Inkscape

Is there a simple Eraser in inkscape? Other than MS Paint I have zero experience with this type of program, thankyou!

Asked by dougworm

I only just discovered Inkscape and started messing around with it, WOW am I impressed with how many things can de done! And on a free program! I only have used the version of MS paint that comes with windows and I see most of the few tools, but I looked and looked and can't find a simple eraser or paint brush I'm assuming these functions are handled in another way? I tried looking them up in help file but ended up here. Thanks for anyone merciful and patient enough to help a dummie.

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jazzynico (jazzynico) said : 		#1

Hi,

In version 0.46, there's no eraser. The only way to "remove" parts of an object is to tweak it with the node tool or use the clipping command (objects menu). Take a look at these manual pages:
http://en.flossmanuals.net/Inkscape/NodeTool
http://en.flossmanuals.net/Inkscape/TweakTool
http://en.flossmanuals.net/Inkscape/ClipAndMask

But the dev version (and probably version 0.47) has an eraser tool. If you really need it, give it a try!
You can download it here: http://inkscape.modevia.com/win32/?M=D

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dougworm (sinworm) said : 		#2

In a message dated 1/5/2009 10:55:33 AM Pacific Standard Time,
<email address hidden> writes:

If this answers your question, please go to the following page to let us
know that it is solved:
https://answers.launchpad.net/inkscape/+question/56437/+confirm?answer_id=0

Thanks, I had figured out a way already ...I think I was using calligraphy
pen or something with white "ink" ... and did the same thing as an eraser
basically but it would be nicer if it was just there to begin with! lol. Sounds
like it will be soon tho! Cool. Thanks again, Doug
**************New year...new news. Be the first to know what is making
headlines. (http://www.aol.com/?ncid=emlcntaolcom00000026)

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jazzynico (jazzynico) said : 		#3

Could you please mark the answer solved (it you consider it is, of course)?
Thanks.

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Tim McNamara (tim-clicks) said : 		#4

Hi Doug,

A little background to help you understand why things are behaving oddly.

One thing to note about Inkscape is that it works very differently than the way MS Paint does. MS Paint creates a grid then fills that grid in with different colours. Think of a chess game, MS Paint tells B8 to be 'blue'. Inkscape on the other hand works by creating a set of mathematical instructions that tell the computer to draw lines between points. This is how graphs are plotted.

Now, why is an eraser function hard to code? All MS Paint needs to do is to recode those grid references to white, and it's done. But if you were to think about a line on a graph - if we wanted to erase something we would need to cut the line in half and create two calculations that give the appearance of a split. This is relatively simple for a single line, but becomes more difficult for complex shapes and overlapping layers.

If you're still following this, I recommend you use Wikipedia to find out about 'vector imaging' vs 'raster imaging'.

Good luck!

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