On Wed, 5 Dec 2007 12:48:38 -0800 (PST) Will Gant <williamwgant@...12...> wrote:
Hello all, At the suggestion of a friend, I have downloaded and installed Inkscape on my home PC running Ubuntu. What I would like to use this program to do is to create maps. The maps in question would be maps of a fantasy world (like what you would find on the inside cover of a copy of The Hobbit). Inkscape looks like it would be able to pull this off fairly well, but I wanted to run the idea by the list to see if anyone had done this before. If so, do you have any suggestions on how to make the experience easier? I figure I can't be the first person to do this, so...
Also, how hard is it to make an object that is reusable? For instance, if I made a really cool graphic that represented a castle, how could I easily reuse it in multiple maps?
Thanks, Will
Not done maps, but I use Inkscape heavily for electronic drawings, which I think has similarities to what you want.
Start out by creating a file called (say) templates. Have the grid showing even if you don't lock to it so that you can check relative sizes of objects. Always create your new 'castles' etc. in this file (and don't forget to save the changes)!
As you create each new object drag a 'selection' box round it then do <ctrl>G so that all the bits become truly one object.
When you want to make a new map. Load the template file first then use File>New to create a blank document. This way you only have one instance of Inkscape and you can now select objects from your template drawing and copy them across to the new document.