Hi all,
wondered if anyone has come across these issues while using inkscpae? I am trying to fill an object which has multiple paths. All paths have been combined, yet the object will only fill the sections where the nodes were manipulated. Any ideas?
Fill tool not filling surface area
Many thanks
Are you trying to fill the entire blue box area with black?
Yes exactly.
The issue is that the shape is made up of 5 distinct paths that are unconnected, it appears you’ve used the combine tool, but that makes in Adobe Illustrator terms a compound path, but it’s not a single path, it’s kind of like a group.
Anyways, the solution:
We need to break apart that compound path into the 5 parts again, select the item and go to Path > Break Apart, this will leave you with 5 parts you can select individually.
You will need to now join each corner, you can do this by zooming in really close, and using the “Edit Paths By Node” tool:
Use shift to select the end node of each path:
Use the “Join selected nodes” option:
Step and repeat until the shape is complete.
Video:
ahh amazing, I did this but not each node section. I’ll try your technique now. Many thanks!
Basically the fill tool looks for closed shapes and makes a shape that fits inside it, it’s probably advisable not to use it as it’s not very accurate.
Instead by creating closed paths and using the stroke colour and fill colour options you can create exactly what you want.
Also worth noting on your drawing that some of the nodes aren’t exactly on top of each other, this will cause the laser to draw over the path twice, and the node joining tool will snap to one or other of the points, possibly meaning your shape is out by a fraction of a milimeter.
Ok great, thanks amended the disconnected line, and with some appreciated assistance from @Esther to join nodes which proved more complex as the lines kept jumping. All fixed and filled. I’m filling the object with a jpg pattern, which is the reason for using this tool, I thought it was the easiest way to fill an object with a repeat pattern?
I guess it depends I’m not familiar with Inkscape but in Illustrator a path can be turned into a clipping mask but then the path is no longer visible.
The answer then is to duplicate the path so you have one as a clipping mask of the JPG texture and one as the blue cut line on top with no fill.
Using the full object bucket is basically doing the same thing of copying the inside shape but doing it with algorithms that try to fill closed shapes without touching the edges, so it’s never edge to edge. Where as copying and pasting the snap would be.
Ok I think there is something similar in inkscape, but actions are slightly different.
Another issue I would be super grateful for some help. When I print job with pattern as infill job opens empty. When I print job without pattern fill the file opens in job control just fine any ideas, anyone had a similar problem with inkscape, am I missing something? Worked perfectly fine last week.
On another file with or without pattern fill job is empty. Any ideas is really welcomed. I can’t find a thing useful on the net.
many thanks
Can you share the file again.
here they are:
What pattern is the issue I don’t understand sorry
there is an issue with how the file is ready the pattern.
I have created the attached shape and filled it with a pattern using the fill and stroke keys. The pattern is a picture of a hand drawing that has been vectored. When the pattern is applied to the object the object is no longer recognised. If I take out the fill pattern it’s fine.
The pattern was a jpg originally> I trace bitmaps> I then selected vector pattern> object to paths> followed by filling pattern with a green fill (for engraving)> pattern >object to pattern (allows your jpg to be recognised as a pattern in fill and stroke options)> selected my object in fill and stroke and click the pattern button (this then fills your chosen object with your custom pattern).
However, the file is not recognising the pattern or object when I perform this task.
So you effectively want the handwriting effect to be engraved into the main area?
I’m not sure how to do that in Inkscape but it’s easy in Illustrator, and you shouldn’t need to vectorise it.
Can you send over the image you are trying to apply and I’ll have a play in inkscape and figure it out.
Obviously unable to test this on the laser cutter to be sure, but this method works for Illustrator so it should work for Inkscape.
Effectively the same process is true whether you use a raster image like those you’ve sent, of a vectorised traced image.
The process is to duplicate the outer path, and use it as a clipping mask.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ty7RQL-tenw
Note
If you choose to use the raster image you may need to play around with the half tone options in the laser cutter’s print preferences:
Thanks Tom, I’ll give it a go.
Hope that helps, not sure what technique you were trying before but that seems to do what you want even if the laser doesn’t see the clipping mask.
Thanks for this, it works. But it turns out nothing wrong with the method I used. Inkscape crashes every time I press print. Am now trying Illustrator but I don’t know it and there still seems to be a buggy issue with the lines in job control. I’ll a little longer before I give up burst into tears.
