Cavechat.org

Hi folks. I need some help. I've wasted a lot of time trying to learn Compass and Inkscape. I can sort of kind of make them work part of the time, but there are huge gaps in my uderstanding of the software. I need to figure this out if I'm going to work on larger caves, so instead of struggling for more months, I wonder if anyone could give me some guidance in person. Anyone within a couple of hours of Cincinnati, or anywhere in KY, VA, or WV cave country using Compass and Inkscape? I'm willing to bring my new computer and meet you at your convenience. I would like to bring survey notes from a tiny cave and go through the entire process of entering the data and drawing the map.

PM or call or email if you think you may be able to give a hand.
Thanks very much,
-J

if you switched to adobe illustrator you could watch a ton of tutorial videos which would solve all your problems. FYI. give it some thought.

Chads93GT wrote:if you switched to adobe illustrator you could watch a ton of tutorial videos which would solve all your problems. FYI. give it some thought.

Thanks for your suggestion. I've considered Illustrator, and I that hear there is a good video tutorial for Inkscape out there too. However, there is no option for high speed internet at my house, meaning that I have to go to someplace with wifi to do downloading, uploading, or watching of videos. It's not a huge deal, just one of the reasons I would like to have some dynamic in-person instruction, take some good notes, and get everything well in mind, no matter what program I choose. Also, I hear that Illustrator is no longer available as a single-time purchase, but only through a yearly subscription. I'm guessing that older versions can still be purchased? Any info on that? Finally, I'm trying to save money. If Inkscape is really a bad tool for the job, I'll be willing to look elsewhere, but until I've ruled it out, I would prefer a low cost option.

GroundquestMSA wrote:I need some help. I've wasted a lot of time trying to learn Compass and Inkscape.

Larry Fish himself wrote a fairly extensive introductory tutorial: Creating Finished Maps Using Compass and Inkscape

driggs wrote:

GroundquestMSA wrote:I need some help. I've wasted a lot of time trying to learn Compass and Inkscape.

Creating Finished Maps Using Compass and Inkscape

There is very big difference between "Creating Finished Maps" and creating maps, which could be very easy finished/exported in many different ways and many formats.

Come on by....
let me know when it works for you, and I can not only help you with Compass, but we can get into Illustrator as well...
Weeknight or weekend (when our schedules match)
Howard
Cincinnati

Thanks for that link Dave. I started reading that tutorial once before, then I forgot where it was.

Howard, what time does your weeknight typically start? I was thinking about this Friday after your grotto meeting but my grandpa just called and wants me to take him to the baseball game that night. We need to get together.

PM Sent.....

Dang! If I lived a bit closer I'd ask if I could join the lesson myself.

Trogman

Trogman- I don't mind teaching weekend classes - if we can set a date, you are more then welcome to come up (and stay here). I could open it to others.
It would be a long weekend - there is a lot to go over. I had some friends drive from Cinti to Cape Girardeau (MO) for a weekend of caving and cartography a few years back, so its not unheard of.

Pat Kambesis and I teach the Western kentucky Karst field camp cartography class at Mammoth Cave - we take a week to teach sketching and cartography. Anyone who takes it will tell you we cram a lot into just a week . We survey every day, and draft maps every night. Sadly, it just wrapped up earlier this month and probably wont be offered again until 2016 (we get every other summer off!)

Many of the cartography lessons are stored on my website at http://www.cavecartography.com. These are built to be very basic intros to both compass, and illustrator for caving. There is a emphasis on what we look for in the Carto salon, but this is just for reference - everyone is free to produce maps that make them happy.

GQMSA is fortunate to be close by (we have been trying get get him to come by for years now), but I dont mind helping anyone - let me know if I can help. Also try your grotto - I know most have someone versed in the arcane art of carto-torture.
Howard