Partial strokes in Inkscape

[Mortugg]

Hello fellow avatarists and Inkscape users!
While working on the typical OotS boots, I had to use some workarounds to make them look correct and I'm curious if there is a better and easier way to do it in Inkscape (v0.46).

The problem is that the patches on the boots should have a thinner stroke on the side which isn't limited by the boot's stroke. But since I can't just draw that single line and tell Inkscape to fill the space within the strokes, I have to cut out the shape from the boot with the path operations and put the patch above the boot.

Then there is the problem that the strokes don't match because I can't define a shape with a only partial stroke... so, what I do is copy the boot, delete the fill and put the remaining stroke on top of it all. Otherwise it would be quite tedious to resize the patch to make the strokes match exactly (this is just an example, imagine more complex forms and bigger stroke width differences). I have tried to visualize the process and the problem:
http://img513.imageshack.us/img513/8379/strokej.png
It may be hard to see because of the image size, but the difference is clearly visible while working with it.
Maybe I have missed an Inkscape feature that would help or I just can't find a simple way to do it. Does anybody know a better solution?

[CrimsonAngel]

As you can see, I realy don't care.
http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e381/CrimsonAngelChris/rect284.png

[Elder Tsofu]

Hello fellow avatarists and Inkscape users!
While working on the typical OotS boots, I had to use some workarounds to make them look correct and I'm curious if there is a better and easier way to do it in Inkscape (v0.46).

The problem is that the patches on the boots should have a thinner stroke on the side which isn't limited by the boot's stroke. But since I can't just draw that single line and tell Inkscape to fill the space within the strokes, I have to cut out the shape from the boot with the path operations and put the patch above the boot.

Then there is the problem that the strokes don't match because I can't define a shape with a only partial stroke... so, what I do is copy the boot, delete the fill and put the remaining stroke on top of it all. Otherwise it would be quite tedious to resize the patch to make the strokes match exactly (this is just an example, imagine more complex forms and bigger stroke width differences). I have tried to visualize the process and the problem:
http://img513.imageshack.us/img513/8379/strokej.png
It may be hard to see because of the image size, but the difference is clearly visible while working with it.
Maybe I have missed an Inkscape feature that would help or I just can't find a simple way to do it. Does anybody know a better solution?

Actually you can tell incscape to fill that portion of the boot if you draw a single line. I do the same as you, but instead of the first step I draw 2 thinner curved lines on the boot, then fill. After that I make the fills line the same colour as the fill (and maybe enlarge it to cover any holes. Then I put on the last skeleton of lines as you do.
Hope it helps. :)

[Mortugg]

As you can see, I realy don't care.
http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e381/CrimsonAngelChris/rect284.png
Actually, I don't see... even if I could, why should I care that you don't care? :smallbiggrin:


Actually you can tell incscape to fill that portion of the boot if you draw a single line. I do the same as you, but instead of the first step I draw 2 thinner curved lines on the boot, then fill. After that I make the fills line the same colour as the fill (and maybe enlarge it to cover any holes. Then I put on the last skeleton of lines as you do.
Hope it helps. :)
OK, as far as I understand it's almost the same process. I am somehow trying to avoid that last step because it's strange to be forced to duplicate the object to avoid such a rather silly problem :smallbiggrin:
But I'm happy about every hint and every alternative workflow, so thank you for yours, Elder Tsofu :smallwink:

[Elder Tsofu]

Yeah it's almost the same, but I save a bit if time in the first step by not having to duplicate and then cut of the bits of the boots I want uncoloured. But then, it's probably max 10 sec saving for a pair of them. :smallsigh:
I agree that it would be simpler not having to duplicate the wire-frame afterwards, but nowadays I do it automatically (for other things than boots), and it let me be a bit lazy with the drawing. :smalltongue: