Smoothing Out Traced Map Outline

**DiscoverIT** · 14 February 2008, 05:21 PM

Having traced a map outline back in 1987, today it was scanned and then tried using Xara Bitmap Tracer to improve the quality but to no avail. Is it possible for Xara to produce an accurate and smooth even thickness line of my outline map? Any help and advice would be appreciated. Thank you.

**handrawn** · 14 February 2008, 05:33 PM

....?

**handrawn** · 14 February 2008, 05:45 PM

xhris has done a tutorial on this
http://xhris.digitalred.net/index.ph...tmap%20Tracer/
and so has gnurf - need to search forum for this , I can't find link to hand

what I did is rough and ready from your posted image - from a good scan should be a lot better

**DiscoverIT** · 14 February 2008, 05:50 PM

Handrawn, an excellent response from you but if you look closely around the edges, it has created varying thicknesses which I am trying to avoid - I have enclosed a sample taken from the bottom left corner. I had looked at Xhris tutorial yesterday infact.Thank you for your input.

**handrawn** · 14 February 2008, 05:54 PM

yes - thats because the image you posted is very rough as I said - is what you posted the actual scan? - if so you are likely to have problems, because a computer cannot 'guess' how to smooth out a very coarse line

if the scan is better post it up and we'll take a look

if not then going round by hand with the shape editor tool or pen tool may be the best solution

**steve.ledger** · 14 February 2008, 06:12 PM

That definately would not be a huge task to trace by hand using the pen tool.
Shouldn't take more than 10 minutes.

**handrawn** · 14 February 2008, 06:14 PM

PS - when you scan - make sure you scan at say 300dpi - if you scan too low the tracer will have difficulty

without seeing the original scan quality its difficult to say more

**handrawn** · 14 February 2008, 06:15 PM

and I agree with steve [sledger] - if its a one off way to go

**DiscoverIT** · 14 February 2008, 06:15 PM

I was hoping for Xara to create a smooth even line whereby we can adjust the thickness accordingly afterwards!

I do appreciate that it can be re-traced but I am keen to avoid it if I can.

I have posted the scan as it is but the contents inside the border can be disregarded. The scan was executed at 300dpi

**Xhris** · 14 February 2008, 06:29 PM

For this type of work, VectorMagic might be the better tracer to use; it has the best 'edge detection'/'line tracing' ability of all current tracers. Xara excels in full colour image tracing quality, but this has limited uses.