Hi I am new here and I have some questions about inkscape.

1) How can you bend rectangles to circles to fit on hats for examples or as a belt. 2) Also when I make swords and the blade is seperate from the hanld how can I manipulate the handles to fit on the blades. 3) ok like when i put hair or a hat on the characters how can I combine them to look as one piece.

pLEASE HELP ME OUT. THANKS

Welcome to InkscapeForum!

1 - There may be a couple of ways to do this. One way would be to just draw it that way:

1a - draw rectangle
1b - Path menu > Object to Path
1c - Switch to Node tool and use it to drag the top and bottom paths of the rectangle into gentle curves.

Or you could use the LPE (Live Path Effect) Envelope Deformation, which is Path menu > Path Effects Editor > Envelope Deformation. This may be a bit advanced for a new user. Be sure to consult Help menu > Inkscape manual and find the chapter on LPEs (or Path Effects) (I'm not sure what it's called there.)

2 - I'm not sure exactly what you mean here. Could you show us a screenshot of what you've drawn so far? With Inkscape, one node can have only 2 path segments connected to it. So you can't have a node with 3 or 4 or 5 or anything more than 2 segments. So if you have a place like this, you can only place the 2 items (sword handle and blade for example) next to each other, or having nodes overlap each other. Snapping is a good thing to use for aligning objects. Or you could Group them. Or even Combine. Or maybe you're looking for Path menu > Union? We just need to see your drawing, to be able to offer suggestions.

3 - So you want the head and the hat to be all one single path? If that's what you mean, then Union is probably the easiest solution. You could use node editing, if you need real precision. This is done with the Node tool, and involves breaking paths, deleting parts, joining nodes and combining paths, etc. But a screenshot would be helpful here too, because I'm not entirely sure I understand what you're asking.

I found Help menu > Tutorials to be very helpful when I first started learning Inkscape. Because they actually are Inkscape documents, after you read about a particular technique, you can practice it right there on the illustrations! The Help menu really is helpful!!

Thanks for the information now how can I show you my scrrenshots so I can get and continue to get help in the future... I know I am such a newb...

You should create account on some of the free image hosting/sharing sites (i.e. imgur; PhotoBucket;ImageShack) and then use the Full editor for posting replies. Above the text box you`ll find [Img] button which would help you entering the link (from image hosting site). Pay attention on size and resolution... and that should be it ,) Full sails!

No problem
There are a few ways to make a screenshot (screen capture, snip, print screen, etc.). Windows 7 comes equipped with a Snipping Tool, which I think might be found in Start > Programs > Accessories. Or there are a multitude of such snipping or screen capture programs out there, and no doubt some free ones too.

But you don't need any special tool. If you press the Prnt Scrn button on the keyboard, it automatically copies whatever is on your screen at the moment. Then you can paste it into any graphics program, and Save As. If you have Windows, even MS Paint would work. I use it myself sometimes! Usually PNG or JPG would be the best formats for a screenshot.

Those snipping/screen capture programs usually allow you to crop the screenshot automatically, and often to add text and even some simple graphics like drawing lines, circles, arrows, etc. If you use the PrntScrn button, you have to do any cropping in the graphics program where you paste it.

So after you've created the new image (which is your screenshot) you have to get it on the internet, and in this forum, you have 2 choices.
1 -- You can upload to an image host of your choice (many options discussed in this topic: viewtopic.php?f=5&t=7). When you do that, you'll be given a URL, which is the address of the image, which is now on the internet. Copy that address. Then when you're ready to post a reply here, use the Full Editor (Post Reply button), not Quick Reply. Look at the buttons across the top of the box where you type your message, and click the "Img" button. It will automatically type a short piece of code, and the cursor will be blinking right where you need to paste the image URL (address). In this forum, you have to use Ctrl + V to paste, or right-click > Paste. (Because there's not a button for pasting in this message editor.) Then click the Preview button to make sure everything worked, before you click Submit.

2 -- You can upload it as an attachment to your reply. Again, you have to use the full editor, not Quick Reply. Type whatever you need to type, then look below the Save, Preview and Submit buttons for Upload Attachment tab and click that. Click the Browse button and select your new image. Then click Add the File button. Again, I would suggest using Preview button, to make sure everything looks like you want.

If you're planning to do a lot of graphics and stuff, in the future, I would suggest using an image host or file sharing websites to host your images, even just for screenshots. And if you ever want to post an image in the Finished Work or Work in Progress sub-forums here, you'll need to use a host, because attachments are not allowed in those forums.

Oh hi Maestral, you posted while I was typing! Now that I've given these instructions like 10 times in the last few years, I'm gonna write a tutorial. It will make it much easier to post a link to it, than keep typing it out every time

ok i listened heres my try. How can i connect these swords to hilts

and how can I put these shapes together to create a human like character

i dont know how to fix the sword handle pic but I want to be able to make the handles as shown fit the blades and the characters I want to know how to blend the head and bodies together

heres a better pic i tried to keep it in the box. I want to make a hat belt and smooth the edges to ready it for animation

I think the easiest way to connect the body parts is probably Path menu > Union. You may have to convert them to paths using Path menu > Object to path, if they are not already paths. (They may be ellipse shapes still?)

You can probably zoom out a little bit, and make another screenshot of the sword image, to have the pieces all in view.

Union would also work on the sword, but if the handle and the blade will be different colors, which I assume they would be, it may be better to just place them side by side. And I (or someone) can give you instructions, once we can see the pieces a little better.

Be sure to check out those tutorials in the Help menu

Ooops, you posted another screenshot while I was typing!
You would just select all the pieces of the hat, and then Path menu > Union. Use Selection tool, and hold down Shift key to make the multiple selection.

ok Thanx