I would like to use the Create Tiled Clones function with rotation to make a circle of objects around another object. I click twice on the outside object to make its "transform center" visible. How do I perfectly align the transform center to the center of the inside object (the object that will be at the center of the circle of clones)? I can position it approximately by eye but the end result is visibly imperfect. Thanks.

I'd snap to centers and rotation centers.

http://tavmjong.free.fr/INKSCAPE/MANUAL/html/Snapping.html#Snapping-Objects

That will do nicely! Thanks very much!