Hey folks, just starting to learn how to use Inkscape and trying to figure out how to do something. I'd like to create an image of a starry sky that includes a random number of randomly sized (small/medium/large) circle shapes. I found a script that will do it for GIMP (http://www.td-e.com/soft/starry-sky.php) that you just plug in the image size, number or starts and number of each type and it just does it, but I'd really rather have the image vector based so it can be zoomed in/out easily.

Any thoughts on how to accomplish this easily?

You could use tiled clones to create a large array of randomly sized circles and then use the align and distribute dialog to randomize them and remove overlaps (these functions may not be available on your platform just yet). Note that a convincing starfield would have thousands of points - all the same for a raster program but getting rather computationally challenging for a vector program.

Maybe episode 74 of heathenx can give you some clues? http://screencasters.heathenx.org/episode-074/ (starts at minute 11)

It is purely manual, though.

Create one star. I wouldn't suggest heathenx's method on that, I don't think there is a camera filter that would produce pentagrams rotated in different angles on a photograph -nor pentagrams anyway-.
Then, I would suggest to use the spray can tool to create large number of clones of it -Shift+F3.
Release clones by pressing Shift+Alt+D.
After that, use the tweak tool for positioning, and resizing some of the stars -Shift+F2.
You can even randomize the colour with that.

Thanks folks! Using the spray can tool and the Align and Distribute functions I was able to come up with a pretty good random star map.

Welcome to InkscapeForum!

Well done

Welcome!
Looks good for a start, nice job.
Addl suggestions: add some varying colors, some stars are slightly yellow, blue, etc., make some of them 'twinkle' by adding some effects, or by using the star shape, making it a path and elongating the points (very faintly and very skinny). Also, add 'clouds' very faintly to mimic double clusters in a few places (think of far away galaxies or even our Milky Way as an example).
Wish I had thought of spray when I created mine, lol, I created a few stars, then grouped and duplicated them, so it doubled with every click). I love stars and star pics, hope you'll come back and show us your outcome when done!
dee

Flamingolady you can download star constellation map svg-s from wikipedia if you like.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Babylonian_star_catalogues

thx Lazur, good link!