Hello everyone! I am new to inkscape. Does anybody know how to change the direction in which an svg file is plotted. For example if you drew the letter ' s ' I would want it to be drawn from top to bottom instead of bottom to top. I have been plotting some svg files but since the order and the starting point has been out of my control it sometimes leaves odd marks on the drawing if it is drawn in reverse. Any advice on this would be greatly appreciated!

Hi @drover228!

There is the extension visualise path/number nodes which can give a cue on which is the start-end node on a closed path. 

To change that, simply select a node and split it into two. Then it will be an open path with the start-end node of your selected node.

In the path menu there is an option to reverse path. Using that, you can manually change the direction of your paths and subpaths -if you select at least one node on them with the node tool.

It worths noting that with the right settings the path direction is also rendered. 

The ordering between subpaths is more tricky. My solution to changing that was to split the compound path into open subpaths and connect unconnected nodes in the right oreder,

then unconnect those extra path segments in a second go. 

If there are alot of paths in your drawing, the plotting follows the z-ordering between objects. 

Can change that automatically from the extension arrange/change z-order.

The extension can reverse the z-ordering or offer a top left to bottom right etc. setting. More than that, it has a random shuffle option.

(In my experience that ordering changes when the subpaths ar combined together, thus used the previously mentioned solution.)

It is possible to achieve many things although there may not be an efficient way to do so.

Hi @Lazur thank you so much for responding. I tried all the methods you suggested and unfortunately none of them worked. I made sure the number order was correct for my nodes but my plotter (Bachin T-A4) keeps drawing the letter in reverse. I am beginning to think that it might just be doing this because the bachin finds that to be the most optimal way to write it but I can't find how to possibly turn off that optimization and test that out. Thank you again for helping me tho!

You have noticed right. It is something about the machine. I try to explain it in a German script here ( up.picr.de/47512637su.pdf ) (p. 5 (different printer plotter), 10 (way of the machine during works), 14 (zero point), 17 (sort path Inkscape), 19 (how works SW plotter zero point together))

BmP