I want to place a vector group as an object along a closed path. I have placed the object next to the path and also copied it to the clipboard.
I open the "Pattern Along Path" function. There, the following options for "Pattern Source" can be found: "Edit on Canvas", "Copy Path", "Paste Path", "Link to Path in Clipboard".
It is unclear which of the options is intended to use up the object from the clipboard and place it along the path.
Three of the four options do not fit into the "Pattern" category anyway, but instead refer to a "Path". That dialog is completely unclear.
What's more, nothing even happens at all with any of the four options.
Okay, I now figured that you can't place complex things like a group of shapes along a path, only something like a single closed path shape. Is there any way to prevent that shape from bending in tight curves of the underlying path?
I have also not yet succeeded in placing a filled pattern on the path. The fill seems to be lost when the pattern is placed on the path. Is there anything I can do about this?
I believe that this is something different. You are bending one group of things, and I was talking about putting hundreds of copies of a thing behind each other on a path. The latter does not work with anything else than one single closed path object.
Please give a brief instruction of what you want to achieve' best in a simple example file with annotations.
You said you can't place a group of shapes along a path. I showed you how to but you're coming up with something else. I'm close to give give up on you, which is very rare to be honest in 2 decades of software support. Please make yourself clear...
Perhaps you need [Extensions > Generate from Path > Distribute Along Path...]. Stack your shapes and group them. Select the group and a "skeleton" path. Use the extension to distribute copies of the shapes along the skeleton. The extension has several options to play with and hopefully get what you want.
Yeah! While "Extensions > Generate from Path > Distribute Along Path" almost seems to be a clone of "Path Effects > Pattern along Path", the former seems to accept groups of paths as well as distribution objects (which the latter doesn't).
"Extensions > Generate from Path > Distribute Along Path" has just plain destroyed my document that contained about two dozen very complex things.
While trying that Extension, it threw an error message saying that it needed two elements selected (which was the case). Afterward, almost everything was deleted from my document and can not even be brought back via undo 🤦
That's a serious error. I've had a few rare occasions where Inkscape lost all or part of my document, but I can't consistently reproduce this behaviour. If you can do so, the developers would appreciate your bug report. https://inkscape.org/contribute/report-bugs/
That said, I haven't had a problem with this extension, once I figured it out. Perhaps you can upload a sample file for us to play with?
Beyond the Basics "Pattern Along Path" options unclear/dysfunctional
Inkscape.org
I want to place a vector group as an object along a closed path. I have placed the object next to the path and also copied it to the clipboard.
I open the "Pattern Along Path" function. There, the following options for "Pattern Source" can be found: "Edit on Canvas", "Copy Path", "Paste Path", "Link to Path in Clipboard".
It is unclear which of the options is intended to use up the object from the clipboard and place it along the path.
Three of the four options do not fit into the "Pattern" category anyway, but instead refer to a "Path". That dialog is completely unclear.
What's more, nothing even happens at all with any of the four options.
There is no fricking ADD button as per the instructions! It's simply not there 🤦♂️🤦♂️🤦♂️
http://tavmjong.free.fr/INKSCAPE/MANUAL/html/Paths-LivePathEffects-PatternAlongPath.html
http://tavmjong.free.fr/INKSCAPE/MANUAL/html/Paths-LivePathEffects-BendTool.html
Thanks, that's actually right where I was coming from...
Okay, I now figured that you can't place complex things like a group of shapes along a path, only something like a single closed path shape. Is there any way to prevent that shape from bending in tight curves of the underlying path?
I have also not yet succeeded in placing a filled pattern on the path. The fill seems to be lost when the pattern is placed on the path. Is there anything I can do about this?
You´re wrong again:
I believe that this is something different. You are bending one group of things, and I was talking about putting hundreds of copies of a thing behind each other on a path. The latter does not work with anything else than one single closed path object.
Please give a brief instruction of what you want to achieve' best in a simple example file with annotations.
You said you can't place a group of shapes along a path. I showed you how to but you're coming up with something else. I'm close to give give up on you, which is very rare to be honest in 2 decades of software support. Please make yourself clear...
Perhaps you need [Extensions > Generate from Path > Distribute Along Path...]. Stack your shapes and group them. Select the group and a "skeleton" path. Use the extension to distribute copies of the shapes along the skeleton. The extension has several options to play with and hopefully get what you want.
Yeah! While "Extensions > Generate from Path > Distribute Along Path" almost seems to be a clone of "Path Effects > Pattern along Path", the former seems to accept groups of paths as well as distribution objects (which the latter doesn't).
Thanks!
Paddy - learned something new today. Thanks
"Extensions > Generate from Path > Distribute Along Path" has just plain destroyed my document that contained about two dozen very complex things.
While trying that Extension, it threw an error message saying that it needed two elements selected (which was the case). Afterward, almost everything was deleted from my document and can not even be brought back via undo 🤦
Luckily, I had autosave activated
That's a serious error. I've had a few rare occasions where Inkscape lost all or part of my document, but I can't consistently reproduce this behaviour. If you can do so, the developers would appreciate your bug report. https://inkscape.org/contribute/report-bugs/
That said, I haven't had a problem with this extension, once I figured it out. Perhaps you can upload a sample file for us to play with?