Inkscape/C2/Create-and-edit-multiple-objects/English

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Title of script: Create and edit multiple objects

Author: Arthi. A

Keywords: Copying and pasting objects, Duplicating and cloning objects, Grouping and Ordering objects, Multiple selection and invert selection, Clipping and Masking


Visual cue
Narration
Opening Slide Welcome to the Spoken Tutorial on “Create and edit multiple objects” using Inkscape.
Learning Objectives (Slide) In this tutorial, we will learn to
  • Copy and paste objects
  • Duplicate and clone objects
  • Group and Order various objects
  • Multiple selection and invert selection
  • Clipping and Masking
System requirements

(Slide)

To record this tutorial, I am using
  • Ubuntu Linux 12.04 OS
  • Inkscape version 0.48.4
Go to Dash home and type “Inkscape”. Go to Dash home and type Inkscape.
Click on Inkscape logo You can open Inkscape by clicking on the logo.
Open the Assignment_1.svg Let's open the Assignment_1.svg file that we created earlier.


I had saved it in my Documents folder.

Select the pentagon First we will learn how to copy and paste an object.


To do so, we should first select an object. So, click on the pentagon.

Press Ctrl + C >>

Press Ctrl + V

Now, press Ctrl + C on your keyboard to copy it.


Now press Ctrl + V to paste the object. You can see a copy of the pentagon on the canvas.

Slide There are 3 other ways of creating copies of objects.


In all these 3 methods, a copy of the object is created exactly above the original one.

The first method is called Paste Special.


Recall that we had already pressed Ctrl + C to copy the object.

Press Ctrl + Alt + V To paste the object in the exact location from where it was copied, press Ctrl + Alt + V keys.
Select and move the object. Move the copied object to see the original object right below it.

<<PAUSE>>

Move the pentagons Let us move these two objects and keep it aside.
The second method is called Duplication. For duplication, we do not need to copy the object first.
Press Ctrl + D Select the pentagon and press Ctrl + D keys on your keyboard.
Point to duplicate pentagon Now a duplicate pentagon is created exactly on the top of the original one.
Move the duplicated ellipse to see both Let us move the duplicated object to see the original one below it.
Change the color of the ellipse to green >> reduce its size The changes made on the duplicated object does not affect the original object.


Let us check this by changing its color to green and reducing its size.


<<PAUSE>>

Press Alt + D on ellipse The third method is called Cloning.


Click on the ellipse and press Alt + D to create a clone.

Move the cloned ellipse As before, the cloned object is created exactly above the original one.


Let us move it aside to make it visible.

Point to the cloned ellipse and the original ellipse Please note that the cloned object will always be linked to the original object.


The original object is also known as its parent.


Any modifications on the original object, that is, in size, color etc. will affect its clone.

Change the original object's color to pink >> Rotate it >> Reduce the size Let us check this by changing the original objects's color to pink, rotating it and reducing its size.


Observe that the exact same changes are replicated in the cloned object automatically.

Press Shift + Alt + D To unlink the clone from the original object, first select the clone and then press Shift + Alt + D.
Change the size of the original ellipse


Now, select the original object again and change its size.


Observe that the cloned object does not get affected.


<<PAUSE>>

Mouse-over on the relevant icons The short-cut icons for these operations are present in the command bar, as shown.
Select 2 ellipses using the Shift key To select multiple objects hold the Shift key and click on the objects that you want to select.


I will select one ellipse first. Then I will hold the Shift key and select the other ellipse.

Notice that both the objects are now selected.
Press Ctrl + G We can now group them by pressing Ctrl + G keys together.


Notice the ellipses are now grouped as a single object.

Move the grouped objects You can move them around and you will notice that both the objects move together as one object.
Resize the group Try resizing the group and you will notice that both the objects get resized proportionately.
Change the colour. Change the colour to blue and observe that both the objects change to the same colour.
What do we do if we want to change the properties of only one of the objects in a group?
Press Ctrl + Click


To select an object within a group, press the Ctrl button and click on the object.


By this action, we can enter inside the group and select individual objects.

Click anywhere on the blank space. To exit the group, click anywhere on the blank space on the canvas.
Press Ctrl + Shift + G or Ctrl + U. To ungroup objects, first select the group and press either Ctrl + Shift + G keys or Ctrl + U keys.


Now the ellipses are ungrouped.

Mouse-over on the relevant icons The short-cut icons for these operations are present in the command bar, as shown.
Press Ctrl + A To select all the objects on the canvas, press Ctrl + A keys.
Click anywhere on the blank space To unselect all the objects, click anywhere on the blank space on the canvas.
If we want to select all objects except a particular one, we can use the Invert Selection option.
Click onArrow >>


Go to Edit >> Click on Invert Selection

Let's say, we want to select all the objects except the arrow.


So, first click on the arrow. Now go to Edit menu and click on Invert selection.

Point to the objects Notice that all the objects in the canvas are now selected except the arrow.

<<PAUSE>>

Now let us learn how to order the objects.
Move the smaller pentagon on the top of larger pentagon Let me move the smaller pentagon on top of the larger pentagon.
Draw a star Now let us draw a star and keep it on top of the smaller pentagon.
Click on smaller pentagon >> Object menu >> Raise Select the smaller pentagon. Go to Object menu and click on Raise.

Notice the smaller pentagon is now raised and is above the star.

Click on star >> Object menu >> Lower Now click on the star. Go to Object menu. Click on Lower.

Now the star is moved down or lowered and the larger pentagon now appears above it.

Click on larger pentagon >> Object menu >> Raise to top Now let me click on the larger pentagon. Go to Object menu and click on Raise to top. Now the larger pentagon appears on top.
Go to Object menu >> Lower to bottom Now again Go to Object menu. Click on Lower to bottom. Notice the larger pentagon is now moved to the bottom.
Point to the ordering icons on the Tool controls bar We can find these options in the Tool controls bar too.


<<PAUSE>>

Slide Next let us learn how to do Clipping.


Clipping can make your complicated objects

  • conform to another element or shape of your design
  • by changing their entire shape quickly and easily.
Open a new Inkscape file with an image. I will use an image for this demonstration. I have an image here in a new Inkscape file.
Draw an ellipse On this image I will draw an ellipse shape.
Press Ctrl+A Now, select the image and the ellipse.
Go to Object menu >> Click on Clip >> Click on Set. Go to Object menu. Click on Clip and then on Set.
Notice that the image is now clipped to the shape of the ellipse.

In Clipping, the shape of the object used as a clip, defines the area that is visible.

Go to Object menu >> Click on Clip >> Click on release We can remove the clip by going back to Object menu. Click on Clip and then click on Release.


Now the clip is released.


<<PAUSE>>

Next let us learn to do Masking.
Slide Masking is very similar to Clipping.


In Masking, the transparency or lightness of one object determines the opacity of the second object.

Point to ellipse To demonstrate Masking, I will first make the ellipse semi-transparent using the gradient tool.
Click on the ellipse. Now select the ellipse.
Go to Object menu >> Fill and stroke. Go to Object menu. Click on Fill and stroke.
Click on Radial gradient >> Edit

Move RGB slider to extreme right

Click on Radial gradient and then on Edit.


Move the RGB sliders to the extreme right to change the color to white.

Click on the other stop

Move RGB slider to extreme left >> Alpha to 255

Click on the Stop drop down arrow and select the other stop.


Move the RGB sliders to the extreme left to change the color to black and change the alpha value to 255.

Click on Add stop >> Move the diamond handle Click on Add stop to add one more color in between.


Click on the Node tool and move the diamond handle towards the top.

Select image and ellipse Now, select the image and the ellipse.
Go to Object menu >> Click on Mask >> Click on Set Go to Object menu.

Click on Mask and then on Set.

Point to the image Observe that the mask is formed on the image.
Point to the image Notice that the image takes on the transparency properties of the masking object, which is the ellipse.
Go back to Object menu >>


Click on Mask >>


click on Release

To remove the mask, go back to Object menu.


Click on Mask and then on Release.

The mask is now removed.


<<PAUSE>>

Summary (Slide) Let us summarize.


In this tutorial, we learnt to

  • Copy and paste objects
  • Duplicate and clone objects
  • Group and Order various objects
  • Multiple selection and invert selection
  • Clipping and Masking


Assignment (Slide) Here are 2 assignments for you


  • Create a vertical ellipse in grey color and a circle in black color.
  • Place the circle centrally on top of the ellipse.
  • It should look like an eye shape.
  • Now group them.
  • Next create a clone to make another eye.
  • Move it to the side to make both the eyes visible.


  • Create a circle in blue color and a square in red color.
  • Duplicate the square and keep both the squares in diagonally opposite direction.
  • Select both the squares and group them into a single object.
  • Place the circle centrally on top of the grouped squares.
  • Select both and create a clip. It should look like a bow.


Completed assignment Your completed assignment should look like this.
About Slide The video available at the following link summarizes the Spoken Tutorial project. Pls watch it.
About Slide The Spoken Tutorial Project Team conducts workshops and gives certificates for those who pass an online test.

For more details, please write to us.

About Slide Spoken Tutorial Project is supported by the NMEICT, MHRD, Government of India.


More information on this Mission is available at this link.

Acknowledgment We have come to the end of this tutorial.


This is Arthi and Saurabh from IIT Bombay, signing off.

Thanks for joining.

Contributors and Content Editors

Arthi, Nancyvarkey