Inkscape find

Tips, Tricks and Tutorials for using Inkscape
GrammyKrausse
Posts: 858
Joined: Sat Feb 23, 2008 11:33 am

Inkscape find

Post by GrammyKrausse »

I have been playing with inkscape and have discovered something. First of all I was real disappointed in trying to do a slipper for tinkerbell. Seems like there was a missing gap that caused the slipper to be incomplete. Well today I noticed that you can streatch and make it mend. Here's how I did it. after importing an image I copied it to bitmap. You have to remember to use the selection tool on your graphic in between moves on each of the next steps. Then in view I chose display mode, then outline. Next I went to path and chose trace bitmap, deleted the big red x and then chose path again then break apart. The part of the graphic that has the missing piece is set aside to work on. I draw a box around it with the selecting tool and this is when I work on it. zoom in for a good look. because the graphic has double lines and most have been seperated I find a small piece to fill in and streatch to fit. After all the mending to make a graphic complete I select it again and go to path and union and it is a complete graphic. I'm not real good at explaining but this does work for me.
Grammy :P
AnointedHands
Posts: 1120
Joined: Sun Feb 24, 2008 5:21 pm

Re: Inkscape find

Post by AnointedHands »

I don't want to confuse you but there is a very easy way to connect gaps. Once you have converted the bitmap file to a vector file (nodes), also do a Path>Union. Working in the outline mode, you can use a node (one of the little squares) to close the gap and then click Path>Union.
Picture1.jpg
Picture1.jpg (47.88 KiB) Viewed 7022 times
Doin the Bug...ain't nothin wrong if you wanna do da Bug all nite long...
GrammyKrausse
Posts: 858
Joined: Sat Feb 23, 2008 11:33 am

Re: Inkscape find

Post by GrammyKrausse »

Thank you for the reply. I'll try that. I had been trying to use the draw freehand feature and it had not worked. I'll see what I can do with your suggestion.
Grammy :D
AnointedHands
Posts: 1120
Joined: Sun Feb 24, 2008 5:21 pm

Re: Inkscape find

Post by AnointedHands »

That was an import in the View>Outline mode. I can't draw freehand but the nodes are very good for manipulating your shapes. They can be tricky but once you get the hang of them, they are easy to manipulate. When I connect lines, I simple move them to connect the two lines and union.
Doin the Bug...ain't nothin wrong if you wanna do da Bug all nite long...
jancy
Posts: 590
Joined: Mon Feb 25, 2008 7:48 am

Re: Inkscape find

Post by jancy »

AnointedHands wrote:I don't want to confuse you but there is a very easy way to connect gaps. Once you have converted the bitmap file to a vector file (nodes), also do a Path>Union. Working in the outline mode, you can use a node (one of the little squares) to close the gap and then click Path>Union.
I tried that with a file I need to do a lot of work on & that didn't work.

I'd love to figure out something easier than the way I've been doing it. I click on nodes, break them apart & then join them with others to close the gap---takes a lot longer than what you're describing, but I tried moving a node into white space & path:union, but did not work.

wonder what I'm missing or doing wrong.
AnointedHands
Posts: 1120
Joined: Sun Feb 24, 2008 5:21 pm

Re: Inkscape find

Post by AnointedHands »

Before you take the object into the outline mode, did you do a Path>Union? I find that even though I trace a bitmap and it converts into a vector, I always do a Path>Union before I do anything else.

That is how I connected those two shapes and all my shapes. Sorry it didn't work for you.
Doin the Bug...ain't nothin wrong if you wanna do da Bug all nite long...
jancy
Posts: 590
Joined: Mon Feb 25, 2008 7:48 am

Re: Inkscape find

Post by jancy »

AnointedHands wrote:Before you take the object into the outline mode, did you do a Path>Union? I find that even though I trace a bitmap and it converts into a vector, I always do a Path>Union before I do anything else.

That is how I connected those two shapes and all my shapes. Sorry it didn't work for you.
drat. I know it's some simple step I'm missing or not doing, but it's just not working for me :(

would you mind posting step by step from start to finish what you do?
AnointedHands
Posts: 1120
Joined: Sun Feb 24, 2008 5:21 pm

Re: Inkscape find

Post by AnointedHands »

- Trace your shape into a vector.
- Using the Edit Nodes tool (F2) click on a line of the object (all nodes on that line become active)
- Either use Select All (CTRL+A) or use the tool to draw a surrounding box
- Path>Union
- Click off the object
- Select the node you want to use to connect two shapes
- Move that node to cross paths with the other shape
- Path>Union

That is all I do.
Doin the Bug...ain't nothin wrong if you wanna do da Bug all nite long...
jancy
Posts: 590
Joined: Mon Feb 25, 2008 7:48 am

Re: Inkscape find

Post by jancy »

AnointedHands wrote:- Trace your shape into a vector.
- Using the Edit Nodes tool (F2) click on a line of the object (all nodes on that line become active)
- Either use Select All (CTRL+A) or use the tool to draw a surrounding box
- Path>Union
- Click off the object
- Select the node you want to use to connect two shapes
- Move that node to cross paths with the other shape
- Path>Union

That is all I do.
thanks for that.

It was the version of inkscape I was using. I have an older version on my other computer & came upstairs to try it on my laptop w/newer version of inkscape & it worked. guess it was an upgrade at some point :)

thanks for your help :)
susanBluerobot
Posts: 80
Joined: Sun Mar 09, 2008 10:21 pm

Re: Inkscape find

Post by susanBluerobot »

OH my gosh this has helped me sooo much thanks for sharing i am a happy inkscaper now
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