GIMP Version: 2.8.14
Operating System: Windows
GIMP Experience: Basic Level

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Hi there,

I’m re-visiting the task of inserting an up-pointing arrow in a .png file using GIMP 2.8 in Windows 7.

The plugin GIMP Arrow Designer was suggested to me.

http://shallowsky.com/software/gimp/arrowdesigner/

The plugin was apparently coded by Akkana Peck, author of the Beginning GIMP book (Apress).

1. Has anyone used this plugin?

2. Can you please refresh my memory about how I insert a plugin into GIMP?

Say, I download this plugin – what would be the step-by-step procedure to incorporate it into my GIMP to use it?

3. Is there another way to create an arrow in GIMP besides this plugin?

Thanks so much!

Hello eagertolearn, welcome to GimpChat!

The instructions were on the very page you linked:

Install it to your GIMP personal plug-ins folder: ~/.gimp-2.8/plug-ins on Linux, or whatever GIMP lists in the Preferences window under Folders / Plug-ins category. On Linux and Mac, make sure it's executable (chmod +x arrowdesigner.py).

Arrow Designer is written in Python, so you need GIMP-Python installed. It also provides a non-interactive version in Filters->Render->Arrow from selection....
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On a Windows system this will be under Users/<username>/.gimp-2.8/plug-ins (the location of where you save the .py file to.) Reboot GIMP and you should see it under Filters > Render > Arrow from selection

Hi mahven,

Thank you for your post.

Have you used this plugin?

Have you found other ways to create an arrow in GIMP?

You should also check out Arrows Creator 3

I'll be honest and just tell you that my preferences for arrow making in GIMP is using Ofnut's paths arrow heads:

http://gimp-path-tools.sourceforge.net/ ... rrow-heads

and a variation of Tin's latest python script using a numbering system:

viewtopic.php?f=9&t=14607

I'm not really picky, just simple about my arrow approach.

Hi Rod and Mahven,

Thank you both so much for your suggestions and links.

Any time. Happy to help.

Well, I installed the arrow.scm to GIMP.

I then watched this video - https://youtu.be/k5T4XydZo78 5 minutes

I seem to get stuck with the arrow creation becoming all stringy all over the place like it's gum stuck to your finger.

That person with a British accent seems to work with Layers. In that video there is a third box on the right where that person seems to click often. In my GIMP I have the main window and the ToolBox window.

How do I open/create that layers window with the tools accessed in that Layers box in that video?

This is the challenge. I first open the Toolbox and choose the Foreground/Background (black and white boxes) in which I can then move the mouse around in the color scheme box to set the arrow to any shade and hue.

Next, I click on the Path tool and it creates this very long line at a 45 degree angle. That’s where I’m left at the curb. I don’t see how to create the arrow head pointing down? I also don’t see how to shorten the arrow? Which numbers do they adjust in that Arrow box to shorten/lengthen an arrow?

When I create the arrow and move it that’s when I get this stringy effect where the arrow turns into all these strings all over the place and not one line pointing to a subject in a photo.

I noticed that video person goes in and out of that Layers box and maybe that’s where arrow modification gets easier?

The only way I know how to undo anything is to click Edit> Undo last task but that takes a lot of Undos (that method) to finally return to the original arrow creation.

I’ve learned I can stop the string effect by pressing the End button or choosing another function so I’ve made some progress!

Thanks so much!