How can you use Inkscape?

[commodore]

The app seems impossible to me. Like, how do you create handles for a node that doesn't have them? And why can't I change the width and height of selection. It puts numbers there by itself even if I turn off change width and height by the same proportion.

[Stealth]

Well, I like it a lot, and have even stopped using Illustrator to stay more devoted to this nice free app. To answer your questions...

To add node handles, I'm guessing your curving the line. If you have 2 lines angled, you can click the node betwen them, and then on top there'll be an option to "make selected nodes smooth". That'll give you 2 node handles. You can delete one or both of them by Ctrl+Left Clicking the node handle.

To input a width or height, just use the selection arrow (press F1), select your object, and on the bar you see the W and H values. The only thing is when you enter it, it changes for measurement purposes I guess. Like if I put 600, it becomes 599.88. Either way its vector so you can scale all you want, and if you export to PNG you can set the Width and Height from there too.

[commodore]

I can't change the size of the document in document preferences. They're just gray and I can't change anything.

[commodore]

There's something wrong with my inkscape. I want to rotate the gradient. I used to have that thingie in fill and stroke dialog, but now it's gone. There's just a blank box instead of it.

[bvc]

I can't change the size of the document in document preferences. They're just gray and I can't change anything.
Change the 'Canvas size' to Custom and then you will be able to change the size.

[bvc]

There's something wrong with my inkscape. I want to rotate the gradient. I used to have that thingie in fill and stroke dialog, but now it's gone. There's just a blank box instead of it.
Yeah, I haven't figured that out either. I can't find it anywhere else, if they moved it. Paralyzes Inkscape.

[red_Marvin]

In the latest version of inkscape the gradient-direction-tool is the second downmost
button on the left toolbar (CTRL+F1)
Something like this:
---O---
|...|...|
---O---

All bow to my mad pedagogic ascii-art skills... *ahem*

[bvc]

hmmm....well that'll take a little getting used to. Thx!

That's the prob with using a computer correctly, via keyboard. You get used to never using the visuals>toolbar/buttons/Menus.