Hi everyone! I'm VERY new to using Inkscape. I already LOVE the program.

Here's my issue, I'm trying to use the brush stoke tool. When I do, as I draw nothing shows up. After I draw the stroke I can then increase the opacity to 100% for it to show up. Then soon as I do another stroke, it defaults back to 0% opacity.

Is there anyway to set the default opacity of the marker tool to 100% so I can actually see what I'm drawing as I draw it?

Very difficult using the tool and not being able to see what you are drawing. ha

HELP?!

Welcome to InkscapeForum!

I think you are talking about the Pen/Bezier tool ? If you will please open File menu > Inkscape Preferences > Tools > Pen. (Make sure you have the right tool, because I'm not enirely clear that's the tool you're describing.)

It sounds like it may be set for "This tool's own style" and for some reason, the style is transparent. If it were set for "Last used style" then once you change the new path to not transparent, then the next one you draw should not be transparent. Please tell us how it is set.....or if you can figure it out, you could either leave it "This tool's own style" and change the style to opaque; or you could change it to "Last used style". Making these changes is somewhat intuitive, but not entirely. So if you get stuck, let us know, and we can give instructions

OR actually, before you do that.....now I'm thinking the problem may not be with that setting. While you are drawing a path and setting the nodes, you see only a green line. It's only after you double-click to end the path, that it becomes (typically) black. Maybe since you're so new to Inkscape, you don't have all the terminology yet, which leads me not to understand correctly?

Is this a newly dowloaded and current version?

brynn wrote:I think you are talking about the Pen/Bezier tool ? If you will please open File menu > Inkscape Preferences > Tools > Pen. (Make sure you have the right tool, because I'm not enirely clear that's the tool you're describing.)

Brynn's suggestion is the first one I would make as well, but to avoid having to guess the name of the tool you're using if you double-click on the tool you're using in the toolbar the preferences window will open with the correct section already showing. Alternatively you can click on the fill or stroke swatches that are shown at the top right, just above the drawing area (that section shows the fill and stroke that will be used when you draw something new with the selected tool, so if it looks transparent there, your drawn objects will also be transparent).

Oh, good tip Xav! I'm really menu oriented, in writing instructions.

So yes, daveyII, instead of opening Inkscape Preferences first, you can just look up at the top right area of the window, after drawing with that tool. If it shows the stroke as a checkerboard pattern, that indicates it's set for transparency. Then you will know that you need to change those settings. If it shows as any solid color, then we will need to do some more troubleshooting.