Bending group of objects

[Dan L]

What I want to do (example): Paste a rectangle, then copy and paste next to the first one, then copy both and paste to the first 2 (etc, etc), until I have 8 or 16 units. Then I want to bend the whole thing in a half circle (like half circle of bricks).

No matter what I try (Object/group, path/union, path/combine), I just can't get this object to behave as one. All the individual bricks are selected when I select  and I can just bend one at a time. And I am not sure if the bending tool I use is the right one. But this program is so complex, I am learning one thing at a time.

Any pointers would be appreciated. Thanks

DL

[brynn]

Welcome to the forum!

There are a few ways to make the 8 or 16 bricks all one object, or behave like one object.  But none of those ways can be used to achieve your goal.  I'm not sure if there is any automatic way to do it.  You may end up having to do it "manually".

Let me make some examples and I can explain.  I'll be back shortly.

Edit
Well, it can't be done except manually, if you want the bricks to remain as rectangular bricks, but each one rotated a little.  If you're expecting each brick to bend a little bit, definitely there's a way to do it.  At least a couple that I can think of.  Making examples....

Edit #2
Actually, I think there is a way to do it.  So if you can tell us which way you're thinking of, we can tell you how.  But I'm still making examples (Inkscape crashed on me, and I might need to investigate that first....)

[brynn]

Ok, here's a screenshot showing how to do it, keeping the bricks as rectangles.  Extensions menu > Generate from Path > Scatter.  The only difference is that instead of clicking Live Preview, you would click Apply, to get that result.  However, the size of brick and the size of circle I used, it did not result in either 8 or 16 bricks.  So you'll need to make some adjustments.

[brynn]

Here's one way to do it where the bricks end up curved.

1 - Draw the semi-circle
2 - Path menu > Path Effects > Pattern Along Path
3 - Draw the brick
4 - Copy the brick
5 - Select the semi-circle and click on either the Paste icon or the Clone icon, in the Pattern Along Path dialog.  That will apply the brick pattern to the path.

You can see the settings I used in the screenshot below.  Again, it didn't turn out to be either 8 or 16 units.  So some adjustments will be needed.  (Make the brick larger or smaller or make the semi-circle larger or smaller.)

Inkscape keeps crashing when I try to use the Bend LPE, so I'm still not sure if I need to report a bug for that.  But I'm trying to make an example for you.

[brynn]

Ok, I'm not going to be able to make an example for you, using the best features of the Bend LPE, because I keep getting either a fatal freeze or a crash.  I'll have to report it.

But I can at least show you how it works.

1 - Draw the brick and create the line of bricks as you described.
2 - Select all of them (drag selection box around all)
3 - Path menu > Combine
4 - Path menu > Path Effects > Bend
5 - Click the Node tool icon in Bend dialog    This will produce a green line which is the what you can use to adjust the bend.

Ideally, I would place a node in the middle of that green line.  Click on the green line, or select each node while holding the Shift key, so that both nodes are selected.  Then click the Add Nodes button, which is the first one on the left, on the Node tool control bar.  Using this button, instead of double-clicking on the green line, will make sure it's precisely in the middle.  Then make it an auto-smooth node.  Then hold Ctrl key while you drag the node upwards.  After you've dragged it up as high as you want, adjust the handles of the auto-smooth node, to create the fullness of the semi-circle. 

But it's placing that node where I get problems with Inkscape.  So in the screenshot, I've simply grabbed that green line with the Node tool, and dragged it upwards.  It makes more of an inverted V shape, than a semi-circle.  So that's generally how to do  it.  But it will be hard to make it like a semi-circle, without being able to place that extra node.  (It would be impossible to make it precisely a semi-circle, without the extra node.  It would be hard to make something close to a semi-circle, but not impossible.)

[Dan L]

@ Brynn: Many thanks my friend. Your 3rd example worked very well for my "bricks" (which are actually osteoblastic cells). The rounded edge were nicely preserved, and I just need to figure how to lock in the color gradient across each unit cell before doing it (but I think I know how to do this). BTW, how do you draw that straight path across in your first example?

Thanks again!
DL

[brynn]

Hhm, you won't be able to give each block a different color or gradient.  Even if you want them to all have the same gradient, it might not be straightforward applying the gradient.

I'm not sure what straight path you mean?  Do you mean the bricks keeping straight sides?