Hello,

I'm new to Inkscape and I'm trying for a while to perform a task without success.
Does anyone know how could I split a irregular polygon based on it's area?
For example, let's say i have a polygon representing a country and I want to split it in two parts, one with 60% of the area and the other 40%. How could I do it?

Thanks

Welcome to InkscapeForum!

There's probably not an easy way to do it. Do you mean to divide the polygon with a straight line? Inkscape has a Measurement extension, which will measure the area of a closed path. But that's all it does....well, that's not true. It also will measure the lengths of lines. What I mean is that is can't divide the area, or mark out a certain area. All it can do is tell you the area. And the purpose of the extension (apparently) is to print the value it determines. So if you don't need the printed number, that's another step to either undo or delete the number.

Anyway, the only way I know would be just trial and error. Mark off a line that looks close to 60/40, then use the extension to see how close. Then move the line and try again.

I know that's not a very satisfying answer, so I apologize for that. I just don't know any other way (using Inkscape). Maybe someone else will have an idea

Thanks brynn for the quick answer.
I think I will do it this way, using the measurement extension.
Just another question: why when i'm using the Path>>Division sometimes it doesn't work (i draw a line over the polygon, select both and when I choose division everything disappear)?

Oh, so you need to break the polygon apart, after you separate 60 from 40? Hhmm....yeah, most of the path operations won't work with open paths. But if you select the line, and do Path menu > Stroke to Path, you'll be able to use Division. Although you'll be left with a 3rd part, a tiny sliver from inside the path created from the stroke.

Here's something that will work though:
-- Select the line, then switch to the Pen tool. Starting in the tiny square at one end of the line, click once. This allows you to continue drawing from there. Place 2 or 3 nodes, and end by clicking once inside the other tiny square at the other end of the line. Place the nodes, so that when you're finished, you have a new polygon which entirely encloses either the 60% or the 40%.
-- Select the new polygon and the original. Then do Path menu > Division.

Now you should have the 2 parts separated, so that you can move them independantly. Of course, there are other ways to split a polygon. But since you seemed familiar with the path operations, I went with that. I would probably use node editing to split the 2 pieces. I could tell you how to do it that way, but it's not very much easier (if at all easier).