4.

Shape Management and Node Tool 10:00

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4.1 Select Tool 02:06
4.2 Tool Controls Bar 00:53
4.3 Node Tool: Editing Shapes 01:36
4.4 Node Tool: Editing Paths 03:50
4.5 Path Effects 00:52
4.6 Eraser Tool 00:30
4.7 4 Quiz 4 questions
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4.1 Select Tool 02:06

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Now let's understand how to manage all the objects inside your
document.

Enable this Select or the s key and click on any object to select it. This
shows a blue dashed contour with several nodes around it.

Click and drag within it to move the object. Holding down the Ctrl key
to move horizontally or vertically. Whereas drag from the black arrows
to resize; holding down the Ctrl key to save the current aspect
ratio. The Shift key to scale from the object center, and the Alt key to
resize by entire factors.

All the shortcuts can be combined, as you can see from the status bar at
the bottom.

You can also click once again on the object to change the black arrows in
order to rotate and skew the object around its center. Shown as a
small cross, you can click and drag it to move it if you need. Whereas
hold down the Alt key to rotate and skew by 15 degrees.
Remember to use Ctrl or command and Z to undo, and Ctrl and Shift or
command and shift and Z to redo if you need.

To cut copy and paste any selected object use Ctrl or command and
x, c and v. This makes a copy of the original object that can be edited
independently.

Whereas if you use Alt and d, you make a clone of the original object
that can be moved and edited on its shape but not on its
appearance. Which still follows the original one. This is very useful in
case you want to manage several objects that must share the same
colours and style. To free the clone from the original object, just
select it and use Shift and Alt and d.

4.2 Tool Controls Bar 00:53

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When you select any object with the select tool, the tool controls bar
above shows all the properties for it, including its horizontal position
X its vertical one Y; and its width W, and height H, with the unit chosen
on the right.

You can type any precise value and apply with the Enter key. These
also get updated if you edit the object directly from the document.

You can also rotate the object by 90 degrees. Flip it horizontally or

vertically. Manage its visibility in case this gets overlapped by other
objects.

And enable the lock button to save its aspect ratio when resized.
4.3 Node Tool: Editing Shapes 01:36
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Besides the select tool, you can also use the node tool or n key to refine
object shapes and paths. You can enable it by double clicking on most
objects as well.

The Node tool show several kinds of nodes on the object selected. On
shapes and spirals, you can drag from the central cross to move this,
and use the squares to resize. Holding down the Ctrl key to use fixed
aspect ratios, including 1 to 1.

With the circles you can set the curbs, such as the corners of any
rectangle or the circumference of any ellipse, using Ctrl to advance by 15
degrees per time.

With the diamond nodes, you can reshape polygons and stars holding
down the control key to avoid any rotation. Use the Shift or the Alt
key to apply nice effects and randomization over these.

Whereas on spirals you can set the link on both directions, holding
down the control key to move by 15 degrees. The Shift key to resize
and rotate the whole spiral, and the Alt key to edit its shape and
distances.

The Node tool does not work with 3D boxes. You can still enable the 3D
box tool to edit these, as seen in the third section.

4.4 Node Tool: Editing Paths 03:50

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The Node tool is perfect for all the freehand paths. Click on these to
show their grey nodes and click once again to show all the handles
tangent to the curves. The diamond nodes represent cusp nodes
such as intersections with either two or a single straight line. The
squared ones, the smoothed nodes such as the midpoints of any
curve.
You can move any node by clicking and dragging it. Hold down the
Ctrl key to move horizontally or vertically, and hold down the Shift key
to select multiple nodes and move them together. Very useful, if you
want to preserve specific segments and curves.

Just like the pen tool, you can drag the tangent handles to edit any
curve. Using the Ctrl key to rotate by 15 degrees. And the Alt key to say
the handling. ????? .

You can also move any handle toward its node to turn the curve
into a straight segment, or click and drag any side to shape a curve
by following your cursor position until you release your click.

Pay attention when editing calligraphic brushes. These have indeed a

feel and stroke contour whose nodes define the brush, shape and trace.

The Node tool has loads of options on the tool controls bar above -

If you click and select any side, you can go to insert new nodes to add
a new node in between, or simply double click on the shape to add one
where you like. On the other hand, you can select any node and use
delete selected nodes or the backspace key to remove it.

With Joint selected nodes, you can merge all the selected nodes you
have into a single one. Whereas use break path on any selected node to
break the path with two endpoints.

To connect two endpoints, select these with the shift key and click on
Join selected endnodes. To remove any side between selected nodes,
use Delete segment. This won't remove its endpoints as well.

The next buttons change the kind of node you have selected between
diamond ones realizing cusp vertices with no handles. Square ones
for smooth curves with tangent handles. Or circles, you simply get
the smoothest curve. You can switch between these by clicking on the
node while holding down the control key.

The next two buttons act on selected sides, turning them into straight
segments or curves with proper handles.

Most of these options work on custom paths rather than regular shapes.
If you want to customize the shape of any rectangle, circle, polygon,
spiral or 3D box, you have to convert these into a path by selecting these
and going to Path => Object to path or on Convert selected object
to path, with the node tool enabled. Consider that this action is
permanent.

You can also extract the stroke path from the current shape with the
next button. If you can't move the stroke, make sure to double click on
the object.

4.5 Path Effects 00:52

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Inkscape also includes loads of effects you can apply to shapes and
paths, select any object and go to Path => Path Effects and click on
the plus button at the bottom.

Browse through the complete list of vector raised effects. And use the
node tool to adjust the final appearance. Each effect is listed on the right.

And can be enabled and disabled with the eye button and changed in
order with the up and down arrows at the bottom.

You can also select any effect and check its advanced properties
at the bottom or simply remove it from the list with the minus button.
4.6 Eraser Tool 00:30
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The Eraser tool is also very useful to refine objects, on top the first
option deletes any object touched by your brush.

The second one erases the shape and reconstructs the stroke contour,
that can be customized with the node tool.

The third option erases the shape without rebuilding the stroke
and with no possibility to refine it with the Node tool.

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The one I have selected now is a corner node, also called a cusp
node, and these ones are shaped like diamonds. They can have
zero, one, or two handles, and if they have two handles, those move
independently of each other. So I can reshape either of these segments
independently.

More ref:
Inkscape Path Editing Tool Quick Reference