| Open source drawing, graphics tool evolves |
Nov. 29, 2005
The Inkscape project has released version 0.43 of Inkscape, a freely available, open source Scalable Vector Graphics (SVG) drawing tool available for Linux, Unix, Mac OS X, and Windows. The program boasts capabilities similar to Illustrator, Freehand, CorelDraw, and Xara X, which also use W3C standard SVG file formats.
Supported SVG features include shapes, paths, text, markers, clones, alpha blending, transforms, gradients, patterns, and grouping.
Inkscape also supports Creative Commons metadata, node editing, layers, complex path operations, bitmap tracing, text-on-path, flowed text, direct XML editing, and more. It imports formats such as JPEG, PNG, TIFF, and others and exports PNG in addition to multiple vector-based formats.
Inkscape's main goal is to create a powerful and convenient drawing tool fully compliant with XML, SVG, and CSS standards, project member Jon Phillips said. "We also aim to maintain a thriving user and developer community by using open, community-oriented development process, and by making sure Inkcape is easy to learn, to use, and to extend," Phillips added.
The focus of this release is on the new features sponsored by Google through its Summer of Code (SoC) program, which provided funding for four individuals to contribute to Inkscape. The primary additions this release are: - Connectors -- A new indispensable connector tool implements creation, editing, and auto-routing (object-avoiding) of connector lines between objects. It is indispensable for drawing diagrams. (Google SoC project)
- Inkboard Collaborative Editing -- One may now connect to other Inkscape users over a network and edit a shared document, watch changes, and contribute one's own changes. (Google SoC project)
- Pressure and Tilt Sensitivity -- The calligraphy tool may now use a tablet pen with pressure and tilt support to vary the width and angle of a calligraphic stroke.
- Better Node Editing -- One may freely drag, bend, and stretch a Bezier curve by any point and not only by a node. Also, one may easily add a new node at any point on the curve.
- New Extensions -- There are now extensions for envelope distortion, whirling, and adding nodes.
- Refinements -- Inkscape now supports improved precision, expanded limits, usability improvements and several bugfixes.
- SVG Compliance -- There is now additional support for the viewBox element improving SVG compatibility.
In response to the release, Tavmjong Bah updated his online book, "A Guide to Inkscape", to cover the Inkscape 0.43 features, Phillips said. This guide is not included with the Inkscape release. Users are encouraged to read the guide in addition to Inkscape 0.43's release notes and the help included with Inkscape.
Currently, the Inkscape community is working on the next release, which focuses on stability and closing bugs, Phillips said. The next release will add an outline viewing mode, a plan toward SVG Tiny compliance, a fill and stroke interface to the bottom toolbar, and further application refinements, he added.
Inkscape is open to all types of contributions by people with all different skill levels from around the world. Inkscape needs translators, web designers, people to help answer questions, and developers to help reach the project's goal of SVG compliance.
Community-submitted screenshots are available here.
All versions of Inkscape can be downloaded here.
For more details, see the complete Release Notes for 0.43.
Related Stories:
(Click here for further information)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
