As long as you aren't arguing with yourself and losing ... The tip about changing grid size helped, I hadn't noticed that I could do so and by default it is .5mm! not inches at all. Still changing it to .1 in doesn't help readability all that much, so I guess source when I get that far it the likely answer. Should be an easyish first project after being able to compile a working build with no changes 
Now I'm trying to figure out how to specify a mounting hole (basically a 3mm hole with no copper in the pcb) for the voltmeter I remeber something about this in either the documentation of the forums so a searching I shall go. The boards I've looked at have the mounting holes on the silk screen, but its unclear if that makes it to the drill list. With Steelgoose's excellent advise on Inkscape SVG saving options I've managed to improve the Valor part quite a bit (mostly in getting the part on to a .1 grid in Inkscape and getting Inkscape to remember that I want it to display the grid on start up, but progress none the less), and I've got the voltmeter with bendable legs mostly done (only the outline and mounting holes in the pcb to go).
(edit) Found it! In core there is a pcb view item called hole1 which appears to be what I want so I should be away.!
Peter Van Epp