Hi, all:

Wondering if anyone has experienced the same problem I'm experiencing of functionality disappearing. Trace bitmap, and place text on path no longer work. Let me explain.

I've been using inkscape for about a year now, in a Windows XP Professional SP2 environment. I really like the trace bitmap capability. In fact, this is what got me to use inkscape. I want to be able to convert images (especially pictures drawn by children) into vectors for download to my sewing machine for embroidery.

For a while, in the beginning of this year, I wasn't doing this type of work so I didn't use inkscape for months. When I got back to it, I downloaded the newest inkscape version. Then (end of June) it was 0.44. Trace bitmap no longer works for me. Since then I've downloaded several versions including some LATEST.

In trying to debug I followed step-by-step the instructions in The Northern Pacific Railway Logo - A Tracing Example (http://tavmjong.free.fr/INKSCAPE/MANUAL/html/ch02s05.html) including using the same image in the example. Nothing works.

The trace bitmap function popup window appears, you can click on the different choices and the selections you make show, but if you click preview or ok all you get is the text "Select an image to trace" in the status bar.

With placing text on a path again, nothing happens.

The worse thing for me is that I deleted the previous version of inkscape I had which had the functionality.

By the way, I think it may be an environment problem. I can't believe that this functionality suddenly went. But, I have no clue what could be the problem. What does inkscape depend on?

Anybody with ideas?

Thank you all.

Maia