May be I'm stumbling about something obvious, but here it goes:

I'm new to Inkscape and my only experience with drawing software has been with CorelDraw a few years back.

I designed a boardgame map with CD, complete with hex grid, background image, and what not. I worked mostly with the Objects tool window with which I could easily organize all the objects and access them either as group or as single objects.

My Inkscape project is somewhat similar. I want to create a complex form with the values filled in via separate program. The form will consist of lots of (named) objects which I have to design/manipulate. So I'm basically looking for a way to access an object or group of objects without having to furiously click on the image. A list of groups/objects organized as a tree view would be perfect.

Is there a way in Inkscape to work like this?

---Dirk Bock

Welcome Dirk!

If I understand what you're asking, there's a good reason you're stumbling, lol. Inkscape doesn't have anything like an object manager, where each object is listed, ordered, can be selected, organized, etc. It's a very much requested new feature, but to my knowledge, not under development yet. You can give objects various characteristics, using Object Properties, found either by right-click or Object menu.

I don't clearly understand the process you're describing, but that's only because I don't understand programming. So I don't know why you would have to click "furiously". But you do have to click on the object to select it. Well, there are other ways to select objects. You can do the selection box/rubberband selection (with Selection tool). Or you can use the Tab key, and select individual objects, I think in the order they were drawn. And Shift + Tab goes through the rotation backwards. So a combination of clicking, Tabbing, and Shift + Tabbing, perhaps would work.

I expect that other people who understand programming more than I do will reply. But if not, you could check out the Programming subforum, and perhaps pick up some clues. I know there is one member who has used Inkscape to make a game (look in Work in Progress subforum, I think title is "Twenty Twelve").

Good luck

brynn wrote:
Welcome Dirk!

Thanks for the kind welcome, brynn!

brynn wrote:If I understand what you're asking, there's a good reason you're stumbling, lol. Inkscape doesn't have anything like an object manager, where each object is listed, ordered, can be selected, organized, etc. It's a very much requested new feature, but to my knowledge, not under development yet. You can give objects various characteristics, using Object Properties, found either by right-click or Object menu.

Okay. Where can I sign the petition for this feature?

brynn wrote:I don't clearly understand the process you're describing, but that's only because I don't understand programming. So I don't know why you would have to click "furiously".

My "clicking furiously" remark refers to the fact that there'll be some 100 objects on a page which will be logically grouped, i.e., I want to manipulate sets of these in the same way during design time. Grouping isn't perfect as solution because one and the same object may belong to several logical groups.

---Dirk Bock

You can search the bug tracker, which is also where new feature requests can be found. https://launchpad.net/inkscape I think you'd have to register to be able to add your support. If you do, look for a text link that says "This affects me too" or something like that. Then you will be (or can be) updated every time there's a new comment posted.