Web design & FOSS
Front-end web technologies and Free Open Source Software.
Monday 9 March 2009, 4:23 PM
Inkscape old skool help
I've been using Inkscape a great deal for my new "we build web sites" Team Firebox offshoot -- a friend of a friend designed the logo in Adobe Illustrator CSomething, and I managed to open up the EPS pretty much no problem at all in Inkscape. It is a lovely program, beautifully made and executed with a bundle of features. What I miss most from my Proprietary Illustrator Days is tighter control of text but for pretty much everything else, Inkscape is a seriously good bit of drawing kit.
The other thing that I miss is the old skool SVG keys and mouse reference file from version 0.44; this is a single file that you open up within Inkscape. In the latest version, 0.46, the help file takes you to the web site. So I've uploaded the file for anyone who's interested, just right-click to download.
And whilst I'm here, here's a link to the online Inkscape manual by Tavmjong Bah.
PreviousComments on this post
I've been using it for several years now. I mostly use it for knocking up quick electronic schematic and layout drawings. I actually find it quicker and easier than some expensive (and bloated) commercial CAD packages.
Thanks, Jake. This hit a nerve with me... first, when you are using the software when you don't have an internet connection for whatever reason, you are left with no online help at all... but what burns me just as badly is, why does so much software come today with a "help" link which just takes you to something on their web page? I understand that a large part of the original idea behind this was that it would be more "up to date" than a static file that was shipped with the software. But the fact is that has proven to be (unsurprisingly) wrong... it seems as if the majority of the time the web page you are taken to is several releases out of date... certainly no better than what an included help file might be, and probably considerably worse.
jw
#Tezzer: exactly; for the vast majority of work, and the vast majority of people, the functionality is more than adequate. Ditto, funnily enough, the vast majority of Free Software. The only thing holding it back is "de facto standard software"
#jw: Yep, it's a bit irritating, also because the web help page isn't as helpful as the old static page!
