Inkscape

Quoting "John R. Culleton" <john@...>:

> PLease forgive a question from an absolute newbie. I understand
> how to use filters in e.g., Gimp. but I don't know where to start
> with Inkscape. Can someone walk me throught the steps needed to
> take a text string and add a drop shadow? I have read the page in
> one of the manuals and it says:
> ------------------------------------------------
> Inkscape does not support filters yet. However, filters can be
> added with the XML Editor. The following two examples show how
> filters are included in an SVG drawing.
> -----------------------------------------------
>
> What exactly does this mean? do I create the drawing, and then
> add the code from the manual to the definition of the drawing?
> Or something else?

Filters in SVG are different from those in Gimp. In Gimp, when you
apply a filter it acts on the graphics data and the data is changed.
In SVG, the filter is part of the graphics data. It is up to the renderer
(e.g. an SVG enabled web browser) to interpret the filter instructions.

Inkscape does not (currently) process filter instructions so Inkscape
can not display drop shadows created with SVG filters. Thus, while it
is possible to add filters with the XML editor, Inkscape will not display
them. However, an SVG renderer that does support SVG filters (e.g.
Batik) will. Filter support is being added to Inkscape. The SVN version
supports the Gaussian Blur filter (but with some display artifacts).
Opera 9 and Firefox trunk (Minefield) include some filter support.

As a work around, look at the Blur Edge Effect. An example of a drop
shadow using this effect is shown in the book.

Tav

On Friday 15 September 2006 14:09, tavmjong@... wrote:
> Quoting "John R. Culleton" <john@...>:
> > PLease forgive a question from an absolute newbie. I understand
> > how to use filters in e.g., Gimp. but I don't know where to start
> > with Inkscape. Can someone walk me throught the steps needed to
> > take a text string and add a drop shadow? I have read the page in
> > one of the manuals and it says:
> > ------------------------------------------------
> > Inkscape does not support filters yet. However, filters can be
> > added with the XML Editor. The following two examples show how
> > filters are included in an SVG drawing.
> > -----------------------------------------------
> >
> > What exactly does this mean? do I create the drawing, and then
> > add the code from the manual to the definition of the drawing?
> > Or something else?
>
> Filters in SVG are different from those in Gimp. In Gimp, when you
> apply a filter it acts on the graphics data and the data is changed.
> In SVG, the filter is part of the graphics data. It is up to the renderer
> (e.g. an SVG enabled web browser) to interpret the filter instructions.
>
> Inkscape does not (currently) process filter instructions so Inkscape
> can not display drop shadows created with SVG filters. Thus, while it
> is possible to add filters with the XML editor, Inkscape will not display
> them. However, an SVG renderer that does support SVG filters (e.g.
> Batik) will. Filter support is being added to Inkscape. The SVN version
> supports the Gaussian Blur filter (but with some display artifacts).
> Opera 9 and Firefox trunk (Minefield) include some filter support.
>
> As a work around, look at the Blur Edge Effect. An example of a drop
> shadow using this effect is shown in the book.
>
> Tav
Yes I looked at the example. I have some text entered. I went to
the xml editor. It displays the XML code. Now, how do I change
it? It does not seem to have functions for adding information to
the xml file. In other words it displays some code but how do I
modify it? Must I hit add node first? Do I simply add nodes aor
modify the ones that are there? 
-- 
John Culleton
Able Indexing and Typesetting
Precision typesetting (tm) at reasonable cost.
Satisfaction guaranteed. 
http://wexfordpress.com