Hi.

I guess that subject is obvious so I don't dig any deeper.

Is there a method in Inkscape that is more effective then doing the math externally?

You are probably not asking for workarounds, so the short answer is no.
Maybe you can put in a request for there to be a preferences item, "Polar coordinates in transform dialog" or "Polar coordinates checkbox in transform dialog."
In development builds you are allowed to enter light calculations into spinboxes
http://wiki.inkscape.org/wiki/index.php/Release_notes/0.49#Simple_calculations_in_spinboxes,
I suppose this might possibly be extended to trig functions and offer a solution that way. (Maybe trig is already available and I just don't know the syntax? ~suv?)

If this is just a onetime problem you are having, the solution is to use the bezier pen to snap to any node of the object and start drawing a line. The info bar tells you distance and angle. End the line segment by double clicking when the display reads the angle and distance you want your object to move. Now drag the object so the same node that you started drawing from snaps to the end node of the line segment.

druban wrote:If this is just a onetime problem you are having, the solution is to use the bezier pen to snap to any node of the object and start drawing a line. The info bar tells you distance and angle. End the line segment by double clicking when the display reads the angle and distance you want your object to move. Now drag the object so the same node that you started drawing from snaps to the end node of the line segment.

Another one-time solution (or workaround) by numbers [1] (without requiring external calculators, and not by approximating based on values of the current cursor position shown in the status bar):

1. draw a full, unstroked circle with the radius of required distance (width = 2 * distance, W/H ratio locked)
2. move circle and snap its center to a well-defined node snap point of the object
3. switch to ellipse tool, change 'End:' to desired angle (CW)
4. optional: lower circle segment (-> below the object to be moved)
5. grab object, drag it and let the same snap point now snap to the cusp end node of the circle segment.

Done.

(It can be done via XML Editor too, with a series of nested groups and individual 'transform' attributes set on them, but this solution is almost like hand-coding the SVG source code (no extended math required, though, only SVG logic based on nested viewports defined by the svg type <g> (group))).

[1] Known limitation (Inkscape is not a CAD or CAGD application): a circle in Inkscape is approximated by four bézier curves, this might limit the mathematical precision of the end point of the segment (might be offset a tiny fraction in radial direction).

Thanks for the info, ~suv, and for going to the trouble of looking into the source code!

~suv wrote:[offtopic]

druban wrote:Maybe you can put in a request for there to be a preferences item, "Polar coordinates in transform dialog" or "Polar coordinates checkbox in transform dialog."

IIRC (no, I haven't searched yet) support for (relative) polar transformations/coordinates has already been requested and filed numerous times (probably in different variations - depending on the user's current task and preferred workflow - and sometimes likely buried in mixed-bag wishlists aiming to turn Inkscape into full-blown CAD (or CAGD) application).

I would also appreciate this entering of RELATIVE coordinates and angles using keypad... Would be REALLY REALLY nice, and it wouldn't turn it into any full-blown CAD program if developers implement it (don't know what CAGD is and neither tried to google it, just wanted to express my support and wish for in the future, to be able to input RELATIVE coordinates: Lengths and angles), thank you!