I made a pattern of small rectangles to recreate confetti, and for the purposes of exporting my file to someone using Illustrator, I needed to reconvert the pattern back to individual shapes. After researching online, I stumbled across Object > Pattern > Pattern to Object. However, when I tried this option, the pattern split off into two items, a layer which had nothing on it, and a group of paths that do not contain anything. Essentially, it made the pattern disappear. I do not know if this is a bug, or and intentional aspect of Pattern to Object. Below I attached my issue as a .svg file.
Additional Information:
Pattern was made in Inkscape
I am using OpenSUSE Tumbleweed 20250925 (Linux)
Inkscape was newly installed, downloaded from the OpenSUSE repositories added during OS Installation (aka zypper in inkscape)
Inkscape version is Inkscape 1.4.2 (unknown)
I was wondering if I can get anymore help or information regarding my situation.
When you do pattern to object, inkscape creates two different things :
the path that was filled with pattern is keeped in place (that's why you see in object's panel a Confetti pattern square with no fill no stroke : it doesn't display on canvas unless it's selected - you can see it in outline display mode)
and above (and selected), the objects that where part of the pattern. That's the Confetti group you can see now in object's panel. Often it's sent far far from canvas : press 3 key on numpad to zoom on it and replace it on canvas (the classical way : selector tool, drag and drop).
That's what I did, here (I removed the second square).
Often you can make by mistake a pattern from another pattern filled rectangle, this results in nested patterns you have to revert twice by using pattern > pattern to object.
When you covert a pattern to an object, Inkscape moves a single tile of the pattern to the canvas. You get a single leopard spot instead of the entire leopard skin. There's no way to convert the filled area to vector shapes.
David - I sometimes find the converted pattern completly off the canvas in v1.4.2. Haven't verified in prior versions but I simply don't remember that behavior in prior versions.
Beginners' Questions Pattern to Object converting pattern to nothing
Inkscape.org
I made a pattern of small rectangles to recreate confetti, and for the purposes of exporting my file to someone using Illustrator, I needed to reconvert the pattern back to individual shapes. After researching online, I stumbled across Object > Pattern > Pattern to Object. However, when I tried this option, the pattern split off into two items, a layer which had nothing on it, and a group of paths that do not contain anything. Essentially, it made the pattern disappear. I do not know if this is a bug, or and intentional aspect of Pattern to Object. Below I attached my issue as a .svg file.
Additional Information:
zypper in inkscape)I was wondering if I can get anymore help or information regarding my situation.
When you do pattern to object, inkscape creates two different things :
3key on numpad to zoom on it and replace it on canvas (the classical way : selector tool, drag and drop).That's what I did, here (I removed the second square).
Often you can make by mistake a pattern from another pattern filled rectangle, this results in nested patterns you have to revert twice by using pattern > pattern to object.
When you covert a pattern to an object, Inkscape moves a single tile of the pattern to the canvas. You get a single leopard spot instead of the entire leopard skin. There's no way to convert the filled area to vector shapes.
This is a long-standing feature request. Perhaps adding your voice will stimulate some developer attention.
https://gitlab.com/inkscape/inbox/-/issues/1643
David - I sometimes find the converted pattern completly off the canvas in v1.4.2. Haven't verified in prior versions but I simply don't remember that behavior in prior versions.
In the supplied example, I found the converted pattern at location -2146, 2215.
Bug report?