I am wondering if there is a way to place a specific number of objects on a path. For example, if I wanted 96 small circles evenly spaced around a larger circle or rectangle. I have goofed around with path effects (pattern along path) and I am not having any luck. Am I missing something simple here?
hi, and welcome to the forum. While Pattern along path or scatter will place the circles evenly along an object, there's not a way to tell it to place a specific number (96) around the circle, that I know of. Perhaps someone else will answer who has a feasible solution for you.
Until someone comes along with a better answer, here's what I do. (see attached). I create a star using the star tool, in your case make 96 points. Make it as large as you want your circle to be. Then you can make the size of the little circle fit (I put the little circle in the middle of a point). Once you know the size works, then open the PAP extension (vs the path) and run the extension, it should then create 96 circles that actually fit. (be sure to click on the PAP help tab and read it too.).
That's clever! Im not sure I would have ever tried that. The "number of copies" option sure would be an amazing option, especially for irregular shapes. I'm quite surprised Inkscape doesn't offer this. Perhaps it should go in the suggestion box for the next release!
I'd use the Polar arrangement with 96 clones, the tiled clones radial arrangement, or the Rotate copies LPE with the number of copies set to 96 for placing things on a circle.
For placing them on a rectangle in even distance... I'm not sure. Maybe one would need to measure the path, and create nodes by distance with the Add nodes extension.
I think Moini is talking about Object menu > Arrange > Polar Coordinates tab. Arrange is at the very bottom of Object menu. It's not entirely obvious how to use it. So let us know if you can't figure it out.
I'd probably use radially tiled clones, although for 96, it would be tedious. (one at a time) FlamingoLady's idea is probably faster.
Hhmm, I can't seem to make Rotate Copies LPE work in the way that's requested. Oh wait....I see. There's a little handle there, and if you play around with it, you can eventually make it work. I would make a little video for you except that my kind of videos aren't embedded in the forum. You'd have to download it and play it on your own player. Well, I would still make it, if you're interested. Let me know.
brynn, thx I see it now, no idea how to use it, or how to set a specific number of circles around a path using it.
sidenote: I keep referring back to the manual, but much of it isn't updated. Is there a target date to have it ready when they release v 1 - do you know?
Moini showed me how to use that Polar Coordinates feature once, and I could probably remember how to use it, if I have a look at it again. I didn't understand everything about it, and generally prefer to use other techniques for putting objects in a circle.
I have not heard of any news about the manual being updated. Around a year or 2 ago, there was some discussion about making a new manual which would be created and edited and updated by the community. My understanding was that a new beginners manual project was going to be sort of a test run for making a new official manual. But that beginner manual project went awry and I don't really know how it was eventually completed. So I don't think it worked out as a test run. I don't think there are any plans for a new official manual right now.
We (the community) should probably focus on that, rather than making Inkscape classes (recently proposed in Vectors chatroom). But you never know how things are going to work out.
Larzan, you lost me at measuring the path, lol. That's just too much to go through (for me).
I would think some smart extension writer could add an addition to the PAP extension, where all the end userhas to do is type in the number of patterns - e.g. we type in 96 and boom it's on the path. I'm wondering if the extension already somehow measures the pattern? (I'm clueless). On another note, I also wonder why currently the spacing always seems to be a little 'off' by the starting point.
Flamingolady, the "measure path" is already an extension. It will measure the path and place the measurement beside the path you have selected.. Simply go to extension, visualize path, measure path.
Ive been playing with the program a little more and its actually quite simple and quick, although not as quick as if someone wrote a proper extension to avoid the extra mouse clicks and the few seconds it takes on a calculator.
If you had a path that was 10 inches long, and you wanted 10 objects on the path, you'd size your object to 1" and exectute the PAP extension. This would give you 10-1" objects on a 10" long path...you then resize objects to whatever size/gap you'd like.
I cant think of any other way to get "x" amount of objects, equally spaced on an irregular shaped path.
FYI, i just played around with irregular shaped objects on an irregular shaped path and it seems to work as well! I suppose there are limitations to how "irregular" the shapes can be, I'm just playing at this point.
Anyway...thank you for your comments and suggestions!!! You are a great group!
But how do you add in equal amounts of spacing using that method? I almost always want some kind of space inbetween my objects. That's where it gets too complicated for this old gal!
Flamingolady, when you first place your objects on path, there is no spacing at all. You need to go to path then break apart.
Now select all of the objects and use the transform tool to resize smaller. Make sure to have "Apply to each object separately" checked as shown in my picture.
All of the objects will be sized down, your even spacing will be there! You can resize down to whatever you like...If you resize down 50%, the gap will be the same size as the objects!
Maren, thanks for that link. Nicely written! Once I figured out to move the + rotation center, I was easily able to follow it! (learn something new every day).
Beginners' Questions Place specific number of objects on path
Inkscape.org
Hi!
I am wondering if there is a way to place a specific number of objects on a path. For example, if I wanted 96 small circles evenly spaced around a larger circle or rectangle. I have goofed around with path effects (pattern along path) and I am not having any luck. Am I missing something simple here?
I would totally appreciate any help!
Thanks in advance!
hi, and welcome to the forum. While Pattern along path or scatter will place the circles evenly along an object, there's not a way to tell it to place a specific number (96) around the circle, that I know of. Perhaps someone else will answer who has a feasible solution for you.
Until someone comes along with a better answer, here's what I do. (see attached). I create a star using the star tool, in your case make 96 points. Make it as large as you want your circle to be. Then you can make the size of the little circle fit (I put the little circle in the middle of a point). Once you know the size works, then open the PAP extension (vs the path) and run the extension, it should then create 96 circles that actually fit. (be sure to click on the PAP help tab and read it too.).
That's clever! Im not sure I would have ever tried that. The "number of copies" option sure would be an amazing option, especially for irregular shapes. I'm quite surprised Inkscape doesn't offer this. Perhaps it should go in the suggestion box for the next release!
Thank you, I appreciate your time!
I'd love to see it as an option too. Also a 'put object on star point' would be nice!
I'd use the Polar arrangement with 96 clones, the tiled clones radial arrangement, or the Rotate copies LPE with the number of copies set to 96 for placing things on a circle.
For placing them on a rectangle in even distance... I'm not sure. Maybe one would need to measure the path, and create nodes by distance with the Add nodes extension.
Maren - what's polar arrangment? an extension?
I think Moini is talking about Object menu > Arrange > Polar Coordinates tab. Arrange is at the very bottom of Object menu. It's not entirely obvious how to use it. So let us know if you can't figure it out.
I'd probably use radially tiled clones, although for 96, it would be tedious. (one at a time) FlamingoLady's idea is probably faster.
Hhmm, I can't seem to make Rotate Copies LPE work in the way that's requested. Oh wait....I see. There's a little handle there, and if you play around with it, you can eventually make it work. I would make a little video for you except that my kind of videos aren't embedded in the forum. You'd have to download it and play it on your own player. Well, I would still make it, if you're interested. Let me know.
brynn, thx I see it now, no idea how to use it, or how to set a specific number of circles around a path using it.
sidenote: I keep referring back to the manual, but much of it isn't updated. Is there a target date to have it ready when they release v 1 - do you know?
Moini showed me how to use that Polar Coordinates feature once, and I could probably remember how to use it, if I have a look at it again. I didn't understand everything about it, and generally prefer to use other techniques for putting objects in a circle.
I have not heard of any news about the manual being updated. Around a year or 2 ago, there was some discussion about making a new manual which would be created and edited and updated by the community. My understanding was that a new beginners manual project was going to be sort of a test run for making a new official manual. But that beginner manual project went awry and I don't really know how it was eventually completed. So I don't think it worked out as a test run. I don't think there are any plans for a new official manual right now.
We (the community) should probably focus on that, rather than making Inkscape classes (recently proposed in Vectors chatroom). But you never know how things are going to work out.
Circles of clones are fairly easy.
Squares of duplicates are not difficult.
Differing shapes along arbitrary paths are more challenging.
Have a nice day.
TD
Thank you all for the info! Ive never played with tiled clones before. Ive got a lot to learn still...guess I should spend some time learning.
I was playing around this morning and figured out circles on an irregular path. Irregular shapes on a path may be a bit more challenging, though.
This is a bit of a pain but it really doesnt take too long to do, once you do it a couple of times. If I was a little smarter, Id write an extension.
Anyway, maybe this will help someone out someday!
Larzan, you lost me at measuring the path, lol. That's just too much to go through (for me).
I would think some smart extension writer could add an addition to the PAP extension, where all the end userhas to do is type in the number of patterns - e.g. we type in 96 and boom it's on the path. I'm wondering if the extension already somehow measures the pattern? (I'm clueless). On another note, I also wonder why currently the spacing always seems to be a little 'off' by the starting point.
Flamingolady, the "measure path" is already an extension. It will measure the path and place the measurement beside the path you have selected.. Simply go to extension, visualize path, measure path.
Ive been playing with the program a little more and its actually quite simple and quick, although not as quick as if someone wrote a proper extension to avoid the extra mouse clicks and the few seconds it takes on a calculator.
If you had a path that was 10 inches long, and you wanted 10 objects on the path, you'd size your object to 1" and exectute the PAP extension. This would give you 10-1" objects on a 10" long path...you then resize objects to whatever size/gap you'd like.
I cant think of any other way to get "x" amount of objects, equally spaced on an irregular shaped path.
FYI, i just played around with irregular shaped objects on an irregular shaped path and it seems to work as well! I suppose there are limitations to how "irregular" the shapes can be, I'm just playing at this point.
Anyway...thank you for your comments and suggestions!!! You are a great group!
But how do you add in equal amounts of spacing using that method? I almost always want some kind of space inbetween my objects. That's where it gets too complicated for this old gal!
@flamingolady About the polar coordinates: https://framadrive.org/s/z4pDML4O1bh5KNh
Flamingolady, when you first place your objects on path, there is no spacing at all. You need to go to path then break apart.
Now select all of the objects and use the transform tool to resize smaller. Make sure to have "Apply to each object separately" checked as shown in my picture.
All of the objects will be sized down, your even spacing will be there! You can resize down to whatever you like...If you resize down 50%, the gap will be the same size as the objects!
(or use clones, and resize the original)
Marem, that actually doesnt work, for me anyways. When I put the clone on the path the clones will not size along with the original...not sure why...
Either way, we need a new extension to make this easier!!! 😀
That's weird - do you have a file?
Maren, thanks for that link. Nicely written! Once I figured out to move the + rotation center, I was easily able to follow it! (learn something new every day).
Hey Maren! Thank you also for the link! That will be helpful for another idea I have!!!