![]() ![]() Luckily there are a number of sources you can use to get SVG graphics. I think if I had a pen tablet I could probably draw some more complicated objects but there is no way I could draw everything I might need. You will want to consult your color scheme to figure out what two colors to use for the fill and outline. I also reduce the transparency a little to allow any text on top of the object to stand out. Outlining your objects seems to make them pop a little more. Now you can just place the resulting unit over the line. Adjust the size of the box so the entire text is inside of it and then group the box and the text together as one unit. Now that you have a box create your text and lay it over the box. After you create the box you will need to force it down using the button. The easiest way I have found to overlay the text on the lines is to first create a box the same color as the background of the drawing. Overlay text on a color to go over lines. Then use the group function to group the markers with the lines.Ĩ. That hard to align the markers once you have them created. After you create your marker zoom to the end of the line to do the alignment. For one the attributes of a line don't carry over to the marker so you need them to be separate objects. I've also found that adjusting the transparency of the lines makes for a better look.Īs I said in step 6 you will want to create your own markers. When using the polygon tool don't add the end markers to the lines however because changing the color of the lines doesn't change the color of the markers (see step #7). I found that it wasn't that hard to just use the polygon tool to draw the lines after I finished laying out the objects. They do bend when you click the layout button but they are almost always too close to the objects. If you really want any type of bend you are out of luck. I found that the tool didn't work very well because the connections don't lay themselves out. I started out trying to use the connectors tool to connect the objects. Now highlight both the circle and the square: Here is an example of what a difference operation can create: You can build complex shapes using different simple shapes with path set operations (see the path menu and the advanced tutorial). Learn how to using masking to make simple shapes Since this is a vector drawing it is easy to resize the item later and place it in the correct place after returning to the normal zoom.ĥ. I use the zoom function to find a blank area in the "scratch pad" when I want to assemble a shape that may require fine tuning. Use zoom to work close in then zoom out and scale The following hot keys are the ones I use the most:Ĥ. Learning the hot keys will speed up your drawing. When you are ready to export you can export just the "page" and you won't see the outside area in the final result. This comes in handy when you want to create smaller images to use in the main drawing area. I'm using the following color scheme for the examples here:ĭon't be afraid to use the sides of the screen as a scratch pad. I like because they take items like fruit baskets and convert those into schemes. You can use a color picker or you can check out where people vote on different schemes. You don't want the boring black and white diagrams, you want something that has a little color to it. This is one of the most important things you need to do. After installing Inkscape it is a good idea to browse their tutorials via the help->tutorials menu. They have binaries for Linux, Windows and Mac OS X so it should be easy enough to get it installed. ![]() You will want to download Inkscape first. I've put together a list of 10 tips that will help make better looking diagrams with Inkscape. But for those of us without a Mac or who are just very cheap I think the best solution starts with Inkscape. If you have a Mac you are probably not in as bad a situation since you can buy OmniGraffle for $79. ![]() I'm not creating enough diagrams to justify buying something expensive and I don't feel like finding a graphics designer to make Dia diagrams prettier. After multiple attempts to find a good free diagraming application I think I have found a decent solution. ![]()
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