Breaking an SVG into different layers

[ohjenny]

Hi there, hoping someone here can help! I just watched a tute on creating layers in SCAL, but it was based on importing a few different SVG's into one document. I want to take one SVG, and put the paths on two different layers - it's a box, and I want to make one layer the cutting layer, one layer the scoring layer.

No problem opening the image in SCAL and breaking it apart, then making the path I want for scoring a dotted line, while the cutting line remains solid. The problem is after that, how to put the paths on different layers.

Any help is appreciated!!

[HeatherM]

If you are using a recent version of SCAL2 (not sure what version it started with) each separate Inkscape Path is on it's own layer. So if you make the cutlines one Path and then the score lines one Path you will have an svg file with two layers when you import it into SCAL 2.030. To make the score lines all one Path, select the score lines, then use Control K to Combine them.

Another option for any SCAL2 version and Inkscape is to put the box in one Group and the score lines in a second Group. HTH

[ohjenny]

Hi Heather,

thank you for your response! Unfortunately, still not having any luck! The original file was an .eps (I didn't create it) - so I opened it in Adobe Illustrator (which is what I normally work in) and saved it as SVG- just so I could get it open in Inkscape.

Then I opened it in Inkscape, and thought I was creating seperate paths by doing cntrl. K with the dashed line. However, when I open the file I saved in Inkscape, in SCAL, it's still not showing as different layers. Not sure what I'm doing wrong!

[ohjenny]

Oooh, forgot to mention, I am working in SCAL2

[HeatherM]

Control K will only combine separate paths into one path. You would need to break it apart first if it all one Path.

[ohjenny]

I'm definitely doing something wrong - but I completely admit I need to do more tutes on SCAL and Inkscape - I'm so used to working w/Illustrator that it's hard for me to make the jump to other programs that work differently.

On a completely different note, Heather, thank you SOOOOO much for the awesome 'Box in a Bag' file on your site - I needed one yesterday for a gift card, so I shrunk it down a touch, and it came out so cute! Love it! Thanks!

[HeatherM]

You are very welcome, glad it worked for you. I have the opposite problem: trying to figure out how to do things in AI. Most of the time I just use AI for the things Ink can't do, then open the file in Ink to finish it.