INKSCAPE - CUBE

In this tutorial we are engaging with perspective. The perspective

can induce a sense of space, the third dimension. It can create the
effect that something ends in a distance. We will create a 3D cube.

First, we will define the guide lines. We will need the knowledge of
mathematics. First, draw the "projection" of a cube on a paper and try
to calculate the coordinates of the guiding lines (you can mark the
vertices for better orientation). Let´s assume that the edges run
from the E vertex, have a length of 50 mm and the angle of the
neighbour edges is the same (that is 120°). We begin with the
lower horizontal guideline (it passes through the peak B). Place
it at a coordinate of 150 mm. From this line we will draw the
coordinates of other lines. The horizontal line across the E-peak
therefore is located at 100 mm and the line passing through the
vertex G has a coordinate of 50 mm. We can calculate the
coordinate of the horizontal line through the vertex C by, for
example, using the CBX angle sine in a BXC triangle. Angle at
peak B is 30 °. Note that the contour of the cube is a regular 6-
angle. The length of the XC is 25 mm, the horizontal line
through the vertex C is 125 mm and the horizontal line through
the vertex F has a coordinate of 75 mm.

Vertical lines are similar. The vertical line through the vertex B has a coordinate of e. g. 100
mm. The coordinate of the vertical line through the vertex C can be calculated e. g. using the
cosine angle CBX in a BXC triangle. The length of the BX is 43.3 mm, the coordinates of the
vertical line across the vertex C are 143.3 mm and the line coordinate across peak A is 56.7
mm.

Now add all the coordinates into the grid of guiding lines.
Make sure the guiding lines are on. Check it in View =>
Guides. To add the guiding lines, you need to work with
the ruler bar on the top and on the left. When you click on
the top ruler and drag your cursor to the canvas
downwards, a horizontal guiding line will appear. The
vertical guides work the same way (use the left ruler).
When you double-click the guideline, a dialog box will
open up in which you can change its position. The
advantage of the Inkscape is that it will set your
cursor directly on the axis you are supposed to
adjust in the dialog box. With horizontal guide,
change the position on Y axis (vertical – X axis).
To create the guidelines within the paper layout,
set the other axis to 0. This means it will be
attached to the margins of the page layout and the
guidelines with your picture will be located on the
paper and not out of it.

At the beginning, we have calculated where the

peaks of the cube should be located. Add the
coordinates in the dialog box separately for
 INKSCAPE - CUBE

horizontal and vertical guides. If you want to, add a label (name) to the guideline, delete it or
create a duplicate. You can start with the horizontal guideline. Set the X to 0 and Y to 50 mm
and press OK. Based on the coordinates calculated at the beginning, you should create following
guidelines with the coordinates:

X Y
0.00 mm 50.00 mm
0.00 mm 75.00 mm
0.00 mm 100.00 mm
0.00 mm 125.00 mm
0.00 mm 150.00 mm
56.70 mm 0.00 mm
100.00 mm 0.00 mm
143.30 mm 0.00 mm

Do not forget to lock the guidelines

in order to not mistakenly move the
guidelines when working with
objects and shapes. Click on the lock
in the top left corner between the
rulers.

The next step is to create the sides of the

cube. Draw three squares of different
colours with no outline colour (using the
Rectangle tool); you can work with
duplicates as well. As we want to
drag the sides to our grid of guiding
lines, we also need to convert the sides
of the cube into “curves”. Select the side
of the cube, go to Path => Object to
Path, then select the Edit paths by nodes tool and drag the cube’s side by the points created at
its peaks. The guiding lines are working as a magnet so it will be easy to attach the object to the
guidelines.
 INKSCAPE - CUBE

When finished, select all three sides of the

cube, go to Object => Group to create a
unified object with which you can easily
move around the canvas. You can also turn
off the guidelines.