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Inkscape 0.92

(definitely not released yet - AnnouncePlanning092)

Release highlights

Released on «YYYY-MM-DD».

  • The new Object dialog allows to select, label, hide and lock any object in
    the drawing from a dialog that lists them all
  • Selection sets make it possible to 'group' objects together regardless of
    document structure
  • Guides can now be locked to avoid accidental movement
  • Several new path effects have been added, among them Envelope/Perspective,
    Lattice Deformation, Mirror and Rotate Copies
  • There are several new extensions (e.g. a seamless pattern extension) and a
    new filter (colorblindness simulation) included in the release, many old
    extensions have been updated or got new features
  • Many SVG2 and CSS3 properties are now supported for rendering (e.g.
    paint-order, mix-blend-mode)
  • Spray tool and measure tool received a set of nifty new features
  • Interactive smoothing for lines created with the Pencil tool
  • BSplines (and more) are available for the Pen tool
  • Checkerboard background can be used to more easily see object
    transparencies

Important changes

  • The default resolution was changed from 90dpi to 96dpi, to match the CSS
    standard. For more background information, please see the Wiki article
    about handling of units in Inkscape. [The best way to convert images that
    have been created with old Inkscape versions still needs to be decided and
    worked on, see release blocker bug report.]

  • For developers and packagers, the switch from autotools to CMake is a
    relevant change (users who do not compile their own version will not be
    affected). While the old system is still available for 0.92, it is now also
    possible to compile Inkscape using CMake (Background info about why this
    change was made and How to work with CMake).

Manipulating Objects

Objects Dialog

New dialog for manipulating the object tree.

  • Drag and drop reordering of objects.
  • Lock, and hide one or more items.
  • Use Ctrl+F to search for an item.
  • Select one or more objects in the drawing.
  • Shows individual objects as well as layers.
  • Ability to change highlight color of objects.
  • Ability to set blend mode per object.

Imported from Ponyscape.

Selection Sets Dialog

New dialog that allows the creation of selection sets that are not affected by
document structure.

Usage:

  • Open Dialog with 'Object > Selection sets'

  • To create a new selection set:

 1. Click on the '+' button at the bottom of the dialog to create a new
    selection set (double-click on its label to edit)

  • To add objects to a selection set:

 1. select object on the canvas
 2. in the 'Selection sets' dialog click on the '+' icon before the selection
    set in the list

  • To select all objects of a selection set:

 1. deselect any existing selection and click on the selection set in the list

  • To remove an object from a selection set

 1. select the selection set in the dialog
 2. click on 'Items' to show all objects in the set
 3. select an object on the canvas or in the Items list in the dialog
 4. click on the 'Delete' icon (trashbin) before the object in the list

  • To delete a selection set, select it in the list and click on the '-'
    button at the bottom of the dialog

Text

Font Features

It is now possible to take advantage of OpenType tables to select alternative
glyphs from a font. For this, a third tab ('Variants') has been added to the
'Text and Font' dialog. Note that browser support is still limited. Inkscape
must also be linked with a recent version of the Pango library.

Vertical Text

Support for vertical text layout has been improved.

  • The default behavior for Latin bases glyphs has been changed. They are now
    rotated sideways as required by the SVG 1.1 standard.
  • Support for the CSS 3 'text-orientation' property has been added. (Note
    that this property is not yet fully supported by browsers.)
  • The CSS 3 values for the 'writing-mode' property are supported in
    rendering. Saving still uses the deprecated SVG 1.1 values.

Accessibility

Converting text to a path will save the text in the 'aria-label' attribute.
This is useful for accessibility and could eventually be used by Inkscape to
reconstruct the text.

Other

Line height setting now allows you to select a unit.

Live Path Effects

  • Now some suitable LPEs can be applied to clips and masks.
  • Helper lines come again to life.
  • The option to add a bend path directly was added to the pen/pencil shape
    combo box.

Spiro Live

Extended video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bFakiI5f0-Y

Based upon Spiro Live Path Effect, now shows the result while drawing.

  • Cusp nodes can be created by holding down the Shift key.
  • When you append a path in cusp and Spiro mode, the helper preview path will
    be displayed.

Spirolive.gif

BSpline

Extended video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vwV0DHvA-OE

Pen & Node mode

Uses the BSpline Live Path Effect while creating and editing paths.

  • Works with Pen and Pencil tool directly.
  • Create cusp nodes by holding down the Shift key (Pen/Bézier tool only).
  • When a path is appended, a preview helper path will also be shown.
  • Hold down Shift key and drag on a handle to change the weight of a bspline
    in node tool.
  • Custom weight steps are applied by holding CTRL down and dragging on a
    handle with the node tool (no Shift key required).
  • Double-click on a handle resets weight to default

Bspline.gif Bspline2.gif

Live Path Effect mode

Bspline3.gif
 

The options in the Live Path Effect dialog give you full control over bspline
paths.

  • Option to set to Default weight (0.3333 times curve segment)
  • Option to make nodes cusp
  • Numeric input for weight
  • Option to set number of Steps with CTRL to quickly snap the weight in node/
    handle editing
  • Apply changes if weight ... applies changes in the widgets to all nodes
    with weight == 0 or weight > 0 or both, for example, retains cusp nodes
    when you change the weight and have unselected "Apply changes if weight ==
    0".
  • Change only selected nodes applies to all other widgets changes.
  • Shows a helper path with the final shape and the generated new nodes.

Roughen

Roughen.png
 

Extended video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=130Dbt0juvY

This path effect is a semi-clone of two extensions, ("add nodes" and "jitter
nodes") and handles units.

The parameters are similar to both extensions and adds a global randomizer.

  • Can be applied to paths, shapes and groups.
  • Can be applied to clips and masks, if they are vector objects.

Roughen.gif

Simplify

Simplify.png
 

Extended video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gaWujN_iTSk

Simplifies a vector element using a non-destructive live path effect.

  • Can be used on paths, shapes and groups of these.
  • Can be applied to clips and masks, if they are vector objects
  • The effect's threshold can be modified in the preferences dialog, by
    setting a numeric parameter.
  • Apply Simplify multiple times in the same LPE.

Simplify.gif

This path effect can optionally be applied directly via the pencil/freehand
drawing tool's tool bar when creating a new path. It then replaces the normal
smoothing (which would be a destructive operation).

Perspective/Envelope

Perspective-envelope.png
 

Extended video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CjKGatyxTZ8

Both deformations can be applied by specifying 4 points.

  • Two modes, perspective and envelope
  • Can be used on paths, shapes and groups.
  • Also works with vector clips and masks.

Perspective-envelope.gif

Lattice Deformation 2

Latice2.png
 

Extended video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YlK9L88_tWE
Symmetry video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jhuVjqFA6ig

  • Deforms an object by 25 handles arranged in a mesh
  • Optionally deforms symmetrically along vertical or horizontal axis or both.
  • Can be applied to paths, shapes and groups.
  • Also works on vector clips and masks.

Latice2.gif

Show Handles

ShowHandles.png
 

Extended video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h9ul_PR9XYo

An LPE version of the Show Handles extension.

  • Works on paths, shapes and groups.
  • Works on clones.
  • Node and Handle shapes are resizeable
  • If not applied to a clone, this is a destructive LPE, it does not save
    styles, better work on a copy!

ShowHandles.gif

Transform by two points

TransformByTwoKnots.png
 

Extended video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZLmYdWoXXIw
Extended video (Elastic rubber): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lOWTeZC_LjM

Transforms an element by two control points (e.g. moving, skewing, resizing and
rotation). You can position the control points on the bounding box edge
midpoints or by the index of the nodes of the original path. Thanks to Ivan
Louette for the idea for this effect!

  • Works on paths, shapes. With groups you have limited features constrained
    to bounding box.
  • Allows snapping of both control points.
  • Allows to fix angle or distance.
  • Elastic mode to simulate a rubber band path.
  • Two bounding box edge midpoints can be used as control points if 'From
    original width' is active.

TransformByTwoKnots.gif

Rotate copies

[170px-LPERotateCopies]
 
Rotate Copies LPE

Extended video (partial fuse path): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UpI8gRbkTu4
Extended video (live editing): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fBQpvfgT4mE
Extended video (kaleidoscope): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LfMixSKy3Eo

Arranges identical elements dynamically on an arc or circle.

  • Works on paths, shapes and groups of paths.
  • Allows to fuse the result to create kaleidoscope-like effects
  • Allows to arrange the copies on an arc when the 360° copies checkbox is not
    checked.
  • Live editing.

Mirror Symmetry

[170px-LPEMirror]
 
Mirror LPE

Extended video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m1sj4AeU3Yo
Mirrors an item dynamically.

  • Works on paths, shapes and groups.
  • Allows to fuse the result.
  • Different mirror lines: Free, bounding box center X, bounding box center Y,
    Document center X, Document center Y.

Attach Path

[80px-LPEAt]
 
Attach Path LPE

Connect a path to another path (optionally at each end), by attaching it to a
specified location on the other path (specified as in <node number>.<fraction
of segment length>, or by dragging a handle).

The connecting curve segment can be shaped with handles, or by entering a
number.

This LPE makes it possible for the first time to have 'crossings' between paths
that move with the path when it is modified, which isn't possible within the
SVG specification.

Bounding Box

[80px-LPEBo]
 
Bounding Box LPE

An arbitrary path can be used to serve as a bounding box rectangle for the path
that is linked. It will follow all transformations of the linked path. This
can, for example, be used to provide a background for exporting as png.

Ellipse by 5 Points

[80px-LPEEl]
 
Ellipse by 5 Points LPE

An ellipse will be constructed, whose circumference will go through each of the
nodes of a 5-node path.

Fill between Many

[80px-LPEFi]
 
Fill Between Many LPE

Adds a fill to a collection of independent open paths, connecting their ends
with straight lines.

  • The LPE is applied to one path (which will be converted into the fill, and
    serves as a 'container' for the effect).
  • The other paths, which are part of the drawing, can then be added to it by
    copy-pasting in the LPE dialog.
  • The order in which the paths are filled can be changed, and the direction
    can be reversed for each path independently.

Now it is possible to apply the kind of path effects which only work on a path
without subpaths (PowerStroke, Taper Stroke, ...) to the single paths (see
image for an example).

Fill between Strokes

[80px-LPEFi]
 
Fill Between Strokes LPE

  • Similar to 'Fill between Many', but can only be used on two open paths, to
    fill them seamlessly.
  • Requires a 'container' path, which will turn into the fill after the first
    path has been added to the LPE.
  • Connects one couple of path ends with a stroke, if the path that functions
    as a container has a stroke set.
  • Can also be used to apply a duplicate stroke.

Interpolate Points

[80px-LPEIn]
 
Interpolate Points LPE variations

This LPE redraws all path segments, using one of the following interpolation
methods:

  • Centripetal Catmull-Rom
  • CubicBezierFit
  • CubicBezierJohan
  • Linear
  • SpiroInterpolator

Join Type

[80px-LPEJo]
 
Join Type LPE variations

The LPE allows you to set the type of connection to be used on cusp nodes and
path end caps.

  • Available join types:
      □ Beveled
      □ Extrapolated Arc
      □ Extrapolated Arc Alt1
      □ Extrapolated Arc Alt2
      □ Extrapolated Arc Alt3
      □ Miter
      □ Miter Clip
      □ Rounded
  • Available end cap types:
      □ Butt
      □ Peak
      □ Rounded
      □ Square
  • Set Miter limit
  • Set stroke width

Taper Stroke

[80px-LPETa]
 
Taper Stroke LPE variations

Draw tapered strokes with different settings for open paths without subpaths.

  • Change width of stroke ends with handles on both ends, or by entering
    offset numerically
  • Different amounts of rounding can be applied
  • Stroke width can be changed
  • Join type for cusp nodes can be selected:
      □ Beveled
      □ Extrapolated
      □ Miter
      □ Rounded

Pen / Bézier tool

  • New shortcut to automatically close a path when it is being drawn: Shift +
    Enter

Spray tool

Extended video 1 (No overlap): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uehj4ATOWos
Extended video 2 (No overlap multiple items): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=
1eTG2U3qlb4
Extended video 3 (Over visible, pick color): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=
aTdKu7mAZE8
Extended video 4 (Pressure): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kWdQnxd_z30
Extended video 5 (Trace -clones- dialog): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=
Zn3vzf-yA_w

  • New eraser mode
  • More pressure toggles added
  • "No overlap" option with optional multiple elements
  • "No overlap" option between different background colors
  • Configurable offset for overlaps
  • Color picker from center or average area
  • Apply picked color to fill
  • Apply picked color to stroke
  • Invert picked colors
  • Spray over transparent background areas
  • Spray over non-transparent background areas
  • Makes use of "Trace the drawing" options from Tiled Clones dialog

Measure tool

Extended video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OE0cVDGCzbM

  • Measure is kept until a new one is made (only visible when using measure
    tool)
  • Repositioning of origin/end
  • Convert to object
  • Convert to guides
  • Add just the distance measurement, consisting of editable text and a line
    indicating start and end
  • Display a 'phantom measurement' temporarily to be able to compare two
    measurements
  • Reverse origin/end
  • Measure global
  • Measure only current layer
  • Change precision

Align and Distribute

  • NEW: drop-down chooser with options to align nodes relative to each other
    in node editing mode.

Import / Export

Export PDF / EPS / PS

  • The default PostScript level for exporting from the command line changes
    from 2 to 3 (consistent with the user interface PS exporter which defaults
    to level 3). Level 3 is required for gradient support.

Export Optimized SVG

  • Completely redesigned settings dialog
  • Starting with version 0.92, Inkscape uses the Scour version installed on
    the system (e.g. via "pip install scour") instead of a bundled version so
    you can always profit from the latest improvements
  • A lot of new features and fixes in the Scour module itself, check out the
    release notes (Scour 0.26 from 2011-05-09 was the version that has been
    bundled with Inkscape 0.91)

Export to PNG

  • PNG file extension is now enforced, to prevent exporting with invalid /
    misleading file extensions.

Extensions

New

  • Render > Seamless Pattern (Screencast)
  • Images > Set Image Attributes (Bug #1357808, can be used to fix the scaling
    problem of raster images in SVGs created with previous Inkscape versions)
  • Render > NiceCharts (github repo, not maintained)
  • Arrange > Deep Ungroup (Bug #171117)

Plotter Driver

Multiple Pens

The Plotter driver (Extensions -> Export -> Plot) can now handle multiple pens
to create colorful drawings on Pen Plotters:

  • Create a layer for every pen to use and move the corresponding drawings
    into it
  • Name the layer with a title like "Pen 1" or "MyLayerName Pen 1", where the
    number corresponds to the pen number the plotter should use
  • The layer name always overrides the standard pen setting in the plot menu

Serial Connection

The connection settings now allow you to specify rarely used serial connection
settings like byte size, stop bits and parity. Most plotters use the default
settings, so only change these if you know what you are doing.

HPGL Export

The HPGL export (File -> Save as -> HP Grafics Language file) has now the same
multiple pens feature as the #Plotter Driver.

HPGL Import

The HPGL import (File -> Open -> Select .hpgl file) can now import multiple
pens into corresponding layers, see #Plotter Driver for more information.

PDF Import

The image 'interpolate' value is now used to determine how to display bitmaps
(interpolated or blocky).

Miscellaneous Improvements

  • Arrange > Restack has new options to reverse and shuffle the z-order of
    selected objects.
  • Render > Random Tree has new option to omit redundant segments.
  • Visualize Path > Measure Path has additional text layout options.
  • Render > Barcode was updated with new EAN2 code and extended EAN13 with
    automatic EAN2 and EAN5 additions
  • Color > Randomize now allows to set the range for randomization, and (with
    some limits) can now also randomize opacity
  • Modify Path > Jitter nodes was partially rewritten and now also supports
    Pareto and Log-Normal distributions.

Extension Development

  • It is now possible for an extension to retrieve a list of selected nodes
    (See Bug #171287 for an example extension).

Filters / Blend Modes

New Filters

  • Color > Color Blindness filter allows to simulate different color blindness
    conditions.

New Blend Modes

Blend Modes can now be applied to single objects as well as to layers.

In addition to the previously available modes 'Multiply', 'Screen', 'Darken'
and 'Lighten', the following modes are now available:

  • Overlay
  • Color Dodge
  • Color Burn
  • Hard Light
  • Soft Light
  • Difference
  • Exclusion
  • Hue
  • Saturation
  • Color
  • Luminosity

Other dialogs

Document Properties: Licences

All selectable licences have been updated to most current version.

Filter Editor

Filter list now displays how often a filter is used.

Menus

  • 'Resize page to selection' added to Edit menu, shortcut: Shift+Ctrl+R
  • 'Pop selection out of group' available in context menu of objects which are
    part of a group, when the group has been entered, and via the 'Objects'
    menu. It will move the object up by one level in the grouping hierarchy.
  • 'Create Clip Group' from context menu groups the selected objects and clips
    that group with a clone of itself. This allows for quick creation of, for
    example, inset shadows.

Other user interface

Node Snapping

Snapping in the node tool has been improved:

  • When double clicking to insert new nodes, the position of these new nodes
    will snap to for example path intersections and to path-guide intersections
  • When grabbing a segment of a path and dragging it to deform it, the pointer
    will now snap

Checkerboard Background

It is now possible to use a checkerboard background when editing. This allows
one to clearly see the transparency of objects.

View Box

One can now set the SVG 'viewBox' attribute from the GUI. This attribute sets
the scale of the drawing by determining the real-world value of the SVG user
unit (pixel size).

Lock Guides

Now guides can be locked and unlocked globally or individually.

Panning

Panning with space bar can now be deactivated in the Preferences (uncheck
Behavior > Scrolling > Mouse Move pans when Space is pressed).

SVG and CSS

  • The 'marker-orientation' property now recognizes units ('deg', 'rad',
    'grad' and 'turn').
  • The new SVG 2 'context-fill' and 'context-stroke' properties are
    implemented which allows the auto-matching of arrowhead fill color to path
    stroke color.
  • The new SVG 2 marker orientation attribute value 'auto-start-reverse' is
    implemented. This allows one arrow marker to be used for both ends of a
    path.
  • The new CSS 3 'mix-blend-mode' and 'isolation' properties are implemented,
    allowing setting the blend mode between objects without using filters.
  • The new SVG 2 'paint-order' property is now supported. This allows setting
    the order in which the fill, stroke, and markers are drawn (buttons will be
    available in the Fill and Stroke dialog).
  • The new SVG 2 'mesh' paint server is supported, including bicubic
    auto-smoothing. A primitive GUI is available.
  • The SVG 1.1 'text-decoration' property is now rendered (underlines, strike
    through, etc.). CSS 3 'text-decoration' properties are also rendered.
  • The new SVG 2 'hatch' paint server is now supported.
  • The CSS 'white-space' property is now supported. Use of this property was
    added in SVG 2 to replace the now deprecated 'xml;space' attribute.
  • The SVG 1.1 'textLength" and 'textAdjust' attributes are implemented,
    however, there is no GUI for these attributes.
  • Rendering of the Component Transfer filter primitive has been corrected.
  • Units are now recognized in the text and tspan 'x', 'y', 'dx', and 'dy'
    attributes.
  • Percentage values are now interpreted correctly for shapes.

New SVG 2 and CSS 3 features are generally not enabled in the GUI until
widespread support in browsers.

New dependencies

  • The Paintbucket and Trace Bitmap tools now use an external copy of the
    Potrace library, which is available in many Linux distributions or can be
    obtained from http://potrace.sourceforge.net
  • Export to Optimized SVG now depends upon an external copy of the Scour
    python module, which can be obtained via pip (pip install scour), package
    management (version may be outdated) or from the scour project github site.
    For Windows versions, the module is included.

Translations

New UI translations for Assamese, Bodo, Dogri, Gujarati, Hindi, Icelandic,
Kannada, Kashmiri (Perso-Arabic and Devanagari), Konkani (Latin and Devanagari
scripts), Maithili, Malayalam, Manipuri (Meetei Mayek and Bengali scripts),
Marathi, Odia, Santali (Devanagari and Ol-Chiki scripts), Sanskrit, Sindhi,
Tamil, Urdu (Perso-Arabic and Devanagari scripts). Many other translations have
been updated and improved.

Notable Bugfixes

  • Severe performance issues on MS Windows, 64bit Inkscape builds on systems
    with Intel graphic cards (hiding the rulers was a workaround for Inkscape
    0.91). (bug #1351597)
  • On MS Windows, 64bit Inkscape builds, printing may result in mostly black
    pages when partial opacity is used in the document (bug #1418865)
  • Printing offsets page (Windows) (bug #918319)
  • "Tiled Clones" inside transformed groups/layers in resized documents are
    displaced (bug #168651)
  • Displaced clones, offsets (bug #844909, bug #653574, bug #1152657, bug #
    1245339, bug #168013, bug #177751)
  • Crash on quit before saving has completed, resulting in incompletely saved
    files (bug #967416)
  • Guides: Colour not rendered opening saved document (bug #1374870)
  • Text tool: Fails to set new default font family (bug #1227232)
  • Extensions: Failure with documents lacking width/height attributes (bug #
    1461346, bug #1463623)
  • UI: Missing icons with Gtk+'s built-in icon theme (Windows, OS X) (bug #
    1269698)
  • Text rendering cuts off trailing character (bug #1283194, bug #1450675)
  • Paste style - markers are omitted (bug #1467674)
  • DXF export doesn't support <line> and <circle> elements (bug #1474347, bug
    #1489320
  • Crash when importing raster images of different file types (bug #1467103)
  • Filter effects and blur quality options broken (bug #1512729) (This means
    if you had your filter effects set for Average in 0.91, you may need to
    reset to Better or Best in 0.92 to have the same quality of display.)
  • Shape: 'Triangle in' and 'Triangle out' are identical (bug #1525401)


Many other crashes, memory leaks and lots of little things have also been
fixed. For an exhaustive list of bugs that have been fixed, please see the
milestones page for Inkscape 0.92 and the milestones page for the (not
released) Inkscape version 0.91.1.

Known Issues

  • Fonts that are loaded by font managing software on Windows are not
    available for selection in Inkscape (bug #1416674)
  • Dialogs that have been minimized do not open again until their icon in the
    dock is clicked on (bug #1270295, will be fixed in 0.93)
  • The opacity indicator isn't initialized correctly (0% opacity even when the
    object is fully opaque, bug #1463078, will be fixed in 0.93)

[Please fill in - unit change, extension]


For information on prior releases, please see:
    http://wiki.inkscape.org/wiki/index.php/Inkscape
