Hi,
how can I cut out a shape out of an object so that only the outside of the object is remaining? Clip->set does exactly the opposite of what I need - it leaves only the inside, but I need the outside.
Thanks in advance.

It's not really clear what objects and what cut you want to achieve.
If a clipping solution would be fine, then draw a clipping mask that has the hole in it.
Draw a big rectangle that covers the basic object, cut out the holes you previously drawn from it, then set it as a clipping mask for your object.

If what you want to do is creating a hole in a background objetct having the shape of the foreground object, what you need is Ctrl + -

^-only when the original object is a simple path.
If that's spiro, if that's a text, if that's a bitmap, if that's a group of objects Ctrl+- wont help.
Some more detailed explanation of the problem would make things clear.

Sometimes using Path, then Difference or Intersection will work too, it all depends on what you want for the end result. More info needed, like Lazur said.

Welcome to InkscapeForum!


Instead of making a clipping path like the purple circle (on the left), make a shape like on the right (blue-green rectangle with hole in it). Be sure that the rectangle is large enough to cover everything that you want to keep. And the circle of course would be whatever the shape is. You can make the special clipping path by 1st drawing the large rectangle, which covers everything. Then take the shape, which would be the clipping path which you said did the opposite of what you want, and put it on top of the rectangle. Then select both the path and the rectangle, and do Path menu > Difference. Then you can use the result for the new special clipping path.

If that doesn't quite get you what you need, we might need to see a screenshot, or maybe even SVG file, depending on the complexity of everything

Oh sorry my thoughts weren't unzipped, I always forgot that.

Lazur URH wrote:^-only when the original object is a simple path.
If that's spiro, if that's a text, if that's a bitmap, if that's a group of objects Ctrl+- wont help.
Some more detailed explanation of the problem would make things clear.

Yep ! But most of this may be turned to simple path... The first question wasn't very clear.

Lazur URH wrote:Oh sorry my thoughts weren't unzipped, I alwasy forgot that.

!
No worries! Actually I should have said that I was elaborating on your suggestion, Lazur. I apologize for overlooking your credit there