what about non-rectangular canvas?

Flesh out your ideas for new or improved Inkscape features before submitting a request.
User avatar
brynn
Posts: 10309
Joined: Wed Sep 26, 2007 4:34 pm
Location: western USA
Contact:

what about non-rectangular canvas?

Postby brynn » Sun Oct 19, 2008 11:09 pm

Hi Friends,
I'm just finishing up an image, and I really want it to have a round border. I don't want a round image inside a square border, I want a round border. But I just don't see a way to do that. (I debated for some time whether to post this here or in the Help forum -- hope I chose right :? )

So I got to thinking, has anyone ever suggested adding to Inkscape options for non-rectangular canvases? The best example is elliptical or circular, but maybe someone might want a star-shaped canvas/border, or diamond, or triangular.

Anyway, just a thought. I'd be glad to hear any comments :D

All best.

zials
Posts: 25
Joined: Sun Sep 28, 2008 12:22 am

Re: what about non-rectangular canvas?

Postby zials » Mon Oct 20, 2008 5:30 am

Hmm, I don't think a non-rectangular canvas can exist because an image's size is always defined in width x height (i.e. always rectangular).

However, if your background is transparent and you draw an irregular-shaped border and then save the image in a format that supports transparency, you can make it look like the border is rounded (thats how all irregular-canvas shaped images are done as far as I know)

Here's an example of a rounded-corner image: Image

User avatar
brynn
Posts: 10309
Joined: Wed Sep 26, 2007 4:34 pm
Location: western USA
Contact:

Re: what about non-rectangular canvas?

Postby brynn » Wed Oct 22, 2008 9:58 am

Ok, thanks zials.
Yes, I know about using a transparent background to make it appear that a border is non-rectangular. I do know how to do that.

My mind surely can ramble though :mrgreen: and I wondered if it was possible. Anyway, thanks :D

User avatar
David Hewitt
Posts: 142
Joined: Sun Jan 11, 2009 4:10 pm

Re: what about non-rectangular canvas?

Postby David Hewitt » Sun Jan 25, 2009 9:42 pm

Im not an expert on inkscape so i will give you my thoughts from a general perspective;
Are you talking about the background paper ETC...?
This generally is used for jobs that are going to be outputted to a printer....
IE i believe the reason it is there is to give the user an ideas of what they are working to when they have a specific printer paper ETC to out-put to....
So from this perspective i cant imagine the boys at inkscape seeing the logic of supporting odd shapes that dont in any way correlate to a paper size on your standard printer ETC.....
But if you do want to create such a shape ETC you could always use a background layer and create it yourself ETC....

P.s. sorry if i have mis-understood what you are asking.....
I dont think its a bad idea...generally the ability to do something like that would never detract from the program generally and if its an easy thing to do(i dont know) then perhaps they could implement it just to increase versatility.....
But i think what you wish to do could be done just as well by adding another layer.....

Am i wrong....? (just my thoughts)

But i have to admit it would be annoying if you could not erase or remove the standard paper/background boarder etc......


Return to “Inkscape Ideas”