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Like, I have this shape:
Which is all contour and no fill. And I want to subtract those contours from another, let's say a colored circle with a slightly bigger ratio, such that the design will look like this in the end:
Which is all fill (the colored parts of the former circle) and no contours.
And yet, when I try to subtract one from the other, the result is just a circle-sized hole in the colored circle. What am I doing wrong?!
Inkscape's Path > Difference only works on the fill areas of objects (no matter whether you filled them or not).
As Paolo commented, you have to convert the stroke to a filled object.
For a single line object
Select the line and convert the stroke to a fill. Path > Stroke to path or Ctrl+Alt+C.
Put the line above the circle. Select the line and the circle. Subtract. Path > Difference or Ctrl+-.
For multiple line objects
Select the lines and ungroup them. Object > Ungroup or Ctrl+Shift+G.
If you didn't use a group you don't have to do this. If you used multiple nested groups you have to do this multiple times until all lines are completely ungrouped.
Convert strokes to fills. Path > Stroke to path or Ctrl+Alt+C.
Unite the lines. Path > Union or Ctrl++.
Put the lines above the circle. Select the lines and the circle. Subtract. Path > Difference or Ctrl+-.
