About edit

In this book, you’ll find everything you need to learn about Inkscape's proven donations and efforts to a leading free and open source graphic editor. Simple, step-by-step directions are what we will learn, handy tips and hints will be shared. Questions from a new user's viewpoint will try to be answered.

For ease of access the literacy (learning) rate is written and edited at the rate of a 12 year old. In graphic design software there are dozens of new terms that have to be used. So we will make use of simpler terms and the explanation of complex wording is addressed by parenthesis terms, comprehensive writing and glossary entries, example:

Before: When *scaling rectangles, scale the *radii width of the rounded corners.
After: When scaling (resizing) rectangles also scale the radii (spacing) width of the rounded corners.
  • The words scaling and radii will be in the glossary

We will dive into each feature set Inkscape offers in an attempt to leave no stone unturned. The aim is to leave the reader with as much information as possible, in the most simple of terms.

Conventions (writing styles) edit

There are a number of styles of text and symbols that are used to show different types of information. Here are some of the styles you will find in this book.

Cursor mouseover (hovering) feedback when placed over buttons (icons), numeric-value and setting boxes, a tooltip pop-up message will provide a short message defining the item, below the mouseover. In this book the term mouseover will also have this mouse symbol 🖰 🖱 displayed. This is in place to emphasize the intense amount of visual feedbacks Inkscape delivers, to make your user experience easier. [1] New words and terms are set to bold text, important words have mouseover tooltip messages;

tooltip - visible text - title text will briefly define the visible text

Command, also known as Modifier, Access and Keyboard shortcut keys will be displayed in button formatting, examples:
Command key

Ctrl....................... Ctrl

Access key (Menu bar)

File....................... Alt+F

Shortcut key

>File >>New......... Ctrl+N

Interface edit

O

ne of Inkscape's main priorities is ease of use. This is evident on the Main Window as every bar's button (icon), numeric-value box will generate a pop-up help message. The Inkscape default Main Window is laid out with four bars at the top, two on the left, two on the right and two at the bottom. The window layout of an application is also referred to as the Graphical User Interface (GUI). You can create and edit your graphics using various displays, such as bars, dialogs, and numeric value boxes. You can also adapt the bars and dialog displays to the way you draw, by customizing the Main Window view to your own style.

  • The Menu bar across the top contains file and graphic based editing.
  • The Commands bar contains common commands associated with graphic editing. Related commands are grouped and seperated by vertical lines (|).
  • The Tool Controls bar displays editing options and numeric value boxes (if applicable) for the currently enabled Toolbox bar editor.
  • The Rulers bar shows the x and y axis positioning of the cursor on the canvas and is one source for placing Guidelines over the canvas.
  • The Scrollbars are placed to the right and bottom, adjacent to the canvas.
  • The Snap Controls bar is displayed on the right side of the user interface and edits how snapping occurs.
  • The Pallete bar below the bottom Scrollbar displays customizable color palletes.
  • The Status bar at the very bottom of the interface, displays common editors, dynamic information of the current on canvas edit and Menu bar interaction and being performed.
  • The Canvas area is the work area for your creations.
  • The Page can be seen as the print/export area, even though one can print/export from multiple areas.
 
Inkscape v0.91, GUI


If you work with two or more files, you can position each window side by side on the screen or across multiple monitors. You can also switch between files using;

  • >View >>Previous Window or Ctrl+⇧ Shift+Tab ↹
  • >View >>Next Window or ⇧ Shift+Tab ↹.

The sub Menu option View ‣‣Show/Hide allows on and off display of all bars, except for the Menu bar.

Dock and Float dialogs edit

 

To do:
This topic needs attention


The three sub-menu items under Interface are; Windows, Grids and Keyboard Shortcuts. Under the Windows sub-menu there is a setting for: Dialog behavior (requires restart)

 
Inkscape v0.91, Dialog Dock or Float setting
  • Dockable,this setting will place a dialog's (example, Fill and Stroke Dialog) window against (docked) the Snap Controls bar on the right side of the Interface.
  • Floating, option will place the dialog's window towards the top right area of the Canvas.

Images edit

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Picture_tutorial#Avoiding_stack-ups

<gallery>
File:Wiki.png|Caption 1
File:Wiki.png|Caption 2
</gallery>


{{multiple image
| direction = horizontal
| width = 150
| align = center
| header = Bounding box examples
| image1 = Preferences Tools Bounding Box Visual.svg
| alt1 = Visual bounding box
| caption1 =  Visual bounding box
| image2 = Preferences Tools Bounding Box Visual wFilter.svg
| alt2 = Visual bounding box with filter
| caption2 = Visual bounding box with filter
| image3 = Preferences Tools Bounding Box Geometric.svg
| alt3 = Geometric bounding box
| caption3 = Geometric bounding box
| image4 = Preferences Tools Bounding Box Geometric wFilter.svg
| alt4 = Geometric bounding box with filter
| caption4 = Geometric bounding box with filtered object
}}


Bounding box examples
Visual bounding box
Visual bounding box with filter
Geometric bounding box
Geometric bounding box with filtered object




____________________________________________________________________________
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Template:Multiple_image

Interface preferences edit

To open the Interface preferences menu, use either Edit, ‣‣Preferences... <Interface> or Ctrl+⇧ Shift+P. There are many customizable settings available under the Interface preferences and its three sub-menus. Just like the mouse-over feature availability for on canvas edits and window bars, you can also mouse-over preferences' items; numeric-value boxes, check box descriptions and icons.

 
Inkscape v0.91, Interface settings and menu mouse-over feature

---Dockbar--- The User Interface graphic at the beginning of the article, does not show the Dockbar. This is because the Dockbar is dynamic and is not part of the default interface when opening the application. The dockbar is displayed when using one, of the many, dockable dialogs (i.e., Fill and Stroke dialog) and then clicking the iconify this dock button versus the option of X closing the dialog. As an example the last seven buttons (icons) on the Commands bar are all dockable dialogs. These dockable dialogs can also be set to float, over the top-right area of the canvas, or dock into the dockbar (right side of interface).

Under >Edit >>Preferences (⇧ Shift+Ctrl+P) there are three settings for the display of dockbar dialogs.

  • <Interface>:
    • Dockbar style (requires restart): Icons and text (default), Icons only, Text only
    • Switcher style (reuires restart): Icons and text (default), Icons only, Text only
  • <Interface, Windows>:
    • Dialog behavior (requires restart):
      • Dockable
      • Floating

The Dockable setting will dock (against), the dialog window onto the right side of the Interface. The Floating setting will place the dialog's window onto the top right area of the Canvas.

  • <Interface, Windows>:
    • Dialog Transparency:
      • Opacity when focused: numeric-value box
      • Opacity when unfocused: numeric-value box
      • Time of opacity change animation: numeric-value box (ms)

Bezier Tool   edit

Keyboard shortcuts: B or ⇧ Shift+F6

The Bezier Tool creates four styles of a path and dots (circle shapes):

  • Regular Bezier curves and lines
  • Spiro paths
  • Sequence of straight lines and dots
  • Sequence of paraxial lines

Regular Mode     edit

 
Bezier Tool:
1.) Set to Regular Mode

Keyboard shortcuts: B or ⇧ Shift+F6

The Regular Bezier (default) mode creates curve and straight segment based paths. The lines are not based on Freehand editing, the segments are created using Click and or Drag editing.

Straight lines edit

(a) Click where you want the path to begin. When creating straight segments, the Ctrl command key provides a snap angle of 15° increments (b) Then move the cursor where you want the segment to end and Click, a straight segment will connect the two (cusp) nodes. (c) To continue the path, move the cursor to a third point and Click. (d) To delete a previous node of a path press the ← Backspace key. (e) To end the path there are a few options;  L·Click  R·Click; Double L·Click; or Click ↵ Enter.

Curve lines edit

(a) Drag the mouse cursor to edit the node handle's angle and length, when you Release the Drag the node's handle will be shown. (b) Now lower the mouse cursor, a curved thin red segment line reflects how the curve will be rendered onto the canvas should a second Drag be started or ending the path Dbl·Click. (c) Drag a second node and symmetrical handles along with a new thin red segment line will be displayed, Dbl·Click the third node will be created and the path will end. (d). Once you have ended the curved path the Node Tool is required to adjust any nodes and handles.

Continuing a path edit

Mouse over one of the cusp (end) nodes, the node will turn red. Once the node is red, you can either Click to add a straight segment or Drag to add a curved segment.

Closing a path edit

For a closed path return the cursor to the the first node of the path and when node changes color (usually read) Click on the node. For an open path move the cursor away from the start node and; Dbl·Click; Click↵ Enter; or ClickR·Click.

Spiro Mode   edit

 
Pencil Tool:
2.) Set to Spiro Mode

The second mode of Bezier paths is Spiro. A Spiro path provides cusp ◇, smooth ⬜ and auto-smooth ⭕ nodes. Smooth nodes apply Spiro (radius) based interconnections (vectors) to adjacent nodes within the path.

Once a Spiro path is created, the Node Tool must be used to edit the positioning of the Spiro's smooth and cusp nodes. The thin red line segment editor can be used to set a straight or curved segment within a Spiro path. Even though smooth node handles are displayed during Node Tool editing, the handles do not impact radius editing of the Spiro. Retracting (Ctrl+Click the smooth node handles will change the node to a cusp.

Smooth setting (Tool Controls bar); the Bezier Tool's Spiro rendering is based on the Smooth setting. Smoothing is how much path simplifying, of nodes, is applied to the Spiro being created. If smoothing is set too low, there will be no effect (vector distance between nodes dependent) on the Spiro. Set too high and if the nodes are not far enough apart from each other the Spiro's smoothness will render a straight line.

For Spiro themed inspiration/challenges you may want to refer to:

﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏
Once a path is created, there are three options for editing the path nodes. (1) To reduce the number of nodes on a given path use the path simplify command; >Path >>Simplify (Ctrl+L). (2) To add nodes to an existing path place the mouse cursor 🖰 over a start/end node, the node will change color left Click and either Drag or Click to another position on the canvas. (3) Once a path is created the Node Tool is used to edit the nodes, it has an extensive set of node and segment editing features, available in the Tool Controls bar.
﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏

Straight Lines Mode     edit

 
Pencil Tool:
2.) Set to Straight Segments Mode

Paraxial Lines Mode     edit

 
Pencil Tool:
2.) Set to Straight Segments Mode

Dots (circle shapes) straight line modes edit

 
3.) Creating Dots, using command keys

In order to use this dots feature the Bezier Tool must be in either the Straight lines or Paraxial lines mode. Here is a listing of how to create the single dots (circle shapes), using command keys;

  • Ctrl+Click creates a filled dot (shape) •
  • Ctrl+⇧ Shift+Click creates a dot twice the size of the
    Ctrl+Click dot
  • Ctrl+⇧ Shift+Alt+Click creates a random radius dots

Be sure to hold the command key(s) first, then Click where you want the dot on the canvas. This is noted because the Click+Ctrl key sequence will snap angles of a segment in the Straight lines mode.

Once the dot is created, the editing is now changed over to the Ellipse Tool. The dot radius can be set in the Preferences of the Pencil and Bezier tools, >Edit >>Preferences <Tools> <<Pencil/Bezier>> (⇧ Shift+Ctrl+P) "Ctrl+click dot size: _ _ _ times current stroke width".

This dot creation edit can be used as a work-around for creating text bullets. As of Inkscape v0.91 there is no support, other than Unicode values, for bullets in any native Text editing.

Numbers edit

ref link Enclosed Alphanumerics Unicode U+####

①②③④⑤
⑥⑦⑧⑨⑩
⑪⑫⑬⑭⑮
⑯⑰⑱⑲⑳

2460 2461 2462 2463 2464
2465 2466 2467 2468 2469
246A 246b 246c 246d 246e
246f 2470 2471 2472 2473

Key Press and Colored Text edit

BBBCtrl

Ctrl Ctrl Ctrl Ctrl Ctrl

Ctrl Ctrl Ctrl Ctrl Ctrl

Ctrl Ctrl Ctrl Ctrl Ctrl

Ctrl Ctrl Ctrl

Ctrl {{key press|{{aqua|Ctrl}}}}, Ctrl {{key press|{{blue|Ctrl}}}}
Ctrl {{key press|{{teal|Ctrl}}}}
Ctrl {{key press|{{cyan|Ctrl}}}}
Ctrl {{key press|{{navy|Ctrl}}}}

{{#0066FF;|Ctrl}}


The order/sequence of the templates {{key press followed by {{color can remove the down-left arrow of the Enter key, {{key press|{{red|Enter...:
Enter
Placing the {{color template BEFORE the {{key press template preserves the down-left arrow,  {{red|{{key press|Enter...
↵ Enter
Placing the &nbsp; edit before or after the Enter text also removes the down-left arrow, but leaves a space:
 Enter


abc def ghi jkl
𝌆 1d306


2ff3

␡ ␡ &#127; Template:Circle

Text boxes edit

Clinical Application:
The patch drug delivery system. The transdermal patch is an increasingly popular drug delivery system.


 

This section applies to version 4 of Software.


.

.

Status bar, Guideline tool-tip message:
Guideline: horizontal, at 50px; Shift+Drag to rotate, Ctrl+Drag to move origin, Del to delete


  Notification Display
The Notification Display provides very useful live tooltips and notifications based on the current edit being performed. If the window is to small to show all of the message, simply mouseover the message and a pop-up message will show all the text.

Notification Region The Notification Region contains very useful information. Pay close attention to it when using an unfamiliar tool.

  Guideline: horizontal, at 50px; Shift+Drag to rotate, Ctrl+Drag to move origin, Del to delete



Tables edit

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Help:Table

  Once we understand the "core" data structures, we can use them in combination to represent any conceivable kind of structured information.

Section summary: As Report Specification sticks to XML Rules it is favored for creating and updating a markup file


Exhibit 1: XML entities used within the ACORD XML standard

Entity Description
Element a base element, based on one or more of the described data types
Aggregate a collection of corresponding elements, entities or aggregates
Entity aggregate with the same structure
Message an aggregate that is used as one entity for communication
Service a collection of corresponding messages
Document a collection of messages that are sent together at the same time


Name Role Affiliation
Frantz Johan Agerbo Author: CSS
Editor: RSS
UGA Exchange student from Agder University College, Norway
Jan Helge Austboe Author: RSS
Editor: CSS
UGA Exchange student from Agder University College, Norway


Reflex Stimulation Response Age of disappearance Function
Eye blink Bright light shinning in eyes or clap hands by eyes. Closes eyelids quickly. Permanent This reflex protects the infant from an excessive amount of stimulation.



Text edit

Template:Highlight Template:Hilite
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Template:Highlight


abc def ghi jkl
𝌆 1d306


2ff3

Inkscape Shortcuts edit

Zooming
Shortcut Description Shortcut Description
1991 1000 2000 1471
1991 1000 2000 1471
1991 1000 2000 1471
1991 1000 2000 1471
1999 1234 2009 1616

Exhibit 1: XML entities used within the ACORD XML standard

Zooming
Shortcut   Action
Ctrl+⇧ Shift+Tab ↹  a base element, based on one or more of the described data types
Zooming
Aggregate a collection of corresponding elements, entities or aggregates
Entity aggregate with the same structure
Message an aggregate that is used as one entity for communication
Service a collection of corresponding messages
Document a collection of messages that are sent together at the same time



singular plural

Imperfect (third person)

dauki kan

dauki banghwi kan

was/were making

Negative past (third person)

daukras kan

dauki banghwras kan

didn't make, wasn't/weren't making


Shortcut Description
Ctrl+Z Undo (can be done multiple times)
Ctrl+Y or
Ctrl+⇧ Shift+Z
Redo (can be done multiple times)
Ctrl+B Hide/show scrollbars
Ctrl+ Scroll
⇧ Shift+Mouse wheel Scroll horizontally
Ctrl+Tab ↹ Cycle through Inkscape windows
Ctrl+⇧ Shift+Tab ↹ Cycle backwards through Inkscape windows
Zooming
- Zoom out
+ Zoom in
Ctrl+Middle click / Right click Zoom in
⇧ Shift+Middle click / Right click Zoom out
Ctrl+Mouse wheel Zoom in (up) or out (down)

Bullet work-around Inkscape edit

□◇○ ○ ○ ○ ⃝ ◯ ⭕ ⭘ ⵔ 〇𐰗
• (2022)
‣ (2023) ▸(25B8)
⁍ (204D)
□ 25a1 ■ 25a0
◇ 25c7 ◆ 25c6
○ 25cb ● 25cf

Tooltip edit

https://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/Template:Hover_info research for placing in Inkscape Book
{{tooltip|visible text|title text}}
visible text

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Template:Abbr
HTML

Template:Infobox software

Lines edit





͢ ͢ ͢ ͢ ͢ ͢ ͢ ͢ ͢ ͢ ͢ ͢ ͢ ͢ ͢ ͢ ͢ 0362 ᷼᷼᷼᷼1dfc ⎵⎵⎵⎵⎵⎵⎵⎵ 23b5 ⍽⍽⍽⍽⍽⍽⍽ 237d ¬¬¬¬¬¬¬ ffe2 ⸑⸑⸑⸑⸑⸑ 2e11 ⸑⸐⸑⸐⸑⸐ 2e11/2e10 ⸐⸑⸐⸑⸐⸑ 2e10/2e11 ︵︵︵︵︵︵ fe34
Unicode;
cjk-compatibility-forms
︵︵︵︵︵︵ fe34 ︷︷︷︷︷︷ fe37 ︹︹︹︹︹︹ fe39 ︻︻︻︻︻︻ fe3b ﹇﹇﹇﹇﹇﹇ fe47 ﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏ fe4f
egyptian-hieroglyphs
𓄷𓄷𓄷𓄷𓄷𓄷13137 𓇿𓇿𓇿𓇿𓇿𓇿131ff 𓈀𓈀𓈀𓈀𓈀𓈀13200 𓈖𓈖𓈖𓈖𓈖𓈖13216 𓈛𓈛𓈛𓈛𓈛𓈛1321b 𓊃𓊃𓊃𓊃𓊃𓊃13283 𓋉𓋉𓋉𓋉𓋉𓋉132c9 𓋊𓋊𓋊𓋊𓋊𓋊132ca 𓋭𓋭𓋭𓋭𓋭𓋭132ed 𓎐𓎐𓎐𓎐𓎐13390 𓎙𓎙𓎙𓎙𓎙𓎙13399 𓎮𓎮𓎮𓎮𓎮𓎮𓎮𓎮133AE 𓏏𓏏𓏏𓏏𓏏𓏏𓏏𓏏𓏏𓏏𓏏𓏏𓏏133cf 𓏛𓏛𓏛𓏛𓏛𓏛133db 𓏝𓏝𓏝𓏝𓏝𓏝133dd 𓐗𓐗𓐗𓐗𓐗𓐗13417
spacing modifier letters
˾˾˾˾˾˾˾˾˾02fe ˽˽˽˽˽˽˽˽˽02fd

Arrows edit

⏴⏵⏶⏷
▲▶▼◀
△▷▽◁
▴▸▾◂
◆■●


Shortcuts edit

Access

The Tool Controls bar provides different buttons and numeric-value boxes for each tool.

Alt+X

jump to the first value box

Navigate

Use these to move cursor between boxes in the Tool Controls bar.

Tab ↹
⇧ Shift+Tab ↹

jump to the next box
jump to the previous box

Change values

Values can be entered by typing or by right-clicking for a pop-up menu of preset values along with these key options:

Up arrow, Down arrow
Pg Up, Pg Dn
↵ Enter
Esc
Ctrl+Z

change value by 0.1
change value by 5.0
accepts the new value, returns to canvas
cancels value changes made, returns to canvas
cancels value changes made, stays in the value box.

References edit

  1. GNOME Human Interface Guideline Visual Feedback