Inkscape

Inkscape allows editing vector based drawings. Vector based means that everything is drawn using lines. Shapes are drawn by lines, and can be filled with colors.

An example of vector based image is:

Another example is:

Install Inkscape

For Windows:
https://inkscape.org/release

For Ubuntu:
Install Inkscape using Synaptic or command line.


  sudo apt-get install inkscape

Edit Vector Image

Install Inkscape using Synaptic or command line.

Use File/New to create a new drawing. Inkscape is used to edit vector images (such as .svg) or shapes and text.

Free drawing (without a grid)

The left hand side shows the icons for choosing a tool.

Most important tools:

Pointer	Click mouse button to select lines, shape or text. Press mouse button, move mouse and release to select an area around objects.
Point Pointer	Move points of shapes
Rectangle	Press mouse button, move mouse and release to draw a rectangle.
Circle	Press mouse button, move mouse and release to draw a rectangle.
Pencil	Click mouse button at two different points to draw a line.
A	Draw some text

Clicking on a shape allows moving the shape or changing the size. When a shape is selected, the Fill and Stroke window can be used to set colors, and add arrows to lines or to draw lines with dashes.

The shift key can be held down to select multiple shapes. Then colors can be changed for many shapes at a time.

When a new drawing is created, a rectangle is drawn on the screen that shows the size of the image that will be saved. To change the size of the drawing, use the menu File/Document Properties and click on "Resize page to content...". Then click on "Resize page to drawing or selection".

Drawing with a grid

Drawing with a grid allows making drawings where things are aligned to each other and have even spacing.

It is possible to align things without a grid using the "Align and Distribute" icon and window. The icon is near the top right icons. It allows aligning many selected objects to some place.

Turn on the grid.
Select the menu File/Document Properties.
Click on "Grids"
Click "New"
Close the screen.

Inkscape is a little strange that the grid changes depending on the zoom. The zoom can be changed using "Shift +" and "Shift -". It is better to zoom in when drawing smaller shapes.

The icons that control the snapping between shapes or to the grid are on the right side of the screen.

Sometimes it is difficult to snap something like text to the grid. It helps to turn off the bounding box snap and leave the text snap on. So get used to changing snap icons often.

The common things that can be snapped are:

Bounding boxes	Snap to corners or edges
Paths and nodes	Nodes are points that define paths.
Text	The base line of the text.
Grid	Snap between other things above and the grid.

draw to grid - use icons on right side of drawing - "A" icon sets whether to use text anchor - top icons choose which part of bounding rect to snap to grid when done - File/Document Properties - Resize page to drawing or selection

Draw Sine Wave (3 sines)

Complex shapes can be generated using the menu Extensions/Render. For example, to draw a sine wave, select Extensions/Render/FunctionPlotter and enter the following parameters:

	Start X = 0
	End X = 3
	Y value of rect bottom = 0
	Y value of rect top = 1
	Number of samples = 17
	Uncheck everything except
		Check Multiple X range by 2*pi
		Calculate first derivative numerically
	Function = sin(x)
	First derivative = x

Draw Clock

This explains how to draw tic marks around a circle. Draw the outside of the clock.

Draw circle, set size 100x100 and position x=50,y=150
Copy circle, set size 96x96 and position x=52, y=152

Make tick marks

Click align and distribute icon (three bars) at top right icons
Make a rectangule to use as the tic mark
Select the smaller circle and shift click and select marker
In Align and Distribute

Click center icon in Align section
Click align top icon

Click on snap icons at right of screen and turn on all snap icons
Click on top ruler and drag and drop into center of circle
Do the same for the left ruler
Select marker click on it until + appears in the middle
Drag the plus out of the rectangle and to center of circle

Select the menu Edit/Clone/Create Tiled Clones

	Shift: Shift X=0
	Shift: Shift Y=-100
	Rotation: Angle=6
	Rotation: Rows,columns=60x1

Make a clock hand

Click at a point at one end, view the coordinates at some point along the line
Make a line to the desired coordinates.