Having trouble selecting parts of a drawing

[DaveGadgeteer]

In the attached file, which has a history from Inkscape to Fusion 360 to PDF to Inkscape again, I want to get the central region on a layer of its own.
Then I want to split the outer region at the corner diagonals so that I can move each of the 4 sides independently.
I can use the node tool to see the contents, but I haven't managed to split the graphic into inner and outer regions.
I also tried selecting all, copying to clip, then pasting in place on a new layer. The new copy can't be edited with the node tool, so somehow its condition is changed, it's not just a copy.
I've tried ungrouping, no luck.
So there's something I don't understand about selecting stuff--I can only select the whole graphic, and can't split the inner region into a separate path.
Any ideas what I'm doing wrong?
What tools/approach would an experienced user use to divide these two regions, and to split the outer region at the 4 corners?

[brynn]

Welcome to the forum!

First, there is a bug with using Inkscape on a Mac, in which pasting causes whatever was copied to be changed to a raster image.  So you'll need to use Duplicate instead of Copy/Paste.  Here is a bunch of info which you might find useful about using Inkscape on a Mac.  https://inkscape.org/learn/faq/#mac-os-x-specific-issues

For your file, everything is one large group.  So all you need to do is Object menu > Ungroup (or this button on the command bar  , or there's a key shortcut, which I don't know, but can be found in Help menu > Key and Mouse Ref.)  For future reference, you can use the status bar to know what's selected.  Whenever the Selection tool is enabled, whatever is selected is identified in the status bar.

Note that the puzzle is not created as a single path, or each piece as a single path (for some reason).  So depending on your goals, you may need to address that, at some point.

Also note that there are TONS and TONS of nodes for many of the paths.  It probably would be prudent to use Path menu > Simplify for them.  Unfortunately, selecting everything and running Simplify usually doesn't work very well.  Because if there happens to be a 2-node path in the selection, it throws off calculations, apparently. So you need to make sure you only have paths selected which have too many nodes.

Normally you only click Simplify once per path, and you probably won't notice any distortion of the path.  If you click it twice or more, you will certainly notice that the path is significantly changed.

Also note that there appears to be 2 copies of the puzzle pieces (on top of each other).  That's why they seem to be thicker lines.  The copy on top, in some places, is broken up into tiny, tiny sections.  In other places, larger sections.  The bottom copy, at least for what I've seen so far, does not seem to be segmented as much.  But it has equally, if not more number of nodes.  Also, the top and bottom copies are not segmented in the same places.

[Moini]

Btw. there is a more recent Inkscape version available for Mac, 0.92.2.

[DaveGadgeteer]

I figured I'd just switch to Inkscape in Windows 10, under Parallels, on the Mac, so as to avoid the Mac version's bugs.
But Inkscape acts bizarrely under Parallels/Windows: the Delete key has no effect when editing nodes. The Edit>Delete menu item works fine, but it's pretty inconvenient. The Delete key does work within text blocks in Inkscape, however!
So, what can be going wrong, what can I try to fix it? How can Delete work everywhere except in Edit>Delete?

[DaveGadgeteer]

The Mac 0.92 version doesn't seem to be available unless one wants to generate it oneself. I suspect that would take many hours for a novice... Or is there another source for a ready-to-install version?

[brynn]

I don't know what Parallels/Windows is.  But there is a Mac version of Inkscape.  Not for 0.92.3 but for 0.92.2.  Go to this page and follow the appropriate links:  https://inkscape.org/release/  It seems like you originally had it installed and working.

The most important things you need to deal with, using a Mac with Inkscape, is don't use Copy/Paste, and use Duplicate instead.  And also, you need to do something to make key shortcuts work properly.  I dont' know exactly what that is, but it's all explained at the link I gave you.  Everything else at the link I gave might happen, but might not.  Many, many people use Inkscape on Macs, so it's not huge things you need to deal with.

Were you able to select the parts of the image, following my instructions?

Select the image with Selection tool, then Ungroup.  Since there are so many objects, it takes a couple of seconds to happen.  Then after you see all the bounding boxes (dashed line rectangles, lots of them) deselect everything (click on open area of canvas).  Then you will be able to select everything individually.  Although as I said, those paths are in many, many pieces, some of them tiny.

Moini, what do you say if I make a new FAQ about being unable to select individual objects?  It seems to be our most frequently asked question lately.  Oh, but I guess I need to wait until.....well, whenever the website is fixed....  (at least I'll add it to our local faq, here)