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I am wondering why he didn't at least try Inkscape. Since 1.0 it has gotten SO much better. It even has much better export quality compared to figma (from much

I am wondering why he didn't at least try Inkscape. Since 1.0 it has gotten SO much better. It even has much better export quality compared to figma (from much more accurate gradients to strokes), and it has one of the best snapping systems ever created. He should seriously check it out!

nightfly 3y ago
I love Inkscape on Linux, and abuse it for desktop publishing and basic CAD work, but on Windows and Mac (especially Mac) it just doesn't seem to work as well and I don't understand why. I almost feel bad suggesting it to people because of this
- clumsysmurf 3y ago
  I think its because GTK, but I'm not certain. I used Inkscape quite a bit but shifted to Affinity Designer.
- rice7th 3y ago
  Yeah but luckily they're switching to GTK4 AND an OpenGL renderer, meaning that it will be much snappier on both MacOS and Windows.
- itronitron 3y ago
  Inkscape on Windows has been great for me, but I haven't compared it to Inkscape on Linux :)
yuumei 3y ago
Inkscape is one of the best programs out there. I use it for everything now. Did you know it can do mesh gradients too now
- rice7th 3y ago
  Yes I know, but mesh gradients are a part of Inkscape since at least 0.92, which is when I started using it, aka 2019.
Gualdrapo 3y ago
> I needed to make diagram,s so I compared a few options and quickly settled on "draw.io" So this not rules out that he didn't at some point. But still to my graphic designer eyes choosing either Inkscape (and even more, Figma) for doing simple diagrams is really, really weird. * Disclaimer: I'm a heavy Inkscape user, it's been one of my main tools for all of uni and my professional work since 2006 - yes, it has some unpolished details here and there, but still it's great and (for me) miles better than any paid non-free tool
- rice7th 3y ago
  Yes, but what I am trying to say is that figma is not a diagramming tool. It wasn't built to create diagrams. Inkscape wasn't either, yet Inkscape still has some support for diagram creation, even if it is quite poor.
indymike 3y ago
Inkscape is not a diagram editor, but can be used to create diagrams.
tgsovlerkhgsel 3y ago
Inkscape and diagramming tools are trying to solve very distinct solutions. Inkscape is a general purpose vector graphics program, designed to let you do anything. Diagramming tools are there to provide you with a fast way to draw a diagram, which most importantly often contains connecting boxes with arrows that will auto-route and re-route when you move the boxes. I'm not aware of Inkscape supporting that, and I suspect that even if it somehow does, it'll require many more clicks. Draw.io is good enough for a one-off usecase, but if you're creating a couple diagrams and consider your time to have monetary value, the better usability of Figma means it'll pay for itself really quickly.
- rice7th 3y ago
  Yes but figma wasn't made for diagrams either. Both are vector design tools, not diagramming tools, that's why I am asking: if figma was okay then why not Inkscape?
  - nine_k 3y ago
    Does Inkscape have arrow routing? Or arrow attachment, at the very least? Last time I checked (yesterday), I could not find that. Am I missing anything?
    - aldonius 3y ago
      Did you find the Connector tool? (hotkey O). It's by no means a full replacement for the sorts of tools you'd get in Draw.io but it's not nothing. It lets you create a two-node SVG path with a bit of extra metadata. One or both nodes connect to a special node at the centre of a shape. Inkscape automatically makes that be a straight line trimmed to the edges of the shape(s. You can move the shapes and have the line move too. If you move the path itself it turns back into a regular path. The path is just a straight line as mentioned and there's certainly no routing logic.
    - rice7th 3y ago
      My point is: does figma have it? No! Figma has not a single option for diagram drawing; at least Inkscape is trying to. I am just confused about why he chose figma for this specific use case
kps 3y ago
> it has one of the best snapping systems ever created Is this documented somewhere? inkscape.org points to inkscape-manuals.readthedocs.io which doesn't cover it at all. I can't even get it to snap to an anchor if the grid is showing, and I can't get it to snap to the grid if the view isn't zoomed close enough.
- Glyptodon 3y ago
  It has all kinds of snapping settings that tend to have inscrutable icons, but turn out to be very useful, especially if you can remember shortcuts.
- rice7th 3y ago
  Yet Inkscape's snapping system changes pased on where your cursor is, making fine tuned alignments much better than ANY other software. Yes, I know it is a complex system that's not very well documented, but my point still stands.
IshKebab 3y ago
Inkscape is terrible for making diagrams. It's more for art and icons and so on. > one of the best snapping systems ever created Not the best though. That honour goes to IPE. https://ipe.otfried.org/ https://ipe.otfried.org/ IPE is also a pretty good diagram editor, though it is quite heavily tied to LaTeX and more oriented towards maths / geometry diagrams than technical block diagrams. Draw.io is best for the latter, except for the stupid limitation that you can't really export text objects to real SVG as mentioned in the article. It just embeds HTML objects in the SVG which means they only work in browsers.
- Isthatablackgsd 3y ago
  I believe yEd can do this. Maybe try out yEd?
- rice7th 3y ago
  I know Inkscape is terrible for making diagrams, but what I am trying to say is that figma is even worse. Inkscape has at least some tools to help you create some diagrams, but figma is just for UI/UX design, not diagrams. > Not the best though. That honour goes to IPE. Never heard of IPE, I am going to check it out, thanks.

nightfly 3y ago

I love Inkscape on Linux, and abuse it for desktop publishing and basic CAD work, but on Windows and Mac (especially Mac) it just doesn't seem to work as well and I don't understand why. I almost feel bad suggesting it to people because of this

clumsysmurf 3y ago
I think its because GTK, but I'm not certain. I used Inkscape quite a bit but shifted to Affinity Designer.
rice7th 3y ago
Yeah but luckily they're switching to GTK4 AND an OpenGL renderer, meaning that it will be much snappier on both MacOS and Windows.
itronitron 3y ago
Inkscape on Windows has been great for me, but I haven't compared it to Inkscape on Linux :)

yuumei 3y ago

Inkscape is one of the best programs out there. I use it for everything now. Did you know it can do mesh gradients too now

rice7th 3y ago
Yes I know, but mesh gradients are a part of Inkscape since at least 0.92, which is when I started using it, aka 2019.

Gualdrapo 3y ago

> I needed to make diagram,s so I compared a few options and quickly settled on "draw.io" So this not rules out that he didn't at some point. But still to my graphic designer eyes choosing either Inkscape (and even more, Figma) for doing simple diagrams is really, really weird. * Disclaimer: I'm a heavy Inkscape user, it's been one of my main tools for all of uni and my professional work since 2006 - yes, it has some unpolished details here and there, but still it's great and (for me) miles better than any paid non-free tool

rice7th 3y ago
Yes, but what I am trying to say is that figma is not a diagramming tool. It wasn't built to create diagrams. Inkscape wasn't either, yet Inkscape still has some support for diagram creation, even if it is quite poor.

indymike 3y ago

Inkscape is not a diagram editor, but can be used to create diagrams.

tgsovlerkhgsel 3y ago

Inkscape and diagramming tools are trying to solve very distinct solutions. Inkscape is a general purpose vector graphics program, designed to let you do anything. Diagramming tools are there to provide you with a fast way to draw a diagram, which most importantly often contains connecting boxes with arrows that will auto-route and re-route when you move the boxes. I'm not aware of Inkscape supporting that, and I suspect that even if it somehow does, it'll require many more clicks. Draw.io is good enough for a one-off usecase, but if you're creating a couple diagrams and consider your time to have monetary value, the better usability of Figma means it'll pay for itself really quickly.

rice7th 3y ago
Yes but figma wasn't made for diagrams either. Both are vector design tools, not diagramming tools, that's why I am asking: if figma was okay then why not Inkscape?
- nine_k 3y ago
  Does Inkscape have arrow routing? Or arrow attachment, at the very least? Last time I checked (yesterday), I could not find that. Am I missing anything?
  - aldonius 3y ago
    Did you find the Connector tool? (hotkey O). It's by no means a full replacement for the sorts of tools you'd get in Draw.io but it's not nothing. It lets you create a two-node SVG path with a bit of extra metadata. One or both nodes connect to a special node at the centre of a shape. Inkscape automatically makes that be a straight line trimmed to the edges of the shape(s. You can move the shapes and have the line move too. If you move the path itself it turns back into a regular path. The path is just a straight line as mentioned and there's certainly no routing logic.
  - rice7th 3y ago
    My point is: does figma have it? No! Figma has not a single option for diagram drawing; at least Inkscape is trying to. I am just confused about why he chose figma for this specific use case

kps 3y ago

> it has one of the best snapping systems ever created Is this documented somewhere? inkscape.org points to inkscape-manuals.readthedocs.io which doesn't cover it at all. I can't even get it to snap to an anchor if the grid is showing, and I can't get it to snap to the grid if the view isn't zoomed close enough.

Glyptodon 3y ago
It has all kinds of snapping settings that tend to have inscrutable icons, but turn out to be very useful, especially if you can remember shortcuts.
rice7th 3y ago
Yet Inkscape's snapping system changes pased on where your cursor is, making fine tuned alignments much better than ANY other software. Yes, I know it is a complex system that's not very well documented, but my point still stands.

IshKebab 3y ago

Inkscape is terrible for making diagrams. It's more for art and icons and so on. > one of the best snapping systems ever created Not the best though. That honour goes to IPE. https://ipe.otfried.org/ https://ipe.otfried.org/ IPE is also a pretty good diagram editor, though it is quite heavily tied to LaTeX and more oriented towards maths / geometry diagrams than technical block diagrams. Draw.io is best for the latter, except for the stupid limitation that you can't really export text objects to real SVG as mentioned in the article. It just embeds HTML objects in the SVG which means they only work in browsers.

Isthatablackgsd 3y ago
I believe yEd can do this. Maybe try out yEd?
rice7th 3y ago
I know Inkscape is terrible for making diagrams, but what I am trying to say is that figma is even worse. Inkscape has at least some tools to help you create some diagrams, but figma is just for UI/UX design, not diagrams. > Not the best though. That honour goes to IPE. Never heard of IPE, I am going to check it out, thanks.