Hello, I've searched around the web for an answer to this problem but I can't get these features to work. When I use one of the tools and set the parameters for that path, like the width, the next path always reverts to the default 1 px wide line. I've tried using 'last used style', and 'this tools own style - take from selection' but neither of these things seems to stick. I've tried deleting the Inkscape preference file as I read that might fix it, but to no avail. I'm running the latest stable version 0.48.5, and I have tried this on multiple machines, Two Windows 7 machines and one Vista machine. Is this a bug, or perhaps I'm overlooking something here, but from what I have read I am doing correctly. Anyone able to shine some light on this? Much appreciated thank you

I haven't seen that behavior. Maybe you have mixed up the steps, and not done in the right order. Or maybe you haven't gone through that process for all the tools you use?

Here's a tutorial with the steps you can follow: Customize Your Inkscape Tools' Styles

I went through the process again just to make sure I was doing it correctly. As a test I used the pen tool and made a line. I changed the pattern width to 5, changed the fill to red, added a black stroke of 2 pixel thickness. I made sure this was still selected, I double clicked the pen tool, and clicked 'take from selection' and it showed up in the dialog, it showed a red fill with, black stroke of 2. The style of the tool was also represented in the top right corner of my screen, red fill, black stroke 2 thickness, however when I made a line again, it was still the default line of 1 thickness, black fill no stroke.

What is strange is with the new line that if I turn fill off, then turn it on, the fill changes from black to red. As for the stroke setting, for new lines it always goes back off, but if i turn it back on it maintains the 2 pixel stroke that I had set it at. I made sure both of them were turned ON when I clicked 'take from selection'. As far as the path width, that always goes right back to 1 as well.

The same thing happens with other tools, in the top right it will show the styles i I have them set to, but when I make the line it just defaults to 1 thickness, black fill, no stroke.

As far as the 'use last style goes', it will sometimes show the updated style in the top right of the screen, but it doesn't apply it.

I seem to have the same behaviour: "last used style" seems not to be working. (By the way, Brynn, your tutorial seems to be about something else, namely: how to use the option "this tool's own style", not "last used style").

In preferences for the pen tool, the option "last used style" is active.

With the pen, I draw a line. Click, click, enter. It has a white stroke color. With the line still selected, I change stroke color to black (shift-click on color). I draw a new line using the the pen: click, click, enter. Stroke color is white, I would have expected black.
Am I misunderstanding something or is this a bug?

EDIT: I just noticed that in this forum post it's called "a bug that never seems to get fixed". In the first reply. And in bug report #1401893 something similar is mentioned. I added my comment there.

I misunderstood the op's question. I thought he wanted the tool to have it's own style. And somehow, I missed his reply to mine. So this is the first I've seen it.

Since I have all my tools set to their own styles, and they all seem to work as I expect, I haven't seen any issues with last used style. (As far as my experience, last used style works flawlessly -- it's why I changed all my tools to their own style, because it was driving me crazy, lol.)

I don't know about druban's comment that it's a bug that never gets fixed. He did not reference a bug report, and the report you linked to (and a few linked to it) is dated after druban's comment. So if it's a long standing bug, this is the first I've heard about it.

Did you try restarting Inkscape after making the change, as the bug report linked to the one you linked to suggests? I didn't read all those reports, or exactly peruse them, but it sounds like the issue is that there needs to be a note added to the dialog, that it takes a restart to put the change into effect. (Close all instances of Inkscape, if you have more than 1 open.) I hope that will solve your problem

I made a screencast and uploaded it here: http://screencast-o-matic.com/watch/coe6X6edT6. Don't know if it will work for you, never used screencast-o-matic before...
I really think "last used style" doesn't work as expected, but please check out the screencast and tell me what you think.

Edit: Also note the difference between fill and stroke color left below in Inkscape and top right...

I can't seem to make the screencast play. Is there a start buttom somewhere?

brynn wrote:I can't seem to make the screencast play. Is there a start buttom somewhere?

I think you have to wait long enough for it (or javascript stuff behind it) to load. In my case it takes like 20 or 30 seconds before the black screen turns into a playable video.

EDIT: I just filed a bug report (#1430689) and succeeded in attaching the mp4 screencast directly there.

Problem solved: it's normal behavior when Shape is set to anything other than "none".

From ~suv's comment to the bug report:

"Switch 'Shape' to 'None' instead of using 'From Clipboard'.

'From clipboard will apply a path effect even if the clipboard is empty. Don't use the setting unless you want to draw a path with the brush currently on the clipboard. As with any of the 'Shape' options other than 'None', the last used 'Stroke' color is applied for the fill."

I wasn't aware that Shape was set to "from clipboard"