Open paths at last!

[gregevacall]

Hi Kay,
I am trying to get a better hold on the definitions. I feel like I am still in Inkscape/SCAL 2.011 kindergarden.
What is a path?
what do the different looking lines have to to with a path?
How does the cricut interpret these lines/paths?

Eva C.

[HeatherM]

A Path is a vector. They are kind of like driving directions for the blade carriage...Go North 2 miles then turn ENE. I'm not sure what you mean by "different looking lines" though.

[gregevacall]

Thanks Kay,
I Know I am trying to master the lingo of this language and I so appreciate your (and everyones) patience with lack of knowledge.

The vector part helped. thanks.

This what was said that I don't understand.

"A dashed line in Inkscape (not stroked to path) will cut as a solid line"..... And....." the dashed or solid line styles just cut once, like they should. Not like the stroked lines we had to create before that doubled back."

thanks ,
Eva C.

[firstcut]

Yeah, I can see how this could be confusing. LOL.

Prior to recent updates, SCAL could not cut a line or curve that ended out in space. Everything had to be a closed path that ended where it started, otherwise it would either not cut or it would close the shape for you with unwanted cuts. Hence the problem and wish for the ability to cut open paths.

In Inkscape a line can have various styles, from solid to dashed to arms and legs on the ends (not kidding). Before the latest updates, the Cricut would either not cut these lines or would double back (start to end back to start) to create a closed loop. Before, when we wanted to make a dashed line we would tell Inkscape to "stroke the path," meaning it outlined each little dash creating a series of tiny closed paths.

Fast forward to now.
Now SCAL can cut the lines that Inkscape makes but it will always be solid, even if in Inkscape it is set to a dashed style.

However, you can draw dashed lines in SCAL which work like they're supposed to. it draws a dash picks up the pen, scoots ahead and draw the next dash. (I got really excited about this.) No doubling back to slow things down or overdo the effect.

These days newbies don't have to worry about Inkscape and paths at all, in fact neither do intermediates and even some of us advanced folks are resorting to Inkscape less and less.

Now I bet you are REALLY confused, but I hope not.

[HeatherM]

I have a file with open Paths that aren't cutting right at all. The lines that are cutting are either cutting twice if they are straight or closing the shape if they aren't. Some of the lines aren't cutting at all. The funny thing is that when I cut the file with my baby bug it cut perfectly, but when I tried with my E with the good paper it totally messed it up. Frustrating, since we have been able to cut open Path straight lines with previous versions.

[gregevacall]

Ok! Wow! I can start to see through the mental fog a little, now. Thanks.

Application? Does this now apply to cursive fonts......so it will write like a pen with a single stroke (like our hands do) instead doing the outline thing?

Can you give a file or an visual example of open paths?

The sun is going down here in S.Florida but the mental sun is starting to shine through!

[firstcut]

Yes, greg, that's one of the applications I mentioned in the first post on this thread!

Heather,
I am having trouble with Inkscape files now, too. I only tried a couple of simple examples from Ink before I posted this and they worked. Today in my more complex things the lines are doubling back.
I have not had any trouble in SCAL, though. Those lines work great, as do open shapes and curves drawn with the pen tool.
Back to the drawing board where Inkscape is concerned.

[firstcut]

OK, Here attached the test file I created in Inkscape. If any part of it is off the mat for me it doesn't preview correctly. If I move it so that it is completely within the cutting area it previews and cuts perfectly.
I have also discovered that my lines that were doubling back in SCAL were actually doubled back in Inkscape. see screen shot. What I don't know is how they got that way because I drew them myself and can't figure out what subsequent operation makes them double up.
Anyway, if you have open path files that are not working check those 2 things:everything within mat borders and verify you do not have a secretly doubled line.
And by the way, sometimes double lines preview gray in SCAL, sometimes they preview red. You have to cut the file to see if it cuts twice or not.

secretlines-1.jpg (34.41 KiB) Viewed 2298 times

[firstcut]

Ok, I figured out that if you draw a line and then do path>union on it it will make the line double back. So maybe all that path>union we have gotten in the habit of is contributing to the open path problem. Any more insights? I think we're getting close to cracking this.

[HeatherM]

Kay, it looks like you nailed it on the part about being off the cutting area, except that the lines won't work even if the file is just touching the boundary by using the alignment tools. I checked on the line that cut double, and it was just a single line. Also, in case it makes any difference, I made this file in Ink46.