eraser tool and non paths don't play nicely

[Thomas Hicks]

(dev build 8th October 08, win32)

The eraser tool cannot eraser certain objects (main examples being images, 3Dboxes, text, groups).

It normally fails with a warning like: one or the objects is not a path, cannot perform boolean op

in all but text instances the eraser paths remain after the boolean op fails.

items like text could be converted to paths before the boolean op is applied, the boolean op could apply to individual items in a group/3Dbox instead of failing when applying to the group itself, and if being really ambitions, the image could be converted into a pattern before the boolean op is applied.

(similar bug, #273010)

[ScislaC (scislac)]

Confirmed. Again, nice catch. Also, those sound like some pretty decent workarounds.

[Guillermo Espertino (Gez) (gespertino-gmail)]

Confirmed. When you try to erase on grouped objects the tool stroke works as a calligraphy stroke (it paints solid, doesn't erase)

[willsketch (wllmbellamy)]

another workaround I found was this: Since it is acting as a caligraphy stroke, instead of true erase function, simply use it as a coverup function. Click the fill area (just above the image in the upper right hand corner), set to Last Used Style (instead of This Tool's Style) and then use the fill at the bottom to select the right background color, which in my case is white. This might not work for other more complex images, but it works for simple black and white images.

[Guillermo Espertino (Gez) (gespertino-gmail)]

This problem also applies to paths with LPEs, according to bug #280479 which I just marked of duplicate of this.

[ScislaC (scislac)]

Jabiertxof is working on another mode for the Eraser tool that will work with all of these things. If he's kind he might look into fixing the destructive mode's quirks. :)

[Jabiertxof (jabiertxof)]

Yes is a work based on last hackfest in london from doctormo. Is done in this branch:
https://code.launchpad.net/~inkscape.dev/inkscape/clip_eraser

[su_v (suv-lp)]

@Jabertxof - could you provide details (branch, revno) of the commit, please (to allow setting a milestone)?

[jazzynico (jazzynico)]

The branch was merged in lp:inkscape rev. 15143, and I see no (even partial) backport to lp:inkscape/0.92.x.

But it seems the bug is fixed in 0.92 anyway (I can't find exactly when, where and how) at least with my test file with a 3D box (the same file still shows the eraser path when used with 0.91).