Native SVG Support for Exploded Diagrams / Parts Pages
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Nate Record
Native SVG support was originally on the Documoto roadmap but was later bumped off, and I’d like to advocate for bringing this feature back. Our company relies heavily on SVG-based technical illustrations, especially for exploded diagrams, and the current workflow creates several limitations.
Right now, when we upload an SVG to Documoto, the system rasterizes it into a static image. This removes many of the advantages that make SVG the preferred format for technical content:
•No true scalability — images become blurry when users zoom in
•Loss of clarity for detailed assemblies and small parts
•Larger file sizes compared to vectors
•Inconsistent quality across different screen resolutions
Exploded diagrams benefit significantly from vector rendering, since users frequently zoom in to identify small fasteners, hidden components, or narrow callouts. Rasterization directly impacts accuracy and usability.
•Native SVG rendering would provide:
•Perfect clarity at any zoom level
•Better user experience for parts identification
•Better performance due to smaller file sizes
•Preservation of authoring quality (no more raster conversion)
•Alignment with modern documentation and publishing standards
Given that this was previously planned, our company would like to express strong interest in having native SVG support reinstated on the development roadmap. This enhancement would significantly improve the quality and usability of our parts pages and support more precise, scalable technical content moving forward.
Looking forward to hearing whether this can be reconsidered for future development.
Erin Steinmann
Hey Nate Record, thanks for your feedback! I have a few more questions for you:
- What specific SVG features or functionalities are most critical for your use case?
- How frequently do you update or modify the SVG diagrams, and how important is real-time updating for your workflow?
- Are there any specific industries or applications where SVG support would provide the most value?
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Nate Record
Hi Erin, thanks for taking the time to follow up—happy to provide more context on our use case.
- Most critical SVG features:
Our primary need is preserving true vector clarity at all zoom levels, especially for exploded diagrams where users examine very small or partially hidden components. Beyond that, native SVG rendering would allow room for future enhancements such as simple highlighting or tooltip-style cues to further improve clarity. The focus is ensuring that the illustration remains crisp, readable, and precise no matter how closely a user zooms.
- Update frequency and workflow considerations:
We maintain our original authoring source files, so whenever an illustration needs updating, we return to the authoring program, make the edits, and then re-export fresh SVG files for Documoto. The issue is that once Documoto rasterizes these SVGs, all vector benefits are lost. This becomes a challenge when customers request PDFs, because the only version available to them through Documoto is already rasterized and does not preserve the clarity of the original artwork.
When a customer needs higher-quality documentation, we have to manually locate the original vector files and generate a separate PDF directly from our authoring software to provide the necessary detail. This adds extra steps, creates duplicate files to manage, and leads to inconsistent experiences for end users. If Documoto preserved SVG vector scalability during rendering and export, customers would automatically receive crisp, accurate illustrations without requiring these manual workarounds.
- Industries or applications that benefit most:
Any industry that relies on detailed technical illustrations—manufacturing, heavy equipment, industrial machinery—would see significant benefits from native SVG support. In our case, technicians and dealers frequently zoom deep into exploded diagrams to identify precise parts. Retaining vector clarity directly improves accuracy, usability, and overall user confidence when selecting parts.