Chapter 7. Using Paths

This chapter will focus on using paths. Paths are a critical element to Inkscape. We will focus on learning what paths are, working with them in Inkscape, and transforming, combining, and placing paths.

The following will be covered in the chapter:

• Working with paths
• Transforming objects into paths
• Using stroke to paths
• Path options
• Combining and breaking paths
• Path placement

Working with paths

As stated previously, vector graphics themselves are made up of paths. Paths can be used to create unique text styling when tracing other images like photographs, and when building icons, buttons, and logos. By adding and manipulating nodes, you can transform simple paths into elaborate illustrations.

The most common tool used to create paths in Inkscape is the Bezier tool and this is what will be used in most of the examples seen throughout this chapter. You can also use the Pencil (Freehand) and Calligraphy tools to create paths. All of these tools are found in the toolbox.

Before we get started, here are some key items to remember when using the Bezier tool when creating paths:

• To start creating a path with the Bezier tool, click each spot you want a node to appear in
• A single click creates a straight line and a sharp node creates a "corner"
• To create a smooth node or a curve--click, hold and drag your cursor to create the curved/smooth node
• Double-click to finish...

Time for action — using the Bezier tool

To begin, we will use the Bezier tool to create a woman's face shape:

1. Open a new document in Inkscape.
2. Now select the Bezier tool from the toolbox bar:
   
3. Using a series of straight paths, using single-clicks to create nodes, create a head shape, similar to the one shown in the following image:
   
4. Make sure to close the path by double-clicking on the first node when complete.
5. Select the head object and choose the Edit Paths by Nodes tool:
   

   All nodes on the object appear in a gray color.

   From the main menu, choose Edit | Select All or use the Ctrl + A keyboard shortcut to select all nodes.

6. From the control bar, select the make selected nodes smooth icon:
   

   All of the "angles" on your head shape will become smooth and have rounded corners:

   
7. Double-click a node to adjust its position (if needed). The node turns into a red square when it is "active" for you to edit its location. Now click-and-drag it to a new location.

   As shown in the following...

Transforming objects into paths

In Inkscape, any shape, text, or object that you created can be converted to a shape. Don't be fooled when it doesn't look like anything has happened because any capabilities that you had before (dragging corner nodes to scale larger, editing text, rounding corners on a square) can be lost, but now, you would be able to edit the object's nodes just like any other path (such as in our previous example).

Stroke to paths

You can convert the outline or stroke of any object and convert that to a path. Select an object with a stroke set—then from the main menu, select Path | Stroke to Path.

Again, the overall appearance on the canvas does not change, but how you can manipulate the object. Take a look at the number of nodes before this spiro was converted into a path, versus after:

Time for action — creating spiros and swirls

Let's open our previous project of the woman's face and give her some hair. In doing so, we will use the Bezier tool and the spiral object in Inkscape (as shown previously), convert it to a path, and manipulate it to create curls as follows:

1. Open the woman's face project we've been working on.
2. Press the shortcut keys: Shift + Ctrl + L to open the Layers dialog.
3. Create a new layer for the hair object(s). Press the + button in the Layers dialog. Name the layer Hair and click Add.
4. Select the Bezier tool and create a general shape for her hair, as shown in the following image:
   

   A few items to remember here are that you can add nodes, delete them, move and adjust them, so that you get a general hair shape that you like.

5. Now let's work some more with the nodes on the hair. You can select specific nodes (use Shift + click to select multiple nodes at the same time) and click the make selected nodes smooth icon to smooth the...

Time for action — Object to Path

We'll add stylized text to our current project of the woman's face to illustrate how to use the Object to Path functionality and how we can further manipulate the text when we use this feature:

1. Open your previous Inkscape project.
2. Press the shortcut keys: Shift + Ctrl + L to open the Layers dialog if it is not already open.
3. Create a new layer for the hair object(s). Press the + button in the Layers dialog. Name the layer: Text and click Add.

   Tip

   Locking layers

   To prevent accidentally selecting other objects, lock all other layers except the one you are currently working on. In this case, lock all layers except the Text layer.

4. In the Add Layer, select the create and edit text button from the toolbox:
   
5. Click on the canvas and type the word: SMILE:
   
6. Now we are going to convert the text to a path. From the main menu, choose Path | Object to path.

   Now when you select the word, the bounding box has changed and you can only select individual letters as follows...

Path options

Paths can be combined in a number of ways:

Here's what each of these joining options mean:

• Union: When you make a union of one or more paths, a new path is created that contains all areas of other parts. For example, the arrow we created earlier in this book joined all paths into one object.
• Difference: When you complete the difference between two paths or objects—the top path is removed from that of the bottom one.
• Intersection: When you perform an intersection of two paths, all that will remain is the area that was overlapping in both paths.
• Exclusion: When two paths are combined using the exclusion function, the resulting path keeps everything except the portions of the paths that were shared.
• Division: The first path as "drawn" will be split by the second and the outcome will be two or more paths.
• Cut Path: The first path is cut by the second drawn path, but the new paths have no fill, so the second path is a "cut out" of the first.

Time for action — creating an icon

We'll create an icon that has a border and star cut out. Let's get started:

1. Open a new document in Inkscape.
2. Select the create circles, ellipses, and arcs tool and draw a simple circle on the canvas. Hold the Ctrl key as you draw the circle to make it a perfect circle as follows:
   
3. Use the Fill and Stroke dialog to remove the stroke and add an orange fill, as shown in the following image:
   
4. Select the star tool from the toolbox:
   

   Make sure that you have the star option selected in the control bar as well:

   
5. Draw a star in the middle of the circle. This star can have any color fill and stroke, as shown in the following image:
   
6. Select the circle and the star. From the main menu, select Object | Align and Distribute.

   In the Align and Distribute dialog, click center on the vertical axis and then click on the horizontal axis as follows:

   
7. From the main menu, select Path | Exclusion.

   You should then see that the circle has a "cut out" of a star in...

Summary

We learned a lot about paths in this chapter. We first just learned the basics about using them and the Bezier tool. Then we learned about transforming paths and how to convert shapes and strokes into paths so we could adjust them using nodes. We explored all path options, combining and breaking paths, as well as path placement and how it transforms shapes. Next up is styling text.