Inkscape Lessons

[teachnlearn]

Years ago when I scroll sawed patterns were either hand drawn or sized by transferring to graph paper, then traced to the wood with inked copy paper. I used to design some patterns, but I used a drafting board. Eventually, I learned CAD through my old profession.

Figured it's about time to update myself I have been going through Travis's lessons.  I have been working along in Inkscape with the video lesson. I watched and it up in lesson one. I'm now on lesson two and Travis hasn't explained his basic setting. I set my paper default for 8.5 x 11 and set the measurements to inches.  I noticed Travis's screen is px. I'm assuming pixel. Is there an advantage for this? RJF

[JimErn]

setting the screen measurement to px or in or cm is personal

open windows explorer and in the programs(x86) folder for the C drive, find the inkscape folder and click on it

scroll down the files and find the one that says default.svg - that is the blank file that loads when inkscape initially loads

double click on it to open inkscape with that file as the object file (different concept than open as default)

menu file>document properties, set that up as desired, along with any other presets you wish, save and exist inkscape.

[teachnlearn]

I noticed the default was different for the first lesson. Don't know if a recent update changed it. It just had the one file menu. I had to find custom and set it to show the toolbar, menubar and lower color display.

I know this board is worldwide. I live in the US so I set it to inches. Travis had it set to px. My last design was on a drafting board which the ruler setting was changing the ruler from inches to metric to architectural or engineering. Didn't have a px ruler, maybe there is an advantage to it? RJF

[JimErn]

px - pixel is the spot of light on the monitor, it is not  real world measurement like inches.

[Dabadie]

I am new to Inkscape and starter taking Travis’s on line messages until a problem occurs. When I download a drawing/photo from a file a separate Inkscape window appears with the downloaded drawing. So I have two open Inkscape windows, one with the download and the other blank. I am sure I change some setting that caused this problem, but backtracked in the menu and can’t find the error. Prior, the file would load into the single Inkscape window, now a separate window opens in the top left with the downloaded file. 

Would appreciate any help on this.

Thanks in advance

[Travis]

9 minutes ago, Dabadie said:

I am new to Inkscape and starter taking Travis’s on line messages until a problem occurs. When I download a drawing/photo from a file a separate Inkscape window appears with the downloaded drawing. So I have two open Inkscape windows, one with the download and the other blank. I am sure I change some setting that caused this problem, but backtracked in the menu and can’t find the error. Prior, the file would load into the single Inkscape window, now a separate window opens in the top left with the downloaded file. 

Would appreciate any help on this.

Thanks in advance

 

If you want to the picture to be inside of your same document, you need to Import the file (File>Import).  If you open the file, it will open the file in a new window, which is what I'm assuming is happening for you.

It's also worth noting, you can copy/paste elements from one document into the other.  I do this a lot, especially with shared resources.

I hope this helps.

[JimErn]

3 hours ago, Dabadie said:

I am new to Inkscape and starter taking Travis’s on line messages until a problem occurs. When I download a drawing/photo from a file a separate Inkscape window appears with the downloaded drawing. So I have two open Inkscape windows, one with the download and the other blank. I am sure I change some setting that caused this problem, but backtracked in the menu and can’t find the error. Prior, the file would load into the single Inkscape window, now a separate window opens in the top left with the downloaded file. 

Would appreciate any help on this.

Thanks in advance

I do it differently yet

open inkscape and the make it a small window, the middle icon top right of the inkscape window

drag the picture on top of inkscape, answer yes to the prompt that comes up, then click the right side icon top right to get the window full screen again

[Dabadie]

Tried both suggestions and both worked as you described. Moving on to another lesson.

Thanks for your quick response!

[OzarkSawdust]

On 6/14/2019 at 10:50 AM, Travis said:

 

If you want to the picture to be inside of your same document, you need to Import the file (File>Import).  If you open the file, it will open the file in a new window, which is what I'm assuming is happening for you.

It's also worth noting, you can copy/paste elements from one document into the other.  I do this a lot, especially with shared resources.

I hope this helps.

Hey Travis, I've been going through your Inkscape videos (Thanks, they're great) and was looking at the toolbars. I see that other than the shapes, all the others are on top. When I installed Inkscape I have 2 on the right. I would rather have it that way and leave the right for boxes to open. Is there any way to move the toolbars?

[Travis]

 

14 hours ago, OzarkSawdust said:

Hey Travis, I've been going through your Inkscape videos (Thanks, they're great) and was looking at the toolbars. I see that other than the shapes, all the others are on top. When I installed Inkscape I have 2 on the right. I would rather have it that way and leave the right for boxes to open. Is there any way to move the toolbars?

Sure.  Go to the menu at the top and choose View>Default

I think that will get you what you want.

 

[OzarkSawdust]

COOL!!! Thanks Travis!! The custom is what I was looking for. Shapes on left and all other tool bars on top. 

Still playing with the program. I've never seen it before. Your lessons are fantastic!  I'll learn my way around it for a while...then attempt GIMP!

Which is better for picture to pattern?