Inkscape

Tessellation

Asked by Donna Gaffney on 2014-10-12

Hi,
I am desperately trying to teach my class how to use Inkscape to create tessellations, in hope that after some use of the program, we can create Escher style tessellations. I have had a play about with the division and union path tools, however, when I duplicate my tiles do not fit exactly together?? Why would this be? I have watched a few tutorials where they start by drawing a line and adding nodes, although I am unable to follow these?? Please help someone! What is the best way to create tessellations by cutting shapes out of a square or hexagon? Changing colours/fill/gradient etc??

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Language:: English Edit question

Status:: Answered

For:: Inkscape Edit question

Assignee:: No assignee Edit question

Last query:: 2014-10-12

Last reply:: 2014-10-18

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Hachmann (marenhachmann) said on 2014-10-12:

Hi Donna,

I cannot help you with the geometry/maths related to this (read something about equilateral triangles...).

But I think you are really asking about one specific youtube video which comes with very little instruction.
There is another one which has a nice step-by-step and which you should be able to follow by watching closely:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HibmBbyqUo4
It has the disadvantage that it produces too many lines for a real Escher tesselation and only allows shapes where all 6 sides are the same - but you can just remove the superfluous lines wit Ctrl+X.

and you may have found this tutorial, which is very easy to follow and allows all kinds of shapes, but leaves gaps if you do it the way they suggest:
http://www.digitalartforall.com/1267/inkscape-creating-tessellations/
You might be able to make it work better without gaps if you keep a copy of the original hexagon or square grouped with and below the modified shape, and use the snapping features on a grid with the original shape, then.