Hi

I use inkscape to create stencils and would like a way to add bridges (tabs) to hold in centres of designs either automatically or semi automatically.

There are design programs like sir cuts alot and invue that offer a tool that allows you to manually draw a rectangular path that is used to divide a path below it. Neither of these programs offer the breath of tools that inkscape does so I am looking how to get this feature added or an extension written that does the same thing.

Anyone got any ideas how to go about either of these?

Is there some reason why you can't use rectangles in Inkscape, to do the same thing?

Yea you can definitely use rectangles to do this

Thanks for the responses but the process to use a rectangle is

1) Draw rectangle
2) Size it to desired width
3) Convert to path
4) Select Rectangle Path and Stencil Path
5) Apply path difference.

So with a graphic with 50+ bridges to be added this can be time consuming. I am looking for a way to automate this either some of the steps or all of the steps.

You could skip #3. When you perform the Difference, it will still work as a rectangle shape.

The only way to automate it would be with a script. I don't know how to write scripts. But from my understanding, there would need to be some way to tell the script where to put the rectangles. Like maybe you only need a little rectangle on path segments longer than 100 px or 3 inches, or whatever. Or maybe you only want to put them in the corner, where the angle is less than 90 degrees (I know that makes no practical sense, but just to give an example.)

That seems to me to be the biggest obstacle -- how to tell the script where to put them. After that, it's probably relatively easy to script such a routine....for someone who knows how to write scripts. Inkscape can use the command line, if that helps.

It sounds like that would be a nice feature for those who use cutting machines. I assume it could be written as an Inkscape extension, so that other people can use it. You can start learning how to write Inkscape extensions here: https://inkscape.org/en/develop/extensions/