InkStitch - installation

Objectives

• Understand the purpose of InkStitch
• Install InkStitch
• Run a InkStitch annotated SVG file

See also

• InkStitch - basic use

• Quality: to improve

• Difficulty: beginner

Installation

This extension software was first tested with Ubuntu 16x and Windows 10 on May 3 2018. We managed to produce embroidery files for both Linux and Windows. Since Ink/Stitch is an extension of the Inkscape drawing program, you will have to install a recent version of Inkscape. See the next item.

Inkscape installation

Install Inkscape if it is not already installed on your computer. This software runs on Windows (all versions), MacOS, and Linux. We also recommend using the latest stable InkScape version. So, before installing Ink/Stitch, upgrade InkScape.

Download link (Windows, Mac, some Linux)

• https://inkscape.org/en/ (home page of Inkscape, follow the download links)

Windows

Take the desktop version, not the app store version, i.e. 64-bit-architecture

If you got a high resolution screen, then use the two following strategies:

• Within Inkscape, use Edit->Preferences->Interface to set icon sizes. I use "large"
• Also, in the same settings, adjust the zoom correction factor to make the display wysiwyg. I use 147. If you look at a drawing with 1:1 zoom, the dimensions in mm should be correct if you measure it with a ruler.

Ubuntu

Ubuntu users may have to use Inkscape's official Personal Package Archive (PPA). E.g., by default, Ubuntu 16.04LTS distributes an old 0.91 version that lacks the object browser. So, open a terminal and add the repository, then upgrade

sudo add-apt-repository ppa:inkscape.dev/stable
sudo apt-get update
sudo apt upgrade

Mac

Make sure to pick the right version !

Read this https://inkstitch.org/docs/install/#macos

Language files

For people with system administration skills (only): Let us assume that you contribute to the translation effort at . You can test the translation file by replacing the "*.mo" file in your language directory.

• Get a po file from a recent developer version, e.g. the master branch
• create a *.mo from a *.po file, under Linux do something like.

msgfmt -o inkstitch.mo messages_fr_FR.po

• Backup file inkscape/extensions/inkstitch/bin/locales/fr_FR directory/inkstitch.mo to inkstitch.mo.old
• Copy the file to the inkscape/extensions/inkstitch/bin/locales/fr_FR directory

Configuration

Language

Language of downloaded Inkstitch files should match language of Inscape and language of OS.

Your can set the language in Inkscape: Edit -> Preferences -> Interface -

Show path outlines and directions

In order to create satin columns it is crucial to be able to see the direction of path lines.

To see directions, set Show path direction on outline in Edit -> Preferences -> Tools -> Node

Shortcuts

The official InkStitch documentation recommends defining shortcuts as follows:

Open Edit > Preferences. Then select Interface -> Keyboard Shortcuts

1. Search for “params”. You will find it under Extensions. To its right, click into the field below the Shortcut column and enter Control + Shift + C.
2. Search for “simulate” and enter Control + Shift + L
3. Search “Reverse” (under Selection) and enter Control + R
4. And finally Page down for “stack down” and Page up for “stack up”. The object at the bottom of the objects list (Object -> Objects) will stitch first.

The XML shortcuts sub page contains an extended list of shortcuts made by Laure Doisneau plus her explanations

Units and grids

We suggest always working in mm (if you are familiar with metric units)

Mediawiki compatibility of SVG files

For now, some InkStitch files (e.g. the ones that include previewing information) cannot be imported into a Mediawiki because Mediawikis only allow whitelisted namespace. I filed a request at the wikimedia phabricator but don't know if it may interest a developer.

There are two workarounds:

(1) Fix the SVG file

• Remove the namespace elements with a text editor from the SVG, i.e. the declaration in the beginning and the section at the end of the metadata

(2) Modify the mediawiki code

• In file ./includes/upload/UploadBase.php around line 1360, add the namespace, eg.

'http://creativecommons.org/ns#',
'http://inkstitch.org/namespace',
'http://inkscape.sourceforge.net/dtd/sodipodi-0.dtd',

I will try to have this included in future mediawiki versions - Daniel K. Schneider (talk) 11:22, 14 June 2018 (CEST)

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