Theron's Design Portfolio

Designing with Inkscape

2012-01-12T16:24:00.000-08:00

Inkscape Dynamics: Exploring a Vector Graphics Program

By Theron O. Kuntz

With a modicum of know-how, you can become an Inkscape artist. Inkscape is no different when it comes to learning any new digital technology system. Since it's impossible to explain Inkscape's full functionality in this article, I give readers a peek into some of its components.

Inkscape is a digital SVG drawing program similar to Illustrator® and CorelDraw®.[1] SVG means scalable vector graphics, which is based on a mathematical system. This type of system allows easy scalability without lost of graphic definition. Inkscape adheres to the SVG standards set by W3.[2]

Initially, Inkscape was created from the GILL (Gnome Illustrator) program that was developed by Raph Levien. It became, eventually, a cooperative project for second source development, thereby its GPL end-user license agreement.[3] Open to the public, the basic version of Inkscape for multi-platforms is free. Inkscape has support for a variety of web browsers, including Chrome and Safari®, and is loaded with other features, such as an XML Editor, Javascript® (only interactive support [see Dmitry Kirsanov]), and unicode mode.

Component Overviews

Window Anatomy. The Inkscape window is filled with the necessary functionality. Menu bars add easy accessibility, while a notification region, Tool Box, and Canvas area are a few other items forming the window's terrain.[4]

Tracing. Using Inkscape's Tracing Bitmap capability, users learn how to extract an image and establish its values using settings and tryouts. Layers, Paths, and tool controls are some of the methods for revitalizing a bitmap.[5]

Tweak Tool. This tool allows a user to change texts and graphics by simply employing a brush that is similar to brushes used for Adobe Photoshop® programs.[6]

Bezier Paths/Curves. Draw graphic or textual images using the pencil, pen, or calligraphy tools. Paths with nodes and handles can be created or edited.[7]

Clipping and Masking. Employ paths (objects) and alphas (transparencies) to create effects for your graphics or texts.[8]

Filter Effects. Create special effects, fills, and strokes, working largely in layers.[9] Construct a Drop Shadow using the Filter Editor dialog box.[10]

Calligraphy Tool. Use this tool to draw objects, including parallel strokes, and determine settings for stroke, nib, shape, angle, hue, and more.[11]

Extensions. There are sub-scripts that will function with Inkscape. Users can form their own sub-scripts for their Inkscape workloads.[12]

Filter Presets. Several of these pre-configured filters are installed in Inkscape's program. They are primarily used to alter object characteristics, adding such features as textures, glows, and bevels.[13]

Summary

Readers must be informed what Inkscape isn't. Inkscape isn't a 3D program. The most it can be is 2D with limited 3D perspective. Inkscape 0.46 has a new 3D box tool. It's not a raster-based program, although there is limited support for raster images. Inkscape isn't an animation program. Finally, it isn't a desktop publishing program.

If you are an artist, or an aspiring artist, who desires to use multimedia, it would be wise to choose separate programs to support your digital workloads. For graphic design artists, Inkscape meets basic to advance digital requirements for layout, manipulation, and completion of your digital creations.

Links

[1] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inkscape

[2] http://www.w3.org/Graphics/SVG/

[3] http://sourceforge.net/projects/sodipodi

[4] http://tavmjong.free.fr/INKSCAPE/MANUAL/html/Anatomy.html

[5] http://tavmjong.free.fr/INKSCAPE/MANUAL/html/ATracingExample.html

[6] http://tavmjong.free.fr/INKSCAPE/MANUAL/html/Tweak.html

[7] http://tavmjong.free.fr/INKSCAPE/MANUAL/html/Paths-Bezier-Curves.html

[8] http://tavmjong.free.fr/INKSCAPE/MANUAL/html/Clip.html

[9] http://tavmjong.free.fr/INKSCAPE/MANUAL/html/Filters.html

[10] http://tavmjong.free.fr/INKSCAPE/MANUAL/html/Filters-Example-DropShadow.html

[11] http://tavmjong.free.fr/INKSCAPE/MANUAL/html/Paths-Creating#Paths-Calligraphy

[12] http://tavmjong.free.fr/INKSCAPE/MANUAL/html/Extensions.html

[13] http://tavmjong.free.fr/INKSCAPE/MANUAL/html/Filters-Preset.html

References

1. Inkscape Manual http://tavmjong.free.fr/INKSCAPE/MANUAL/html/

2. Version Guide http://tavmjong.free.fr/INKSCAPE/

3. Inkscape Unofficial Forum http://www.inkscapeforum.com/

4. Inkscape's Home Page http://www.inkscape.org/

5. Inkscape Graphics Online http://wiki.inkscape.org/wiki/index.php/Galleries

6. Menu Index http://tavmjong.free.fr/INKSCAPE/MANUAL/html/ix02.html

7. Tool Index http://tavmjong.free.fr/INKSCAPE/MANUAL/html/ix03.html

8. Tags, XHTML, CSS, Browsers http://tavmjong.free.fr/INKSCAPE/MANUAL/html/Web-Use.html#Web-Use_Old

Legal: All licenses, copyrights, and trademarks belong to their respective owners, and these are Inkscape (GPL agreement), Illustrator®, CorelDraw®, Chrome (Google License agreement), Javascript®, Safari®, and Photoshop®. Licenses, copyrights, and trademarks for Illustrator and Photoshop products are owned by Adobe System Incorporated. The CorelDraw product trademark is owned by Corel Corporation. Javascript is a trademark of the Oracle Corporation. The Safari product trademarks are owned by Apple Inc.

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Design Development and Job Expectations 1.0

2011-04-10T13:13:00.000-07:00

Design Talent Significations-2011

There's plenty to mention about creative expression and the development of writing and design abilities. My values, however, cannot be associated to emotion. Spontaneous emotions have a tendency of interfering with mood and, thereby, destroying concentration and subverting dispositions. My overt creativeness is associated with expertise. In particular, the experience and talent gained during my adolescence, primary and secondary education, proto-RPG development during the early 1970's, and later life, with article generation, cooperative design, retail management, game design, assistant editing for an organization, public relations, and integration to computers and multimedia after 1995. Emotions disenchant clients, customers, and employers--and sometimes friends--often impressing someone with a false light about yourself.

Early Design Skill Reinforcement

The initial design experiences gained during my adolescence assisted in forming my rudimentary design values. These experiences were not ordinary because of my elementary educational regimens. All of my additional experiences outweighed my educational values, introducing me to alternative forms of ideology, cooperation, industry processes, and standards of quality. No doubt, my experiences quantified my impressions about overall values.

Hand-painting miniature details, collecting and organizing miniatures for a group, sponsoring recreational games, conducting treasurer and editing duties, volunteering for convention duties, conducting a teamwork testing of a proto-roleplaying game, The Greyhawk Campaign, by E. Gary Gygax, and supporting a fledgling business during my adolescence were necessary toward developing my comprehension of art, writing, design, and recognizing business standards.

In addition, primary school reinforced my basic talents with skills in Mechanical Drafting, Industrial Arts, and Typewriting. The value of my education was never ignored when I had the opportunity of deploying my skills for something useful. Trial and error is something any youngster experiences.

Early Game Design

During the early and mid-1970s, and after graduating from Gateway Technical Institute (now Gateway Technical College) with a vocational certificate in Mechanical Drafting and Design, I was able to become involved in game design--both private and business.

With private design, I created a worldbuilding game, The Empire of Zothar, based on the primal RPG, Dungeons & Dragons. Actually, Zothar was a derivative of The Greyhawk Campaign because I deconstucted its gaming idiosyncrasies and created a variation of Dungeons and Dragons' common ideological and interactive gameplay styles. At the time, Dungeons and Dragons was based on the work of E. Gary Gygax and how he had established the new genre. Other works of FRP worldbuilding, such as Robert Kuntz's, Kalibruhn, and M.A.R. Barker's, Tekumel, provided different perspectives. The variations to Dungeons & Dragons' game-building and playing (accumulating and monster madness) mentality of excessiveness was not my idea of a substantial Zothar world setting. Instead, working from the concept of conservatism sufficed to assist me in devising a realistic worldbuilding system for dynamic gameplay.

Even though I had not fully developed Zothar in the past, my current aspirations are to heighten development sources to new worldbuilders and for providing a base for concurrent developments, including a MMPOG. To this end, Zothar has changed faces to the Empire of Zothaar, with a constructed language, and a full-color graphic layout of Zothaar's territory. There is a possibility that I will sanction the use of universal rules (topic: General Unisystem) for Zothaar's RPG hard-version, which takes place on another planet with a mixture of Ancient and Medieval periods.

When employed with TSR Hobbies and the Dungeon Hobby Shop, I had the opportunity of joining various teams to test games. Typically, the test-based examples of games were the author's typed rule sources, along with the author's designed playing board. Generally, errors in the typed rules, along with troublesome playing mechanics were closely regarded. In addition, there were regular games featured at the Dungeon Hobby Shop in support of local area gaming--usually Historical Miniature, RPG, or boardgame. Some of the games I participated with teams were Dungeon! by Dave Megarry and William the Conqueror by John Clemente and James McMillan. Both games were produced by TSR.

Promoting Games

As an attempt to promote gaming in the region, I formally requested to the President and Chief Executive Officer of TSR Hobbies to design, setup, and officiate a Historical Miniature Wargame at the local high school with a theme of the Pacific Naval Warfare during World War II. Since the costs involved were very low, the project was approved, and I was tasked with conducting its operations.

After researching information about known battles in the Pacific, I designed a game for eight students with an interface of a strategic map that would result in contact of--at least--one formation of ships from each side. The sides were designated US and Japan. Weather changes were added into the scheme of the game as a random event, and surface steam or fog was randomly placed in attitude and size if it was generated prior to tactical events. Small and large islands were constucted from styrofoam, and these land structures were placed in pre-designated locations on the strategic map. Wherever opposing sides came into contact with their formations, typically by visual sighting, a sample of the area was taken from the strategic map, providing the area of the tactical event, which was the school room's floor.

The tactical event would be played until one side lost or retreated from the tactical area. Sides would begin the game with any number of miniature ships, including aircraft carriers, battleships, crusiers, and destroyers. The commanders from each side would plan the strategic maneuvers, while the commanders maintained tactical orders--in most circumstances. Even though player-commanders were in control of their side, subordinates might control their ship models outside of any indicated orders during the turns of tactical contact.

The strategic-tactic wargame was a success. The students who participated had agreed with the inclusion of the strategic map as adding a particular dimension to the game. Most of the students, however, were not familiar with naval wargames. This was emphasized by questions concerning the rules and charts, the tactics used during contact, and the lack of coordinating groups, such as an aircraft carrier group coordinating with a battle group (battleships and heavy crusiers). In addition, some players could not visualize what the game was about because they couldn't relate between the strategic map and the tactical map. (Many Historical Miniature Wargames are based on one locus, not like the several locii planned for this event.)

If you can visualize the kind of game I made for this promotion at a local high school, then for the strategic movement you would see headpins stuck in a map. Once two opposing pins make contact, the miniature elements associated to those pins would be grouped in their tactical dispositions at the sample range, which was the scaled sighting range of the rules. When a group retreated out of contact, the entire game would revert from the tactical site (floor or map) to the strategic map. This would continue until one team won enough points. Obviously, the players who could visualize the different scales of movement, and be prepared with supported groups, would win the event.

Particular opportunities during my adolescence brought critical enhancement that affected my worldviews about my livelihood and my rudimentary educational values. Volunteering with a group of specialty recreationists signaled the advance development of art skills through painting "round" and other miniatures, miniature modeling, researching historical data, and supporting organizations and participating in associated events, such as a editing a magazine and a games convention. Proto-RPG development, through playtesting new methodologies for a game demonstrated to me the importance of quality control and the actualization of a new genre of gaming.

New Design Development and Job Expectations are planned. I continue with my design experience with Design Development and Job Expectations 1.1. All Rights Reserved.

Design Introduction

2010-12-04T10:59:00.000-08:00

Hello world, again. A mighty fine generation to come!

Enclosed please find my Art and Writing Design Portfolio, including content design for animation buttons, mock photograph ads (with more to follow), graphics, and writing design examples, specifically those of online posts.

Topics for my professional portfolio must be confined to the rudimentary, advance, and incidental issues, such as design theory, revelation, introspection, and critical analyses. Any other topics, unless specified, that are nonspecified, cursory, or latent will be deleted.

In addition, I enjoy and prize other freelance and professional design portfolios and topics, especially those similar in axis as my own. Currently, there are many areas of exploration I have studied and learned, including critical art design and history, online gaming, digital gaming (rts and fps), assistant editing, public relations, article publication, essay writing, advance english, mechanical drafting, and digital graphic design.

As usual, my blogspot at this time is being built. Your patience is appreciated!