Hi I am using inkscape 1.1 and I am a newbie to both inkscape and relatively new to linux.
I previously used CorelDraw in windows for many years and many of inkscape's features I can directly relate to previous experience and usage. However, I do not seem to be able to grasp how to create an envelope around a selection and then distort this for effect. The help file for this version of inkscape seems to relate to much older versions and tell me to switch to the node tool and then adjust the control point attached to the nodes. This is a technique I am familiar with from CorelDraw but it doesn't seem to work as described in inkscape.
I realise that there does not appear to be an envelope creation as such (as in CorelDraw) but the action should work on the existing bounding box around (eg) a selection of text. When I switch from the selection to the node tool, all that happens is that the bounding box changes and a tiny square appears just above the bottom left hand corner of the box. That is all!
If your shape is made of multiple elements group them before you go Path->Path effects - hit the plus button and select "Perspective/Envelope" - grab the Node-tool and adjust the 4 corner accordingly.
I'm not familiar with Corel and I'm not sure what you're trying to do, but here goes.
Text objects don't have any editable nodes and don't accept path effects. First use [Path > Object to Path] or [shift+ctrl+c] to convert the text object to a group of paths. You may choose to combine the individual letters into a single multi-path shape [Path > Combine] or [ctrl+k]. Now you can apply the path effect. The node tool [n] should reveal the path effect control handles.
Thanks for these responses - all helpful, and I have made some progress - but I'm not quite there yet.
To clarify what I am trying to do, I have a line of text, with a duplicate set of text as a shadow to it. (See attached for a bad example!) I have grouped these two things into a single object (not combined, that gives the wrong thing). Now, previously in CorelDraw I would have applied an envelope - which would have given me a few options of rectangles and various curvy sides - symmetrical or not. This envelope would have had its own nodes to play with so that I could curve my text, or flare it etc, as I wished. Job done. In fact it wouldn't have mattered whether it was text or anything else that I applied the envelope too. This is essentially very similar to the Path>Envelope/Perspective reference above - except that I would have had more than four nodes in all but the basic rectangle example.
I appreciate that inkscape will do things differently. But I do this sort of thing a lot - particularly for things like putting Merry Christmas in a nice curve at the top of a card design :-)
I have now played with your suggestions on a non-text object and they work as I would have expected - so that is also progress in my learning. Something else I used to use was a 'convert text to curves' option. Is there an equivalent in inkscape because I could then use this and treat the text as just another object?
Aha! Now I'm getting somewhere. I hadn't grasped what 'union' does. If I have a single set of text, then I can do what I like with it using the envelope deformation or lattice deformation tools.
However, adding the shadow copy (Ctrl-D), as previously described, then this has to be ungrouped rather than grouped before I can do the path>union command (otherwise an error message tells me one of the items is not a path(!?)) but then the two parts of each letter do not follow each other as I play with the available nodes. - Or at least they usually don't! At one stage in the proceedings they did - but then I couldn't replicate that.
I suppose what I am asking is how do I apply the same deformation, simultaneously, to more than one object?
It sounds like you're ready to grapple with ...dramatic pause... CLONES!
I've been experimenting with comic style lettering, trying to generate explosive effects but retaining editable text. There's no tutorial yet but the template below might help you. (It renders better in Inkscape than here in the forum.)
Each text object can be parent to multiple clones and clones of clones. Edits to an object are reproduced in all the descendant clones. Clones have their own formats and path effects and filters; offsets, shadows, blurs, gradients, warps.
A word of caution. In my experience Inkscape struggles as you stack filters on paths effects on clones. It reminds me of playing Jenga. As the tower grows it loses stability and eventually a tiny nudge will bring it crashing to the floor. Remember to save, save, and save again.
First a little clone history. The original and easiest method is to select your text (the parent object) then [Edit > Clone > Create Clone] or [alt+d] to create a clone.
Recent versions of Inkscape introduced the "Clone original" LPE which overwrites the nodes and paths of a shape with those of a linked parent shape. Disabling or removing the LPE restores the original geometry. A legacy clone is converted to a LPE clone when any other LPE is applied. I presume this is for compatibility with the internal LPE programming model.
Both types yield the same end result where editing a parent object simultaneously updates all the linked clones.
In the template above, the parent object is text on a path "KAPOW!". Make a clone [alt+d], then apply the Fillet LPE to round off the sharp corners and the Perspective LPE to warp the text. Format the stroke width and colour and add a gradient fill. For a shadow, duplicate the first clone. Scale the height and width, change the fill and stroke, and stack it below the first clone.
And that's it. Simple!
This conversation seems to be evolving into the tutorial I never wrote.
Meanwhile, back at the computer screen, I can see the usefulness of the clone tool but my version (1.1) doesn't seem to work as you describe. I can create a clone and edit it - even of a text object - but then I can't apply any LPE unless I convert it (>Union) at which point it disappears from the screen - or turns black... There is a lot of weirdness and inconsistency here. There are also numerous crashes :-/
Thanks for all the responses. However, I am going to have to leave this for a while due to time constraints (and keep using CorelDraw in VMbox :-/)
In passing, I would like to ask for the 'envelope' features in Inkscape to be extended to all types of object as well as multiple objects. This would make life so much easier!
Beginners' Questions How to create an 'envelope' and reshape it?
Inkscape.org
Hi I am using inkscape 1.1 and I am a newbie to both inkscape and relatively new to linux.
I previously used CorelDraw in windows for many years and many of inkscape's features I can directly relate to previous experience and usage. However, I do not seem to be able to grasp how to create an envelope around a selection and then distort this for effect. The help file for this version of inkscape seems to relate to much older versions and tell me to switch to the node tool and then adjust the control point attached to the nodes. This is a technique I am familiar with from CorelDraw but it doesn't seem to work as described in inkscape.
I realise that there does not appear to be an envelope creation as such (as in CorelDraw) but the action should work on the existing bounding box around (eg) a selection of text. When I switch from the selection to the node tool, all that happens is that the bounding box changes and a tiny square appears just above the bottom left hand corner of the box. That is all!
I have looked at: http://tavmjong.free.fr/INKSCAPE/MANUAL/html/Paths-LivePathEffects-EnvelopeDeformation.html and http://tavmjong.free.fr/INKSCAPE/MANUAL/html/Transforms.html but neither of these seem to work in 1.1
Please advise, Chris
If your shape is made of multiple elements group them before you go Path->Path effects - hit the plus button and select "Perspective/Envelope" - grab the Node-tool and adjust the 4 corner accordingly.
I'm not familiar with Corel and I'm not sure what you're trying to do, but here goes.
Text objects don't have any editable nodes and don't accept path effects. First use [Path > Object to Path] or [shift+ctrl+c] to convert the text object to a group of paths. You may choose to combine the individual letters into a single multi-path shape [Path > Combine] or [ctrl+k]. Now you can apply the path effect. The node tool [n] should reveal the path effect control handles.
On text Path->Union will do - no hassle with groups and combining.
Thanks for these responses - all helpful, and I have made some progress - but I'm not quite there yet.
To clarify what I am trying to do, I have a line of text, with a duplicate set of text as a shadow to it. (See attached for a bad example!) I have grouped these two things into a single object (not combined, that gives the wrong thing). Now, previously in CorelDraw I would have applied an envelope - which would have given me a few options of rectangles and various curvy sides - symmetrical or not. This envelope would have had its own nodes to play with so that I could curve my text, or flare it etc, as I wished. Job done. In fact it wouldn't have mattered whether it was text or anything else that I applied the envelope too. This is essentially very similar to the Path>Envelope/Perspective reference above - except that I would have had more than four nodes in all but the basic rectangle example.
I appreciate that inkscape will do things differently. But I do this sort of thing a lot - particularly for things like putting Merry Christmas in a nice curve at the top of a card design :-)
I have now played with your suggestions on a non-text object and they work as I would have expected - so that is also progress in my learning. Something else I used to use was a 'convert text to curves' option. Is there an equivalent in inkscape because I could then use this and treat the text as just another object?
TIA, Chris
Already covered above: Select text object (not text) and go Path->Union - done.
Aha! Now I'm getting somewhere. I hadn't grasped what 'union' does. If I have a single set of text, then I can do what I like with it using the envelope deformation or lattice deformation tools.
However, adding the shadow copy (Ctrl-D), as previously described, then this has to be ungrouped rather than grouped before I can do the path>union command (otherwise an error message tells me one of the items is not a path(!?)) but then the two parts of each letter do not follow each other as I play with the available nodes. - Or at least they usually don't! At one stage in the proceedings they did - but then I couldn't replicate that.
I suppose what I am asking is how do I apply the same deformation, simultaneously, to more than one object?
TIA, Chris
It sounds like you're ready to grapple with ...dramatic pause... CLONES!
I've been experimenting with comic style lettering, trying to generate explosive effects but retaining editable text. There's no tutorial yet but the template below might help you. (It renders better in Inkscape than here in the forum.)
Each text object can be parent to multiple clones and clones of clones. Edits to an object are reproduced in all the descendant clones. Clones have their own formats and path effects and filters; offsets, shadows, blurs, gradients, warps.
A word of caution. In my experience Inkscape struggles as you stack filters on paths effects on clones. It reminds me of playing Jenga. As the tower grows it loses stability and eventually a tiny nudge will bring it crashing to the floor. Remember to save, save, and save again.
Clones? Ah yes, I can see the link in the LPEs (see, I am starting to get the jargon <G>) but this does not seem to be available for editable text?
OTOH, if I convert text to nodes (path>union) the clone option does appear but doesn't seem to do anything...
Obviously I'm missing something or, more likely, several things ?
:-/
First a little clone history. The original and easiest method is to select your text (the parent object) then [Edit > Clone > Create Clone] or [alt+d] to create a clone.
Recent versions of Inkscape introduced the "Clone original" LPE which overwrites the nodes and paths of a shape with those of a linked parent shape. Disabling or removing the LPE restores the original geometry. A legacy clone is converted to a LPE clone when any other LPE is applied. I presume this is for compatibility with the internal LPE programming model.
Both types yield the same end result where editing a parent object simultaneously updates all the linked clones.
In the template above, the parent object is text on a path "KAPOW!". Make a clone [alt+d], then apply the Fillet LPE to round off the sharp corners and the Perspective LPE to warp the text. Format the stroke width and colour and add a gradient fill. For a shadow, duplicate the first clone. Scale the height and width, change the fill and stroke, and stack it below the first clone.
And that's it. Simple!
This conversation seems to be evolving into the tutorial I never wrote.
You're welcome :-)
Meanwhile, back at the computer screen, I can see the usefulness of the clone tool but my version (1.1) doesn't seem to work as you describe. I can create a clone and edit it - even of a text object - but then I can't apply any LPE unless I convert it (>Union) at which point it disappears from the screen - or turns black... There is a lot of weirdness and inconsistency here. There are also numerous crashes :-/
Are you using 1.1 as well?
C
I'm using 1.1.1 on macOS and I can apply path effects and filters to clones of text objects. I think this worked on 1.1 for me.
Here's an example using the Bend LPE. If you edit the original text, the bent clone should update.
Thanks for all the responses. However, I am going to have to leave this for a while due to time constraints (and keep using CorelDraw in VMbox :-/)
In passing, I would like to ask for the 'envelope' features in Inkscape to be extended to all types of object as well as multiple objects. This would make life so much easier!
Cheers,
Chris D
For clarity: Path>Union on text objects is an undocumented text-only shortcut for:
On other non-text objects, Path>Union will create a single path from two or more paths. http://tavmjong.free.fr/INKSCAPE/MANUAL/html/Paths-Combining.html
Tried this. not interactive. TRASHED MY FILE.