Hi downloaded inkscape a while back and having severe problems. Cant seem to get started...watched numerous tutorials...still no luck! Basically when I select a shape say a circle and then try and pull out the shape all I seem to get is a dotted line(square) for adjusting the dimensions! I ve tried it a hundred times but cant get it to pull out the shape. Now I also have serrif draw which looks basically the same and can do it on that no problem. I ve tried pulling the shape by holding left click button and pulling away on the mouse....also tried it by holding the control key(as it said on one tutorial). I even thought it may be a fault in the programme I downloaded so scrubbed it and downloaded it again to no avail....can anyone PLLLLEASE help??

I'm not sure I understand what you're saying but maybe you're having troubles with changing the object shape. You need Node tool to do that so make sure it's selected, and the object must be a path, you can't bend sides of a rectangle while it's still a rectangle, you have to convert it to a path first (Shift + Ctrl + C).

No I mean when I m on selector tool and I click onto a shape then I click and pull it doesnt pull the shape. I wondered if theres a setting or something thats preventing this. Like I say I have drawplus which is basically the same and it does it no problem??

Hi,
I'm not sure I understand exactly what your problem is, but it seems like you can't get the shapes your draw to be visible.
Since I'm not clear on exactly where your problem is coming from, I'll try explaining the whole process of using the shape tool for you, and maybe some part of the explanation will help.

To Draw a shape using any of the shape tools in Inkscape:
1. left-click on the desired shape tool. 2. move your cursor to the area on the Inkscape page where you want to draw your shape, and then left-click-drag to pull the object out and release when it's the size and shape you want. 3. If you don't see anything but shape control points and a dotted line at this point don't panic! It's O.k. This actually happens more often than people might think. Your problem is either that the shape has no fill or stroke, or that it is totally transparent.

To fix this, look in the bottom left corner of your Inkscape window, below the inkscape pallet and you will find the fill and stroke indicator. Left click (or double click ) it, to open the fill and stroke dialog window. In the Fill and stroke dialog you can give your shape an outline stroke, and/or fill it with colour, a pattern fill, or gradient. You can adjust the opacity/transparency of any colour, or of the entire object. The shape tools use the fill and stroke style of the last shape drawn by default, so the next time you open Inkscape, the new shapes you draw will have the same fill and stroke characteristics as the last ones you drew before closing the program.


Fill and stroke indicator


shape with no fill or stroke colour. The shape has been drawn and finalized, and the shape tool is still active,
but if this shape were deselected you wouldn't be able to see it.

You might find Inkscape's Basic tutorial helpful in getting started with Inkscape. The Tutorial located in your Inkscape's built in help documentation is an Inkscape SVG file, so you can experiment, follow the instructions and make any changes you like, right there in the tutorial! Just don't save any changes you make (unless you save the tutorial to a new location, with a new and different file name). To find Inkscape's tutorials, click the help button in the main toollbar, select tutorials from the menu, and then choose the tutorial you want to follow from the tutorials list. The Floss manuals Inkscape guide here: http://flossmanuals.net/Inkscape/ might also be helpful.

Please don't hesitate to ask, if you have further questions, that's what we're here for.
Best of luck, WELCOME to the Forum, and to the wonderful world of Inkscape.

Cheers for your help Inkspots....have since tried left clicking on fill and stroke indicator but cant seem to get it off N/A I m afraid. I ve managed to pull Hoops out now but never yet a filled shape though I ve read and followed tutorials...theres something basic I m not doing. Managed that by clicking on a colour and shift and click.....spent hours and hours and hours and havent yet been able to pull a filled shape...watched a thousand clips on youtube and tried to copy to no avail....think I might give up soon. Did it on drawplus in ten seconds. I think I ll smash my laptop before I pull a shape!!

You need to explain better what you mean when you say pull - does it mean moving the shape from one position to some other position on canvas? Or changing its shape?

If it's the position maybe your object or layer is locked, but then you wouldn't be able to see the bounding box or select it.

If you have a rectangle and want to make it bigger use Rectangle tool, you'll see handles in the rectangle corner that you can grab with your mouse and drag to change the rectangle.

Well I'm not sure adding a 4th head to the problem will help

It sounds to me like "pull" means dragging the mouse. It sounds like whatever he's trying to draw isn't showing up. There could be several explanations. Did you by chance install the 7z (zipped) version? I did see a similar problem with that once, but it hasn't been confirmed.

Just to be clear, you've never been able to draw with it? If you had drawn something, say with the rectangle tool, and later changed it to be transparent, then the problem is that it's drawing still transparent. If that's the problem, we can give you instructions to fix it. To learn if that's the problem, draw a rectangle, and leave it selected (dotted line and arrows still showing) then click some color on the palette or using Fill and Stroke dialog. Do you see the rectangle now?

If not, open the Layer dialog (Layer menu > Layers...). Click on Layer 1 to highlight it, and look to make sure the Opacity is 100%, or anything over say 10%.

Is this a new blank document that you're drawing on, or have you imported something, or opened an existing drawing?

OH! Are you using a graphics tablet? There have been reports that having the mouse sitting on the tablet prevents the tablet's pen from working. Or I think there's another issue with a tablet that can cause this, but I can't remember what it is.

I'm so sorry your still having trouble with this.
I think we can all sympathize with your frustration. When a new and promising software presents us with such difficulty at the outset it can be terribly upsetting, but please don't give up yet. Unfortunately, any number of things could be responsible for your problem.

Some information that could help us, help you would be:
1. a step-by-step description of what your doing when you create your shape and try to fill it with colour.
2. Your operating system and version ( for example, Windows 7 ultimate, Knoppix linux 6.2.1, Mac osx Lion)
3. The inkscape version you're Using.
4. what kind of input device your using ( 3 button mouse, graphic tablet and pen,Laptop touch pad, etc)
5. How your Inkscape was installed, and the url of the page where you obtained the download.
6. Any messages that appear in the inkscape status bar at the bottom of your window when you try to add fill and stroke colors to your shape.
7. A screen-shot of the object your trying to fill and stroke, and another screen shot showing the open object properties window, and possibly one showing us
the fill and stroke dialog that you see when the shape object is selected, and the fill/stroke dialog window is open.

Does the fill and stroke dialog open when you left click or double click the fill and stroke indicator?

Open fill and stroke dialog window, showing a fill colour with some transparency.

If it doesn't, try this: 1. Once you've drawn your shape, left click on a blank area of the Inkscape page to deactivate the shape tool. 2. Left click the new shape to select it and type the keyboard command Shift+Control+F to open the fill and stroke dialog window. 3. ( if the fill and stroke dialog opens as it should) left click the flat fill button, and minimize the dialog window. 4. Left click the fill colour you want in the Inkscape pallet. If you have trouble with any part of this, tell us, step-by-step what you did, and How inkscape responded.

You said:

have since tried left clicking on fill and stroke indicator but cant seem to get it off N/A I m afraid.

As a rule the fill and stroke indicator will show N/A for fill or stroke if no fill or stroke has been set, or when the object selected is part of a group. You could try ungrouping your shape, I can't think of any reason why a new shape would be grouped, but it can't hurt to try ungrouping it anyway.

Please, do hang on a while longer. take a break from this , and do something pleasant and relaxing. Try to give us a bit more information here, and let us know how your efforts are progressing. We're on your side, hang in there, and good luck.

Yep sorry I ll try keep it short and sweet folks(thanks so much for the help). Using laptop,version 48.2 which I downloaded from inkscape.org,when I meant click and drag yes I meant clicking left button on mouse and dragging cursor to pull the shape open. I have advanced now(a little) from just getting dotted outline...now can pull the shapes but not filled with colour and can change dimensions by using selector and pulling it accordingly. When pulling my shape and achieve this the shape isnt filled with colour it just has a very thick outline of the colour I select and white in the middle. Layers is set to 100%. Looking basically when I pull the shape to be fully coloured/solid. Hopefully just a basic setting fingers crossed....I am a step further tho so thanks again

Awesome! From here, you just need to select it, and click on a color from the palette or use Fill and Stroke dialog (in Object menu). See Inkscape Preferences to make changes permanent.

Yeah cheers I ve managed to do this by altering the setting on preference page. Each shape was set individually so managed to change some and not others(driving me crazy), but think I ve got there now .......THANKS GUYS!!!! Thought it might be something really basic....I m sure you ll here from me soon tho!!!

So glad to hear your making progress with this!
It might be a good idea to post something in the software issues sub-forum that points to this topic, and explain the problem you've been having there.
( Sorry for the very Long posts ) We will look forward to hearing from you again soon.

Yep thats a good idea as this is obviusls the setting it downloads in as I tried deleting it and loading it elsewhere and was still locked in this....so it may stop someone else throwing their laptop out the window!!Thanks alot again!!!