Visualize Path

These effects provide information on a path.

Measure Path

Updated in v0.45.

This effect measures the length of a path, printing the length alongside the path. A dialog allows many options to be set including Font size, Offset (the distance the text is moved away from the path), Precision (number of decimal places shown), Scale Factor, and Length Unit.

Measure Path example.
A spiral whose path length has been measured using the Measure Path effect. The length of the spiral's path is printed alongside the path. Default options except for Font size, which was set to 24 px.

Draw Handles

Draws the handles that one would see if editing the nodes of a path. Would be of more use if it included the drawing of the handle and node symbols.

Draw handles example.
Top: Bezier curve with three nodes. Bottom: After applying Draw handles. (The nodes symbols were NOT added by the effect.)

Number Nodes

This effect numbers the nodes of a path. It is useful for creating an old-fashioned Connect-the-Dots puzzle. (It is also an example of how to access the path data in an SVG file for writing your own extension.) The original path is turned into a path with no stroke but with dot markers. The dots are then numbered.

The size of the numbers and the size of the dot markers can be specified.

Number Nodes example.
Left: Crude drawing of an elephant.[17] Right: After using Number Nodes effect. The positions of some of the numbers have been manually adjusted to remove overlapping.


[17] Disclaimer: The use of an elephant should not be construed as an endorsement by the author or publisher of any political organization associated with elephants.