I've searched but cannot see instructions on adding filters (I've seen a site with filters as .svg files) and plugins. Where's the best tutorial for this? Thanks.

the Inkscape Guide - Chapter 13

There are also some nice tuts here : http://fedev.blogspot.com/search/label/Filter%20Effects%20Tutorial

There are different ways to add filters.

- If you want use Inkscape prebuild filters, go to the menu Effects/Filters and choose one in the dropdown list (only available in the development snapshots versions found here : http://inkscape.modevia.com/ ) ;

- If you want use filters contained in a file : 1°open the file, copy the shape which already has the filter applied, select te shape onto which you want apply it and press Ctrl+Shift+V (or go to Edit/Paste Style), or if you are in the filtered object file, go to Object/Filter Effects dialog window and again with your own shape selected check the little box near the filter name on top left.

To edit your filter effects or to create new ones, open the Object/Filter Effects dialog window, select a filter name and change settings, or add new filter and then add new primitives from the Add Effect list.

kindly,
ivan

Thanks,looks complicated but I'll have a good read and try. Anyone know of a good book on this subject?

cantthinkofanickname wrote:Thanks,looks complicated but I'll have a good read and try. Anyone know of a good book on this subject?

Not sure about books. However, the best and most documented reference about Filters and their effects is in the W3C docs here : http://www.w3.org/TR/SVG/filters.html

ivan

The description does not seem to be very clear in the online "Ch13". This leads me to doubt buying the book which I would like to do. Here in the UK Amazon has "The Book of Inkscape (Paperback) by Dmitry Kirsanov (Author)" but is not yet released and the manual shows "Inkscape: Guide to a Vector Drawing Program (Digital Short Cut), 2nd Edition By Tavmjong Bah" which does not seem to be available in the UK. So where do I go?

The Chapter 13 is from the second book you mentioned Inkscape: Guide to a Vector Drawing Program (Digital Short Cut), 2nd Edition By Tavmjong Bah, you should be able to get it from here: http://www.informit.com/title/9780137004720

There is also the new book from Floss manuals although there's not much about filters there http://en.flossmanuals.net/Inkscape

You can find more info about the book from the Inkscape website http://www.inkscape.org/

I expect there will be much more written about filters after 0.47 will be released because they are already much better implemented in the development versions.

ivan