• Introduction
• Manual has moved!
• Why use Inkscape?
• Professional Software
• About this Book
• Installing Inkscape
• Windows
• Mac OS X
• Gnu/Linux
• Getting Around in Inkscape
• Interface
• Managing the Workspace
• Drawing with Geometrical Shapes
• Ways of Drawing with Inkscape
• Shape Tools
• The Selector Tool
• Squares and Rectangles
• Circles, Ellipses and Arcs
• Stars and Polygons
• Spirals
• 3D-Boxes
• Freehand Drawing
• Freehand Drawing
• The Pencil Tool
• The Pen Tool
• The Calligraphy Tool
• Boolean Operations
• About Nodes
• Editing Paths
• Stacking Order
• Align and Distribute
• The Node Tool
• Tracing an Image
• The Tweak Tool
• Color
• Colors
• The Color Palette
• The Fill And Stroke Dialog
• Custom Colors
• Copying a Color
• Creating Gradients
• Creating a Mesh Gradient
• Using Patterns
• Modifying Patterns
• Creating Custom Patterns
• Strokes
• Markers
• Ordering Markers, Stroke and Fill
• Customizing Markers
• Text
• Text
• Writing Text
• Styling Text
• Changing Text Color
• Moving and Rotating Letters
• Putting Text on a Path
• Flowing Text into a Frame
• Creating Custom Fonts
• Advanced Techniques
• Beyond the Basics
• Saving Your Work
• Exporting a PDF File
• Exporting a PNG File
• Exporting to other File Formats
• Importing Pictures into a Document
• Importing other File Formats
• Copying and Duplicating Objects
• Cloning Objects
• Customizing Keyboard Shortcuts
• Clipping and Masking
• Filters
• Extensions
• Live Path Effects
• Where to Go from Here
• Test Chapter (for trying out styling)

The Node Tool

This tool offers a number of options we haven't seen yet. In this chapter we will go through them, by looking at the different icons in its tool controls bar:

[F2] or [n]

 

Insert new node. A double-click on a path segment lets you add new nodes easily directly on the canvas. If you need to add more nodes, or want to insert a node right in the middle between two other nodes, you can click on the path segment or select multiple nodes, then use the button. More nodes allow you to more precisely modify a path.

Delete selected nodes. Select the node(s) and then either use the [Del] key, or use the button. It helps to try to have as few nodes as possible, because this allows you to make changes to the objects in your drawing more quickly.

To join (merge) nodes, you need to select at least two nodes. Inkscape will try to preserve the path's shape.

Break path. This will split one node into two nodes. These two new nodes are not connected by a path segment. The new nodes only have a single handle, as they are end nodes, and they are placed directly on top of each other. This can sometimes be difficult to handle. Only use this feature when you really need it!

Join end nodes with a new segment. This is ideal for manually joining separate path pieces.

Delete segment between two non-end nodes. Breaks a path in two.

 

The next couple of icons can be used to convert one thing into a different one:

• the different node types into each other, which we already talked about in the chapter 'About nodes';
• objects to paths, as we have learnt in the chapter about Boolean operations;
• strokes of objects to separate objects;

Then, there are number fields for changing the x and y coordinate of the selected node, and a drop-down menu that allows you to change the unit for the coordinates.

 

 

These buttons determine if certain path properties will be editable and visible on the canvas.

 

An object where a node has been added by double-clicking on the path.

A stroke was added, and another node. This node was broken into two. This one looks a lot smaller. Make sure you really want this before clicking the button!

 

The segment between two nodes has been deleted.

Example of editing a path by ...

... moving a node, then ...

... changing a node's type and modifying the handles.