When using Inkscape in conjunction with openshot, the "box" it gives to put text in does not match the actual video size. In openshot it looks fine, but when i render it's off the video on the bottom or to the side, etc.

question: How can I setup inkscape so that when I put text in the box, it's the EXACT same size as the video frame so I don't have to keep guessing and rendering the video over and over and over to correctly position text? Why does it not do this by default (asked a very overworked and tired video maker)

grasshopper, can you post a couple of screenshots and example files, and also your openshot version number? I don't think I fully understand what you are asking, and to try things out, we'd need examples.

I'll see what I can do. Basically the way the titles look in the openshot preview do not reflect how they look in the actual video when it's exported.

Honestly, that sounds rather like an openshot problem, but maybe there is something that can be tweaked in Inkscape as a workaround.

I will provide more information soon, I appreciate your help. I am super busy today, however I can provide the following. The OpenShot version is 1.4.4~alpha1 which I'm using in MX-15 Linux. The InkScape version is Inkscape 0.48.5 r10040

Oh, Debian 8 base, but old Inkscape version... Interesting combo I had never heard of MX before.
I guess you can't use the packages from the ppa for Ubuntu... Same for openshot.
Does your system support appimages? The latest openshot version is also available in that format.

I don't have either version available, but I can check what may happen if you use an older or the latest openshot with latest Inkscape. Edit: latest version doesn't even start... I can only test with 1.4.3.

I am looking into appimage but I suppose the first order of duty is seeing if I can upgrade to the latest versions and hope for a fix

Can't run the 'latest' version of OpenShot as it's only in 64-bit and I have a 32-bit system. But the appimage concept is very interesting.
Question: When trying to upgrade InkScape, it's all in pieces..is there a way to just plug in a repo and have it handle the dependencies for me in, say, synaptic??

That's how the ppa is supposed to work. But if other applications that you have (after all you're on a Debian base, not Ubuntu, and it's quite normal that they won't work together) are supposed to use different library versions than the latest Inkscape does, it won't work - you can only have a single version of any library installed (that's what the AppImages are for, they bring everything that's needed, as it would be the case on Windows).

How did you try to upgrade Inkscape? Compile it?

You can try if a chroot environment or a virtual machine works. The VM solution would require enough RAM and processor capacity, not sure if your device may be too old (why are you using 32bit?...).

I managed to get Inkscape updated to version 0.91 r13725 via an application in MX for experimental repos. OpenShot as well, to version 2.1.0 ..however there are some glitches and also I cannot edit preferences.

And is that sizing problem improved, or does it persist? (or did you downgrade because it doesn't work too well?)

(which program has the glitches?)