using a group as a clipping path

[brynn]

Hi Friends,
It's just come to my attention that it's possible to use a group as a clipping path.  It seems like that should not be possible.  I've posted a question to the user mailing list about it, and I'm just posting this topic so I can upload a test file for that.

I'll put a link to the archive for the mailing list topic, after it gets posted to the archive.

I'm just curious about things, is all....


group-clip.svg
(5.89 kB . 288x335)
(viewed 213 times)

Edit
Here's the archive link:  https://sourceforge.net/p/inkscape/mailman/message/36328562/

[Lazur]

Well... alot of things can be grouped.
Open paths, texts, raster images, clones, symbols, 3D boxes, other groups, masked groups, overlapping paths etc.
Can't see any way a group could define an exact clip boundary exactly.

On the other hand, those mentioned *do* represent a visual area with luminosity level which can be used for masking with no problem at all-except the non-existent pdf support.

[brynn]

Hhm, well no answer yet on mailing list.  Although a lot of times no one answers this kind of question for me.

It just seems like, considering all the things you mention which might be in a group - if nothing else, using them for clipping, and usually they would be duplicated from the existing part of the image, would add unnecessary weight to the file.  But it seems like just more stuff that can cause problems, especially if the file gets to be huge.

Or like....what if there was a filter in the group?  Filters are known to be trouble-makers, if used unknowingly.

I don't know, it just seems like it shouldn't be possible.  But the burning question for me, is there a legitimate way to use a group for clipping.

OOooohhh!  I'll bet I just figured it out.  It would be legitimate to create a group of objects, styled with gradients or filters for a complex mask.  And I guess the ability just carries over to clipping.

I'll bet that's it!

[Moini]

It's going to use the common outline. And it's a very useful feature, too, because it keeps objects editable.

Also, it's completely within the SVG standard, and if Inkscape wouldn't support it, people would complain.

[brynn]

It keeps which objects editable?

[Moini]

Those in the group can still be changed (you may need to use a clone, or release the clip, though - but the objects are still there).