How to set measurements to default at inches?

glasslady · Postby **glasslady** » Sun Sep 10, 2017 8:10 am

How can I set up inkscape so that the program and documents always open with inches for measurements?

Moini · Postby **Moini** » Sun Sep 10, 2017 9:28 am

Open a new blank document.
Go to File -> Document properties.
Set document units to inch.
Set scale to 1.
Save as 'default.svg' in a directory called 'templates' (you may need to create it) in the directory indicated at Edit -> Preferences -> System: User configuration (if you're using Inkscape in English, else call the file 'default.de.svg' for German, 'default.es.svg' for Spanish, etc.)

This will then be used as the standard template for new documents.

tylerdurden · Postby **tylerdurden** » Sun Sep 10, 2017 11:58 am

If you want inches to remain the default, even after updating to a newer version of Inkscape, the default.svg can be saved in the user profile:
In Windows:
..\users\username\appData\Roaming\Inkscape\templates\

NB: username is your windows login id, "appData" may be a system folder hidden by windows.

I would also set the scale to 96 rather than 1, so extensions and symbols work properly.

: New_document_1_-_Inkscape_2017-09-09_20-57-16.png (24.34 KiB) Viewed 4339 times

Postby **brynn** » Sun Sep 10, 2017 2:52 pm

TD, what's this issue:

I would also set the scale to 96 rather than 1, so extensions and symbols work properly.

Isn't that going to make her images huge?

tylerdurden · Postby **tylerdurden** » Sun Sep 10, 2017 9:22 pm

New documents created with units=in and scale=96 will create objects the correct size.

Changing the scale of existing documents as described will enlarge existing objects, which then should be transformed to the desired size.

Moini · Postby **Moini** » Sun Sep 10, 2017 11:21 pm

offtopic: TD, what if the user isn't on Windows? ;-)

tylerdurden · Postby **tylerdurden** » Sun Sep 10, 2017 11:45 pm

Moini wrote:offtopic: TD, what if the user isn't on Windows?

Readers can refer to your above post...

Save as 'default.svg' in a directory called 'templates' (you may need to create it) in the directory indicated at Edit -> Preferences -> System: User configuration

This process is not trivial on Mac, as it depends on the Inkscape version, and Mac also hides application files in a right-click menu: "Show package contents".

Moini · Postby **Moini** » Sun Sep 10, 2017 11:57 pm

Cool, thanks for adding Mac instructions to the set.

Postby **brynn** » Mon Sep 11, 2017 12:15 am

tylerdurden wrote:New documents created with units=in and scale=96 will create objects the correct size.

Changing the scale of existing documents as described will enlarge existing objects, which then should be transformed to the desired size.

Thanks.

I was more asking what you meant about this part

...so extensions and symbols work properly.

Is there some kind of bug?

Because I've been under the impression (with this very confusing and still new features) that the Scale should be set to 1. No matter which unit you change to, it changes the scale, which then needs to be set back to 1 (unless the user really does want some unusual scale). How can a scale of 96 produce correct sizes?

Edit
Not questioning your expertise. Just want to understand.

tylerdurden · Postby **tylerdurden** » Mon Sep 11, 2017 5:32 am

brynn wrote:Because I've been under the impression (with this very confusing and still new features) that the Scale should be set to 1. No matter which unit you change to, it changes the scale, which then needs to be set back to 1 (unless the user really does want some unusual scale). How can a scale of 96 produce correct sizes?

Inkscape's recent change to units handling follows the W3C guidelines for SVG: 96px/in.

So, if Inkscape is used with px as display units and scale=1, most everything scales properly. Keeping that in mind, when a user changes display units to in or mm, the scale setting updates commensurately (96 and 3.77953 respectively). The relationship of px/in, pix/mm, px/px remains constant/commensurate to the SVG standard, and everything still scales properly.

If a user then changes the scale factor, it is up to them if they are working with 0.26458px/px, 0.01042px/px, or whatever... but things might not work as expected. viewtopic.php?f=22&t=32899#p100716 (and many other reported on LP)

I have yet to see any solid rationale for there to be any scale other than 1px/px, or the commensurate value when display units are changed.

Yet, the devs have released 2 builds with the default.svg display units mm and scale of 1. This leads to great confusion for users, and required updating numerous features and extensions. (Which should be done, but in testing rather than release, IMO.) Releasing a default.svg of 1px, scale=1, would have avoided much confusion and no perceptible drawbacks... users can still set the display units to whatever they like to work with and leave scale alone.

WRT symbols, symbols saved for future use in the symbols panel with in/scale=1 will be 96x too small.
https://bugs.launchpad.net/inkscape/+bug/1670913

e.g.: Place the two attached svg files into the symbols folder and note the difference when used via the symbols panel.

glasslady · Postby **glasslady** » Wed Sep 13, 2017 11:11 am

I don't understand how to set it to always be in inches. I know basic functions. Creating a file for templates is unfamiliar.

The scale is currently 1.000 and things work fine. If I change it to 96, not so much. Did I miss something?

4" box - with scale at 1.0, prints out 4", size boxes on screen are 4.0
Same box changed to .96 prints out 4 1/8", and size boxes on screen become 4.167
So, it's correct at 1.0.
Sounds like you experience something different.

tylerdurden · Postby **tylerdurden** » Wed Sep 13, 2017 11:05 pm

Please read carefully:

tylerdurden wrote:New documents created with units=in and scale=96 will create objects the correct size.
Changing the scale of existing documents as described will enlarge existing objects, which then should be transformed to the desired size.

Moini wrote:Save as 'default.svg' in a directory called 'templates' (you may need to create it) in the directory indicated at Edit -> Preferences -> System: User configuration (if you're using Inkscape in English, else call the file 'default.de.svg' for German, 'default.es.svg' for Spanish, etc.)

This will then be used as the standard template for new documents.

http://tavmjong.free.fr/INKSCAPE/MANUAL ... -Templates

glasslady · Postby **glasslady** » Thu Sep 14, 2017 12:15 am

I understand what is said about scale, and changing size to the correct size at 0.96. However, since it seems that scale in in. set to 1.0 makes my test object print at the correct size, what is the benefit of using 0.96?

Regarding setting up for inches, this is a daunting procedure for me. Any chance there is something simpler?

Moini · Postby **Moini** » Thu Sep 14, 2017 1:34 am

Not yet. For Inkscape 0.93, there will be a menu item that allows you to save the current document as a template.

glasslady · Postby **glasslady** » Thu Sep 14, 2017 1:42 am

Thanks.

tylerdurden · Postby **tylerdurden** » Thu Sep 14, 2017 3:57 am

glasslady wrote:...since it seems that scale in in. set to 1.0 makes my test object print at the correct size, what is the benefit of using 0.96?

You may find that other things won't work properly. There are number of features and extensions that cannot reconcile scale other than 96uu/in (which is also 1uu/1px, 3.77953uu/mm, etc.).

For the time being, you can also save an empty file somewhere as default.svg that has the settings you like, and always open that file and immediately save-as the name of your new working file. When you like, you can save default.svg in your templates folder and Inkscape will open it when you click the new-document button.

Postby **brynn** » Fri Sep 15, 2017 7:08 am

Well, I have to say that I'm totally lost with this Scale setting. I think I'm about ready to throw a fit, and try to get developers to either explain it, or fix it. (Keeping in mind that I don't really mean throw a fit. I really mean post the subject to the mailing list and ask for an explanation which not-so-technically inclined users can understand.)

Postby **brynn** » Fri Sep 15, 2017 7:22 am

Here's the "fit": https://sourceforge.net/p/inkscape/mail ... /36039179/

Moini · Postby **Moini** » Fri Sep 15, 2017 8:21 am

Sent an answer

(Only discovered Marc's article series a couple of days ago - it's a good read, very much worth spending some time on it!)

For those not subscribed:

https://www.patreon.com/posts/units-part-i-13563546

https://www.patreon.com/posts/units-part-ii-13566508

https://www.patreon.com/posts/units-part-iii-13741251

https://www.patreon.com/posts/units-part-iv-13993147

glasslady · Postby **glasslady** » Sun Sep 17, 2017 3:07 pm

tylerdurden - I like your ideas. Thanks.

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