How to Create a Vector Compass With Inkscape
If you don't have Inkscape, download it and install., Create a new document., Click on the circle icon., Make a fairly small circle., Make sure that your stroke for your image is fairly solid., Click on the Stars and Polygon tool., Make your star...
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: If you don't have Inkscape
Any size is good, but for this article, it will be the 'default' size. , You will want to have the fill be white and the stroke be black.
To get a circle and not an ellipse (oval), hold down control while making the circle.
To do this, after you have selected the circle, find the color toolbar on the bottom and right click one of the colors you want and set it. , To make it be a circle, and not an ellipse, hold control while making the circle.
This will cause it to be an exact circle. , Three or four pixels is about right.
Once you have it made, click on the Selector and then right click on the part of the image you want to change. , Make the following changes.
Corners
- 4 Spoke Ration
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0.160 Rounded and Randomized
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0.000 , Hold down CTRL while doing this so that any rotation you use will be in 15 degree increments. , Select them both (CTRL A).
Hold down SHIFT + CTRL + A so that you get the Align and Distribute option. , This will exactly center both elements.
The top image on the screen shot is vertical and the bottom horizontal. ,, This will reduce the size of the second star. , You will need to click on the star again.
This will change the options from Move/Scale to Rotate.
Hold down CTRL until the second star (background needles) are exactly perpendicular with the main star. , The image will look like the screenshot here at this point.
Your particular angles might be different than this one. , Also, move it to its own layer.
To do this, click on Layers >> Add and add the layer.
Then click on your selection and go to Layers >> Move Selection to Layer Above.
Now, it is on its own layer. , To do this, in your Layer dialog box, click on the eye by the layer you want to hide. , You must convert the object to a path.
Hold down SHIFT + CTRL + C.
Alternatively, Path >> Object to Path. ,, Select the 4 bottom end points of the star and click 'Break Path at Selected Nodes'. ,,,,,,, -
Step 2: download it and install.
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Step 3: Create a new document.
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Step 4: Click on the circle icon.
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Step 5: Make a fairly small circle.
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Step 6: Make sure that your stroke for your image is fairly solid.
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Step 7: Click on the Stars and Polygon tool.
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Step 8: Make your star.
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Step 9: Align these two objects together.
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Step 10: Click on Align >> Center on Vertical Axis and then Align >> Center on Horizontal Axis.
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Step 11: Select the star (you are still using the Selector) and duplicate it (CTRL D).
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Step 12: Hold down your < key (it's beside your M on a QWERTY keyboard).
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Step 13: Rotate the second star.
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Step 14: Press End to send it to the back of the image.
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Step 15: Duplicate the original star again and scale it again to look like this image.
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Step 16: Hide the old layer.
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Step 17: Convert your star object so that you can edit its nodes.
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Step 18: Select all the nodes and 'Break Path at Selected Nodes'.
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Step 19: Click on F2 to edit the path by nodes.
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Step 20: Select the base vertices of one of the triangles and click.
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Step 21: Select the path and break it (path >> break apart).
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Step 22: Select two adjacent lines and combine them (path >> combine)
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Step 23: Select their end nodes and join them with a segment.
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Step 24: Select the end nodes and add a new node.
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Step 25: Delete one of the corner nodes.
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Step 26: Repeat.
Detailed Guide
Any size is good, but for this article, it will be the 'default' size. , You will want to have the fill be white and the stroke be black.
To get a circle and not an ellipse (oval), hold down control while making the circle.
To do this, after you have selected the circle, find the color toolbar on the bottom and right click one of the colors you want and set it. , To make it be a circle, and not an ellipse, hold control while making the circle.
This will cause it to be an exact circle. , Three or four pixels is about right.
Once you have it made, click on the Selector and then right click on the part of the image you want to change. , Make the following changes.
Corners
- 4 Spoke Ration
-
0.160 Rounded and Randomized
-
0.000 , Hold down CTRL while doing this so that any rotation you use will be in 15 degree increments. , Select them both (CTRL A).
Hold down SHIFT + CTRL + A so that you get the Align and Distribute option. , This will exactly center both elements.
The top image on the screen shot is vertical and the bottom horizontal. ,, This will reduce the size of the second star. , You will need to click on the star again.
This will change the options from Move/Scale to Rotate.
Hold down CTRL until the second star (background needles) are exactly perpendicular with the main star. , The image will look like the screenshot here at this point.
Your particular angles might be different than this one. , Also, move it to its own layer.
To do this, click on Layers >> Add and add the layer.
Then click on your selection and go to Layers >> Move Selection to Layer Above.
Now, it is on its own layer. , To do this, in your Layer dialog box, click on the eye by the layer you want to hide. , You must convert the object to a path.
Hold down SHIFT + CTRL + C.
Alternatively, Path >> Object to Path. ,, Select the 4 bottom end points of the star and click 'Break Path at Selected Nodes'. ,,,,,,,
About the Author
Joshua Knight
Professional writer focused on creating easy-to-follow home improvement tutorials.
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