Sorry I've only been using Inkscape for a week

Why can't I rectangle select parts in this drawing. I put a rectangle around parts, but it just disappears.

Bottom right, file - MPX2010 pressure
http://fritzing.org/projects/mpx2010-project
You have to download it, change the extension to .zip, and extract it to find this file.
svg.pcb.Pressure Sensors-MPX4250.fzp_dabfa4622f5cba0291a07352a579a233_1_pcb

It's an electronic part for a electronics program called Fritzing.
You will see 4 gold copper contacts, but because the outline is in white, I clicked silkscreen in the XML box and shift-click black to make it appear.

I can individually pick nodes with "Edit parts by nodes" but it's slow.

I want to select the black outline around the 4 gold contacts, but I have to pick them one shift-click at a time.

If I copy paste a node to the drawing I can rectangle select it, but nothing from the original drawing

Hello
In your link there are 3 files, which to download.

-You can use the find and replace option in menu bar that it's on top
- There is also an option in the menu bar to select objects with the same style.
Consult the Inkscape Guide

Old Grey wrote:
Bottom right, file - MPX2010 pressure
http://fritzing.org/projects/mpx2010-project
You have to download it, change the extension to .zip, and extract it to find this file.
svg.pcb.Pressure Sensors-MPX4250.fzp_dabfa4622f5cba0291a07352a579a233_1_pcb

It's got a .fzpz extension that you have to change to .zip

In the extracted ZIP the dwg is the other red file name above.

I'vd downloaded the 3 files that I see:
- LM124-324 Quad Opamp.fzpz
- MPX2010 Apm-interface.fzz
- MPX2010 pressure sensor.fzpz

I've unzipped all of them
In the un zipped folders I haven't found any file with the name:
svg.pcb.Pressure Sensors-MPX4250.fzp_dabfa4622f5cba0291a07352a579a233_1_pcb

The most similar I've found is:

svg.pcb.MPX2010 - pcb.svg_ad54643345b39a1487239b4588588441_pcb.svg

- If you don't mind, you can-un group them (Ctrl + Shift + G), until you reach the 4 bottom yellow connectors
- As I said before, you can use the Search and replace option in menu bar, please consult the Inkscape Guide
- As I said before, you can manage to select one of those objects, double clickin into the groups and use the option select same style.It is in Menu BAR >> Edit >> Select same >> fill and stroke.

Old Grey wrote:Why can't I rectangle select parts in this drawing. I put a rectangle around parts, but it just disappears.

Because the parts are into groups.. as far as I can see. Ungroup them, as I told you before. But looking into the xml, some groups have title tags, but I don't think they are necessary.

Opps, it was in the MPX2010 pressure download, but I changed the name of my file.

This is correct
svg.pcb.MPX2010 - pcb.svg_ad54643345b39a1487239b4588588441_pcb.svg

No one said that you have to do multiple (Ctrl + Shift + G) to unlock a 1 layer drawing, I though a Select All and press Ungroup was a global command.

I've been stumped for days because I didn't even know there was a XML section, because certain lines had to be in certain elements.

emmm... so it helped?

It happens that groups can be nested in other groups. In inkscape there is no command for that recursive un-grouping. Perhaps it's dangerous, because some style and transformations can be linked or attached to groups.On the other hand. SVG format is a XML format, as HTML. In theory, it's possible to write an extension to make a recursive un-grouping. But I don't know if someone did it.

I must say there are some parts of your message I don't understand. English is not my first language. But It's always good to show sketches, screen shots, or SVG files of the things you want to do, or where you have problems. So kudos for that.

I don't know how much you know about Inkscape { reading again your first post I see you have used for only a week}. You can ask, or request for help, or tell the doubts you have. Maybe not me, but others will help you.

Again, I recommend to take a look to the Inkscape Guide

The PDF I imported last time had only 1 group, so I assumed that this one only had one as well.

viewtopic.php?f=5&t=20327&p=76831#p76831

After I un-grouped the 3 groups I could select everything and change what I wanted easily, unfortunately I think you are right when you said "recursive un-grouping is perhaps dangerous".

The last drawing I did wasn't accepted because Fritzing couldn't find the copper contacts, so 3 days latter I found out that Inkscape had XML, and in that there were certain objects in certain categories.

It looks like the outline of the object and the text has to be in the "silkscreen" section, and the gold contacts have to be in the "copper" section, for Fritzing to accept it.

After I changed what I wanted I regrouped them again, unfortunately the "silkscreen" and "copper" sections are now gone, and Fritzing doesn't accept it again - "recursive un-grouping is perhaps dangerous" -.

I will have to research XML and see if I can re-group them under the correct names.

The drawing in Inkscape isn't that hard, it just the format for Fritzing to understand it is difficult.

Interesting

The XML editor of Inkscape is good, but it's slow for editing. It's better to use a good text editor, with syntax recognizing, line numbering, etc. Or perhaps a html editor.

You will have to do some kind of reverse engineering: Compare your SVG file, with other that Frtizing understand. It may be easy, may be hard.

If you want, you can share your code here.

You can name groups inside Inkscape, Old Grey, if that is what the 'silkscreen' and 'copper' things are supposed to be.

Right-click on a group, select 'Object Properties' and change the ID (or maybe one of the other attributes, I don't know which one Fritzing may want to have the correct name).

Moini wrote:You can name groups inside Inkscape, Old Grey, if that is what the 'silkscreen' and 'copper' things are supposed to be.

Right-click on a group, select 'Object Properties' and change the ID (or maybe one of the other attributes, I don't know which one Fritzing may want to have the correct name).

There isn't much XML info out there but I saw an example of that last night. I will try.

XML is another thing I will have to learn.

In the last 2 months I have had to learn automotive EFI, electronics, DIY PCB manufacturing, Fritzing circuit design software, Inkscape, and now XML.

Before I un-grouped stuff I was able to draw stuff with Node selection, but objects got tagged on the end of the XML code. Then in XML I found out you can pick up objects and move them where you want.

I will have a play in the next few days.

Btw. what will the result from all your learning do (apart from making you a very knowledgeable person, of course ) (i.e. what kind of thing are you building)?

There is an Open Source DIY Arduino based EMS called Speeduino that costs around $100, and because I have no income it looked affordable.

http://speeduino.com/wiki/index.php/V0.4

I was just going to buy the kit to learn how to tune cars - I have to learn TunerStudio also -, but it didn't have everything I wanted so I thought I would learn how to design the PCB board the way I want it. All the info is on the site - you have to find it -, you just have to move things around and add what you want. Fritzing design software has no support - it's like Linux where the software is free but they make money with support - so I have to work that out all by myself, and that is the biggest problem.

I could just fudge up parts, but my OCD makes me want to do it properly, plus I can give the part drawings to the community to help out.

I will play around some more when I'm in the mood - I've got time but no money -.

So indirectly, you're using Inkscape to tune cars? That's kind of exotic here in this forum - but cool! Thanks for explaining!

Considering I don't even know what a XML is, I made some nodes, renamed them, dragged stuff around, and Fritzing accepted it - will have to check latter if the part works -.

It actually seams easier to group stuff in XML by dragging without un-grouping, but then it's harder to edit the drawing by node select.

Seams like the method to modify an FZ part is that you have to un-group to base level, change the drawing, re-group everything, and add and rename nodes in XML. Sound easy when you know how.

Thanks for your help, unless I hit another problem.