There was a big thread on patterns where I started on a program to convert SVG files into LDraw DAT files. However, SVG is a very complex file format, and I never got the program to the point where it could read arbitrary SVG files (and probably never will). I looked for an SVG library, but while they can be found to rasterize an SVG (convert from vector graphics to pixel graphics), I was unable to find one that would produce a set of non-overlapping triangles, as is needed for LDraw files.
The point, though, is that people were going to town creating SVG files that represented the patterns, but had no good way to get that information into the official library. Allowing their source SVG files to be in the library, while having pre-rendered PNG versions of the same files for use in programs like LDView, would, in my opinion, be very helpful.
The point, though, is that people were going to town creating SVG files that represented the patterns, but had no good way to get that information into the official library. Allowing their source SVG files to be in the library, while having pre-rendered PNG versions of the same files for use in programs like LDView, would, in my opinion, be very helpful.