Feature request: clipping mask / paste inside

Wed, 01 Jul 2009 21:00:11 -0000
ArM <email address hidden> kirjoitti:

> So this new command should work like it does not delete anything, it
> just works as a mask and makes non visible everything that are not in
> the mask. And the mask is of course editable vector object like that
> other object that are pasted inside of it.

> http://www.lersus.de/res/modules/enu/photoshop/1/res/files/jpg161_0_.jpeg

As far as I understand what you're looking for, Object > Mask > Set
does exactly that, except for single objects (can be a group) instead of
full layers. (I believe it's possible to mask layers, too. Selecting
the whole layer is somewhat more complicated, though.)

--
Niko Kiirala
<email address hidden>

Hmm, i tried that but it does not work that way. It hides / deletes somewhere the backround object. So the thing looks exactly same than what the "intersection" command does, but you can edit it little bit better. And secondly i cant edit the masked object. (only the mask) If i want to add some blur to the object that is inside of the maks, the mask gets blurred too - and thats not good thing.

Okay, i know. I can blur the object first and then set it in the mask, but then the mask is ready and i cant edit anything. And the last thing that i cant understand about this mess is about what does happen to the color of the masked object?

I'm not sure I understand exactly what you want but here are some things I think you should try, they may be what you're looking for.

If you want to be able to move the second object inside the clipping mask while keeping the mask in place, group the second object before clipping it! You will have a group of one, clipped, and if you want to move the object but not the mask just enter the group (Ctrl click or double click to enter the group), select the object and move it. Only parts within the mask will be shown, but the object will change position.

Another useful trick you might like: (group the second object before clipping) use clone of the first object as clipping path;

create first object
create second object
group second object
clone first object
clip the group using the clone

Now when you edit the first object (Node tool for example) the clipping path on the second object will be updated automatically! You won't be able to edit that mask independently as long as it's a clone.
If you want to move the mask as the first object moves, keep your Clones preference set to Move in parallel.

On o.47pre1 clipping paths work exactly as they should. If double click on a clipped object you can edit only the content, which is what you seem to want judging by #2.

Is easier if you attach the file that gives you bad results.

I confess I still don't know what the user wants. Could the reporter attach the file in which he tried to do a mask? The Photoshop example is perfectly doable in Inkscape with masks.

Hi guys, I'm looking for the same thing (paste inside).
Freehanders are all loath to let this feature go.
I've been using FH for over 15 years, can't stand Illie.
Love Inkscape so far.
The attachment shows how the paste inside feature works.
It would be the odd FH job where I don't use this feature.

Hi guys, I'm looking for the same thing (paste inside).
Freehanders are all loath to let this feature go.
I've been using FH for over 15 years, can't stand Illie.
Love Inkscape so far.
The attachment shows how the paste inside feature works.
It would be the odd FH job where I don't use this feature.

Imagineer,

A good tip for using clipping paths and masks in inkscape is to just group the single object before clipping. If you do this, you can then double click that clipped group and paste whatever you want inside the clippath.

@ ScislaC: I'd been frustrated with not being able to move a clipped object around behind its clip. "Grouping" the single object did the trick, allowing me to double click and move it around behind the clip (as well as to "paste inside"). Thanks for the tip!

However, it is a bit of an inconvenience to have to group the single object first. For smoother operation it would be best for it to automatically "group" when the clip is set.

Revision 9050 (patch by Martin Sucha) adds a related feature to 0.47+devel: «(…) to automatically group objects when setting clip/mask» as well as new preferences (screenshot attached).

references:
<http://article.gmane.org/gmane.comp.graphics.inkscape.devel/33086>
<http://article.gmane.org/gmane.comp.graphics.inkscape.devel/33141>

Auto grouping solves the problem with moving and pasting inside, the only additional thing that is not implemented yet is the trick with clones described by prkos in #3. Or is there something else that needs to be done?

Martin,

I think the simple solution here is that if something is in the clipboard, there is an option in the Edit menu to Paste Inside Group if you select a group. It doesn't matter whether it's a regular group or the new maskhelper type group... This allows easily adding objects to the group after it has already been created (not that entering a group and pasting is hard, but people want fewer steps to complete operations).

Perhaps I should also note... since I don't believe we have modifiers available for a proper "shortcut", it should probably automatically be a "paste-in-place" inside of the group when you use the menu item.

committed in revision 9050 and 9216.

Hi,

On Friday 09 April 2010 10:20:13 you wrote:
> committed in revision 9050 and 9216.
>
> ** Changed in: inkscape
> Status: In Progress => Fix Committed
>
> ** Changed in: inkscape
> Milestone: None => 0.48

While automatic grouping for clips/masks is implemented, I'm not aware of the
paste inside part, at least the commits mentioned don't implement the paste
inside part:

ScislaC wrote on 2010-02-10:
> Martin,
> I think the simple solution here is that if something is in the clipboard,
> there is an option in the Edit menu to Paste Inside Group if you select a
> group. It doesn't matter whether it's a regular group or the new maskhelper
> type group... This allows easily adding objects to the group after it has
> already been created (not that entering a group and pasting is hard, but
> people want fewer steps to complete operations).

Do you think it is better to mark this feature request as done and creating a
separate one for the paste inside thing or leaving this one open? (Or closing
this request and not creating anything - but that would probably not be
preferable as we would lose track of this paste inside feature request)

Regards,
Martin Sucha

Sorry - I did change the bug status prematurely. I don't think it's necessary to open a separate bug.

Unfortunately, I don't have enough free time to look at this before 0.48 release. May I change the milestone or is there anyone else wanting to look at this?

Related feature request:
Bug #623724 “Add/Remove objects to existing groups”
<https://bugs.launchpad.net/inkscape/+bug/623724>

Setting bug status to 'Triaged' for now and removing milestone - no one is currently working on implementing the missing feature 'Paste inside group'.