...learn the basics of Inkscape?

[Juggernaut1981]

Okay,
I kind of get how Vector Programs work (sorta kinda... I played with AutoREALM for a reasonable while and did some medium to large scale maps with that...) but...

HELP! Inkscape is confuzzling me!!!! *feels bewildered*

Could the relevant Inkscape Gods (Sapiento? GP?) please crack out some seriously low-level intro tutorial type stuff or post some links to basic "this is the mouse, you move it and click on things"-level tutorials???

The learning curve for starting with this thing makes going from drawing stuff in Word to GIMP feel like falling off a log.

[tilt]

unfortunatly I use Illustrator - but I'll agree with you that when you start out with vector it takes some getting used to
but look here:
http://www.inkscape.org/doc/basic/tutorial-basic.html
http://inkscapetutorials.wordpress.com/
there is something to get you started

[ravells]

The vast majority of vector or vector/raster hybrid maps I've seen here here have been done in something other than inkscape....I am sure there was a link to an inkscape tutorial by a mapper who used to frequent the CG....can't find it. I think RobA's done one for old school mapping.

This is quite a good basic tutorial for mapping though: http://fountainware.com/compass/Cart...peCaveMaps.htm

I'm begining to do all of my city maps in vector now. You can publish them as .pdfs which read vector so you can zoom in without any pixellation.

[tilt]

I'm begining to do all of my city maps in vector now.

I'm making my first digital city map at the moment, started out in Illustrator, so I'm curious as to what you do about texturing - roofs, roads etc etc - do you make that in vector or do you add bitmapped textures?

[ravells]

Texturing is where for me vector really falls down compared to raster so everything is in flat colours - with some symbols dotted around the place. I guess one could do individual roof-tiles etc but with the number of buildings involved it would just kill your computer. Getting it looking pleasing without using raster textures is a bit of a challenge. The problem with the software I'm using (Drawplus) is that the moment you put a bitmap fill onto a shape, it turns the entire shape into a raster image and then you lose the 'zoomability' advantage. I'm going for that sort of 18th Century grayscale engraving style where the colours are pretty flat anyway. I'd love to hear how you're coping with texture issue.

[RobA]

And for general inkscape how-to I learned tons by watching these screencasts.

-Rob A>

[Gamerprinter]

So you can't import a bitmap texture and use as a vector fill in Inkscape? If you can that's the solution - but then only if you're using a high resolution texture in the first place (either 300 ppi or of large scale to work properly.

GP

[RobA]

So you can't import a bitmap texture and use as a vector fill in Inkscape? If you can that's the solution - but then only if you're using a high resolution texture in the first place (either 300 ppi or of large scale to work properly.

GP

Yes, bitmap fills can be used in Inkscape, either as embedded images or as linked images. Of course, if linked, you need to be careful when moving files

-Rob A>

[tilt]

I'd love to hear how you're coping with texture issue.

I was planning to texture and add shadows and stuff in photoshop afterwards, can't even make a decent bevel in illustrator