Hi, I recently started using Inkscape and I'm mostly loving it. I've been practicing with tutorial videos.
This is where I'm having problems: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S4sfmzJ-2ps
When I do that path along pattern effect, it doesn't do anything. Except I can get it working when I boot my computer, then it does work for a while. How weird it that?

Any ideas what could cause this? I have a Mac os X 10.6.6 and XQuartz 2.3.6 (xorg-server 1.4.2-apple56).
Or better yet any ideas how to fix it?

Ou and I'm also having problems with this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PlMl_3kyrx4
My draw tool won't use my own shape from the clipboard, no matter what I do.

I would really appreciate any help!

ACH wrote:(…) I'm also having problems with this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PlMl_3kyrx4
My draw tool won't use my own shape from the clipboard, no matter what I do.

The issue is related to the general conflict between X11/Xquartz and Inkscape on Mac OS X (vector objects are converted to bitmap copies when copy&pasted from the clipboard): please change the X11 preferences for the pasteboard as described in this earlier topic: "Re: Mac Snow Leopard?".

ACH wrote:When I do that path along pattern effect, it doesn't do anything. Except I can get it working when I boot my computer, then it does work for a while. How weird it that? (…) Any ideas what could cause this? I have a Mac os X 10.6.6 and XQuartz 2.3.6 (xorg-server 1.4.2-apple56).

Sounds like a related problem of X11/Xquartz interfering with the clipboard - it's odd though that it works at all, in the beginning - after a reboot. This would better be discussed on the X11-users mailing list, since you are using the default X11/Xquartz version that ships with Mac OS X 10.6 Snow Leopard. IIRC there are known issues with intermittent clipboard failures in X11 on Snow Leopard, which might have been addressed in the development releases of Xquartz (but not the general conflict with Inkscape, this one has been deferred to later version repeatedly, see Ticket #403 Copy/Paste in Inkscape pastes bitmaps)

Possibly related earlier topic: «"Nothing on the clipboard" error» (known failure of the 'Pattern along Path' path effect (when pasting the pattern from clipboard) unless the X11 pasteboard preferences are changed).