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I draw figures for my mathematical lecture notes using Inkscape (2019)

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11–20 of 79 posts

Re: I draw figures for my mathematical lecture notes using Inkscape (2019)

#12

I love inkskape, but I wish it took some interface tips from modern graphical software like Sketch. Inkscape's interface hasn't changed much in the last 15 years or more, and since then a LOT has changed in the UX world. Tools like Sketch and Figma introduced so many tiny interface and usability improvements, that when combined with each other they raise productivity be a factor of 10 or more for tasks like drawing a…

I remember I tried to use Inkscape for a logo once and was so frustrated I ended up just writing the SVG in to jsfiddle because I couldn’t work out how in Inkscape.

Re: I draw figures for my mathematical lecture notes using Inkscape (2019)

#13
post #3
post #2

These look excellent. On the other hand, I still make an embarrassing amount of technical figures using powerpoint built in shapes.

Try https://excalidraw.com/ - it's SUPER NICE for these simple "shape" diagrams.

I wish there was something as polished and easy to use as excalidraw that wasn't as minimalistic in its features.

Re: I draw figures for my mathematical lecture notes using Inkscape (2019)

#15
Of several FOSS tools I regularly use for technical diagrams Inkscape has the best balance of olskool accurate features and modern "designy" type stuff. XFig is my old friend, and I love its inbuilt library of 1970's style clip art, icons, and technical symbols. But XFig feels clunky now. Dia is a useful quick tool for drawing boxes and sticks. But Inkscape has the overall balance right. Light enough to draw a quick diagram, featured enough to design a book cover or complex layered diagram. One feature I love is scanning/tracing bitmaps to layered SVG objects that can be broken apart, simplified and remixed. I noticed when using Openshot video editor under Linux recently that it integrates seamlessly with Inkscape and Blender for designing animated titles.

Re: I draw figures for my mathematical lecture notes using Inkscape (2019)

#16

I love inkskape, but I wish it took some interface tips from modern graphical software like Sketch. Inkscape's interface hasn't changed much in the last 15 years or more, and since then a LOT has changed in the UX world. Tools like Sketch and Figma introduced so many tiny interface and usability improvements, that when combined with each other they raise productivity be a factor of 10 or more for tasks like drawing a…

What I'd like to see is a constraint solver, where e.g. you can fix distances, angles, projections, etc.

Also missing is Path->Calligraphic stroke conversion, arguably the most important tool for cartoon drawing.

Re: I draw figures for my mathematical lecture notes using Inkscape (2019)

#17

I love inkskape, but I wish it took some interface tips from modern graphical software like Sketch. Inkscape's interface hasn't changed much in the last 15 years or more, and since then a LOT has changed in the UX world. Tools like Sketch and Figma introduced so many tiny interface and usability improvements, that when combined with each other they raise productivity be a factor of 10 or more for tasks like drawing a…

As a counterpoint, I recently had to use Inkscape for a few non-trivial tasks after not having used it for years, and I was pleasantly surprised that all the tools and functionalities were still in the same place as they were all those years ago. I was extremely glad that I did not have to struggle with and decipher a newfangled UX but could instead just do what I wanted in a quick and easy fashion without having to relearn it.

Re: I draw figures for my mathematical lecture notes using Inkscape (2019)

#18
post #16

I love inkskape, but I wish it took some interface tips from modern graphical software like Sketch. Inkscape's interface hasn't changed much in the last 15 years or more, and since then a LOT has changed in the UX world. Tools like Sketch and Figma introduced so many tiny interface and usability improvements, that when combined with each other they raise productivity be a factor of 10 or more for tasks like drawing a…

What I'd like to see is a constraint solver, where e.g. you can fix distances, angles, projections, etc. Also missing is Path->Calligraphic stroke conversion, arguably the most important tool for cartoon drawing.

Having experimented a bit in the space i think constraint solvers are actually a little overhyped for 2d drawing. I find just being able to do math and rendering the drawing from text to be enough.

Re: I draw figures for my mathematical lecture notes using Inkscape (2019)

#19
post #13
post #3

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Try https://excalidraw.com/ - it's SUPER NICE for these simple "shape" diagrams.

I wish there was something as polished and easy to use as excalidraw that wasn't as minimalistic in its features.

I like the minimalist featureset. I end up making the sketch, not shaving the yak. Yes a rectangle makes a perfectly good text input, and also a mobile phone screen. It's a versatile shape!

Re: I draw figures for my mathematical lecture notes using Inkscape (2019)

#20

I love inkskape, but I wish it took some interface tips from modern graphical software like Sketch. Inkscape's interface hasn't changed much in the last 15 years or more, and since then a LOT has changed in the UX world. Tools like Sketch and Figma introduced so many tiny interface and usability improvements, that when combined with each other they raise productivity be a factor of 10 or more for tasks like drawing a…

As a counterpoint, I recently had to use Inkscape for a few non-trivial tasks after not having used it for years, and I was pleasantly surprised that all the tools and functionalities were still in the same place as they were all those years ago. I was extremely glad that I did not have to struggle with and decipher a newfangled UX but could instead just do what I wanted in a quick and easy fashion without having to…

If you know Inkscape, you'll feel right at home with Sketch. The extra functionality I'm talking is usually unlocked with additional hotkeys and visual helpers that appear by themselves when dragging things around. I'm not exaggerating about 10x productivity boost, it is really that big.
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