Xara does the job smoothly and without putting the blur in a box. Can we expect the same behaviour in Inkscape?
Well, it seems this 10% around the object is in the SVG spec, so no (because we want to be an SVG compliant editor).
These two can co-exist quite well: 10% is just the default value, it can be overridden with attributes x, y, width and height. There are plans of having these automatically filled with suitable values, so that the box wouldn't be visible.
It would be great for users like me to have the possibility to override these 10% around the object imposed by the SVG specs, as I mainly use Inkscape to prepare elements for print and web design and I almost never use SVG as the final format for my works. I am more interested in the behaviour of the effects (and other functions of Inkscape) that in the SVG compliance of the final documents, and I see Inkscape more as a vector editor than an SVG vector editor.
There was a discussion in this mailing list a while ago, about different SVG specs and about the way Inkscape should behave. Don't you think that it would be good to have the posibility to choose the "profile" of the new document?
Someting like that: File > New > a NEW window opens where I can select the profile I want to work with In that window I can select: - Inkscape vector document or Inkscape SVG (this is the specification that has no limitations, with a mention that certain effects can not be compatible with plain SVG) - SVG Tiny (Mobile) - SVG Basic - SVG Full - other specs, if needed.... - ... Depending on what profile I choose from the beginning, Inkscape modifies the behaviour of its instruments so the graphics produced are compliant with the selected profile (and specification)
Just my couple of thoughts, hope you'll find them useful :)
Thanks! Molumen