InkScape is an Open Source vector graphics editor, with capabilities similar to Illustrator, CorelDraw, or Xara X, using the W3C standard Scalable Vector Graphics (SVG) file format. Inkscape supports many advanced SVG features (markers, clones, alpha blending, etc.) and great care is taken in designing a streamlined interface. It is very easy to edit nodes, perform complex path operations, trace bitmaps and much more. We also aim to maintain a thriving user and developer community by using open, community-oriented development.
Some of the features include,
Object creation
Drawing: pencil tool (freehand drawing with simple paths), pen tool (creating Bezier curves and straight lines), calligraphy tool (freehand drawing using filled paths representing calligraphic strokes)
Shape tools: rectangles (may have rounded corners), ellipses (includes circles, arcs, segments), stars/polygons (can be rounded and/or randomized), spirals
Text tool (multiline text, full on-canvas editing)
Embedded bitmaps (with a command to create and embed bitmaps of selected objects)
Clones (“live” linked copies of objects), including a tool to create patterns and arrangements of clonesObject manipulation
Affine transformations (moving, scaling, rotating, skewing), both interactively and by specifying exact numeric values
Z-order operations
Grouping objects, with a way to “select in group” without ungrouping, or “enter the group” making it a temporary layer
Layers, with a way to lock and/or hide individual layers, rearrange them, etc; layers can form a hierarchical tree
Copying and pasting objects
Alignment and distribution commandsFill and stroke
Color selector (RGB, HSV, color wheel)
Color picker tool
Copy/paste style
A gradient editor capable of multi-stop gradients
Pattern fills (bitmap/vectors)
Dashed strokes, with many predefined dash patterns
Path markers (e.g. arrowheads)Operations on paths
Node editing: moving nodes and Bezier handles, node alignment and distribution, etc.
Converting to path (for text objects or shapes), including converting stroke to path
Boolean operations
Path simplification, with variable threshold
Path insetting and outsetting, including dynamic and linked offset objects
Bitmap tracing (both color and b/w)Text support
Multi-line text
Uses any installed outline fonts, including right-to-left scripts
Kerning, letterspacing, linespacing adjustments
Text on path (both text and path remain editable)
Text in shape (fill shape following stroke)Rendering
Fully anti-aliased display
Alpha transparency support for display and PNG export
Complete “as you drag” rendering of objects during interactive transformationsOthers
Live watching and editing the document tree in the XML editor
PNG and PostScript export
Command line options for export and conversions
Perfectly compliant SVG format file generation and editing
Install Inkscape
To install Inkscape on your openSUSE, click one of the following 1-click installer (YaST MetaPackages) based on your openSUSE version. This will automatically download the YMP file and launch YaST Package handler.
openSUSE 11.0
openSUSE 10.3
openSUSE 10.2
NOTE: Click here to enable 1-click install feature in openSUSE 10.2
Click Next in the window showing Repository selected and then click Next on the window showing Inkscape package selection and click Next again on the installation proposal window. This will start adding the required repositories and install the Inkscape package and the required dependencies. Click Finish when the successfully installed on your openSUSE.
Once installed, you can find Inkscape under “Application – Graphics – Vector Drawing” as “SVG Vector Illustrator”
Click SVG Vector Illustrator to start Inkscape.
Image effects can be found under the effects menu.
If you have opened an image and want to check the properties like the pixel size etc then click Document properties from File Menu.
To edit the settings of Inkscape, click Inscape properties under the File menu.
To visit the homepage of Inkscape, click here
This is a really bad article. Inkscape is a great program, and this article did little to explain what it does really well (vector graphics!).
Also, installation instructions should be at the end of the article, after you’ve told people what the program actually is and why they should install it. The feature list is too long and lacking in illustrations of how those features help the user create vector graphics.
Why on earth would you use a vector based graphics program to edit a raster graphic? Bad demo and use of inkscape.
If you are an Inkscape newbie then head over to http://screencasters.heathenx.org. We have an entire website devoted to Inkscape tutorials. 😉
do you guys have a recommendation section, i’d like to suggest some stuff
The one step installer button does not work