I have a question....

I noticed that it is of course possible to create an object and then apply allot of very useful filters to the object itself...
I.E Like applying Gaussian Blur to a white square ETC... blurring it around the edges.

But is it possible to create the effect with-out the necessity of having it directly apply to a filled object....IE like a lens...
Forgive me if my terminology is in-correct or misleading as im not quite sure what this would be called...

But i would like to create an object that is the blur itself! IE an object that would be totally invisible on a white background but when you moved it over other objects it would (being transparent itself) distort the underlying objects....

I suspect this it already possible as it is so obvious...

How is this done?

it would save me allot of trouble also instead of having to manually tweak settings for dozens of objects in a local area i could create an overlaid lens/transparent blur object......

Yes it is possible and you can find instructions for how at viewtopic.php?f=5&t=1466&p=7474&hilit=blur+filter#p7474 (unfortunately, none of the URLs for example files are valid anymore).

Also, Inkscape had trouble rendering the effect. A bug was logged for the issue and is linked from that topic.

Thanks for that...
If you don't mind though:
Where is the filter effects dialogue? i cant find it and cant find any info on the web referring to how to open or find this...
Mostly they just refer to elements of it with out describing how one might find it.....

it's under Object menu

Thanks for that... it was like right under my nose.... and i somehow missed it...
And no-where can you find this written down any where...

Anyway if you could be so kind...how do you change the source for an effect with in the filter ETC...
I see the little ball on the end of that line thing that goes across to the different types of connections but i can not figure out how to move this to a new position/source....

Thanks in advance...

Sorry just got it......you move the arrow head (which stays in the same place) and the ball moves as a consequence...

go through the guide from my sig, it's an excellent resource on inkscape, I got most of my inkscape knowledge from there.

Thanks for the help: microUgly & prkos...
I just got that thing working and i'm very impressed...

I can't believe inkscape had not even been officially released yet...
How awesome is it going to be by the time version 1.00 ticks over...

some dood on the xara forum posted a link to the new proposed Spiro curve thing... this impressed me allot too....

Is there a beta build with more cool stuff in there i'm too impatient to wait for this stuff.....
(This is very similar to the curve point input method i have been wanting.... but with the added bonus that the "curve maths" (Spiro) in this tool is allot more awesome than i could have ever imagined...)

P.S. that filter is so good it should have a dedicated GUI control ETC.... an the only thing that could make this effect more awesome would be if the amount of blur could be also controlled radially...
So you could have allot of blur in the middle petering out to none on the outside etc with all the relevant settings for this of course...

'

You can download a development version from the Inkscape download page, under title Development Versions http://www.inkscape.org/download/?lang=en

I tried to play with Spiro and it's nice when you move nodes just a bit, but when I move them a greater distance I get hilarious results. I guess I need to read a bit more about it...

prkos wrote:You can download a development version from the Inkscape download page, under title Development Versions http://www.inkscape.org/download/?lang=en

I tried to play with Spiro and it's nice when you move nodes just a bit, but when I move them a greater distance I get hilarious results. I guess I need to read a bit more about it...

Yeah I would like to see inkscape develop a new input tool to service spiro and as an alternative to the current input tools....
http://wiki.inkscape.org/wiki/index.php/User_talk:Davidhewitt#New_Inkscape_input_tool...
This has been re-worded in microuglies words as he put it allot better than i did originally.

But anyway yeah its a little different and requires a different working method and mindset...
Nothing people will not quickly adapt to but with in the framework of a new input tool i think that does not have the bezier handles to confuse the user when these are totally not applicable to spiro.