Hello. A few years ago I taught myself how to use Inkscape so that I could create a creative version of a Family Tree. I now want to edit that tree. That is, changing text. I basically did the shape of a tree by linking names of ancestors to curved and straight paths. I cannot work out how to edit it now. I try to select paths and text, but am only getting a box around what I have selected and can't change anything. I am self taught and not familiar with a lot of the language so please be patient. It is saved in a png format. Thanks in advance.

When you saved it in a PNG format, did you also save it as SVG? If you don't have an SVG file, you'll either have to edit the PNG with a raster editor (like GIMP) or start all over. Inkscape can mostly only edit vector files, like SVG.

Here's hoping you have the SVG file. With that, we can help you make changes.

There may be a few things you could do to the PNG image with Inkscape, depending on what you have in mind. But we will need to see the PNG, and and know exactly what you want to do, to be able to advise.

Edit
It might be possible to convert the PNG back to SVG, but it's hard to say how successful that would be, without seeing the PNG

Hi. Yes I do have the svg file as well. I would like to keep the same structure including the paths and just alter the text so that i can do one for different lines of the family tree. Just having trouble selecting existing text that is on a path so that i can change the wording. Have tried it in svg as well.

Is the text still text? Or was it converted to paths? If it's been converted to paths, you can only delete it, and type new text. If it's still text....and you said it's Text on Path?

Hhmm.... Clicking on it should select it, unless it's in a Group. When you try to select it, look at the status bar (select with Selection tool) and that will tell you what kind of object it is. If it says "Group of...." you'll either need to Ungroup it, to be able to select the individual text; or enter the group to work inside the group.

I tend to find entering the group can be confusing. So I usually go the Ungrouping route. But it depends on the file. If there is anything Clipped within the group, then ungrouping might also unclip it. Then it might be better to enter the group.

But first, just tell us what kind of object it is, when you try to select. (I'm talking about in the SVG file. You won't be able to edit the PNG file.)

Hi. It's finally the weekend and I can get back to my project. I have tried to ungroup it, but nothing happens. The status bar...or lease I hope it is the status bar (at the bottom of the page) says:
Image 744 x 1052: Familytree 23 dec A4 layout.png in root. Click section to toggle/scale/rotation on handles.
I am wondering if that means that although this is a svg file, it is somehow linked to the png and therefore cannot be edited???

Aah yes, that's a PNG image that's been either imported, or opened in Inkscape. So unless you still have the image, with vector elements, before you exported the PNG, you'll be very limited in what you can do with it, with Inkscape. Here's some info on the difference between raster and vector. Raster graphic formats include JPG, PNG, GIF, TIFF. Vector formats include SVG, EPS, AI, CDR, WMF/EMF. Some formats can contain both, such as SVG, PDF, EPS, and I think AI can too (and others).

Inkscape can only create or edit vector content. It can convert that to PNG, which is what you did. There are a very few things you can do to the PNG image, with Inkscape. But unless the PNG is a very high quality, it probably won't look very good. The best solution would be to try to find the original vector file. But it's possible you never saved one. If that's the case, it might be possible to convert it back to SVG. But again, unless it's a very high quality PNG, that might not work very well.

We can only guess how it might turn out, of course, because we haven't seen the PNG. Actually there are 2 ways to convert it back to vector. Path menu > Trace Bitmap is an automatice trace engine. Not easy to figure out how to use it, but not too hard either. Depending on the PNG, it might either work beautifully, or horribly. http://tavmjong.free.fr/INKSCAPE/MANUAL/html/Trace.html

The other way is to trace it by hand, like with the Pen tool, or other tools. Essentially it would be starting all over. So if you can find any file you might have saved as SVG, befor you converted it to PNG, that would be ideal. Although I have an idea you probably didn't. Sorry, I wish I had better news for you

Thanks so much. It was a few years ago and I remember spending days on working out how to do it, so goodness knows how I got to where I did. I think that even though the file says svg I must have messed around with it when trying to save it in a format to print. I'll try the trace bitmap, but otherwise it is back to the proverbial drawing board. I want to do a few lines of the family tree so will make sure I save the new masterpiece as an svg so that I can just change details of names and dates. Thanks again for your assistance and patience.

You're welcome. Good luck. Inkscape is a much more complex program that it appears to be, when you're first learning. It was only the more I used it, the more I realized how much it can do.

But maybe this time around, you'll have some new ideas and can do things better and faster than before