Well, it seemed like a quick write up at first, because I can see the main steps in my mind were just 4 or 6. But writing them out took longer than I thought
Ok, these may be a little more intermediate techniques, but it looks like you've already figured out how to draw, and maybe even edit paths. Here's a tutorial to introduce you to the basics of path editing (sometimes called "node editing"):
http://forum.inkscapecommunity.com/index.php?action=articles;sa=view;article=7 if you need it.
Btw, can you give me a link to the glass shattering tutorial? I think I know which one you mean, but I'm just curious. And the steps I'm about to show are very different. And they'll give a different effect too. But this is the first thing that comes to mind. It will give you the kind of pieces that you see if you shatter a car window (they're made on purpose to break into tiny pieces that aren't very sharp (compared to breaking a window in your house) to help reduce injury in car crashes).
Anyway, when I see that tutorial, maybe it will jog my memory, and I'll think of something better.
For this tutorial, I'm working on a piece about 100 x 100 pixels, so the values in the extensions will work good on that size. Just so you know. So your values may end up quite different from mine, depending on your needs and the size of your original piece. Much later, I might write a more "official" tutorial, which would include illustrations and an SVG file. But I don't have time for that right now.
1. Select the smaller path that you want to break up
2. Extensions menu > Generate from path > Voronoi Pattern
3. Set both values there to 20
4. Click Apply
Since I don't know exactly the sizes you'll need, you'll probably have to adjust those numbers. For this, it's good to check the Preview box. Then you can change the numbers and see what that change looks like, without having to Apply and Undo, over and over. Note that it takes a few seconds for each change to happen (depending on your system).
So be patient, and when you get to something you like, click Apply button. And then be sure to Save. Working a lot with some extensions and most filters seems to invite slowdowns, freezes or even crashes sometimes (depending on your system), especially if you working quickly. Well, at least it does for me -- but most advanced and expert Inkscape users agree that frequent saving is a good habit to develop
6. Select it again
7. Object menu > Pattern > Pattern to Object
It may seem to disappear, depending on your Inkscape preferences. But look around your canvas, maybe zoom out, if you're all zoomed in. When you find it, you'll notice that the pattern fills the bounding box (dashed line rectangle) instead of the shape of the piece. But don't worry about that now.
8. Select it if it has come unselected
9. Path menu > Break Apart
If it comes unselected from here, you'll have to select it by dragging out a selection box with the Selection tool
. That's because now, the whole thing is made of a whole bunch of short paths segments, with only 2 nodes.
10. Select the whole thing
11. Extensions menu > Modify Path > Fractalize
You'll also probably want to use the Preview feature here, and experiment with different values. Try starting with 3 Subdivisions and 1.0 Smoothness, and adjust from there. For Smoothness, you can spin it below 1.0, for jagged-er pieces. It will be tricky to see the results after you click Apply. Read on --
12. Click Apply
13. Drag selection box around the whole thing
14. Click the small X box at the far left end of the color palette, which is just below the canvas and above the status bar
Now you should be able to see the pieces. And now it's time to start with the node editing. Because they aren't really pieces yet, even though it might look like some of them are - they are still just path segments.
15. With the Selection tool
drag a selection box, to select say 10 to 15 paths that are all close together.
16. Press the 3 key, which will zoom your canvas so that the selection fills the canvas- it will make it easier to work on the paths
17. Deselect and switch to the Node tool
18. Select 2 paths which either touch each other, or that you want to connect to become 2 sides of the tiny piece
19. If their end nodes already overlap, they are ready to connect -- If the end nodes don't overlap, drag them to where you want them to be
20. Edit menu > Duplicate these 2 paths (or this button
on the command bar) (or key shortcut)
21. Drag a selection box around the 2 end nodes that you want to join (note that they must be
end nodes)
22. Click "Join selected nodes" button
on the Node tool control bar (or look up the key shortcut in the Help menu)
23. Select the next side that you want to connect
24. Drag it's end node so that it overlaps with the end node of the other 2 sides
25. Duplicate the new side path, before you join it the rest (this is very important, don't forget)
26. Join the 2 nodes
Repeat #23 to #26 until you have 1 whole tiny piece finished. When you finish 1 piece, you might want to temporarily give it some fill color. That will make it easier to select or move around, later on. If you don't give it some color, you will quickly learn why it's helpful
27. Select the new tiny piece and Object menu > Lower to the bottom (or
button on the Selection tool control bar)
Now moving on to the next piece. Remember how you duplicated each side piece, before you connected it to the rest? This is the secret for having the sides of one piece exactly match the side of the next, and all the way around!
Now continue with the same routine, steps #18 to #27, until you finish the next piece. And continue until you have as many pieces as you need to. If you want a larger area that isn't broken, you can just delete some of those individual paths.
When you finally have all the pieces that you need, you'll probably need the pieces along the outside of the original larger piece to conform to the shape of the original larger piece. Easy to do!
1. First, if you want any tiny pieces to be separated from the larger piece, drag those a short distance away
2. Find your original larger piece and drag it to where all the tiny pieces are
3. Move it on top of all the tiny pieces (this button on Selection tool control bar
) and make sure that it does not touch any of the tiny pieces that you want to be separated
4. Drag a selection box around ALL the pieces
except the separated tiny pieces
5. Object menu > Clip > Set
Now there will be some tiny pieces that are still together and shaped like the original larger piece, as if that piece was cracked. And there will be tiny pieces that are separated
So that should get you some shattered automobile glass appearance, something like the attached image below (except it will be in the shape of the original object).
I wish I had time to make this tutorial better with illustrations, but maybe I can spiff it up next month.
Please feel free to reply if you have any questions. I do have plenty of time to answer questions (just not work up a full tutorial). I probably made some mistakes, either in Inkscape steps, or typing mistakes. So just let me know. Or if no questions, let us know how it goes.
Good luck
