Here is a summary of what I am trying to do, and a more detailed description of all the things I have tried, what version I am using etc. will follow below:
I have a line drawing which is complex enough that using the fill tool would be way too time consuming as a means to fill in a coloured background. That is what I want, I want a coloured background for my line art, in this example a plain black background is what I want but I am hoping to learn a way to combine a complex line based shape with any background in future too.
I originally created the wireframe drawing in clip studio paint on a vector layer, but for a particular use of this project I need to output as a pdf and CSP can't do that for me, so I exported as an SVG and imported that into inkscape. As part of my attempts to get a black background I created a black rectangle and put that behind the line art. Then I tried several things but none gave the desired result:
1. I tried ungrouping the imported SVG wireframe and selecting all the constituent lines and using the boolian intersection with the black rectangle. That didn't work. I made sure all the lines were paths, using object to path first, but that wasn't to work.
2. I tried combining all the individual paths that the drawing is made from into a single path, and then tried using the intersection operator again. This gave a strange and unwanted result. However I realised this was partly due to the fill and stroke properties being altered when I use the intersection operation. putting stroke back on produces another strange and unwanted result. As you can see from the attached image, extra lines that are not in the original are created and many lines that should exist have vanished.
3. I gave up on intersection and thought clipping might help. I selected both the combined path (limpet wireframe drawing) and the black rectangle and used set clip. I got a similar unwanted result that looked very similar to the result from earlier. As though lines that do not exist are being used to create new shapes and lines that should be used are just vanishing.
My intention was to use the duplicated linework to add the lines back in once I had the correct coloured in black shapes from one of my above attempts but since I can't get the black background right I am stumped.
I never tried anything this complex before in inkscape, I only came to use inkcape when I realised I would need a pdf.
I am using Inkscape 1.3.2 (091e20e, 2023-11-25, custom) (upgraded from previous version)
on Windows 10
I have two monitors but inscape is only running on one, I have a Wacom intuos but I was using the mouse today because I was not drawing, just trying to do an operation that would give me my desired result.
Thanks so much Polygon, that worked perfectly for my case. It was actually fortuitous that I had this problem as I did not know about inkstitch before I came on the forums and the reason I needed a pdf in the first place was as part of a digitisation for embroidery process, so now I know of inkstitch I can look more into this and perhaps save myself some digitisation fees.
Beginners' Questions getting a background fill on a complex vector path
Inkscape.org
Here is a summary of what I am trying to do, and a more detailed description of all the things I have tried, what version I am using etc. will follow below:
I have a line drawing which is complex enough that using the fill tool would be way too time consuming as a means to fill in a coloured background. That is what I want, I want a coloured background for my line art, in this example a plain black background is what I want but I am hoping to learn a way to combine a complex line based shape with any background in future too.
I originally created the wireframe drawing in clip studio paint on a vector layer, but for a particular use of this project I need to output as a pdf and CSP can't do that for me, so I exported as an SVG and imported that into inkscape. As part of my attempts to get a black background I created a black rectangle and put that behind the line art. Then I tried several things but none gave the desired result:
1. I tried ungrouping the imported SVG wireframe and selecting all the constituent lines and using the boolian intersection with the black rectangle. That didn't work. I made sure all the lines were paths, using object to path first, but that wasn't to work.
2. I tried combining all the individual paths that the drawing is made from into a single path, and then tried using the intersection operator again. This gave a strange and unwanted result. However I realised this was partly due to the fill and stroke properties being altered when I use the intersection operation. putting stroke back on produces another strange and unwanted result. As you can see from the attached image, extra lines that are not in the original are created and many lines that should exist have vanished.
3. I gave up on intersection and thought clipping might help. I selected both the combined path (limpet wireframe drawing) and the black rectangle and used set clip. I got a similar unwanted result that looked very similar to the result from earlier. As though lines that do not exist are being used to create new shapes and lines that should be used are just vanishing.
My intention was to use the duplicated linework to add the lines back in once I had the correct coloured in black shapes from one of my above attempts but since I can't get the black background right I am stumped.
I never tried anything this complex before in inkscape, I only came to use inkcape when I realised I would need a pdf.
I am using Inkscape 1.3.2 (091e20e, 2023-11-25, custom) (upgraded from previous version)
on Windows 10
I have two monitors but inscape is only running on one, I have a Wacom intuos but I was using the mouse today because I was not drawing, just trying to do an operation that would give me my desired result.
I think I understand. You want to fill in a complex wireframe illustration made of individual lines.
Select the lines enclosing some areas you want to fill. Duplicate [ctrl+d] then Shape Builder [x].
If it´s for a one color colouring I´d go this way: https://inkscape.org/forums/questions/circle-and-squre/#c74705
Or use the Paint bucket tool (has properties) and works zoom level dependent.
Thanks so much Polygon, that worked perfectly for my case. It was actually fortuitous that I had this problem as I did not know about inkstitch before I came on the forums and the reason I needed a pdf in the first place was as part of a digitisation for embroidery process, so now I know of inkstitch I can look more into this and perhaps save myself some digitisation fees.