Hello. I am new to Inkscape. Please advise / point me in a specific direction.

I want to import a photo in one layer. Then trace geometric shapes over this photo in another layer. And then discard the photo layer and save the layer with the shapes that I have traced.

Simple task - nothing fancy. Not looking to become a professional with software such as Inkscape. Just need to trace some lines and circles over a background photo.

Thank you.

Welcome to the forum!

If I might ask a couple of questions, to clarify your request, before offering suggestions?

Will you be tracing some of the contents of the photo? And so that after deleting the photo/layer, there are absolutely no traces of the photo left behind? But you will have the shapes of the original contents left behind? (For example, it's a photo of a person. You want to trace the person's body, delete the photo, and end up with a body shape?)

Or do you mean that you want to create some geometric shapes, and after deleting the photo/layer, the shapes remain filled with a portion of the photo? (For example, it's a photo of a person. You want to draw a circle around their face, delete the photo, and end up with their face in the circle?)

These will be different processes, and we need to know which one you want, in order to offer the proper suggestions
Do you understand my question? Or need illustrations?

I want to import a photo in one layer. Then trace geometric shapes over this photo in another layer. And then discard the photo layer and save the layer with the shapes that I have traced.

Seems like this would be a fairly simple task to accomplish.
1. Import a photo as one layer.
2. Trace geometric shapes as a second layer on top of the photo.
3. Discard the photo layer leaving only the layer with the traced shapes.

I really would appreciate any specific advice or direction. Thanks again.

I posted a reply.

I'll make some illustrations to show what I'm asking. It will take a short while and I'll be back to post them.

Ok, here we go.
If I follow your directions, here's what I get. I drew a rectangle over the photo, then deleted the photo. I'm left with a rectangle.



Probably not what you really want to do

Here's the JPG that I used. No, it's not a photo, but it should get my ideas across.


Here are the questions I asked.

Do you want any parts of the photo left inside your geometric shapes? Here, I've drawn a square/rectangle over the central square area with the heart. Then I clipped the photo with the rectangle/square. To do this, use Object menu > Clip > Set.


Or do you want only the shapes leftover, with no traces of the original phot left behind? Here I've traced over the heart shape, then deleted the original JPG, leaving only the heart shape behind. To do this, use the Pen tool, trace the shape, delete the photo.


If it's something else that you want, you'll have to be more descriptive

brynn wrote:Ok, here we go.
If I follow your directions, here's what I get. I drew a rectangle over the photo, then deleted the photo. I'm left with a rectangle.

Yes, this is as I described and exactly what I want to do. Thank you.