inkscape tools are not working (mac)

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rainbowkitty
Posts: 2
Joined: Thu May 03, 2012 4:28 am

inkscape tools are not working (mac)

Postby rainbowkitty » Thu May 03, 2012 7:35 am

Goal: Getting the tools like "create a rectangle :tool_rectangle: , text :tool_text: , etc. " (the icons usually on the left hand side) to work.

What happened since the last time it was working:
I tried to install MyPaint using MacPorts. Tried it a few times with +no_x11 +quartz
It never did install right, clicked the application for MyPaints, and it just disappears....
So just gave up on installing MyPaint, and figured I'll back to the lovely world of vector shapes.
Installed Alchemy (which worked and saved a testing .svg to open in inkscape)

Opened inkscape, imported the test .svg and tried to select it. :tool_selector:
To my horror it won't work. Then I tried making a rectangle, a circle, and some text, and nothing happened.

T-T I don't know what to do to save inkscape. I've tried installing it again using the one given for macs under "Official Release Packages". but that didn't work.
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brynn
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Re: inkscape tools are not working (mac)

Postby brynn » Fri May 04, 2012 4:16 am

Image
Welcome to InkscapeForum!

The problem may well be related to the Mac installation. There are instructions for installing on a Mac here http://wiki.inkscape.org/wiki/index.php ... g_on_a_Mac and here viewtopic.php?f=29&t=884. And some other Mac related issues here http://wiki.inkscape.org/wiki/index.php ... fic_issues

But meanwhile, I wanted to suggest opening a new blank document with Inkscape, and try to use the tools. I'm thinking there might be some kind of conflict using the SVG that was created with Alchemy.

Let us know how it goes :D
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~suv
Posts: 2272
Joined: Sun May 10, 2009 2:07 am

Re: inkscape tools are not working (mac)

Postby ~suv » Fri May 04, 2012 7:45 pm

rainbowkitty wrote:Opened inkscape, imported the test .svg and tried to select it. :tool_selector:
To my horror it won't work. Then I tried making a rectangle, a circle, and some text, and nothing happened.
Did you at some point configure Inkscape to use a tablet as extended input device, and have it now unplugged (but still configured in 'File > Input Devices')? Or have plugged-in the tablet and not updated the configuration in 'File > Input Devices'?
Or - maybe you upgraded your X11/Xquartz version to some beta release since last time you tested Inkscape? It would be helpful if you provided some minimal information about your system - 'Mac' doesn't really say a lot (Which version of Mac OS X; which version of X11/Xquartz do you have installed and used with Inkscape?).

rainbowkitty wrote:T-T I don't know what to do to save inkscape. I've tried installing it again using the one given for macs under "Official Release Packages". but that didn't work.
Tip: Please read the foot note here to learn ho to reset Inkscape's preferences to default values on OS X (Note: as with any other application, reinstalling the app does _not_ reset or delete the users custom preferences: users would cry foul if it did).
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rainbowkitty
Posts: 2
Joined: Thu May 03, 2012 4:28 am

Re: inkscape tools are not working (mac)

Postby rainbowkitty » Sat May 05, 2012 1:16 am

Oh! Thank you both for the quick replies.
@brynn (got ride of Alchemy for a moment.. so it wasn't that. But it's nice to know that it isn't the problem. )

@suv (Yeah, I did change the input device setting for my pentablet. So I followed the instructions on resetting the preferences. :D And it worked. I guess I'll have to look up how to config input devices so it doesn't cause that problem again. )

:D
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~suv
Posts: 2272
Joined: Sun May 10, 2009 2:07 am

Re: inkscape tools are not working (mac)

Postby ~suv » Sat May 05, 2012 6:55 am

Off topic:
rainbowkitty wrote:What happened since the last time it was working:
I tried to install MyPaint using MacPorts. Tried it a few times with +no_x11 +quartz
It never did install right, clicked the application for MyPaints, and it just disappears....
So just gave up on installing MyPaint, and figured I'll back to the lovely world of vector shapes.

Works for me (MyPaint 1.0 with gtk2 +no_x11+quartz) on Mac OS X 10.5.8 as well as OS X 10.7.3 - can't tell what went wrong with your installation.

Some notes about known issues with apps built with gtk2 +no_x11 +quartz:
  • No extended input devices support (tablet: no pressure sensitivity, no tilt, etc. - the pen works basically like a mouse).
  • I had repeated crashes of Wacom's driver and preferences pane while testing tablet input (Wacom Bamboo Pen&Touch) with Inkscape and MyPaint built with the quartz backend of Gtk2
  • Minor UI-glitch (among others) with MyPaint using gtk2 +quartz: the new fly-out dialog windows from the toolbar buttons (e.g. to choose different brushes or change the current brush set) are not fully functional with gtk2 +quartz.
  • The new window of the launched app may open behind existing ones from other applications - not in front - when launched from the terminal.
  • Random crashes (e.g. related to code in gtk2 +quartz for clipboard support), mostly in Inkscape though.
Overall - at least in my experience - the X11-based versions of MyPaint and Inkscape are more stable, more feature complete and faster (load time, screen updates) than those with the native backend of Gtk2. Hopefully things will improve with Gtk3 (especially tablet & clipboard support, as well as desktop integration).
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