Box shaped like a Cat

Looks like it should be wherever you said the extensions should be installed.

https://inkscape.org/gallery/=extension/

Open up your inkscape preferences and take a look.

So it says:
"Copy the files into the directory listed at Edit > Preferences > System: User extensions. "
How exactly do I do that? I have pulled it up but it will not allow me to change or add to the User Extensions. So what are they talking about?

The error message keeps saying thereā€™s no inkscape_helper, but it IS there. So what am I missing? What am I doing wrong?

Well, I got a wild hair and decided to write this upā€¦remind me to not do this again. Itā€™s definitely outside of the Glowforge purview. :rofl:

To install the Inkscape Elliptical Extension in Windows:

Follow the steps below and donā€™t skip any. Check them off as you go down the list.

  1. Go to https://github.com/BvdP/elliptical-box-maker and download the Zip file for the elliptical box maker.
  • Click the little green DL arrow as shown,
    right click on Download Zip,
    choose Save Link As.

  • In the File Explorer popup, first click on Desktop in the left column to send the zip file to your Desktop. Then hit Save or press Enter.

Okay, that downloads one of the zipped sets of files that you need to your desktopā€¦you should see it pop up after any other saved files on your Desk.

  • To extract the file, right click on it on the Desktop and choose Extract All.

The Extracted files will appear in a Folder with the same name, right underneath the Zipped file.

This second folder is the one that you will copy the files from.

  1. Double click on the extracted folder to open it in File Explorer, then again on the folder inside to open itā€¦you will see a collection of files inside that look like this:

  • Hold down the CTRL key and click on both of the highlighted files. Then right click and choose COPY.

  • Click inside the Address Bar at the top of the screen, and type this inā€¦(do not copy and paste.)

    C:\Program Files\Inkscape\share\extensions

  • Then hit Enter. It will take you to the screen below.

  • Right click in the white space next to any of the single files and choose Paste to paste those two files into the correct directory. (You can scroll down to see them in the ā€œEā€ listings.)

That sets up the extension in the correct directory. Now you have to set up the helper extension in the same directory.

  1. Create a new folder on your Desktop and name it ā€œInkscape_helperā€. (Capital ā€œiā€ and an underscore, not a space.)
  • Right click on the Desktop > New > Folder> Inkscape_helper > Enter

Untitled-9

  1. Go to GitHub - BvdP/Inkscape_helper: Split out a lot of common stuff for my Inkscape extensions and download the Zip file for the Inkscape Helper.
  • Click the little green DL arrow as shown,
    right click on Download Zip,
    choose Save Link As.

  • In the File Explorer popup, first click on Desktop in the left column to send the zip file to your Desktop. Then hit Save or press Enter.

That downloads the zipped helper files that you need to your desktopā€¦you should see it pop up under the empty Inkscape_helper file that you just created.

  • To extract the file, right click on it on the Desktop and choose Extract All.

The Extracted files will appear in a Folder with the same name, right underneath the Zipped file.

This second folder is the one that you will copy the files from.

  1. Open the Extracted ā€œInkscape_helper-masterā€ file.

Double click on the ā€œInkscape_helper-masterā€ folder inside, then again on the ā€œinkscape_helperā€ folder inside that one.

Youā€™ll see these files listed:

  • CTRL+A to select them all.
  • CTRL+C to copy them.
  1. Open the empty ā€œInkscape_helperā€ folder that you created on the Desktop by double clicking on it.

  • CTRL + V to Paste the copied files into the empty folder.

  1. Close the folder.

  2. Last step is to copy and paste the entire ā€œInkscape_helperā€ folder that you just filled into the extensions directory where you put the earlier files.

  • Right click on the folder on the Desktop and choose Copy.

  1. Open File Explorer and type the directory address into the Address Bar again, then click Enter.

    C:\Program Files\Inkscape\share\extensions

  2. Paste the folder into the extensions directory. (CTRL+V).

Thatā€™s it, you can close the File Explorer and open Inkscape to test it. (Look under Laser Tools to find the extension in Inkscape.)

If it works you can delete all the files from your Desktop, you donā€™t need them any more.

Happy New Year! :partying_face:

9 Likes

Whew!! This is epic. I have a Mac using an old version of Inkscape. Can you write this up for me or should I just send you my computer and you can take care of this for me and send it back. Just kidding.

Happy New Years, Jules. You go above and beyond.

6 Likes

I started shaking my head over this ā€œquickā€ write-up about an hour ago. (Manā€¦when I jump in, I dive!) :smile:

5 Likes

Could @Jules put together a series of tutorial posts into a book? I think so :wink:

4 Likes

Tried that. The pay was lousy. :wink:
(I think I will go stick it in Tips and Tricks though so we donā€™t lose it forever. Hate to have to type all that out again.)

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But if you feel so inclinedā€¦I have a Mac, if that will provide inspiration. And you write very well. :smiley:

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Chuckle! I canā€™t do the Mac, never used one. (One of you guys who has one needs to write that one upā€¦Iā€™ll bet there will be a lot of future questions on it.)

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That is one impressive write up! Wow, nice work

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This still needs to be in the matrix! Perhaps a copy of it?

I only got part of the way before my head explodedā€¦ :exploding_head: I will try to follow the rest later.

Gimp is outside their purview as well but there is plenty of both that and Inkscape

Iā€™ll bet you would do well on Youtube and advertize Glowforge, or similar and collect the money from Youtube, apparently there are several even here doing that too.

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Chuckle! I can link the one in the Tips and Tricks section into the Matrixā€¦I just didnā€™t think anyone was still using it. :smile:

And I donā€™t want to sell them. Let the folks who need it monetize them. Iā€™m good for now. :wink:

2 Likes

WOW! This is definitely the most detailed instructions Iā€™ve seen yet. Thank you for doing this. I know it took a lot of your time.
One quick question though before I start - which is the best version of Inkscape should I be using to install this extension. Iā€™ve heard that it wonā€™t work on 1.0 or 1.0.1

Not sureā€¦Iā€™m running it on version 0.92, which Iā€™m sure is a few versions back.

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Thanks. Iā€™ll try that one then. Again, thank you.

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My pleasure!