'Object to Path' - Text stays as text.

[Tom Pintor]

Hi!
OBJECT TO PATH'  not responding. Text stays as text.

Example -
Installed Bezier Envelope
Test run -

1) Using ONE text letter as demo. (No Ungrouping text etc.) -
- then added surrounding shape. Start bottom left. 4 nodes.

> "B:Env working. please wait." -  Error message >

...
"Traceback (most recent call last)
File "bezierenvelope.py".line 381, in

<module>
e.affect()
File "c:\program Files\Inkscape\share

\extensions\inkex.py", line 283, in affect
self.effect()
File "bezierenvelope.py, line 90, in effect
raise Exception, Both letter and envelope

must be SVG paths"
Exception: Both letter and envelope must be SVG paths."
...

2)
Select text letter 
'Object to Path'
Acc. to 'Object Properties' it stays as 'text'

3)
So I select text with node edit tool 
Changes to a path
Deselect it,
then select again with Select tool - 
Text object reverts to Text


4)
So, Using the node edit tool, 
select text, changes to Path
(as above) -
Then draw a shape around it - (4 nodes starting bottom left) 
Select both - Select  "Bezier envelope" -
Same error message

By selecting both, causes the text letter (path), to revert to Text again. hence the error message.
Why does the Text as Path, revert to text?

[brynn]

Welcome to the forum!

Could you share a test SVG file with us?

[brynn]

Oh, I'll bet this is the problem.  After using Path menu > Object to Path, on text, the result is in a Group of 1.  So you could either have a 2 step process, where you convert to path, and then ungroup.

Or if you do Path menu > Union (instead of Object to Path), it automatically does the ungrouping for you.

[Tom Pintor]

The Bezier Envelope problem is solved -

a) 4 nodes starting TOP left, ( not bottom left)

b) Keeping text letter OUTSIDE the shaped box

Select text letter using node edit tool - or ( Path > Union )
Shift
Select shaped box
> Bez.Env
OK

.............................................................
Path >Object to Path problem -

So in future I forget 'Object to path' and use 'Path union' instead? Bugs me that  'Object to Path' does not work.
Download another 92.1?

Forward SVG file. ok. Which one do you mean ? Re-do any one of the previous attempts?

Path > Path union - Yes -Turns text letter into a path.
I don't get the very last sentence. There is no ungrouping to do. It is only one text letter I was attempting to change to a path

 

[Moini]

Perhaps if you could share a file, we could help you better.

[brynn]

So in future I forget 'Object to path' and use 'Path union' instead? Bugs me that  'Object to Path' does not work.
Download another 92.1?

Oh no -- Object to Path is working properly.  Don't forget about it completely.  Maybe just avoid it for text.  This is it's designed and expected behavior, to put all the paths which are created from text, into a group.  Everything else but text is converted to a path and is not grouped.  And yes, even if it is just one letter - if Inkscape identifies it as text, then Object to Path puts the paths in a group.

Union cannot be used interchangeably with Object to Path.  I certain situations, they do very different things.

[Tom Pintor]

Hi! - This SVG ok?



Demo of 'Object to path' not working -
.................................................................
Original discovery -
Version 1.
('Object Properties' kept on the desk top.)

a) select Text letter with SELECT tool
Object to path - no change

so deselect
b) select text-letter using node edit tool -
text as a Path ok

Pen tool
4 node shape starting top left surrounding text-letter
shift
select text-letter using select tool -

Extensions > Bez. Env. >
error message
'One item is not an SVG'

(It is the text-letter as a path, reverting to text mode)
................................................................

Version 2.

Select text-letter using node edit tool -
text to a Path ok

Pen tool
4 node shape starting top left

Select text letter with node edit tool
shift
select shape with node edit tool

Extensions > Bez. Env. >
Text letter expands inside box. ok.
..............................................................

Version 3.

Create text-letter
Pen tool - create 4 node shape surrounding
With node edit tool select text-letter
(changes to path)
shift
select shape
Extensions > Bez. Env. >
Text-letter expands inside box. ok.
..................................................................

You can see that the point here, is not about the Bez.Env., but the behaviour of the text-letter (as a path) > reverting to a text letter.


a) Object to Path not working

b) Text as Path, reverting to text when deselected or selected with select tool.





..................................................................

[Tom Pintor]

Brynn
Ok - Message recieved.

Thank you for your time and experience.

Tom

[Tom Pintor]

Did you get the SVG ok? Does it open? -
Just curious in case I need to send another sometime.

[brynn]

Sorry, I've been offline for a bit.  Will reply shortly.

[brynn]

Hi Tom,
Ok, in the SVG file, the M is already a path, but for some reason, is Grouped.  My previous understanding is that you used Object to Path on the original text, and that's how it ended up being grouped. 

You can find out what kind of object it is, using the status bar.  Whenever something is selected with the Selection tool, the status bar tells you what kind of object is it.  Try it - and keep your eye on the status bar while you Ungroup.  Now the status bar should say "Path (13 nodes)....."

To be able to use the M with the Bezier Envelope extension, you just need to Ungroup.  If you ungrouped it, and the status bar said "Text....", then you would need to convert to a path.  However, as we discussed, for text, it's faster to use Path menu > Union.

All of the seemingly strange behavior that you're seeing are attributable to the M-path being in a group (group of 1).  And also I think some of your confusion is thinking of the Node tool as something similar to the Selection tool.  While you can use the Node tool to display the nodes, as a way to confirm that the text has become a path, the Node tool doesn't tell you about groups.  Once you start using Path menu > Union exclusively for text, you won't have the trouble with groups.


Starting from the beginning:

1 -- Type a letter, or any text (switch to the Selection tool and notice the status bar is identifying it as text)
2 -- Object to Path (notice that there is no visible change to the text, but look at the status bar - now it says Group of 1) (or Group of however many characters you typed)

3 -- undo (use the status bar to confirm that it's back to Text)

4 -- Path menu > Union (notice the status bar says Path)


Is it making sense yet?

[Tom Pintor]

Brynn

Thank you very much. Clear as day.
 
I would never have thought of Grouping / Un-grouping a single text-letter !
You have shown me the 'mechanics' of the process. I understand now.

Thanks again.

[brynn]

You're welcome