Inkscape is an Open Source vector graphics editor, with capabilities similar to Illustrator, Freehand, CorelDraw, or Xara X using the W3C standard Scalable Vector Graphics (SVG) file format. Supported SVG features include shapes, paths, text, markers, clones, alpha blending, transforms, gradients, patterns, and grouping. Inkscape also supports Creative Commons meta-data, node editing, layers, complex path operations, bitmap tracing, text-on-path, flowed text, direct XML editing, and more. It imports formats such as JPEG, PNG, TIFF, and others and exports PNG as well as multiple vector-based formats. Inkscape's main goal is to create a powerful and convenient drawing tool fully compliant with XML, SVG, and CSS standards. We also aim to maintain a thriving user and developer community by using open, community-oriented development.
http://www.inkscape.org/


I have tried this for making skins, here is how to do it:
*Open the program
*Import an image (default "blank" skin)
*Draw your skin on top of the default skin... You will have to play and learn the very powerful features.
*save your image somewhere as whatever.svg (which allows you to open and edit it more later.
**Export BMP... write file name (example) XRR_myskin.jpg and export it to your LFS data/Skins directory. You will have to click save in the export dialog then "export" and it will save your image as a .jpg Also, Select export "Drawing" on the top of the export dialog.



This is very powerful opensource software. I have been using it in Linux for quite some time. The Windows version is just as good. Hope someone gets some use out of this.

can you send a pic of one you made

To be honest I am hardly ever in windows anymore. Im in Linux right now. The one I made while in Windows was just testing if it would be good for skinning. I can assure you it is.

I just wanted to share this with the community.

Just give it a try.

I'll tell you what.. let me go see if I can access one of the blank skins and I will bring you a screenshot .... be back soon

I know its not pretty.. but Like I said it was a test. I used stock icons (svg format) from some opensource icons.



I cant give you a screenshot cause the Viewer will not run in Linux.

The program is looking quite handy, Chad. Good post. :up:

awesomeness, im not sure, but ill check with my other half in downloading this, good job finding it...

I've been looking for something like this for a while :up:

i have photoshop, but im always willing to give open source a go!

here is a quick skin I banged out with Inkscape and then added a few small touches with The Gimp.
NOTE: I know there are a few areas that need adjustments.. I was in Linux when I made this.

I took screenshots from windows.

the website owners are saying things about it not being a virus look back at their webpage... check and see if it is picked up by anything plz. thank you

Quote from imthebestracerthereis :

the website owners are saying things about it not being a virus look back at their webpage... check and see if it is picked up by anything plz. thank you

Do it yourself you lazy sod. OR use common sense.

Crumbut puts effort into finding and writing about a useful program which he has obviously been using for a while, and you ask him to search it for viruses.

back OT

Nice program dude, always good to find a feature packed freeware app. Cheers for the heads up.

And where HAVE u been for all these months

where have I been...

well I havent been able to be involved with games much because I mostly stay in Linux. I am wishing for LFS Linux one day but it looks very grim. I have found a real love with the way Linux of today operate so smoothly. Also I have been focusing more on Family and work.

Thanks for asking.

Quote from imthebestracerthereis :

the website owners are saying things about it not being a virus look back at their webpage... check and see if it is picked up by anything plz. thank you

because if they say it isnt a virus then it MUST be an evl communist viral plot!

I might give this a try, i like GIMP, but floating windows doesnt work in windows to well

OT, can you tell me about your PCLinux OS? i like SUSE, but use Ubuntu because its just so bullet proof, but would like to know more about it

PCLinuxOS is / was a fork from Mandriva (AKA Mandrake), as such its RPM based (a la Redhat), although uses the ported APT toolkit for package management, if I remember correctly. Its very desktop orientated, and provides common multimedia format support out of the box.

Someone I know described Ubuntu as Debian for desktop configured properly. Perhaps PCLinuxOS is best described as RedHat Linux configured properly; although in my opinion its almost redundant now that Fedora is around.

oh, Mandrake , not the best distro ive ever tried (reminds me, must try Solaris one day), at least, not for me

Bear in mind it's nothing like Mandrake was. Thats the nature of a code fork - some developers don't agree with how things are going (this gets into the whole politics of forking, which I believe most people would find horrendously boring, so I won't drag anyone into it; right now), and then they take the code base and change it.

If you really want to "try" Solaris, use a proper SUN box. Like a Sun Fire V100 or something, otherwise I really don't see the point. It's just another kernel, some tools and Gnome as a DE these days. If you're interested in an OpenSolaris distro thats desktop orientated, Nexenta would be interesting to look at. Sorry, its debian orientated again (I am a debian guy after all) but uses the OpenSolaris kernel. It's interesting and has some drivers that linux doesn't have available, not to mention tools like dtrace (although I believe thats also been ported).

I'd also like to point out that InkScape also runs within Windows, or at least it did last time I looked.

Edit: Btw welcome back crumbut, it'll be nice to have you around again (if you're going to stick around that is)

@Crumbut

Having previously used GIMP for making my LFS skins, I found it to be a bit cumbersome and particularly frustrating for making vector-like shapes etc.

As you have used both would you say it offers a far easier skinning environment in terms of quality and creation of vectors?

Also you said you used GIMP to touch up that last skin, why? The reason I ask as I have yet to find a complete package to do-it-all.

Thanks

paint.net is a good program too

mrbogeyman: if your looking for an easy SVG editor / creator Inkscape is the one. Its my first real experience with vector graphics and I must say I love how easy it is.

I used Gimp, but only added a few brush effects in there. The Vector stuff is all Inkscape. And my examples above are very poor. I have used Inkscape to trace images to make them into Vector. Most Icons used in Linux now are made with inkscape. It is simply awsome stuff.

Jakg: I am still fairly new to Linux period. But as everyone does.. I started using Linux by way of testing distros left and right. I tried nearly all except Suse. I always found myself back with PCLOS. I think its the community drive behind the product that drew me back every time. It is derived or forked from many distros not just Mandrake. It has the best features from each. You can install it from the Live Cd, you can then edit it however you wish and make your own Live Cd. It uses Synaptic package manager with a great team keeping the repository filled with whatever you crave. if its not there, request it and the team of admins try their best to get it there.
The community is a big part of what makes PCLOS so great. Everyone put forth whatever they can to support it.. there is no required donations, or contributions but you do see most users offering whatever they can. It reminds me of the LFS/RSC communities. give it a try. take a look at my PCLOS pages http://crumbut.googlepages.com (not much there yet but Its my promotional page for it.

taa: thanks for the welcome. I dont know if Im back around to stay.. I just wanted to share Inkscape here. It does run in Windows. If we could ever get a Linux version of the CMX viewer I'd be around more.. but really wanting a Linux LFS I have always loved skinning LFS.. to be honest I suck at driving LFS.. I just love skinning

here are some examples of images created with Inkscape.

http://www.openclipart.org/cgi-bin/navigate/computer

That link will take you to the "computer" stuff but there are many catagories. Browse around.

Quote from crumbut :

I cant give you a screenshot cause the Viewer will not run in Linux.

Works fine for me with CVS version of Cedega, which I installed using the excellent WineCVS script.

This program needs to support more vector format file types before it will be taken seriously by professionals, but the future looks good. This could serve as a great vehicle to bring vector art into the hands of the layman.

Quote from crumbut :

here are some examples of images created with Inkscape.

http://www.openclipart.org/cgi-bin/navigate/computer

That link will take you to the "computer" stuff but there are also many catagories. Browse around.

If I remember correctly all of the icons created by the Tango Project (tango.freedesktop.org) are made via InkScape (to fill you in, Tango is the current icon-set and look that most gnome orientated distros appear to be starting to favour - its interesting to see what can be done if you have "teh m@d sk1llz").

Vaguely related to InkScape, but not at all to LFS; the InkScape Forums. Cory seems to have a nice shiny new domain, and is going to be hosting competitions. Perhaps some of you guys maybe interested

OT somewhat. It does my heart good to see all these people talking of my favorite OS. Other than that, Inkscape, Gimp and Linux help me with my skinning needs. On the post by Crumbut he said " I cant give you a screenshot cause the Viewer will not run in Linux." The Viewer works well under Cedega (unfortunatly). I am also running LFS with great results (40 to 150 FPS depending on load.) I too hope that we can get a Linux Port one day. If anyone needs some help with Linux for Speed please don't hesitate to ask.