Tracing in Xtreme

[earwig]

I do a good deal of digital painting, and would be wonderful if I could use the tracing feature to create something like an outline. I'm reluctant to trace by hand, since my arthritis inhibits it. Ideally, I'd like to trace a bitmap such that I can redo the tracing in, say, a Xara calligraphic pen or a brush with varying thicknesses. I can generate a passable outline in PhotoShop using one of several techniques; no matter how simple I make the drawing however, Xara trace generates a host of interior lines that make the outline impractical to manipulate. What I want is a bitmap image reduced to the kind of picture in a kid's colouring book; can Xara perform the trick?
Earwig

[ScottF]

You might take a look at Xhris´s tutorial on the bitmap tracer. It´s very thorough in its explanation.

http://xhris.digitalred.net/

[earwig]

Thanks, S. That tutorial is very helpful indeed. However, I don't think it speaks to my problem. I want to select all lines (or virtually all the lines) that the tracer generates and turn them into calligraphy strokes, for example. But trace simply produces so many -- even when I bring in a photoshop outline bitmap simplified to pure B&W -- that I can't use it. I'm wondering if there's a way to make trace generate only one stroke for every black line in the bitmap outline. Thus if I select all strokes>change to calligraphy stroke #1, the result will look like the line drawings in a colouring book, with a minimum of deletes required.

[steve.ledger]

Tracing almost always requires post editing, so on the face if it you may be asking for a bit more than a tracer can offer. Also it's worth noting that before you trace, you might be better off if you prepare an image for tracing, keeping your intended result in mind. EG: Increase contrast and sharpen edges . Also try using Mehdi's Fine threshold before you send it to Xara's trace.

FInally, why not give VectorMagic's tracer a try? It may bring you results closer to what you seek

[Albacore]

I don't think Xara's will fit the bill for you and I doubt that many other vector programme will either although some might get close. The one that gets closest in my opinion would be Adobe Illustrator with it live Trace & Live Paint tools but even here there are problems with the tracers output as it does not really treat the outline as a line but as a shape.

I would always say to someone if they can is to manually trace the object into any vector package and then work from there but I realise that you have a handicap which may effect your ability to carry out this task but it is not that hard if you have patience. Have a look at this movie where the cartoonist is using Illustrator but it could be any vector package here: http://www.warking.com/Cartoon_Line_work.mov

Remi one of the moderators here found another site where you upload photo or line drawing and then download an EPS file which you take into your favourite vector package and take it from there and here is the link for the upload page but do have a look at the tutorial movies as well: http://vectormagic.stanford.edu/vectorize/upload
This programme I think is the best converter from bitmap to vector but you will have problems and that is why I still think if your disability allows to manually trace rather than let a programme do it for you. If you know anyone that has a Wacom pad try that for a few days to do your manual trace it may help you rather than using a mouse.

[raynerj1]

I have had good luck doing the type of line work you desire by zooming in and using the shape editor tool. I would click at one point on a curve, then click at the other end of the curve, then just "bend the line" to fit the curve. Zoom in far enough and you can trace anything...

For instance my steam engine in this months stop an post thread.

[Xhris]

The method by which Xara's tracer produces images is not really suited for your needs. Its method is analogous to producing a collage of shapes to approximate the image. I would recommend VectorMagic over Xara's tracer for line-tracing, as its approach is different and more in-line to the approach used by other graphics packages (albeit significantly better).

Xhris

[steve.ledger]

There seems to be an echo here

[gwpriester]

Also see Paul Solderholm's Guest Tutorial From Line Art to Clip Art II.

Gary

[earwig]

Generous responses all! I'll give your suggestions a try, including the hand-trace-and-bend. Much obliged.
Earwig