- Inkscape Devel - Inkscape Mailman

Printing
by Thomas Worthington 31 Dec '07

31 Dec '07

Is printing supposed to be working in rev.16673, or is it a known work-in-progress? It simply sends the CPU to 100% until inkscape is killed from the command line on my Linux machine; closing Inkscape using the normal Quit menu item is not enough. Thomas

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Call for Freeze Exceptions
by Bryce Harrington 30 Dec '07

30 Dec '07

Hi all, Tomorrow we're going to be progressing to the next phase of the release, but beforehand I want to check if anyone is doing feature development work and wish for a freeze exception. This isn't necessary for bug fixing work - if you're just doing bugs, please keep on trucking. Also, this is not for *new* features - if you are starting on any new ideas (even if they're just enhancements to existing features), PLEASE do this work on a branch, or locally; do not commit them to SVN head. So, if you're working on a feature, can you please tell me at this time? Also please report: * Current status * Anticipated date of completion * Issues that must be solved before release I'll assemble these exception requests into a list, so as people watch the SVN traffic and see changes that are not merely bug fixes, they can use the list to see if the changes are acceptable. If you're not on the list, your changes will risk being backed out. I don't anticipate rejecting any exception requests, although if the anticipated date is too far out, or the list of issues is lengthy, we may need to pow wow on how we can put additional focus on getting the thing ready in time. Bryce

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NEW: cross-platform print dialog
by Kees Cook 30 Dec '07

30 Dec '07

Using the Cairo renderer that was written for PDF and PS export, I've hooked up the GTK print dialog system. This provides Inkscape with a cross-platform printing dialog (finally). In the past, we have had two methods of printing: vector and bitmap (for things that don't render correctly in PS). In the new print dialog, the "Rendering" tab exists to control this. In "Cairo" mode, it uses the Cairo renderer, and in "bitmap" mode it uses the PNG export code to populate a Cairo surface. The bulk of the new code is in: src/ui/widgets/rendering-options.* src/ui/dialog/print.* src/print.cpp There is some strange behavior in bitmap mode (offset from origin) that I haven't narrowed down yet. -- Kees Cook @outflux.net

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Oversized dUI elements on Ubuntu
by Michael Grosberg 30 Dec '07

30 Dec '07

Since I've been working on Ubuntu lately I noticed that all the icons have excessive sizes on this system. It seems the toolbars, which AFAIK were desiged to used 16X16 icons, actually use 24X24 icons instead (obviously this is taken from the Ubuntu GTK theme). Also, docked dialogs are extremely wide. I'm using a 1280X1024 resolution desktop, and the dialogs still take up almost a third of the width of the screen. they are on the largish side on Windows as well, but not as large as on Ubuntu. This is a problem, usability-wise. It leaves very little space for actual work, and unless you work on almost full screen, you usually won't even see all the icons on the toolbar because the last ones on the right are clipped. Is it possible to somehow make inkscape ignore the current global gtk theme and use its own icon and widget sizes?

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Absence notification
by Maximilian Albert 29 Dec '07

29 Dec '07

Hi all, just wanted to leave a note that I'll be away for a week and won't have internet access so anything requiring my interaction will have to wait until I'm back. There are still a couple of things to do - most notably, updating the Release Notes (sorry that I haven't got around to it yet) and making the toolbar for the 3D box tool functional (currently only the shortcuts work), apart from a few other odds and ends. I'll do this as soon as I'm back. Best wishes and a Happy New Year to all in advance! Max

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Path Effects shortcut mixed with Division (Shift+Ctrl+7)
by unknown＠example.com 28 Dec '07

28 Dec '07

>From bug #178738: "Opening it from the menu Path > Path Effects works fine but when I hit Shift+Ctrl+7 the only thing I get is a note in statusbar: Select at least 2 paths to perform a boolean operation. If I have 2 paths selected and they overlap I get Division (Ctrl+/) if I hit Shift+Ctrl+7 I guess this is a regional keyboard problem, cos my / is above number 7" To fix this probably we should come up with another key than the 7/ampersand for the LPE's. I do not know all keyboard layouts that apparently exist. :-( Regards, Johan

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Re: [Inkscape-devel] Tango icon theme take 3
by joel＠...1709... 28 Dec '07

28 Dec '07

Hmm....this is proving quite difficult! How are we going to get a conensus? It seems like the group is pretty evenly divided between those who (like me) love the new icons, and those who hate them. Really I agree with the points Bryce made yesterday. He talked about consistency across the free desktop, and consistentcy with host desktops. But if you look at this screenshot I made yesterday: http://launchpadlibrarian.net/11076114/C%3A%5CDocuments%20and%20Settings%5C…, I'd go one step further: We need tango, because it makes inkscape consistent with itself. Notice that now the standard GTK Icons - New, Open, Save, Cut, Copy, Paste are all tango style. I love the consistancy across the top row now. Also, strangely, I actually like the tango theme. I don't understand why so few do. People keep talking about pastel shades in the new theme: http://www.inkscape.org/images/tango_theme.png, but if you look at the old theme - the Rectangle, Elipse, Polygon, Paint Bucket, and Gradient tools each of them looks more pastelly (to my eye) than the new set (I think now perhaps that Rectangle, Elipse, Polygon are a little too vibrant) I wonder how we'll resolve this difference of opinion. Joel ---------------------------------------- From: Dan H <dunno@...1090...> Sent: 28 December 2007 10:11 To: inkscape-devel(a)lists.sourceforge.net Subject: Re: [Inkscape-devel] Tango icon theme take 3 Hello there, I'm going to start with a statement that will give raise to misunderstandings, so please read on before getting too worked-up about it. Here goes: I don't like the Tango icons at all. Uff, I said it. But don't get me wrong: I think it is essential for such a great application as Inkscape to look "modern" and to blend in with the look we see on current desktop computers. To this end I think Michael has done a great job. When I say that I don't like the Tango icons it's probably more to the point to say that I don't like the way desktop aesthetics are headed in general. I abhor the whole "pastelization" tendency and I'm happier with more "stark-looking" icons. Remember Atari TOS? Those were the days. Now for some constructive criticism. Neither have I closely followed the icon discussion so far, nor have I contributed anything to it, so please feel free to flame me for jumping in so late. But I've got one or two points to make. My reference is this image: http://www.inkscape.org/images/tango_theme.png , so I may be completely out of touch with current development. 1. The Circle, Box and Polygon tools look very different on account of their different colors, although they are quite similar in functionality (they all create a "flat", optionally filled shape). Also they don't convey the impression of something "drawn", but they look more like finished, plastic objects. In v. 0.45 the black outline suggested more of a "filled, drawn object" look. A red circle with a set-apart red outline just isn't something one would or could draw with the primitive circle tool. I don't know what the 3D cube is for (my version doesn't have that), but I'd group it apart from the "flat object" category of tools. 2. The double outline in the spiral, pen and pencil line doesn't really make any sense. I know that it probably was added so the icon works on a black background, but I don't know to what extent this requirement should be pampered. 1+2. In combination, I miss the "black outline" and "colored fill" consistency across all drawing tools that the old icons had. 3. The angled pen positions on the old icons looked more dynamic and natural. But then, of course, it doesn't really matter. Icon aesthetics are primarily to get newbies hooked. Once one gets used to a tool, one wouldn't switch to one with better-looking icons unless it offered a substantially better functionality (and in in the case of Inkscape, which one could?). I must admit that it was the intriguing aesthetics of sodipodi that got me onto the SVG train in the first place, and I still remember them as the best-looking set of all. Now if only Inkscape offered workaround-free colored arrowheads and a less extravagant pattern generator tool I'd happily embrace the Tango icons. --D.

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Development packages for OS X (About screen contest)
by jiho 28 Dec '07

28 Dec '07

Hi everyone, Thanks to the help of several people, there are now recent development builds of Inkscape for PowerPC (G4-G5), as well as prebuilt python modules for all machines (ppc and intel) and all python versions currently available on OS X (2.3 - 2.5). These new builds are available on modevia as usual: http://inkscape.modevia.com/macosx-snap/?C=M;O=D Python packages are integrated into the application so drag Inkscape and drop it somewhere on your machine (e.g. in Applications) and everything should "just work". There are two PPC packages (dec24 and 16774) which should work on Tiger and Leopard and one i386 (Intel) package (16834) which, unfortunately, is Leopard-only. These should be still in time for the about screen contest and will provide good testing for the release. Cheers to all those involved in PPC compiling. JiHO --- http://jo.irisson.free.fr/

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Inkscape with ImageMagick effects
by jiho 28 Dec '07

28 Dec '07

Hi all, Sorry if this s a FAQ. Quick question: is there a dedicated configure switch to get ImageMagick based effects in Inkscape? I just get: ImageMagick Magick++: no At the end of configure while I have ImageMagick with the ++ extension. If there's no manual switch what is checked exactly? Thanks in advance. JiHO --- http://jo.irisson.free.fr/

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How to convert Inkscape items to "ordinary" shapes?
by Maximilian Albert 28 Dec '07

28 Dec '07

Hi, what do I need to do when I want to convert an Inkscape-specific SPItem (like star, spiral, etc.) to an ordinary shape? Is it enough to set "sodipodi:type" to NULL? But what if there are any pointers left that refer to the "old" SPObject and expect it to be of the given type? How is that handled within Inkscape? I've encountered functions like ConvertToShape and ConvertToForme but am not quite sure what precisely they do, and furthermore my use case is converting 3D boxes to ordinary groups (while at the same time converting their sides to ordinary paths) so that I guess neither of these exactly fits my needs. Thanks for any hints, Max

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Default Units
by Tony Vigil 28 Dec '07

28 Dec '07

When you set the default units in the Document Properties dialog box, shouldn't the units in the tool controls bar reflect the same default. Currently, the default units in the tool control bar is pixels - and it doesn't reflect a different default unit set in the Document Properties dialog box.

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Re: [Inkscape-devel] Tango icon theme take 3
by joel＠...1709... 28 Dec '07

28 Dec '07

I like all those very much - good work, they look great. I hope we can get them in 0.46. My one comment would be that I think, in the align/distribute set, the old icons for aligning text vertically and horizontally were slightly clearer. The decender on the lower case "y" makes it very obvious what will be done. Other than that 5 stars. Well done. ---------------------------------------- From: Michael Grosberg <preacher_public@...19...> Sent: 27 December 2007 14:21 To: inkscape-devel(a)lists.sourceforge.net Subject: [Inkscape-devel] Tango icon theme take 3 I've taken most of the criticism to heart: A lot of icons are now more distinct - Tango uses a medium gray for many icons, but I changed it to a darker shade. This may hurt people who use dark themes so I'm not really sure it's a good idea. I also changed the flip/rotate icons back to something similar to the existing ones. Following Bulia's remarks about the tool icons, I decided to try and create my own icons instead of using the existing set from Art Libre: please tell me your opinion: are their functions clearer now? Lastly, take a look at the show/hide icons in the layers menu. download link: http://grosberg.michael.googlepages.com/icons.svg.zip Michael Grosberg P.S. happy holiday season everyone! ------------------------------------------------------------------------- This SF.net email is sponsored by: Microsoft Defy all challenges. Microsoft(R) Visual Studio 2005. http://clk.atdmt.com/MRT/go/vse0120000070mrt/direct/01/ _______________________________________________ Inkscape-devel mailing list Inkscape-devel(a)lists.sourceforge.net https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/inkscape-devel

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Tango icon theme take 3
by Michael Grosberg 28 Dec '07

28 Dec '07

I've taken most of the criticism to heart: A lot of icons are now more distinct - Tango uses a medium gray for many icons, but I changed it to a darker shade. This may hurt people who use dark themes so I'm not really sure it's a good idea. I also changed the flip/rotate icons back to something similar to the existing ones. Following Bulia's remarks about the tool icons, I decided to try and create my own icons instead of using the existing set from Art Libre: please tell me your opinion: are their functions clearer now? Lastly, take a look at the show/hide icons in the layers menu. download link: http://grosberg.michael.googlepages.com/icons.svg.zip Michael Grosberg P.S. happy holiday season everyone!

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Re: [Inkscape-devel] Call for Freeze Exceptions
by Bryce Harrington 28 Dec '07

28 Dec '07

Thanks for the update Adib, I'll update the news item. On Thu, Dec 27, 2007 at 03:16:52AM +0100, Adib taraben wrote: > Short update: > > I have implemented option dialogs for PDF/PS exports using cairo. (there > will be no EPS via Cairo before cairo >= 1.5.2) > - PDF version or PS level prepared, PDF1.4 and PS3 are default (and the > only options for now) > - text to path works > - blur as bitmap is prepared, need help on converting a SPItem from vector > to image > - alpha as bitmap is done implicitly on cairo (falls back on software > rendering) - so no option on dialog > > HTH, > > Adib. > --- > > Bryce Harrington schrieb: >> On Thu, Dec 20, 2007 at 10:45:27PM +0100, the Adib wrote: >> >>> Hi Bruce, >>> >>> I want to focus on two things: >>> 1. win32 installer >>> - improve the current uninstaller. Currently it bugs you for every single >>> file that has been changed. >>> 2. improve PDF, PS export >>> - implement blur as bitmap >>> - need to display an dialog and asking for several options (text to path, >>> blur as bitmap, alpha as bitmap) >>> >>> Nr. 1) I can do myself. >>> Nr. 2) I need help. >>> I think that two weeks from now (3rd Jan) this will be finished. >>> >>> I would like to see fixed in the next release the issue with the >>> calculation >>> of object sizes containing blur #168349 >>> https://bugs.launchpad.net/inkscape/+bug/168349 . >>> >> >> Hi Adib, >> >> I've got you down with exceptions for both of the above tasks. >> >> The win32 uninstaller is technically packaging work, so is permitted to >> be done without an exception, but you've got one anyway. But it won't >> be a blocker for moving into Freeze if it takes longer than expected. >> >> Like others that have replied, it sort of sounds like the PDF/PS work >> may be a bit more ambitious than there is time for. However I've >> included an exception for you on this anyway. That said, I would >> encourage you to prioritize and organize the work such that there are >> good stopping points in case some of the work needs to be postponed. >> Improving PDF/PS support is very important, however this item has a >> longer time estimate than the other tasks that must be completed before >> Freeze, so is the riskiest item, especially since you think you'll need >> help. If you can prioritize/organize the work to reduce it something >> that can be completed by yourself in a shorter timeframe, that would >> help a lot. >> >> Thanks, >> Bryce

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BUG HUNT - Dec 23 Scoreboard
by Bryce Harrington 28 Dec '07

28 Dec '07

Wow, we achieved 10% of the objective in just one day! Pts BugID Assignee Description ------------------------------------------------------------------------ 3 171593 Diederik Snapping menu items and shortcuts 3 168912 Johan Engelen axonometric grid angle changes with... 12 168588 Johan Engelen assertion failed, file sp-conn-end.cpp 3 171783 Bulia Byak rclk on palette should change outline color 3 171710 JonCruz Sum color dragging color inother 3 171292 --- Transparency reduced pdf export 9 168865 Johan Engelen Crashes applying "Path along path" effect... 3 171803 Johan Engelen Angled Guidelines! 12 168570 Johan Engelen Crash when recreating grid using 'redo' ------------------------------------------------------------------------ 51 Goal: 500 http://people.ubuntu.com/~brian/project-graphs/inkscape/plots/inkscape-mont… Note: Points are not given for bugs fixed as invalid, dupe, or worksforme, and only for issues that require code changes to fix (not website, translation, or documentation changes). Note: Scoring for bugs is based on their Importance: Crit=12, High=9, Med=6, Low=3, Undecided=3, Wishlist=3. We used to not give points for RFE's in the old system, but now it's not always clear with Undecided bugs whether they were really bugs or feature requests, so I figure we can give 3 points in all cases (actually wishlist bugs probably deserve more, but then, we're really supposed to focus on bugs, not features, so 3 pts is probably good.) Bryce

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Font Spec Progress
by Gail Carmichael 28 Dec '07

28 Dec '07

Hi all, I have been working on finishing up that patch but have run into an unfortunate compile problem from merging (which is now solved but it ate up a lot of time). I have to go away for a few days and won't be able to finish it until Sunday or Monday unfortunately. Thanks, Gail

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Compile errors in rev. 16819
by Maximilian Albert 28 Dec '07

28 Dec '07

Hi, rev. 16819 introduced the following compile errors (at least for me): ==> extension/internal/cairo-render-context.cpp: In member function ‘bool Inkscape::Extension::Internal::CairoRenderContext::setupSurface(double, double)’: extension/internal/cairo-render-context.cpp:697: error: ‘cairo_ps_level_t’ was not declared in this scope extension/internal/cairo-render-context.cpp:697: error: ‘cairo_ps_surface_restrict_to_level’ was not declared in this scope <== Is there some additional file missing in SVN or is it just something with my setup? I thought that maybe things need to be reconfigured but running ./configure before compiling didn't help. In case it matters, I'm on Debian unstable. Thanks, Max

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Re: [Inkscape-devel] Type size
by bulia byak 27 Dec '07

27 Dec '07

On Dec 27, 2007 1:18 PM, Guillermo Espertino <gespertino@...400...> wrote: > bulia byak escribió: > > We already have it, but in document prefs. It's a per-document > > setting. All unit selectors should obey it; if some don't it's a bug > > which should be easy to fix. > > > There is a bug then. If I open Inkscape, go to document prefs and change > the units the only thing that changes is the ruler. > All the tools stay in pixels. > Can you confirm this so I can file a bug? Changes in unit selectors only take place after you reload the document. For the unit selectors that are already displayed on your screen, it is assumed they currently show the unit you need. > Yes, I know because I work for screen too (web, video, etc.) > I'm not saying to change the default units, they are fine as they are. > I'm talking about giving the user a way to change that setting in a > persistent manner. Default import/export resolution can be changed in > that way using the preferences. Why units aren't? Just create a document template with the units you need. There's a standard template for mm for example. > By the way, the snapping settings in a per-document basis is in my > oppinion something very annoying. Everytime I start inkscape I have to > change the snapping settings. Am I the only one that doesn't like it? > What do you think about it? Again, create your own template. -- bulia byak Inkscape. Draw Freely. http://www.inkscape.org

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Re: [Inkscape-devel] Type size
by Guillermo Espertino 27 Dec '07

27 Dec '07

bulia byak escribió: > We already have it, but in document prefs. It's a per-document > setting. All unit selectors should obey it; if some don't it's a bug > which should be easy to fix. > There is a bug then. If I open Inkscape, go to document prefs and change the units the only thing that changes is the ruler. All the tools stay in pixels. Can you confirm this so I can file a bug? > Most of the users use Inkscape for screen graphics, and for that, px > is ideal because 1px corresponds to 1 pixel at 100% zoom and at the > default export resolution of 90 dpi. > Yes, I know because I work for screen too (web, video, etc.) I'm not saying to change the default units, they are fine as they are. I'm talking about giving the user a way to change that setting in a persistent manner. Default import/export resolution can be changed in that way using the preferences. Why units aren't? For me, that would be very welcome. By the way, the snapping settings in a per-document basis is in my oppinion something very annoying. Everytime I start inkscape I have to change the snapping settings. Am I the only one that doesn't like it? What do you think about it? Regards, Gez.

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Re: [Inkscape-devel] Tango icon theme take 3
by Guillermo Espertino 27 Dec '07

27 Dec '07

Michael Grosberg wrote: > Following Bulia's remarks about the tool icons, I decided to try and create my > own icons instead of using the existing set from Art Libre: please tell me your > opinion: are their functions clearer now? > Great work Michael! I love these icons. They look very good. I have a couple of crits, though. In general, all the icons look pretty good and are far better (imo) than the original ones. I think they are not "working" in the fill and stroke tabs. They are too detailed for the size they are reproduced. Stroke Color and Stroke Style are hardly recognizable. The icon for the fill and stroke dialog maybe can be improved. I think it looks kind of off-style. The color in the pattern transform switch makes takes it away of the group. I'd go for grayscale for it too. About the tool icons, I really don't agree. Tango guidelines are for visual consistency across applications. Furthermore, Inkscape and gimp are part of a common workflow for libre graphics, so having different icons for similar tools is in my oppinion a mistake. Sincerely I find Gimp tool icons more appropriate for the tools. Pen and pencil tools, bucket fill, gradient are simpler. Those icons were already created and work fine, so why don't use them? I also have a bad feeling about using gradients for the shape tools. They are 2D sapes, so using gradients doesn't seem correct for me. Using strokes with thin lines is also a bad choice. Pencil, Pen and Spiral are examples of that. The strokes end up looking gray and blurry instead of well defined. The stroke doesn't fix the contrast problem, it makes it worst because of the small size. Besides that, the other icons look great and I'd really love to see them as default in 0.46 Again, great work and thank you for your effort!

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Type size (was: Default units)
by Guillermo Espertino 27 Dec '07

27 Dec '07

> > After realizing that there was something strange about the text size in > my inkscape designs I followed the bugs associated (#168151, #168164, > #168344, #170099 - some of them seem to be duplicates) and there I > noticed that the text size in inkscape is expressed in pixels, but the > dialog doesn't inform that. I wrote that a couple of days ago, but I was wrong. Type isn't expressed in pixels. It took me a while to get it, but now I understand. The size is expressed in a unit that is 1/90th of an inch (corresponding to the default inkscape resolution of 90 dpi). That can be just right for svg and on-screen presentation, but for print those typographic size units are quite misleading. Regular users are used to typographic points, which are in DTP equal to 1/72th of an inch. The current units are only used in inkscape (ok, maybe they're the default units for svg but they have not much use for print). The problem of having these units is that an average user won't get what he/she expects. This is, imo, a critic usability issue. It's not intuitive, the result isn't what a regular user would expect and it forces the user to calculate the size (and forces to realize how, because there are no clue of what units are used in the UI). I think this issue should be marked as critic. Meanwhile, for everyone looking for typographic points in inkscape, there's a kind of workaround. Multiply the desired value by 1.25 and you'll get a equivalent size. (example: if you need 10pt type, then use 12.5 units) Regards, Gez.

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Re: [Inkscape-devel] Tango icon theme take 3
by joel＠...1709... 27 Dec '07

27 Dec '07

Oh and one other comment, the tail on the select arrow somehow doesn't look quite central with respect to the arrow head. ---------------------------------------- From: Michael Grosberg <preacher_public@...19...> Sent: 27 December 2007 14:21 To: inkscape-devel(a)lists.sourceforge.net Subject: [Inkscape-devel] Tango icon theme take 3 I've taken most of the criticism to heart: A lot of icons are now more distinct - Tango uses a medium gray for many icons, but I changed it to a darker shade. This may hurt people who use dark themes so I'm not really sure it's a good idea. I also changed the flip/rotate icons back to something similar to the existing ones. Following Bulia's remarks about the tool icons, I decided to try and create my own icons instead of using the existing set from Art Libre: please tell me your opinion: are their functions clearer now? Lastly, take a look at the show/hide icons in the layers menu. download link: http://grosberg.michael.googlepages.com/icons.svg.zip Michael Grosberg P.S. happy holiday season everyone! ------------------------------------------------------------------------- This SF.net email is sponsored by: Microsoft Defy all challenges. Microsoft(R) Visual Studio 2005. http://clk.atdmt.com/MRT/go/vse0120000070mrt/direct/01/ _______________________________________________ Inkscape-devel mailing list Inkscape-devel(a)lists.sourceforge.net https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/inkscape-devel

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shift-ctrl+L shortcut seems to be broken - Inkscape0712261744
by unknown＠example.com 27 Dec '07

27 Dec '07

Hi, in Inkscape0712261744 SHIFT+CTRL+L shortcut seems to be broken (layer window does not appear) Vista Home Premium Molumen

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Digits of precision
by Maximilian Albert 26 Dec '07

26 Dec '07

Hi all, I just rediscovered bugs #171486 and #171980, which both request higher precisions for grids/guides/document size, etc. I'm not a graphics designer, but the reasoning that people often need 1/16 (=0.0625) inch measurements makes sense to me. I gather that multiple degrees of precision are used throughout Inkscape. Grids allow 4 digits, guidelines 3, but document size (for example) only provides 2. I haven't checked all the other places but I'm wondering if it would make sense to unify all these. Isn't having different precisions simply inconsistent and annoying for users who need high precision for their work? Would this be a difficult/time consuming change or do people think it is something that can be achieved (or is desirable at all) for 0.46? In this case, what would be a good level of precision? Is there any reason not to provide 4 digits everywhere (apart from space considerations, maybe)? I hope this hasn't been discussed before or I'm touching on a sensitive issue. Just wondering. Max

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Which attributes to store in plain SVG?
by Maximilian Albert 26 Dec '07

26 Dec '07

Hi all, in the _write() methods for most SPObjects there are some lines of code similar to the following (this example is taken from sp-rect.cpp): if ((flags & SP_OBJECT_WRITE_BUILD) && !repr) { Inkscape::XML::Document *xml_doc = sp_document_repr_doc(SP_OBJECT_DOCUMENT(object)); repr = xml_doc->createElement("svg:rect"); } I have been wondering for quite some time in which situations these are called at all. Just now I discovered that this is the case when saving a file as plain SVG. Are there other circumstances, too? I'm asking because I'd like to know what kind of attributes should be set when building an object like this. For example, when I want to create a 3D box with this piece of code, should I set the "sodipodi:type" attribute or should I leave it out (so that effectively only an ordinary svg:g is created)? I'm inclined towards the latter because otherwise when the file is reopened there are also some other attributes missing (since it was saved as plain SVG) so the box is not shown at all because Inkscape is missing some information necessary to render it correctly. I just wanted to ask if my reasoning is correct or if I'm missing anything. Generally, it would be interesting to know what kinds of attributes should be saved to plain SVG. Apparently, various Inkscape-specific elements are saved (like LPEs), but they seem to be stripped off some attributes that might be necessary to fully recover them. I hope everyone is enjoying their Christmas vacations! Don't mind if it therefore takes you a bit longer to reply. ;-) Thanks and best regards, Max P.S.: BTW, why is repr == NULL if the above code is called when saving to plain SVG but not in other situations? Just wondering.

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