How to create a hexagonal lattice (network) such that its nodes can be freely moved, i.e. the lattice could be arbitrarily deformed? My failed attempts to create one reduce to:

1. Create a pattern from hexagons. However, the nodes can not be moved, even after transforming the pattern to path (via object to path).
2. Create two hexagons, align them, transform each into the path, combine the paths. However, I failed to join the nodes at ajacent vertices. Btw, is it possible at all to join the non-end nodes?

Is there a direct way to create a hexagonal lattice?

Maybe this can help http://tavmjong.free.fr/INKSCAPE/MANUAL ... tries.html

The best you can do is to make hexagons that overlap on an edge (for example, by using Tile Clones, as prkos points out); it won't actually be a lattice. The reason is that a node can only join two lines, no more. To be a true hexagonal lattice, you would need nodes that join three lines.

To answer your other question, no it isn't possible to join non-end nodes.

Dear prkos and kelan, thank you very much. It is a pity that such a simple operation as drawing a lattice, which is transparent to do in corel (iirc), can not be realized in principle with Inkscape. If I understand correctly, the reason is exactly the impossibility to join more than 3 nodes. I wonder whether this is an internal restriction of the svg format that can not be circumvented or simply the shortage of Inkscape that will be possibly fixed someday.

SlonoInquisitor wrote:If I understand correctly, the reason is exactly the impossibility to join more than 3 nodes.

It's the impossibility of having more than 2 lines meet at a node.

SlonoInquisitor wrote:I wonder whether this is an internal restriction of the svg format that can not be circumvented or simply the shortage of Inkscape that will be possibly fixed someday.

It's a restriction of the SVG format. But that doesn't necessarily mean that it couldn't be circumvented in some future version of Inkscape: Inkscape could write SVG code to give the correct appearance, and add extra information in the inkspace namespace to tell Inkscape how it should be handled (much like it currently does for star objects, only more complicated).

Thank you! So let us wait when this restriction of the SVG format will be circumvented by Inkscape, perhaps via some plug-in.

Creating tile
1) Create a hexagon aligned to the base line - polygon tool -
2) Edit > Clone > Create Tiled Clones
3) Symmetry P1: simple translation
4) Shift : Per column Shift X: -25, Shift Y: -50
5) Width, height 500 x 500 (... as you like)

6) Select all (ctrl + A)
7) Edit > Clone > Unlink Colne (Shift + Alt + D)
8) Select all (ctrl + A)
9) Path > Object to Path

10) You can select nodes to be displaced ... (F2)

Good luck