Bezier problem

[donrecardo]

Im not sure if this is an inkscape problem or a solidworks problem

I create drawings in solidworks and then import them into inkscape in DXF format so I can make lines blue or red ,
which my laser cutter can then understand  .It engraves blue lines and cuts red lines
This works fine unless my drawing from solidworks contains bezier curves . Inkscape imports the solidworks files and draws all the bezier curves
but it also puts in an extra straight line  that joins the two end points of the bezier curve
I thought I could get around it easily by by ungrouping the drawing , selecting the offending line and deleting it  but no such luck
If I select the line it also selects the bezier curve at the same time , . how do I get around this
I will try to attach a picture to show what I mean using two red arrows

[brynn]

Welcome to the forum!

It's hard to tell from the SVG file.  But it should be fairly easy to remove the line.  I would try using the Node tool.  Clicking on the line once with the Node tool will select the whole line.  The if you click on it again, it will select the 2 nodes on either side of wherever you clicked.  Assuming you clicked on the unwanted segment, you should be able to click Delete Segment Between 2 Nodes button, on the control bar, and it will delete that segment.

The control bar is just above the horizontal ruler, usually.  The button looks like this 

If that doesn't work, please share the SVG file.  Then we can figure out the best way to remove the extra line.

[donrecardo]

Welcome to the forum!

It's hard to tell from the SVG file.  But it should be fairly easy to remove the line.  I would try using the Node tool.  Clicking on the line once with the Node tool will select the whole line.  The if you click on it again, it will select the 2 nodes on either side of wherever you clicked.  Assuming you clicked on the unwanted segment, you should be able to click Delete Segment Between 2 Nodes button, on the control bar, and it will delete that segment.

The control bar is just above the horizontal ruler, usually.  The button looks like this 

If that doesn't work, please share the SVG file.  Then we can figure out the best way to remove the extra line.

Hi Brynn
                  Thanks for replying. that way didnt work for me though of course I may be doing it wrong .  I will attach the original file
as requested , Its the 4 diagonal lines that are the problem
I normally use DXF files as solidworks wont export SVGs but I have re saved it as an SVG from inkscape

Don

[brynn]

Aah, I see.  It looks like there are 2 of each thing, on top of each other.  So you'll need to do it twice.  You might have done it perfectly, but because of the identical object underneath, it didn't look like it. 

I'll give steps and add some extra details, which you might not know, if you're new to Inkscape.

 - click on the line (you should notice a lot of nodes (tiny gray diamond shapes)) along the path
 - move the mouse slightly, but still over the line, and notice the mouse pointer changes to "the finger"
 - click again (you should notice that the nodes on either side of the mouse have turned blue)
 - click Delete Segment Between 2 Nodes button (you will not notice that anything has happened, but hopefully it has)

Now follow the same routine again, from the very first step.  When you click on the line again, you'll notice that this object that is underneath has fewer nodes than the one on top.

Actually I'm not sure if you need both objects.  You might decide just to delete one of the versions.  You'll need to Ungroup the whole thing, to be able to easily delete things.

I'm not sure what's causing the extra lines to be created.  Did you say they just appeared when y ou opened the DXF in Inkscape?  Because it looks like there are a lot of end nodes in the file, and also other bezier curves, and I wonder why only these are connected by the extra line.  It seems like it would be ideal to try to prevent the extra line.

Although I have seen this happen before.  Some programs apparently try to connect end nodes.  In one case, the user found a setting, and when they disabled it, the extra lines were not created.

I'm not familiar with the technical side of Inkscape's DXF import.  Maybe there's something about it that causes this.  I'm tempted to ask developers about it.  It seems like the file ought to be imported without changing anything.  Is there any further info you can provide, that you think might be relevant?

Did you save the drawing in Solidworks as DXF?  Or was it another format?

Edit
If I understand correctly (and I might not) when you open the DXF in Inkscape, it's automatically converted to SVG.  And then when you save as DXF, it's converted to DXF.  But still, it seems like it should open it exactly as it is, and not add the extra lines.

Edit #2
I don't suppose there's any way to join all the individual lines, while you're in Solidworks?  Because that would for sure prevent the extra line.  There wouldn't be any open end nodes.

[donrecardo]

Hi Brynn
               I have found a cure or at least a work around but I dont have a clue why it works , I found that if I  save my solidworks file as a DXF then inkscape opens it up with
the extra unwanted lines , however if after saving the dxf from solidworks I load the DXF back into solidworks as a 2D skech and then save it again as a DXF for the second time
then it opens up fine without the extra lines . Dont have a clue how it works but it does work

Don

[brynn]

I'm not familiar with solidworks at all, so I probably have less insight than you!  But that is interesting.

I wonder if you saved a different format from solidworks....well, if there is another vector format that Inkscape can open.  That might be worth some investigation.

But otherwise, at least you have something that works!

[donrecardo]

Hi Brynn
                Unfortunately DXF is the only solidworks output that Inkscape will accept
but as you say I do now have a work around .
Thank you and the others that tried to help
Don

[flamingolady]

I've not even heard of solidworks - but wondering if they have something equal to the inkscape path union or path combine.  Perhaps if you could combine then it wouldn't be able to try to connect the ends.

[donrecardo]

I've not even heard of solidworks - but wondering if they have something equal to the inkscape path union or path combine.  Perhaps if you could combine then it wouldn't be able to try to connect the ends.

That was tried but didnt help unfortunately , but thanks to Jim we now have it cured in inkscape

Don

[donrecardo]

Good news
                   I now have my laser software fixed too, Thanks to Scorch who wrote K40 Whisperer
he fixed the problem using the same fix that Jim used in Netscape , so I'm now a happy chappie with
both programs working

Don