X and Y Position

[drlarrye]

I'm a complete CAD and Inkscape beginner.  I'm trying to modify an SVG for a marble game (Aggravation/Wahoo) for use with a Shaper Origin tool.  I need to place a circle to replace what is now a square, but the X and Y values read from the bottom left of the square's bounding box rather than from the center.  The circle is not the same size as the square so this value doesn't help.  Is there a way to read the values for the center, or is there a better way to do it?

Thanks

[Moini]

Like this?

https://framadrive.org/s/7kZ5KgYs4CpbLyw (mp4 video)

[brynn]

Welcome to the forum!

I'm not sure how to interpret this

I'm a complete CAD and Inkscape beginner.

But just to possibly help you avoid confusion, Inkscape is not a CAD program.  While they are capable of producing the same kind of drawing, they work in very different ways.  Possibly you don't mean it that way, but just in case.

Another way to approach it, which is different from Moini's suggestion, is to use Snapping.  Simply snap the circle's center to the square's center.  http://tavmjong.free.fr/INKSCAPE/MANUAL/html/Snapping.html  Note that for snapping to centers or rotation centers, the objects must have a fill, to make the snap happen.  But the fill can be removed afterwards, if it's not wanted.

[drlarrye]

The snapping method worked great...thanks.  I'm such a beginner that I didn't know Inkscape isn't a "CAD" program and will learn my definitions better.  I expect to ask a lot more.
I couldn't get the exchange method to work because I don't know how to get the bounding box to include both objects.  I'm sure I'm missing a basic command.  Left clicking just alternates the selected item.

[Moini]

Shift + click to select more than one object, or click+drag a selection box around them.

I'd suggest you start out with a beginners' manual / intro, such as http://write.flossmanuals.net/start-with-inkscape/why-use-inkscape/ (currently, the images are much too large there, though, due to people messing with the design of the website... ), or with some of the tutorials linked from the front page of this forum https://forum.inkscapecommunity.com/index.php to learn a bit about the basic usage.

[drlarrye]

I actually have gone through the Lynda tutorial, but there is a lot of info to remember the first time through.  Some things are easier to go back and find than others.  I was sure I tried the shift click because it seemed the most obvious, but I must've done something wrong then because it works now.  I remember seeing the click and drag now but didn't think of it.

I appreciate having the beginners section so obvious questions aren't mixed in with more technical ones.

[brynn]

(currently, the images are much too large there, though, due to people messing with the design of the website... )

Yeah, there have been some changes there.  I don't remember seeing the chat box on the editing page before.  But it's been a while since I was there.  Now that things are more quiet with this forum, and before it's next upgrade comes along, maybe I can get back to work there