Hi all,

First post here...I'm fairly new to Inkscape but picking up the basics pretty well, I think. One issue I have though is that when I draw a rectangle and grab the handle on one side the shape (left-hand side or right-hand size) and then resize it, the length changes but the height does not. However, if it I take the same shape and put it on an angle, and then grab the same handle and resize it, both the length and height change.

So my question is: how to I keep the size of a shape the same in one dimension whilst changing it in another, when that shape is a basic shape at an angle?

Thanks

For this situation, the easiest solution is to scale it before you rotate it. But if it's too late for that, there's a way to edit the nodes, and using guides and snapping.

1 - Path menu > Object to Path
2 - Duplicate the rectangle
3 - Object menu > Object to Guides (this will create guides which match the angles of the sides of the rectangle
4 - Using the Node tool, select the 2 nodes on one end of the guide. With Snapping enabled, when you drag the nodes, they will stay snapped to the guides, thus keeping the rectangle right
5 - You can do the same thing to the other side of the rectangle, if needed.

For rectangles, double-click on them (this switches to the rectangle tool), and use the square-shaped handles. To only drag them into one direction, hold down Ctrl and drag carefully into the correct direction.

It's worth understanding that using the 9 resize handles usually just adds a transformation to your object, so may not be the right choice anyway. Often it's better to double-click on the object to edit it with the native tool for the shape in question (Moini's answer, but it also applies to other primitive shapes).

This approach doesn't fare so well when dealing with paths, but there is a lesser known feature that can help. Try this:

1) Create a rectangle.
2) Object > Object to Path.
3) Rotate it.
4) Double click to show the node handles for the path.
5) Click on a segment of the path to select the two end nodes.
6) Drag one of the selected nodes whilst holding Ctrl and Alt.

The node will prefer to move along the direction of the path, but because you've got two nodes selected they both move, giving the effect of resizing a rotated rectangle. This approach may not work for other shapes, depending on exactly what you're trying to do, but it's a useful technique to have in your toolbox.