Create Links (Breakaway Connectors)

To create tabs in Inkscape, we cannot properly use the integrated eraser tool. It will clip only in a cosmetic fashion but we do not get the real paths we need. Creating links (also known as microtabs, tabs, bridges, breakaway connectors, links, perforations) is sometimes required for laser cutting or vinyl cutting. This extension allows to pinch paths to create according segments - no cosmetic one's, but real segments. It will split up open or closed contours with user defined rules. To get best output please try to close open paths before using. This extensions is ideal to cut cloth/textile stuff in the laser!

Also have a look at

• Convert to Dashes
• Lasercut bridges without using extensions
• Ein- und Auslaufschnitte, Stege, Brücken, Laschen, Perforationen

Draw some contours

Run the extension and get result

Known issues

The path is not split up? Then please check if your path contains any connected Live Path Effect (LEP) which is associated with it. Like this:

You can remove it by using Apply Transformations extension for example.

Further development

See https://wiki.selfhtml.org/wiki/SVG/Farben/Kontur and https://svgwg.org/specs/strokes/#StrokeDashing

Create Links Extension does not support stroke-dashadjust SVG attribute yet. But if it is implemented in Inkscape, we can adjust the dash pattern

• none: default value
• stretch: if the pattern does not fully merge into the path length, strokes and gaps are stretched
• compress: if the pattern does not fully merge into the path length, strokes and gaps are compressed
• dashes: If the pattern does not fully merge into the path length, dashes are adjusted, gaps remain in the selected setting
• gaps: if the pattern does not fully merge into the path length, gaps are adjusted, strokes remain in the selected setting