laubach)\
**Post date:** [September 7, 2023, 6:54pm UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/bug-11342-perspective-cant-draw-any-shapes/20690/42 "2023-09-07T18:54:47Z")

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For now, embedded SVG is your best option. Probably new news coming soon. It's one of the features on the "In Progress" section.

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**Author:** ![JeremyMills](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/inductiveautomation/user_avatar/forum.inductiveautomation.com/jeremymills/32/70121_2.png) [@JeremyMills](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/u/JeremyMills)\
**Post date:** [July 29, 2024, 10:58pm UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/bug-11342-perspective-cant-draw-any-shapes/20690/43 "2024-07-29T22:58:11Z")

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Hi. Here I am 6 years later. It seems like Perspective still has no drawing tools, is that correct?

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**Author:** ![Carl.Gould](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/inductiveautomation/user_avatar/forum.inductiveautomation.com/carl.gould/32/7262_2.png) [@Carl.Gould](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/u/Carl.Gould)\
**Post date:** [July 29, 2024, 10:59pm UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/bug-11342-perspective-cant-draw-any-shapes/20690/44 "2024-07-29T22:59:08Z")

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Drawing tools are part of the upcoming Ignition 8.3 release.

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**Author:** ![Spencer\_Odom](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b2d939/32.png) [@Spencer\_Odom](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/u/Spencer_Odom)\
**Post date:** [May 18, 2025, 1:49am UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/bug-11342-perspective-cant-draw-any-shapes/20690/46 "2025-05-18T01:49:02Z")

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This is a joke, what are we approaching 7 years since perspective was released and still no drawing tools. First it was maybe they will release them late in 8.0, then it was it will definitely be released in 8.1, Ignition completely abandoned 8.2 and now we are approaching 8.3 and we are once again assured they will be there. I can’t think of another mainstream SCADA software package that you can’t draw basic lines and shapes it’s quite perplexing how Inductive would be so much in a rush to release the next gen software solution without such a basic feature. Very disappointing that this is still an issue.

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**Author:** ![David\_Stone](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/inductiveautomation/user_avatar/forum.inductiveautomation.com/david_stone/32/79749_2.png) [@David\_Stone](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/u/David_Stone)\
**Post date:** [May 18, 2025, 7:14am UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/bug-11342-perspective-cant-draw-any-shapes/20690/47 "2025-05-18T07:14:54Z")

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Pretty much everyone uses graphic design software for Perspective, even if they add drawing tools to it, I’m not keen to use them as I have much better software to do graphics in.  
Perspective has better graphics support than any SCADA I have seen, even Vision, mainly due to it running on a HTML5/CSS renderer that was written to display graphics incredibly well.  
Adding drawing tools to perspective is like adding Microsoft paint to VScode, yes it might satisfy some people that do very basic things, but it isn’t a mainstream work practice.  
Also, given how complex SVG images can be, as soon as someone has the basic tools, they will start whining that animation and gradients aren’t fully supported, which will suck up lots more time of developers.

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**Author:** ![nminchin](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/inductiveautomation/user_avatar/forum.inductiveautomation.com/nminchin/32/6911_2.png) [@nminchin](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/u/nminchin)\
**Post date:** [May 18, 2025, 9:37am UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/bug-11342-perspective-cant-draw-any-shapes/20690/48 "2025-05-18T09:37:18Z")

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> [@David\_Stone](#):
>
> they will start whining that animation and gradients

I don't think even Inkscape has animation 🤷

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**Author:** ![David\_Stone](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/inductiveautomation/user_avatar/forum.inductiveautomation.com/david_stone/32/79749_2.png) [@David\_Stone](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/u/David_Stone)\
**Post date:** [May 18, 2025, 10:14am UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/bug-11342-perspective-cant-draw-any-shapes/20690/49 "2025-05-18T10:14:12Z")

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What I would give for proper gradient and marker rendering from the svg middleware…

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**Author:** ![pturmel](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/inductiveautomation/user_avatar/forum.inductiveautomation.com/pturmel/32/3295_2.png) [@pturmel](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/u/pturmel)\
**Post date:** [May 18, 2025, 2:37pm UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/bug-11342-perspective-cant-draw-any-shapes/20690/50 "2025-05-18T14:37:19Z")

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> [@Spencer\_Odom](#):
>
> I can’t think of another mainstream SCADA software package that you can’t draw basic lines and shapes

What are you talking about? Ignition has had basic line and shape drawing tools for over **15 years**. (More? I don't recall if FPMI had them.)

That it has taken this long to get them in Perspective may be sad, but due to the flexibility of external editors, it just hasn't had the pressure on it that would have applied to a monolithic engine like Vision. But didn't apply to Vision, because it has them.

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**Author:** ![Steve\_Laubach](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/inductiveautomation/user_avatar/forum.inductiveautomation.com/steve_laubach/32/60900_2.png) [@Steve\_Laubach](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/u/Steve_Laubach)\
**Post date:** [May 19, 2025, 2:48pm UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/bug-11342-perspective-cant-draw-any-shapes/20690/51 "2025-05-19T14:48:02Z")

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I agree.

You can do very fancy graphics in Perspective because it supports SVG and allows you to manipulate the embedded SVG with bindings.

The biggest limitations for graphics in Perspective are your imagination and your understanding of SVG. That is likely to change in 8.3 as it will have a higher level of drawing support.

All of this is in line with Inductive Automation's approach to building their platform. First make it possible. Then make it easy. We're just at the "make it possible" stage with 8.1 with respect to graphics.

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