Inkscape road signs

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Nathan_A_RF
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Inkscape road signs

Post by Nathan_A_RF »

Well, leading on from here , I'll use this topic to showcase signs I design using Inkscape now and then. Anyone else wanting to may use this topic if they want.

My first example here, situated in the town of Rye, with changes:
  • Local destination "Udimore" added
  • Removal of unnecessary height warning for car park
  • Addition of cinema symbol
  • Chevron split into two as recommended by TSRGD
  • Road number "A268" removed to discourage through traffic following number
  • Backing board extended around signs
I have also removed the pool mention from the sports centre chevron as the centre contains the pool, but I'm not sure about whether to leave the sign as it is; add symbol T 160 alongside T 204; or add the pool mention as it was.

More shall come soon, with even more botched signs being fixed!
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Last edited by Nathan_A_RF on Mon Apr 22, 2019 12:00, edited 1 time in total.
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Conekicker
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Re: Inkscape road signs

Post by Conekicker »

Removing the route number - easy there tiger. You need to bear in mind consistency. For a start, what is signed on the ADS that should precede this DS?

There's nothing worse than to be following signs saying, in this case, A268, for it to then suddenly disappear. Irritating at the least and dangerous at the worst as it could cause all sorts of weird driver behaviour in their bafflement.

If you intend to change something at a junction ALWAYS look at least two, (and preferably more), signed junctions in every direction to see what is signed at them. Of course doing that will doubtless reveal all sorts of other inconsistencies but there's no way of avoiding it if you're going to make a coherent and consistent signing system.
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Nathan_A_RF
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Re: Inkscape road signs

Post by Nathan_A_RF »

I understand consistency is key in signing, and I've seen examples that annoy me where the destinations on signs disappear and reappear on a road. In this case I'd imagined also removing the numbers from all preceding and following signs in the town centre, rather than just this one in particular. Sorry, probably should have made that clear! Rye is notoriously narrow, and I feel the number can be removed from the short section through town, encouraging traffic to use the A259 around the centre to rejoin the A268 on the eastern side of town.

(I would provide a street view link, but can't on phone!)
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nowster
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Re: Inkscape road signs

Post by nowster »

The only thing I can spot in your design is that there should be a thin space between the letter and the number of a road.
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Re: Inkscape road signs

Post by Nathan_A_RF »

It's there. A 1sw gap. Maybe it's not clear on the image. All the letters are not part of a font; I used the working drawings to create alphabets with tiles for spacing and alignment purposes.

Edit: decided to try out the swimming pool icon T 160 on the sign
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SouthWest Philip
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Re: Inkscape road signs

Post by SouthWest Philip »

I would suggest either either the brown panels be included in the main body of both signs or be separated on both. Doing half and half seems rather inconsistent.
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Re: Inkscape road signs

Post by Conekicker »

The main problem with brown stuff is if the venue is commercial. All too often they have a habit of going bust a year or two after opening, so separate signs are to be preferred if possible - makes it easier to remove if/when it all goes 'orribly wrong. Not so common a problem if it's a council or non-commercial venue.

Although on the example above, the cinema - whilst possibly iffy - could be easily patched over if needs be.
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Re: Inkscape road signs

Post by Nathan_A_RF »

SouthWest Philip wrote: Sun Apr 21, 2019 17:15 I would suggest either either the brown panels be included in the main body of both signs or be separated on both. Doing half and half seems rather inconsistent.
Perhaps you're right, I can't think of a reason why not.
Conekicker wrote: Sun Apr 21, 2019 22:32 All too often they have a habit of going bust a year or two after opening, so separate signs are to be preferred if possible - makes it easier to remove if/when it all goes 'orribly wrong.
The tourist information place has already gone from various signs near me! Sad to see. The grey backing board may want to go to make the signs easier to replace, but patches would be fine (I don't see any of the establishments going under any time soon (hopefully)).
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Re: Inkscape road signs

Post by Nathan_A_RF »

Another sign, this time on the southbound offslip on the recently dualled A21 at Pembury (no street view):
  • Correct colour
  • Diagram corrected; thicknesses and cut-outs
  • Suggestion for "Tunbridge Wells" to replace "Pembury" on all near signs (I've never heard anyone calling it Pembury Hospital)
  • Addition of second sign, after the first, to include tourist panel to aid traffic on the busy dual carriageway A21 heading to Knights Park
  • Industrial estates direction, to keep consistency with current signs directing to "North Farm industrial estate"
I used 5sw for the vertical arms (and connector), I hope this is correct for this layout (certainly better than the existing sign!)
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Re: Inkscape road signs

Post by Stevie D »

Nathan_A_RF wrote: Wed Apr 24, 2019 14:23Correct colour
Are you sure about that? I was under the impression (which I got from someone on Sabre) that where a slip-road connects a primary route with a non-primary route, the slip roads are treated as taking the status of the destination road – so exit slip roads would have non-primary advance signs, and entry slip roads would have primary flag signs. That setup is certainly very common.
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Re: Inkscape road signs

Post by Conekicker »

Yes, if the side roads are non-primary, it should be white background and the entry arm either 2.5 or 4 s/w, depending upon whether or not either of the side roads are numbered, as exit slips are not considered part of the route they've just left.

Not the same as on a motorway, as the Motorways Regs usually apply to the end of the exit slip.

Similarly the Knights/Ind sign should be white, so will be a tiny bit smaller. Also not a good idea to mount them together, (too much info for a driver take in, not that it stops most designers :evil: ), the roundabout sign should precede the arrowed one, TSM7, Appendix E, columns 5 and 6 refer.
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Re: Inkscape road signs

Post by SouthWest Philip »

Also, turning left takes you to Pembury and not Tunbridge Wells! I think the intention of the original sign may be that the hospital was signposted with symbols only in additional to the separate geographic destination? Certainly the suggested improvement would be ambiguous in that going to Tunbridge Wells town would involve taking a different exit from the roundabout.
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Re: Inkscape road signs

Post by Nathan_A_RF »

Stevie D wrote: Wed Apr 24, 2019 19:58
Nathan_A_RF wrote: Wed Apr 24, 2019 14:23Correct colour
Are you sure about that?
Conekicker wrote: Wed Apr 24, 2019 21:38 Not the same as on a motorway, as the Motorways Regs usually apply to the end of the exit slip.
From the examples I know of it's been green for me. But then again I rarely see a GSJ where I live...
Perhaps I have been thinking of motorways!
Conekicker wrote: Wed Apr 24, 2019 21:38 Also not a good idea to mount them together
The signs were together in the image for a comparison, I said I would mount the second sign after the first. Good to see someone else cares about wasted material; every little helps!
SouthWest Philip wrote: Wed Apr 24, 2019 21:42 Also, turning left takes you to Pembury and not Tunbridge Wells! I think the intention of the original sign may be that the hospital was signposted with symbols only in additional to the separate geographic destination? Certainly the suggested improvement would be ambiguous in that going to Tunbridge Wells town would involve taking a different exit from the roundabout.
On the A228 junction in between the Hospital and Pembury there are still signs for "Pembury" with the hospital diagram which I assume this sign was copying, but I must admit now I look at it it could be misleading if a driver missed the forward destinations on the final ADS.

Are these any better? More space saved! Thank you for all educating me; even before "finishing" any of these signs they're the 4th or 5th draft, so looks like I need even more practice and reading of the TSMs :D
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Re: Inkscape road signs

Post by Conekicker »

There should be a 4 s/w vertical gap between the signs but other than that, very nice.
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Re: Inkscape road signs

Post by Nathan_A_RF »

I already said they wouldn't be mounted together! :D
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Re: Inkscape road signs

Post by Bfivethousand »

I've never dipped my toe into the water with the likes of Inkscape, MS Paint etc.. Maybe I should. The results (combined with your obvious knowledge of sign design) are pretty exceptional.

I might spend some time having a crack - see if Buchanan and Key Systems need to start worrying.
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Re: Inkscape road signs

Post by Nathan_A_RF »

Thank you! It did take me a lot of time (and a bit of trigonometry) to make the assets to create a range of signs. I might share the file when I'm done.
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Re: Inkscape road signs

Post by Bryn666 »

You'd still need to be able to knock together drawing frames and other relevant information like sign area calculations and dimensions before you'd be able to smash out the existing sign design programs.

And Inkscape can't do wind loading calcs :laugh:
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Re: Inkscape road signs

Post by frediculous_biggs »

Bryn666 wrote: Fri Apr 26, 2019 14:20 existing sign design programs.
At least Inkscape is free!
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Re: Inkscape road signs

Post by Nathan_A_RF »

This one's outside of my comfort zone of the South East, but since I made the dog-bone roundabout symbol for a sign in a game, why not remake the original sign too! It's on one of the slip roads at M6 Jct 20.
  • Addition of local destinations and weight limit
  • Adjusted dog bone roundabout symbol
  • Corrected status of A537
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