Creating vectors from other images.......

[7milesdown]

can anyone give me a step by step or a site where I can get a tutorial on vectoring other images. Thanks!

[7milesdown]

can anyone give me a step by step or a site where I can get a tutorial on vectoring other images. Thanks!

[gwpriester]

Hello 7 miles down

Vectoring, as far as I know, is not a verb (or a participle either). http://www.talkgraphics.com/images/smilies/biggrin.gif

Do you mean how to create a vector drawing from a bitmap?

Xara has a Trace Bitmap function that can do a crude job of creating vector objects from a bitmap image. Adobe Streamline is a product dedicated to creating vector objects from bitmaps.

CorelDRAW has a utility called CorelTRACE abd does a pretty good job as well.

The problem with these tracing utilities is the image they are tracing is not precise and the program has to make some decisions about what is the correct outline of each object.

Many of us in this conference (it is a Xara X Conference after all) prefer to use the bitmap image as a template and use Xara's powerful and excellent drawing tools to create the vector object.

You can find more information about Bitmap Tracing in Xara X in Xara Xone WebXealot 23 and Xara Xone WebXealot #28.

Hope this helps and please excuse me for being so snide. :-)

Gary

Gary Priester

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[This message was edited by gwpriester on May 15, 2003 at 05:53.]

[This message was edited by gwpriester on May 15, 2003 at 08:49.]

[colin_e]

I read something related recently in a forum on RealDraw Pro.

In RealDraw it's apparently possible to put your bitmap image in a monochromatic and semi-transparent "onion skin" layer on the front layer of your drawing, and thne "draw through" it.

Is something like this possible in Xara?

I don't think the guides layers do what is required, but maybe something like:

* Size the bitmap

* Edge-detect (does Xara have this, need to check)

* Tint to roughly monochrome and lighten

* Set transparency as high as possible while
keeping detail visible

* Lock the bitmap layer and work underneath

could work?

Regards; Vole

[gwpriester]

Vole - this will work. But put the bitmap on the layer below your drawing layer, not on top of it.

You can make the bitmap as transparent as necessary to see the image but to also see your outlines clearly.

There are several Edge Detection filets in Utilities > Bitmap Effects and Plug-ins > Bitmap Effects > Special Effects.

Gary

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[Squeaky]

Actually you can put your bitmap on top. I do!

I create my line roughs in Painter (Could be scanned or whatever) Import into Xara, set the transparency to Stained glass and mess with the over all transparency value if needed. This makes all the white bits in the imported doc see-through.
Now when I trace I can see what I am doing.
Huge Regards
Dave

Home sweet home:
Http://www.squeakypics.co.uk
http://www.xaraxone.com/FeaturedArt/dc3/index.htm
http://www.lostmarble.com/moho/gallery/

[Alexei3011]

I have scanned a painting into my computer (as a bitmap out of necessity) which I now need to transform into a vector image.

I took your advice and have traced over it faithfully, line for line, using the freehand tool. But now how can I add colour!?

I don't need anything too complex as the image is being transformed into a flat-looking 1920's art nouveau-type-thing.

Please send any suggestions. Even "unconventional" approaches.

Thank you,
- Chris

[rubberswan]

Look at http://www.unleash.com/articles/trace/
may be this helps.
Robert

[Christine Farrelly]

You need to draw shapes rather than just lines in order to be able to colour them.

Christine

[stlewis]

I use F4/Shape Editor Tool.

www.bricksandbrass.co.uk