Hello. I am so new to Inkscape (I just downloaded the latest version today). I've been very excited about using it, however, I seem to have a recurring problem. In attempting to do some simple graphics, the canvas does strange things:

1. the image will split or duplicate sections of itself
2. the scroll bars don't usually work. This would be the verticle bars. They just seem to lock up. If they do work, my graphic will sometimes end up distorted (enlarged) and it's hard to get the page recentered on the canvas.
3. occasionally I cannot get a color into the graphic and this is whether I use the fill tool or click on the bottom color swatches
4. a few times I was unable to get the dialog box for the fill tool to open whether clicking the tool or using the keyboard. I had to save the work, close Inkscape, and reopen it to get the dialog box.


The behavior is irratic and frequent. I really want to learn how to use this promising software, but these problems are getting in the way of that.

I use a 15.4" Toshiba laptop that has 2048mb 800 mhz sdram , AMD Turion X2 Dual-Core Mobile Processor, and a 250gb harddrive. My OS is Vista. I just bought it in Sept.

Any help will be much appreciated. I hope you tell me I'm doing something wrong -- clicking the wrong thing, and not that the software won't work on my setup.

Thanks in advance!

Some of the things you describe will happen if you're working on a large image, or more precisely, one that uses a lot of memory. If you've asked it to do something that challenges your memory, everything will seem to freeze, until the computer finally fulfills your request.

Other than that, I don't have a clue. But never fear, there are plenty more knowledgable members who can help!

Good luck

By latest version do you mean the 'developers build' or the Inkscape 0.46, built Apr 1 2008?