length of vector lines

[SavannahLion]

I can do this is Sketchup, but I'm having some minor problems scaling and printing so I thought I'd look at Inkscape but I  can't quite figure it out.

If I draw a flat image with lines, how do I find the total length of selected lines at the proper scale?

[dfmaverick]

Not sure if I'm understanding exactly what you're looking for, but...

If it is the entire item:

Edit>Select all

The total size of selected items will be displayed.

If you want to then alter that size to a larger/smaller size:

Scale to your desired end size by using Object>Transform. Use "Scale", check the "scale proportionally" box and enter a percentage to get you to the end size

[PL1]

If I draw a flat image with lines, how do I find the total length of selected lines at the proper scale?

Insert a measurement line or box to verify size and/or layout.

If you're worried about accidently messing up the art, add a separate layer for it. 

When you're done, just delete the line/box/layer.

I'm assuming here that you already know that you can change the units displayed from px (pixels) to in (inches).


Scott

[SavannahLion]

Hhhmmmm.... Let me see if i can clarify without resorting to firing up my laptop.

Let's say i want to lay out rail road track.... El wire..... A string of christmas lights.... Um....ah, a wire on a 2D plane..... And rather than actually buying the above mentioned items, i want to set a path then determine the total length of that path. I know the limts of the space I just need to know the length of a line within that space.

In Sketchup this is relatively easy. I'm stumped how this is done in any other program though.

I tried to find this function in inkscapw and visio.

[dfmaverick]

I get mixed results with:

Extensions>Visualize Path>Measure Path


(It doesn't seem to measure what it says it does)

[Le Chuck]

This is a total pain the ass way but if you grid out Hole A's location and Hole B's location then it's a simple Pythagorean problem.  Doing that X number of times can be daunting tho.  I'd do the longest one then SWAG the rest.  There really isn't such a thing as extra wire is there? 

[SavannahLion]

This is a total pain the ass way but if you grid out Hole A's location and Hole B's location then it's a simple Pythagorean problem.  Doing that X number of times can be daunting tho.  I'd do the longest one then SWAG the rest.  There really isn't such a thing as extra wire is there?

Well..... there can be if it's relatively costly and splicing is out.