I found a nice tutorial on how to make curves and swirls in inkscape
http://mrtentacleguy.deviantart.com/art ... e-54969362

but I can't seem to get it to work in 0.46

Can anyone point me to a step-by-step tutorial on using Pattern Along Path in 0.46,
or give specific instructions on how to adapt the above curves and swirls tutorial for use with 0.46?

The steps appear to be idenitical for 0.46. With the exception that the tutorial refers to "Create from path" which should be "Generate from path".

What step are you getting stuck on?

Well, I feel silly (but in my defense I have a bad cold).

Anyway, for some reason I was trying to use

Path > Path Effects

not

Effects > Generate from Path

Though even that did not work initially. First there was some sort of extension that it asked for, and even after supplying it, I still had no success. I tried again just now, this time placing the pattern path right on top of the skeleton path (I had had them on other parts of the page, though I thought I had the z-order correct) and it worked nicely.

~~~
I'd still like to learn about
Path > Path Effects
if anyone has any links, please share.
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Thanks for your reply, microUgly

I've tried looking for documentation on Path Effects also, but haven't found anything. Some effects I was able to figure out through trial and error and others I have absolutely no idea because I don't know what they do

Anyway, the Pattern Along Path path effect is easy enough to explain.

1. Draw your Path object and your Pattern object (note that your pattern only needs the bare minimum of nodes--you don't need to create extra nodes as the tutorial above advises).
2. Select the Pattern object and copy it.
3. Go to Path > Path effects
4. Select the Pattern Path object and in the Path Effects palette select Pattern Along Path and click Apply.
5. In the Current effect section of the Path Effects palette, click the Paste icon to paste the Pattern object you copied.

That's pretty much it. To edit the Pattern object, click the icon beside Pattern source in the Path Effects palette.

This is a really sweet feature and I should have advised you of it in my first post.

4. Select the Pattern object and in the Path Effects palette select Pattern Along Path and click Apply.

Thanks for your little tutorial.
However shouldn´t step 4 be: Select the Path Object and in the Path Effects palette select Pattern Along Path and click Apply.

Yes, you're right, thankyou. I've corrected it. Since it's one of the more critical steps you would have thought I would have been more conscious of a mistake