I take two rectangles, one inside the other. I convert them to paths.

I then add two nodes at the same points along each rectangle about a centimeter apart I remove the segments between the two nodes on each rectangle, then re-connect the nodes between each rectangle so I have the outline of a rectangle with a 1cm gap in it.

So far so good. I then want to overlap two of these shapes, using the gaps in each to allow them to overlap, but have no lines actually cross. The problem I run into is that when I try to have them overlap, there is a white background for the one on top, blocking out part of the one underneath. There's no fill in the rectangles, so how how this is an artifact of the above changes. Is there a way to insure that the new shapes are transparent?

Thanks.

I guess the paths are in the same object. Maybe try as separate objects.

If you upload an example file, we needn't guess.

Hi.

As far as I understand, you see a gap in between objects sharing the same edges.
That is related to antialiasing, producing the rendering issue which will always be present.

To solve that, you need to draw objects partially overlapping eachother and play with the z-ordering.

For example, this recently posted related topic discusses the same problem and workaround.

A working example of stroked paths with no fill: