SVG import/export images as links instead of embedded option

[designio]

In Designer if you import an SVG with images relative to the SVG file and referenced correctly with the image href it doesn't show the image when imported.

Here is an example of the SVG code which doesn't import correctly in Designer ( but works in Safari, Preview and Illustrator ). 

<g id="Background">
		<image width="3658" height="2295" xlink:href="links/themeTime_01.jpg"></image>
</g>

 

There is also no option to export an SVG without embedding the image in the SVG itself. For our studio this workflow is really important and a major barrier to switching over to Designer full-time. 

In Illustrator you can export SVGs with images included as relative links. Which produced SVG code similar to above. 

See the image location options here:

 

[N A]

I agree. I spent ages trying to make Designer export my SVG with a linked bitmap but it insists on embedding it, despite the fact I have set the Image Placement Policy to "Prefer Linked". It's easily-fixable issues like this that prevent people dumping Illustrator (despite its wrongly-scaled, wrongly font-named SVG output). I expect most people jump straight from Illustrator to Inkscape, which is free but does everything correctly.

[zackw]

Can we set images to be links instead of embedded yet? I looked for the option but didn't see it.