Inkscape.org
Beginners' Questions Quicky replacing parts of (freehand or other) paths?
  1. #1
    jlow jlow @jlow

    I'm coming from Illustrator and trying to figure out my workflow in Inkscape.

    In Illustrator if I'm not happy with a path you can just change go to direct selection with A, redraw parts of the path with N and if you aimed correctly (so about 0,1% of the time +___+) Illustrator will replace the part of the original path with the new one you drew:

    How would you do this in Inkscape (without redrawing the whole thing)?

  2. #2
    Tyler Durden Tyler Durden @TylerDurdenβš–

    Maybe this?

    Β 

  3. #3
    jlow jlow @jlow

    Thanks! That looks like I want, I'll try it out soon when I have a chance.

    The trick is to have a open (is that what you call it) path and then I can draw from the open endpoints with the Pencil or Bezier, etc, right?

    Is it true that there is no β€žlassoβ€œ selection in Inkscape? Using a rectangle to select points looks to me like it would only work in specific cases. Mh, I guess I could always select more nodes whith holding shift.

    Wait, is there no way to deselect nodes?

  4. #4
    Tyler Durden Tyler Durden @TylerDurdenβš–
    *
    jlow

    Wait, is there no way to deselect nodes?

    Shift-click on a selected node should de-select.

    Β 

    jlow

    The trick is to have a open (is that what you call it) path and then I can draw from the open endpoints with the Pencil or Bezier, etc, right?

    Yes, as far as I can tell.

    Β 

    jlow

    Is it true that there is no β€žlassoβ€œ selection in Inkscape?Β 

    There is none for node-select that I know of.

  5. #5
    jlow jlow @jlow
    πŸ‘

    @TylerDurden thanks for the answer ^__^

  6. #6
    Xav Xav @XavπŸ‘Ή

    Here's a handy tip for selecting nodes in paths that doesn't seem to be particularly well known. It does rely on using a mouse with a wheel, or an equivalent input device:

    • With the Node tool selected, position the mouse over a node and move the wheel. As you scroll it selects other nodes based on their distance from the first node (i.e. think of it as a selection circle that grows outwards from the starting node).
    • Doing the same thing, but while holding Ctrl, results in nodes being selected in order along the length of the path.
    • You can perform either of these while holding Shift to add to the existing selection.

    In some cases a quick shift-wheel on a few key nodes can quickly make arbitrary selections that are tricky otherwise.

  7. #7
    jlow jlow @jlow

    @Xav That is amazing! 🀯

  8. #8
    Polygon Polygon @Polygonβš–πŸŒΆ

    Another one if you want continous path selection inside of complex combined pathsΒ is to select just one node and hit cmd+A for all others.

  9. #9
    ronpikes ronpikes @ronpikes
    *

    I think I'll create a feature request for this (automatic redrawing of paths similar to Illustraor). The way it's done in Illustrator makes the workflow a lot quicker.

  10. #10
    Tyler Durden Tyler Durden @TylerDurdenβš–
    πŸ‘

    https://wiki.inkscape.org/wiki/Release_notes/1.3#Draw_around_Selection

  11. #11
    jlow jlow @jlow
    πŸ™ˆπŸ™ˆ

    @TylerDurden that is so cool, I didn't know this! It previously only worked in object select mode, right?

    Β 

    Uh. In object select you need to touch the objects with the line to select them, in node select it works like a regular lasso tool. Drawing a circle around a bunch of obects does nothing, that's super confusing +___+

  12. #12
    ronpikes ronpikes @ronpikes

    Hey all,

    Β 

    Here's the feature request. Maybe comment in there?

Inkscape Inkscape.org Inkscape Forum Beginners' Questions Quicky replacing parts of (freehand or other) paths?