Finding the number of elements in a path?

[ornamentist]

Is there a way to find the number of path "elements" or "steps" in a given path object? I'd like to be able to keep or delete path objects based on how complex they are.

[spakin]

Yes, but you'll have to drop down to the underlying inkex level to call the appropriate methods.

Consider a path represented in SVG as M 94,163 165,569 357,155 C 357,155 270,560 382,524 494,488 553,120 643,296 733,472 815,343 815,343 L 907,642. This contains 7 path commands:

for object in all_shapes():
  if object.tag != "path":
      continue
  iobj = object.get_inkex_object()
  p = iobj.get_path()
  for i, seg in enumerate(p):
      print('[%d] %s' % (i + 1, seg))

⇓

[1] M 94 163
[2] L 165 569
[3] L 357 155
[4] C 357 155 270 560 382 524
[5] C 494 488 553 120 643 296
[6] C 733 472 815 343 815 343
[7] L 907 642

This same path contains 13 control points:

for object in all_shapes():
  if object.tag != "path":
      continue
  iobj = object.get_inkex_object()
  p = iobj.get_path()
  for i, seg in enumerate(p.control_points):
      print('[%d] %s' % (i + 1, seg))

⇓

[1] 94, 163
[2] 165, 569
[3] 357, 155
[4] 357, 155
[5] 270, 560
[6] 382, 524
[7] 494, 488
[8] 553, 120
[9] 643, 296
[10] 733, 472
[11] 815, 343
[12] 815, 343
[13] 907, 642

Thus, you can count path commands with len(p) and control points with len(list(p.control_points)). Use whichever better matches your notion of path complexity.

[ornamentist]

Very neat — thanks.