Hello,

I revisit Inkscape 0.92 under Linux with KDE and I try to do such a simple task!
I have a drawing with lines, drawn for a simple technical schema of a wall.
I try to join the lines, as they are not yet joined, and I see the points are overlapping. Do I have no means to select the overlapping points??
I also look for some measurements lines, but all the extensions provided by my distro seem to be half-implemented.
I mean, they can be drawn without the actual values, I must add them myself, and can't chose the drawing side, so many must be adapted, so it's easier to draw them myself! Do you know any simple measurement tool, one that adds the two lines at the sides, a double arrow and a number on the side I could set?

Best Regards.

Switch to the node tool, select the end nodes you want to join of both paths, then connect them using the corresponding keyboard shortcut or the button in the node tool's tool controls.

The 'dimensions' path effect will be available in Inkscape 1.0, and there may be extensions available that do it - try a web search and browse the extension gallery at https://inkscape.org/en/gallery/=extension/

So how do I select the end nodes I want to join? That's my issue.
They are overlapping perfectly and I can't select them both at once. I find no shortcut for that, like shift and mouse or something.
Also, what is all about shortcuts? Does Inkscape obey the Gnome principles?
I've seen many applications losing usability due to that. I do use heavily cut/copy/paset/save buttons from the toolbars, but they were removed from there. It was said that was Gnome idea about how to make an application...

Nodes can be easily selected by dragging a selection window around the nodes, and the Join Selected Nodes control can be used.
http://tavmjong.free.fr/INKSCAPE/MANUAL/html/Paths.html


It seems like some of these issues are easily performed by using a CAD program like LibreCad (free), Fusion 360 (free), FreeCad ( free). Might be a more appropriate tool.


Edited based on better info below.

Joining points is a basic feature of any vector tool.
Also, selecting. That does not work here.
Anyway, joining should be available for free lines too (that are not a part of an object), despite this is not my case.
I know LibreCAD, in some cases took so many time to perform import operations.

Inkscape is not just any vector editor. It's first and foremost a native SVG editor. Maybe it's not for you.

I use inkscape, illustrator, Corel, affinity, designspark, sketch up, blender, Freecad, LibreCAD, vcarve, fusion, aLibre, and more. None work quite the same as the other.

There are many choices besides Inkscape.

I join nodes all the time in Inkscape. I find the node and path editing commands in Inkscape to be better and smarter than other programs. Selecting nodes is multi featured as well. This page is an extremely useful reference for the hard-coded shortcuts, which can't be seen in the GUI (although I'm sure someone will be along to say how they don't like using shortcuts)

Nodes don't even have to be in the same path to be joined. The can operate on different paths and join their nodes making them one path; you have to add the other paths to the initial selection by shift clicking them, or select several paths with before switching to the

Inkscape can even smartly join many pairs of nodes at one time. In fact if you are certain you want all endpoint nodes joined to their closest endpoint node you can just select all and press the appropriate command, to either merge each pair into one node or create a segment joining each pair of nodes.

In short, if you can't join or merge nodes in Inkscape, the problem is definitely not with the program.

Your original message, and another message you posted in a different topic, gives me the idea you might be expecting Inkscape to work like a CAD program. Apparently in CAD programs, you instruct the program to draw a line, so long, and click "draw it". (Well, something like that, from what I surmise.) But Inkscape just doesn't work like that. Inkscape does not intend to be a cad program.

But I'm sure there are free cad programs "out there". I'm not familiar with them, but I'm sure there must be some.

No, I have an issue here, don't know which it is.
Long ago, when I've started with Inkscape I have found working with nodes very handy and superior to Illustrator.
Now, something is different or broken,, seemingly. Could be KDE itself, I don't know yet. Or te current build.
I have an Intuos tablet too. If I use it, the pen seems to be treated differently than the mouse, in regards of the UI.
For instance, hovering over the toolbar and tools buttons, for the mouse it provides tooltips, for the pen it does not.
Also making a simple Bezier line segment, can't stop after the segment, I need two at least to stop.
BTW, I just draw a 2D scheme, it is not for CAD purpose, just to make an idea of some feature.

Interesting. Chosing Bezier with triangle in shape, drawing some shape with 2 segments only, will break Inkscape (0.92.2). It won't set a stroke and fill again, no matter what I set and do with the tools.

Path Effect Power Stroke, which is used for the Triangle options, does not understand closed paths. The original implementation of shape used Path effect Pattern Along Path for all options, which works on both open and closed paths. If you are actually trying to work in Inkscape with a closed path and a triangular shape, not just looking for bugs, you can copy a triangle to the clipboard and use 'From Clipboard."

druban, are you saying that if you use a custom triangle (from clipboard), a closed path will work?

Hhmm....I just tried both ways. I got different results, where one result was "invisible" and the other gave me a couple of triangles. But neither really worked. This is with 0.92.3. However, I suspect that A LOT depends on specifically how the path is made. In my test, I used 5 or 6 cusp nodes, and closed path. It could be that smooth nodes would behave differently. Let's see.... Yeah, smooth nodes, different results. Although still not correct.

I've found that as long as I don't close the path, it works perfectly. Or if the path is already closed, I can select a node and break the path, and it works that way too. The 2 end nodes of an open path can be overlapping precisely, and it still works. But as soon as I join the nodes, the path either disappears, or goes wacky.

I was drawing with "Triangle in" active, not applied it after closed path (if that is possible).

Regarding the topic "overlapping" I guess it´s more about a vector eraser tool than simply joining endpoints:


Cheers
P.

msdobrescu, the problem is the closed path. The Inkscape feature which creates the Triangle In doesn't like closed paths (as druban said).

In my experience, if you break the path, it should work properly. (Select a node, then Break Path at Selected Nodes button, on Node tool control bar.)

Really, I think I'm drunk. )

I recap. When I say "overlapping", I say I have a drawing with several segments, where the segments are lines with 2 nodes, in my case Beziers, but straight, each segment being in continuation of other, so each segment node has same (x, y) coordinates with a node of the next segment. No need to erase, or move the lines.

Also, using the "triangle in" is done on such segments and at some point ir becomes invisible. After that, I can't set the stroke and colour to any other shapes anymore, until I restart Inkscape.

druban wrote:Nodes don't even have to be in the same path to be joined. The can operate on different paths and join their nodes making them one path; you have to add the other paths to the initial selection by shift clicking them, or select several paths with before switching to the

Inkscape can even smartly join many pairs of nodes at one time. In fact if you are certain you want all endpoint nodes joined to their closest endpoint node you can just select all and press the appropriate command, to either merge each pair into one node or create a segment joining each pair of nodes.

Thanks Druban, those are much better approaches!

Exactly as I expect. Still does not work my disrto's build, but works the one I have built myself from your git repos.
What do you use to capture to gifs, btw?

As side comment, I've seen this in the dependencies checks:



I have version 7, but it does not use it in this case.

I'm using ShareX, it's FOSS.
https://getsharex.com/

Nice, but Windows only.

'Also making a simple Bezier line segment, can't stop after the segment, I need two at least to stop.'

Assuming you mean clicks. This is as it is meant to be. Hardly anyone wants to draw objects in single line segments that have to be joined later; most users are drawing more complex shapes and prefer to click just once to place a node.
The Bezier tool is quite a versatile tool, designed to make the drawing of complex shapes and curves as fast and easy as possible with a combination of clicks, click-drags and keystrokes all used while the tool is actively in the process of drawing; I suggest you read up the manual section on it!

I'm using peek and key-mon.

https://github.com/phw/peek (key-mon is in the repos)

Maybe you should try reinstalling your distro's version? Sounds like it's not working properly.

Well, that would be the first step anyway, before reporting those things as bugs.

No, my distro is allright, only in Inkscape I have issues. I have built an 1.0 beta, so the problem might be gone with some change.