How to Draw Gears in Inkscape

Step-by-Step Guide

1. 1

   Step 1: Start with the gears effect included in Inkscape.

   For the current version
   0.46 you can find it in Effects > Render > Gears.
   
   In the upcoming
   0.47 it was moved to Extensions > Render > Gears.
   
   Adjust parameters (with Live Preview enabled to see their effect in real time) and you will get a toothed wheel. ,,,,,,,,, The hole for the axis is another circle aligned to the center and subtracted from the wheel.
   
   And the first gear is done! Other gears coupled with it must have similar teeth, so use the Gear plugin and change only the number of teeth:
   And do a complex mechanism: ,
2. 2

   Step 2: Add a circle within the toothed wheel.

3. 3

   Step 3: Use the Align and Distribute dialog to align it to the center (the example uses Relative to: Biggest Item).

4. 4

   Step 4: Then subtract the circle from the wheel (you may need to ungroup once

5. 5

   Step 5: as the Gear effect created the wheel as a group).

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   Step 6: Now to create spokes.

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   Step 7: Add a rectangle and align it to the center.

8. 8

   Step 8: Duplicate the rectangle and rotate it 90°.

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   Step 9: Select both rectangles and rotate them freely.

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    Step 10: Select everything and do a union.

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    Step 11: For the middle of the gear create a small circle

12. 12

    Step 12: align it to the center and do another union.

13. 13

    Step 13: You may want to increase the complexity further by adding some parallel gears

14. 14

    Step 14: which may have their own parameters (as long as they are not coupled with the initial gears).

Detailed Guide

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