I am trying to create a figure of four small pyramids (created from 3 triangles), one at each corner of a large pyramid. The 4 smaller pyramids are supposed to be different colours, so I created one in blue with colour gradients, then just changed the colour and saved each file as its new colour. They were created in Ubuntu with Inkscape 0.45.1.

When I view the pictures individually in Inkscape (0.46) in Windows they look fine, but when I try to import them into the file containing the large pyramid, the colours change back to blue, regardless of the file I imported. If I import all four smaller pyramids, and change one of their triangle's colours, the colours of the equivalent triangle of the other pyramids change too, as if the shapes are somehow linked. The files are available here: http://dip.sun.ac.za/~fjdutoit/.

How can I merge the files without the colours changing back to blue and still using SVG for later export to EPS or PDF?

I believe the problem is that the gradient for each pyramid is named the same. When you import the pyramid it just adopts the already defined gradient with the same name, rather than preserving its own definition.

I'm not sure the best way around this. You can use the XML editor to rename the gradient to something unique. My head isn't working properly at the moment. If you're unable to figure it out on your own and nobody else advises you of a way to get around it, reply to this thread to remind me to come back and provide a proper answer.

Thanks microUgly, I'll investigate it over the weekend and get back to you next week.

I can post a copy of the merged file if you like (because I'm working on fixing this bug, and I can now import the files without messing up the gradients).