Masking with flipped clone appears to fail if 'Transform gradients' is turned off

Can you please attach a sample file with a mask that fails for you? In general masking _does_ work in Inkscape, I'm only aware of issues when using cairo-based export formats.

Well not sure what you would find from a file that fails to do what I want it to do but doesn't. I am sure there is some way I guess. But if it does not mask I have no clue what you would get from it, again I guess you have your ways. The process i had done, well if google for mask just about a tutorial that appears I tried to get it to work. Going to reboot system and try in XP and see if it happens. I am thinking more and more that all my problems with Inkscape are not on the side of Inkscape but that of Linux Mint 9 Isadora. As far as a file goes, will have to find an image site unless this site allows uploading.

> As far as a file goes, will have to find an image site
> unless this site allows uploading.

The bug tracker allows attachments. The link to 'Add attachment or patch' is just below the 'Add comment' field on the webpage of your bug report. Attachments to e-mail replies are also accepted.

> Where as the other bug mentions it working with one but
> not the other. In my case it fails all around.

Which other bug report? If you talk about the recently filed bug #589092 - that bug is not relevant for your Inkscape version (it is a regression in the not yet released development version for 0.48), and is specifically about in-place editing a clipping or masking path (after having successfully applied it) without the need to release it.

> not sure what you would find from a file that fails
> to do what I want it to do but doesn't

To figure out if and what fails and needs to be fixed, it is necessary to try to reproduce your problem on other machines/platforms and/or with more recent Inkscape builds. Without either
- a detailed list of 'steps to reproduce', including a description of
 'Expected result' and 'Actual result'
- and/or an SVG file with a (minimal) example of object(s) and the mask
  you are trying to use on it
I'm afraid not much can be done. The SVG source might reveal things like using colors for the mask that don't change the opacity of the masked object(s) or make them completely transparent, trying to use a path as mask that is stacked below the objects (in z-order) you want to mask, known issues with page resize / nested groups with transform attributes (e.g. bug #569281), etc.

> if google for mask just about a tutorial that appears
> I tried to get it to work.

Can you provide a link to the tutorial you tried to follow?

References:
Manual pages about clipping and masking:
<http://tavmjong.free.fr/INKSCAPE/MANUAL/html/Clip.html>
<http://en.flossmanuals.net/Inkscape/ClipAndMask>
User support:
<https://answers.launchpad.net/inkscape>
<http://InkscapeForum.com>

Here is a file of what I tried to do. Opened Inkscape, made the text, cloned the text (also have tried duplicating it), flipped the text, moved the text, added a rectangle, edited gradient; white top black bottom, clicked rectangle, shift+alt clicked text underneath, then mask set. Nothing happened except rectangle with gradient disappeared but no gradient mask on the flipped text. Saved file and sent to here.

Sorry more info:

One of the many tuts I tired which they all say the same process:
http://aqeeliz.com/2007/03/12/inkscape-tutorial-reflection/

Added note - as expected the effect works fine in windows xp

reproduced with Inkscape 0.47 (r22583) and 0.47+devel r9506 on OS X 10.5.8

Do you have 'Affect: Move gradients along with the objects' [1] deactivated in Inkscape running on Linux Mint 9 Isadora, but activated in Inkscape on Windows XP?

[1] second to last button on the select tool controls bar

related: Bug #582716 “clipping transformed objects causes unexpected results”

The flipped clone has the attribute 'transform="matrix(1,0,0,-1,0,883.18585)"', the masking rectangle in the <defs> section gets 'transform="scale(1,-1)"' (why?).

With 'Transform gradients' turned off: The gradient of the mask appears to be flipped and moved back to the original location of the clone (i.e. unmoved in relation to the clone's original position), causing the mask above the cloned text to be filled with the white color of the end stop of the linear gradient, and in turn leaving the opacity of the masked object unchanged.

With 'Transform gradients' turned on: The actual result is as expected.

The 'Affect:' setting seems to have the reverse effect than expected when clipping or masking objects with an explicit transform. This happens with scaling the rounded corners of a rectangle as clip-path (bug #582716) as well as with moving the gradient of a rectangle used as the mask (this bug #595881).

Thanks man lot of what you were saying I was lost on but - thanks the Affects buttons all were disabled, I enabled them and presto it does what is expected, sorry to bother you guys with this. Thanks - guess this can be marked solved or whatever you need to do thanks suv