Inkscape Announces 0.43 Release :: http://www.inkscape.org

Inkscape 0.43 is now available thanks to the work of many developers and the sponsorship of Google's Summer of Code program which sponsored four students to work on features for Inkscape. The main new features in this release are:

* Connectors: Objects can be connected using auto-routing lines.

* Inkboard Collaborative Editing: You can connect to other Inkscape users over a network and edit a shared document.

* Pressure and Tilt Sensitivity: The calligraphy tool may now use a tablet pen with pressure and tilt support.

* Better Node Editing: You can now drag, bend, and stretch a Bezier curve by any point and not only by a node.

* New Extensions: There are now extensions for envelope distortion, whirling, and adding nodes.

* SVG Compliance: There is now additional support for the viewBox element improving SVG compatibility.

* There is an online book, "A Guide to Inkscape", available at http://tavmjong.free.fr/INKSCAPE/MANUAL/html/index.php, which has been updated to cover the 0.43 features.

Currently the Inkscape community is working on the next release which will focus on stability and closing bugs. The next release will add an outline viewing mode, a plan towards SVG Tiny compliance, a fill and stroke interface to the bottom toolbar, and more application refinements.

Inkscape is open to all types of contributions by people with all different skill levels from around the world. We need translators, web designers, people to help answer questions, and developers to help us reach our goal of SVG compliance. Visit Inkscape.org and come help us Draw Freely.

Download Linux, Windows, and Mac OS X packages:

http://sourceforge.net/project/showfiles.php?group_id=93438

For many more details, see the complete Release Notes for 0.43:

http://www.inkscape.org/cgi-bin/wiki.pl?ReleaseNotes043

Community submitted screenshots:

http://www.inkscape.org/screenshots/

About Inkscape

Inkscape is an open source drawing tool that uses the World Wide Web Consortium's (W3C) scalable vector graphics format (SVG). Some supported SVG features include basic shapes, paths, text, markers, clones, alpha blending, transforms, gradients, and grouping. In addition, Inkscape supports Creative Commons' metadata, node-editing, layers, complex path operations, text-on-path, text-in-shape, and SVG XML editing. It also imports several formats like EPS, <nowiki>PostScript</nowiki>, JPEG, PNG, BMP, and TIFF and exports PNG as well as multiple vector-based formats.

Inkscape's main motivation is to provide the Open Source community with a fully W3C compliant XML, SVG, and CSS2 drawing tool. Additional work includes conversion of the codebase from <nowiki>C/Gtk</nowiki> to <nowiki>C++/Gtkmm</nowiki>, emphasizing a lightweight core with powerful features added through an extension mechanism, and the establishment of a friendly, open, community-oriented development process.