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Post by bwarz on Sept 8, 2022 2:39:31 GMT
I started a thread like this on another forum so I figured I'd put some stuff up here too. Everyone else feel free to add suggestions or questions! This is a place for some useful methods when using Inkscape to layout your plans and prep them for others to build your creations!
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Post by bwarz on Sept 8, 2022 2:52:05 GMT
Starting things off, my method of creating the formers, hstab, or anything else that needs to be symmetric and mirror-imaged... If you pick the part to duplicate, then click it again to get the rotation arrows, you then move the rotation center target to the edge that you want to mirror on. Then a quick CTRL-D and the H or V and it will mirror the part perfectly.
This would require that the part have the mirroring edge perfectly vertical or horizontal. You can force new lines to snap to the v or h axis by holding down the CTRL key while you are stretching out the line. If you have a part that has rotated, you can figure out the angle of the line by having snap on and drawing another temporary line snapped to each end and noting the angle of the new line at the bottom of the screen. Then do the quick math to get that value to 90 degrees and the difference is what you would rotate your part by (object>transform>rotate)
Getting nice smooth lines can be interesting if you tweak a line by adding another point on it. You might end up with the lines on either side of the new point not being tangential (you end up with a kink in the line). If you hold the CTRL key while you left-click on the point, it will force the two incoming lines to be tangential.
If you are using the line drawing tool to trace an object, you should put your points as places where the curves change direction or become straight. When making formers, pay close attention to the edge of the half where it meets the center-line - make sure it hits the center-line at 90 degrees. That way when you mirror it you don't end up with a kink.
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Post by bwarz on Sept 8, 2022 2:54:14 GMT
Another useful hint is kinda like the formatting brush in office. You can copy the formatting of a line or object to another. Select your first object that you wish to copy the formatting of and CTRL-C to copy. Then select the object that you want to paste the formatting to and do a SHIFT-CTRL-V to paste only the formatting. Useful when doing a group of 1/2 cut lines or such (I use it when I'm creating a bunch of guide lines which I use medium green with a very fine dash)
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Post by bwarz on Sept 8, 2022 2:54:52 GMT
Oh yea - SAVE OFTEN! It hasn't happened but once so far on a main plan, but I have been crashing Inkscape infrequently, and the one time I lost some more complex changes I had been working on. You can also set a number of auto-saves as well, but nothing beats finishing something difficult and saving it right away!
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Post by Burkeomatic on Sept 8, 2022 3:43:25 GMT
Oh yea - SAVE OFTEN! It hasn't happened but once so far on a main plan, but I have been crashing Inkscape infrequently, and the one time I lost some more complex changes I had been working on. You can also set a number of auto-saves as well, but nothing beats finishing something difficult and saving it right away! Thanks, I use most of these! I didn't know that abojt the format pasting. I have lost so much work and had to redo it because for whatever reason decides to close inkscape when it goes to sleep. I also like making a 20x30 page and having the page border when I start. How do you make those sweet patterns? I use the default ones and they look stupid. |
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Post by bwarz on Sept 8, 2022 18:53:40 GMT
Oh yea - SAVE OFTEN! It hasn't happened but once so far on a main plan, but I have been crashing Inkscape infrequently, and the one time I lost some more complex changes I had been working on. You can also set a number of auto-saves as well, but nothing beats finishing something difficult and saving it right away! Thanks, I use most of these! I didn't know that abojt the format pasting. I have lost so much work and had to redo it because for whatever reason decides to close inkscape when it goes to sleep. I also like making a 20x30 page and having the page border when I start. How do you make those sweet patterns? I use the default ones and they look stupid. I just emailed you the SVG that I start with that has the patterns - and how to take them and make them patterns for use... |
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Post by Burkeomatic on Sept 8, 2022 21:17:31 GMT
Thanks, I use most of these! I didn't know that abojt the format pasting. I have lost so much work and had to redo it because for whatever reason decides to close inkscape when it goes to sleep. I also like making a 20x30 page and having the page border when I start. How do you make those sweet patterns? I use the default ones and they look stupid. I just emailed you the SVG that I start with that has the patterns - and how to take them and make them patterns for use... Awesome, thanks! |
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