In the help file, manual, there's an example of text that looks like a ribbon. Can anyone tell me the steps involved in making this happen?

http://tavmjong.free.fr/INKSCAPE/MANUAL ... nAlongPath


I wrote text, highlighted it and selected Path--> Objetc. Then Went to Effects--> Generate fom Path-->pattern along path. I checked single and stretched and also ribbon but something was missing ... it surely didn't work (and mentioned something about a second path)

You have to draw both an object to use as a pattern, and an object for the pattern to follow. It sounds like you've created your text to use as a pattern but now you need to create the path to apply the pattern to. You need to select both when creating the effect.

Note that in version 0.46 a better method for creating a pattern along path was introduced using Live Path Effects. You can read about it at http://tavmjong.free.fr/INKSCAPE/MANUAL ... fects.html