Okay, I successfully opened a jpg, traced it using bezier curves then cut it out of the background and saved the resulting image as svg and exported it as a png. It was a tedious process yet I persevered and was pleased with the result. Now, I would like to make a silhouette of the image and I thought the svg file would still have the path I made with the bezier curves but I cannot find it so maybe it no longer exists.

I am willing to go through the entire process again if necessary and I would like to know how to preserve that single path that outlines (traces) my jpg image? Is there a way to preserve that path so I can use it later as a pure outline or fill it with some color as a silhouette?

Thanks

Hi Dasadler,

Good that you are persevering!
I am not really sure what has happened. But next time you make a path, you can easily duplicate it. If it is selected, press Ctrl+D. Then there are 2 paths on top of each other. If you drag one aside, that will remain intact. Use the copy to experiment on.

If you cannot see your path, try CTRL+5 to change the view from 'normal' to 'without filters' and again, for 'outline view'. Maybe it is there.. Onother Ctrl+5 makes the view normal again.
Or is the path on top of your jpg file and can you not see it?
Good luck with it.

When you say that you "cut it out of the background", how did you do that? Likely the path still does exist, in the SVG file. But we need to know how you used the path, to be able to find it again.

If you used clipping, to cut it out, then the path still is there as the clipping path. You can reveal the clipping path by selecting the clipped object, and switching to the Node tool. Then press the "Show clipping path" button on the control bar, to see it. However, you can't copy it from there. You'll have to release the clip (Object menu > Clip > Release). The object will become unclipped. Then you can select the clipping path, copy or duplicate or whatever you need. Then re-apply the clip.

If you used a path operation, such as Difference, Intersection, Cut Path, etc..... I guess it kind of depends which one you used. But the path is definitely still there in the SVG file (if you used a path operation. If you can't figure it out, let us know how you cut the thing out, and maybe we can give you some tips.

Thanks for the replies.

When I did the outline/trace, I selected the entire image then used Object|Clip|Set (as seen in a tutorial video on youtube) and that removed the background leaving me with the image I skillfully removed from the jpg. Then I saved it as SVG then exported as PNG.

Maybe Object|Clip|Set was not the best technique?

Well actually, now that I think about it, clipping is all you could do with a JPG. I somehow missed that you were using an imported raster image. So clipping is that only way you could have done that with Inkscape. And you can just release the clip, copy or duplicate the path, and then re-clip.

Sorry for the sort of mis-information.

Short version:

Save-as new file "silhouette.svg" or whatever
Release clip
Delete raster object
Fill path object with color of choice
Save, export, sell for big bux!

I can see the path by releasing the clip however I don't quite know how to manipulate it. If I try to drag it to the side, it simply distorts a segment of the path and when I choose the select tool, the path is no longer visible. How can I actually select and move/copy the outline path?

Oh... @tylerdurden... sell for big bux... I wish, LOL, I would even settle for small bux.

After releasing clip, delete raster object and select all... the clip path bounding box should be visible and a click on the swatch bar at the screen bottom should fill your object.

Success - thank you all for your help and patience.