Hi, all,

Is there a way to re-open closed paths? We've got "Split path between two non-endpoint nodes" and "delete path between two non-endpoint nodes" but it's specifically the connection between the two endpoints of, say, a horseshoe-shaped path that I want to split or delete, whth the result that a path that is closed (but shouldn't be) gets re-opened again.

Here's how the problem arose. I drew (pen on paper) a tree branch with pointed-oval leaves. The pointed ovals are not closed, there is a gap in each oval where it's closest to the branch. I scanned the drawing, cleaned it up, and vectorized it with autotrace using the centerline-trace option.

Autotrace's output file is in .svg format. When I look at this output file in other .svg-capable display programs (irfanview, xnview, Firefox and IE with the Adobe .svg plugin installed) I see what I expected to see, namely leaves outlined by non-closed paths. When I look at it in Inkscape with display mode = outline, I still see what I expected to see. But when I set Inkscape's display mode to normal, all the leaves have some sort of connection crossing the gap between the endpoints. (And they're all filled with black! Not what I had in mind at all.)

I hope some more experienced user can tell me what's happening to my leaf outlines here and how I can undo it. Thanks very much!

-Jim

I can't explain why they are being connected. But:

"Split path between two non-endpoint nodes" and "delete path between two non-endpoint nodes"

performed on each connection, should return them to normal. However, please wait for someone to explain why it's happening, because maybe there's another way to do what you want, without the unwanted connections.

I think this problem should be pretty simple to solve - you have assigned a fill - unintentionally perhaps - to an open path. When inkscape sees this it (she?) fills the path as if it were closed but does not actually create a segment connecting the end points.
To fix this all you have to do is to go to the fill and stroke dialog (ctrl+shift+f) and make the fill 'none". remember to set a stroke or you'll get nothing at all!

Well, that worked. I wouldn't have thought of having fills in unclosed paths, wouldn't have guessed it was possible. Thanks very much, More Experienced Users! Leearned a bit of a lesson about Inkscape too, namely don't just assume it works like other graphics programs I already know.

Now to figure out why it happened to this particular branch/leaves scan and not to the previous two. Avanti!