≈≈≈ The issue ≈≈≈

I've imported an Illustrator document into inkskape (using the import menu item). The incoming document consisted of 5 images, which I deleted. The remaining item was an object. I try to remove the top half of the object by creating a rectangle, placing it above the top half of the object, and then path:difference. Nothing happens — I still have the rectangle and the complete object. I try the other path boolean operations and they too have no effect.

Note that if I just create two new rectangles I can use path:difference to slice a part away from one of them, just like the tutorial describes.

Is there something about imported objects that is different?

I have tried selecting that imported object and doing ungroup. There's no noticeable difference (and unfortunately, I can't find any way for inkscape to tell me whether an object is a group or not).

≈≈≈ Background info ≈≈≈

I'm new to inkscape and am using version 1.0.2 on a Mac. I have tons of prior work created in Illustrator, but I no longer have access to Illustrator (I was using it under a site license through my previous employer). And because I can no longer run it, I cannot tell you want version of Illustrator was used to create the file. The specific file I imported begins with "%PDF-1.5", if that is of any help.

Thanks for any help.

Why not run the latest Inkscape version?

Thanks @Polygon. Didn't realize I wasn't. Looks like 1.3.2 is the latest. I will try that and post my success/failure here.

I (eventually)had success with 1.3.2.

I started by importing the ai doc afresh.

My first attempt at doing path:union resulted in a crash (i.e. inkscape crashed). I was not able to reproduce this. I was trying to union a rectangle with the imported object.

After relaunch of the app, subsequent attempts of various boolean operations had no effect.

Eventually I discovered I had to ungroup the object several times — at least twice. After which the boolean operations worked.

Specifically, my imported object, in illustrator, had been the shape of a puffed-up Y, with fill and a (roughly) 10-pt stroke, different colors. Upon import, the first ungroup separated this into two objects A and B — A was the fill and B was the stroke. I deleted A. B was the one the boolean ops had no effect upon. The fill and stroke panel reported B had undefined fill paint and undefined stroke paint. I then "ungrouped" B, after which fill and stroke said it had flat fill paint and no stroke paint (not undefined).

I note that this second ungroup didn't seem to create two objects. So apparently B was a group containing a single object. And while that object was a filled path in inkscape it had been the stroke of a path in illustrator.

Since then, I've discovered the Layers-andObject panel, which probably would've helped me understand all the above without having to experiment. This panel doesn't seem to be discussed in the Inkscape Beginners’ Guide which I'd read before I started. (inkscape-manuals-readthedocs-io-en-latest.pdf, dated Jan 30, 2024 its front page).