Difference between revisions of "Inkscape/C2/Create-and-edit-shapes/English"

Revision as of 09:22, 1 April 2014

Title of script: Create and edit shapes Author: Arthi. A and Saurabh Gadgil Keywords: Inkscape interface, Create basic shapes, Fill color and Modify shapes using handles

Visual cue Narration Opening Slide Welcome to the Spoken Tutorial on “Create and edit shapes” using Inkscape. Learning Objectives (Slide) In this tutorial we will familiarize ourselves with Inkscape.

We will learn about Inkscape interface and how to Create basic shapes Fill color and Modify shapes using handles System requirements (Slide) For 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. Double click on Inkscape logo You can open Inkscape by double-clicking on the logo. Highlight the Menu bar, Tool controls bar and rulers one by one On the top of the interface, you will find the Menu bar and Tool controls bar.

This is followed by rulers at the top and at the side. Highlight the Command bar and Snap controls bar On the right side of the interface, you will find the Command bar and Snap controls bar. Highlight theTool box The Tool box is located on the left side of the interface. Highlight the canvas In the centre, is the canvas. This is where you will draw your graphics. Highlight the color palette and the status bar At the bottom of the interface, we can see the color palette and the status bar.

Now, let us learn to create and edit some basic shapes in Inkscape. Point to Select and Transform tool First of all, we will learn about Select and Transform tool. It is commonly called as Selection tool.

It's a very important tool. You will find it on the left hand side of the Tool box. Click on Select and Transform tool >> move the cursor on the canvas With this tool, you can select objects, transform and move them around on the canvas. Click on File >> choose New >> click on Default. To open a new Inkscape document, click on File and then choose New and click on Default. Click on File >> choose Open To open an existing Inkscape document, click on File and then choose Open. Select the file Let's open the drawing_1.svg file that we created earlier. Open the file I had saved in documents folder. Click on Open button at the bottom right. Point to the rectangle shape We created a rectangle earlier. Click on the rectangle Now, click on the rectangle. Point to the rectangle By default, the color of the rectangle is green. Move mouse to color palette at the bottom >> click on red To change the color to red, we will use the color palette at the bottom.

So, I will move the cursor to the bottom and click on red color.

Observe the color change in the rectangle.

Let us now move the rectangle. Click on the rectangle >> move To do so, you should click anywhere on the rectangle.

Now, without releasing the mouse button, drag it wherever you want on the canvas.

Then release the mouse button.

<<PAUSE>> Zooming and scrolling Let us zoom in for a better view. To do so, press ctrl key and use the scroll button on the mouse Point to the arrows on the object Notice arrows around the rectangle. These are called handles, which we can use for scaling and rotating. Keep cursor on one of the handles. When the cursor is kept on any of the handles, the color of the handle changes.

This indicates that particular handle is selected and ready for resizing. Click and drag on any one of the corner handles. To scale or resize the rectangle, click and drag on any one of the corner handles. Hold on ctrl key and resize If you want to keep the aspect ratio same, hold the ctrl key while resizing. Point to the side handle To change the length or the width of the rectangle, use one of the handles on the sides of the rectangle. Click on side handle >> resize the rectangle Click and drag the handle, either to the left or to the right.

Observe the change in the width of the rectangle. Click on top handle >> resize the rectangle Now let's change the height of the rectangle.

So, we will click and drag on either the top or the bottom handle.

Observe the change in the height of the rectangle. Point to the width and height parameters on the Tool controls bar. We can also change the width and height of the rectangle manually, by changing the width and height parameters on the Tool controls bar.

Change the width to 50 and height to 100. I will change the width to 400 and height to 200.

Notice the change in the size of the rectangle. Point to the X and Y axes In a similar way, you can also move the object by changing the X and Y axes positions.

<PAUSE> Now, let's learn how to rotate the rectangle. Click on the rectangle

Point to the corner handles To do so, click on the rectangle once again.

Notice that now, the shape of the corner handles has changed, to indicate that it is ready for rotation. Click on the top right corner handle >> rotate the rectangle I will click on the top right corner handle and rotate the rectangle.

<<PAUSE>> Click on left middle handle and drag >> skew the rectangle You can also skew the rectangle by clicking and dragging any of the side handles.

I am clicking the left middle handle and dragging it up and down to skew the rectangle.

Observe the changes as I do so. Point to handles We will learn some more details on using these handles in another tutorial. Unselect this shape >> Click anywhere in the canvas area or outside Let us unselect this shape now.

To do so, click anywhere in the canvas area or outside the canvas boundary. Point to the rectangle tool in the Tool box

Click on it Let me move the mouse back to the Tool box and over the same rectangle tool.

The tool tip says that we can draw rectangles and squares using this tool.

So, first let me click on this tool. Hold on ctrl key >> draw a square >> move to color palette >> change color to pink To draw a square, simply hold the ctrl key and drag on the canvas.

Let me change its color to pink. Draw a circle on the canvas and color it blue An assignment for you.

1. Select the Create circles and ellipses tool from the Tool box. 2. Use the ctrl key, draw a circle on the canvas. 3. Color it blue.

Point to the circle This is my circle.

Now let us learn how to modify this circle. Point to Start and End parameters

Point to 3 icons on the Tool controls bar You can change the start and the end parameters to alter the shape of the circle to an arc or a segment.

There are 3 options here on the Tool controls bar, which helps to switch between the shapes. Change the Start parameter to 100 and End parameter to -50 Let me change the Start parameter to 100 and End parameter to -50.

We see that the circle shape has now changed to a segment shape. Switch to arc icon Now I will click on arc icon and we see the change in the shape. Click on the circle icon We can change back to circle shape again, by clicking on the circle icon. Zoom in to the circle Now, let's take a closer look at the circle shape on our canvas. Point to the 2 square handles and 2 circular handles Notice 2 square handles and 2 circular handles called arc handles, on the shape. Drag these handles in the up-down or left-right directions The 2 square handles can be used to alter the shape of the circle to an ellipse shape.

Just drag these handles in the up-down or left-right directions.

Observe the change in the shape. Click on the arc handle and move it anti-clockwise. Pointing to the 2 arc handles The 2 arc handles overlap each other. Click on the arc handle and move it anti-clockwise.

We can now see both the arc handles. Move the arc handles in clockwise or anti-clockwise directions We can modify the circle shape into arc or segment shape using these arc handles.

Just by moving them in clockwise or anti-clockwise directions and observe the change in the shape.

<<PAUSE>> Click on the rectangle tool in the Tool box and then click on the rectangle. Now, we will click on the rectangle tool in the Tool box and then click on the square. Point to the 2 resize handles and 2 arc handles

Click on the arc handle and move it clockwise. Notice 2 resize handles and 2 arc handles on the top right corner of the shape.

As before, the 2 arc handles overlap each other. Click on one of the arc handle and move it clockwise.

Now, we can see both the arc handles. Move the arc handles in clockwise or anti-clockwise directions We can give rounded edges to the square using these handles.

Move them in clockwise or anti-clockwise directions and observe the change in the shape.

<<PAUSE>> Click on Stars and Polygons tools on the Tool box Now, let us create a polygon by clicking on the Stars and polygons tool from the Tool box.

This is right below the circle tool. So, click on it. Draw a polygon >> move to color palette >> change color to green We will draw a polygon in a similar way and change the color to green.

By default, a 5-sided polygon i.e. a pentagon, is drawn. Point to the number of corners on the Tool controls bar Look at the Tool controls bar. Here, it says the number of corners of the polygon is 5. Decrease the number to 4, 3 >> increase the number to 5, 6 You can create a square by decreasing the number to 4 and a triangle by decreasing it to 3.

By increasing it, we can create a pentagon, hexagon and so on. Point to resize handle on the polygon Notice a resize handle on the polygon.

We can use it to resize or rotate the polygon. <PAUSE> Click on the star icon Convert this shape into a star shape, by clicking on the star icon next to polygon icon, in the Tool controls bar. Point to the 2 handles on the star shape Notice 2 handles on the star shape – one at the tip and one at the joint. Click and drag the tip handle to resize and rotate Click and drag the handle at the tip of the star to resize or rotate it. Click on it and move in clockwise or anti-clockwise directions >> skew the shape We can resize and skew the shape of the star using the other handle.

Click on it and move in clockwise or anti-clockwise directions and observe the change in the shape and size. <<PAUSE>>

Summary (Slide) We have come to the end of this tutorial. Let us summarize.

In this tutorial we learnt about Inkscape interface.

We also learnt to Create basic shapes like rectangle, square, circle, ellipse, polygon and star. Fill color into the shapes and Modify the shapes using handles Assignment (Slide) Here is an assignment for you

Create a rectangle shape filled with blue color, a circle shape with red color, a star with 7 sides in green color. Completed assignment Your completed assignment should look like this. About Slide Watch the video available at

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Acknowledgment We have come to the end of this tutorial.

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

Thanks for joining.