Hi Friends,
I'm again happily playing with Inkscape (thanks again to developers)

I've created some text, and then Object to Path. Then I opened the LPE editor and applied Envelope Deformation effect. Then I performed some live edits on the bend paths with Node tool. Then I notice that my 2 lines of text need to be closer together. So I think, ungroup the text/paths, and regroup so that each line is a group. But when I ungroup, I lose all the edits to the bend paths.

Is this expected, or a bug? If expected, why? If bug, I have a test file ready, if you need it. This is Inkscape 0.48 on Windows 7, 64-bit.

Thanks for your help

brynn wrote:Is this expected, or a bug?

Expected (i.e. technically not a bug).

brynn wrote: If expected, why?

You applied a "live effect" (transformation) to a group. If you 'ungroup' it, the group - as object, with a unique ID - is deleted (no longer exists in the drawing). Nothing to be live-transformed anymore. Path effects are not like style attributes which are inherited by the group members when ungrouped.

If you want to make the 'live' path effect 'static', use 'Object to Path' on the group first, then ungroup it. Do not simply ungroup a group which has a path effect applied (keep an eye on the status line if you are not sure whether the group has a path effect applied).

brynn wrote: Then I notice that my 2 lines of text need to be closer together. So I think, ungroup the text/paths, and regroup so that each line is a group.

Not clear to me what your intention is. "regroup so that each line is a group"?

If you want to edit the paths inside the group without losing the path effect:

1. select the group, open the path effect editor
2. hide the path effect (click on the 'eye' icon in the list of currently applied path effects)
3. double-click the group to enter it (or use 'Ctrl'+<return>)
4. move or node-edit the individual paths inside the group
5. leave the group with 'Ctrl'+<backspace>
6. with the group selected, show the path effect again (click on the 'eye' icon in the path effect editor)

Path effects on groups are briefly described in the release notes of Inkscape 0.47.

Ah! Thanks for the explanation ~suv. It does make sense now

Not clear to me what your intention is. "regroup so that each line is a group"?

Sorry, sometimes I try to say what I mean in as few words as possible, and it doesn't come out very clear. I mean I have a title, which is one word on one line, and another word on the next line below (line of text, not on a path). After all the live path editing, it made the text much shorter in height, which made my lines appear farther apart. So my first thought about how to move them back closer together, was to Ungroup the whole thing, then make each word (which happens to also be each line of text) a Group. And end up with 2 groups, which I could then move closer together.

So I don't think it would work to edit the paths from inside the Group, in this case. But what about this -- after I create the text and then Object to Path, then Ungroup, and then make each word a Group, before applying the LPE? I assume if one Group can have the LPE applied, that 2 groups can have an LPE applied at the same time?

Or the other thing that I'm thinking might work, is after Object to Path, Ungroup. Then Select all the letters, and apply the LPE to the multiple selection. I can't think at the moment why an LPE couldn't be applied to a selection? But I haven't tried it yet.... If it doesn't, then maybe Object to Path, Ungroup, Combine, apply LPE. Then to move the words/lines closer together, select with Node tool, highlight the nodes of one word, and move them. I haven't tried that yet either, lol! Just brainstorming

Oh oops, you posted again while I was typing, lol. I will read the info at the link as soon as I post this.

Thanks again

Hhhm, ok. So it seems none of my alternate solutions will work.

Even though you can apply the LPE to a Group, you can't apply it to 2 Groups. And neither can it be applied to a Multiple Selection. I don't understand why, but I'm sure there's a technical explanation.

It does work to Combine the Paths, as far as applying the LPE. But that leaves me in the same predicament, as entering the Group as ~suv suggested, to edit the Paths. Because I want to move the 2 words/lines of text closer together, it would be really hard to acheive that through node editing, without throwing off the proportions of the text as well as the newly applied perspective.

So I'm thinking my only option is trial and error with the line spacing of the text, before I convert to Paths and apply the LPE. I'm gonna go ahead and start working on that. But any other comments or suggestions will be welcomed

Hey, I just found the solution to this problem!

After finishing all the live edits, apply Object to Path. Now I can Ungroup them without undoing the perspective, and move characters individually (or words, after proper Grouping).


Happy camper!

brynn wrote:But that leaves me in the same predicament, as entering the Group as ~suv suggested, to edit the Paths. Because I want to move the 2 words/lines of text closer together, it would be really hard to acheive that through node editing, without throwing off the proportions of the text as well as the newly applied perspective.

Not sure I really understand which issue you have with entering a group and modifying/moving objects/nodes inside a group (except that if the bounding box size of the group changed due to the edits, the bend paths of the envelope LPE will refer to the old dimensions of the group). A sample SVG file could help to get a better understanding of what you are actually trying to achieve.

In general, working inside a group is a (IMHO) really powerful feature of Inkscape (and can also be used to e.g. add/edit objects inside a clipped or masked group without releasing the clip/mask).

brynn wrote:Hey, I just found the solution to this problem!

After finishing all the live edits, apply Object to Path. Now I can Ungroup them without undoing the perspective, and move characters individually (or words, after proper Grouping).

you missed that part in my earlier answer?

~suv wrote:If you want to make the 'live' path effect 'static', use 'Object to Path' on the group first, then ungroup it. Do not simply ungroup a group which has a path effect applied

you missed that part in my earlier answer?

I misunderstood.

In general, working inside a group is a (IMHO) really powerful feature of Inkscape

I didn't mean to imply otherwise, just that it wasn't a good solution for me in this situation.

Thanks for your help