Welcome to TalkGraphics.com
Page 1 of 2 12 LastLast
Results 1 to 10 of 12
  1. #1
    Join Date
    Aug 2014
    Location
    Toronto Canada
    Posts
    6

    Default Extracing portions of an image

    Hi. this is my very first post in the community So I'm learning the ropes of designer 10, and I can't for the life of me, figure out how to clip one area of an existing graphic, and delete the existing background.

    The use case is this - I'm converting a JPG picure of a baseball to a vector image, and I want the background around the baseball deleted. What's the easiest way to do this? Is there a magic selection tool or something that would recognize the object as round?

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Dec 2000
    Location
    Hautes Pyrénées, France
    Posts
    5,083

    Default Re: Extracing portions of an image

    i have some bad news for you
    you cannot convert a jpg to vector
    you have to draw the vector over the jpg*
    you save a vector image that contains a bitmap and the bitmap remains a bitmap

    but to answer your technical question
    draw a circle exactly over the baseball
    select both the circle an the bitmap (use shift whilst selecting)
    then rightclick
    combine shapes > intersect

    * or you can use a bitmap tracer like the built in one (utilities > bitmap editor)
    but its not very accurate
    google vector magik i think its called
    If someone tried to make me dig my own grave I would say No.
    They're going to kill me anyway and I'd love to die the way I lived:
    Avoiding Manual Labour.

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Oct 2006
    Location
    StPeters, MO USA
    Posts
    10,819

    Default Re: Extracing portions of an image

    Welcome to TalkGraphics Admiral. Doing what Frank suggests is by far the best way. To add to what he said, after the combine shapes operation and you want to keep the image for further use, export it as a png true color+alpha.

    check out this video for more complex images.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G8XgHkZo1J8
    or with our newer tool set see this one
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gPU98RcV6J0

    Sorry I still don't know how to get the video to show here.
    Larry a.k.a wizard509

    Never give up. You will never fail, but you may find a lot of ways that don't work.

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Aug 2000
    Location
    Harwich, Essex, England
    Posts
    22,090

    Default Re: Extracing portions of an image

    Hi Larry,

    Thanks for the link back to my long forgotten video

    To include a video inline on the forum you need to use the BB Code which you can copy & paste from the YouTube url address. Just the bit after "v=" then surround it by the youtube square bracket tags.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G8XgHkZo1J8
    Attached Thumbnails Attached Thumbnails Click image for larger version. 

Name:	bb-code2.png 
Views:	121 
Size:	1.1 KB 
ID:	103145  
    Egg

    Minis Forum UM780XTX AMD Ryzen7 7840HS with AMD Radeon 780M Graphics + 32 GB Ram + MSI Optix Mag321 Curv monitor
    + 1Tb SSD + 232 GB SSD + 250 GB SSD portable drive + ISP = BT + Web Hosting = TSO Host

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Feb 2007
    Location
    UK
    Posts
    21,567

    Default Re: Extracing portions of an image

    as it is a jpg I'm assuming it's a photograph, and if that is the case Frank is correct - although vector magic can be very accurate, but with logos and drawings in particular, photos are difficult to autotrace accurately due to the continuous tone
    -------------------------------
    Nothing lasts forever...

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Feb 2010
    Location
    Ottawa, IL USA
    Posts
    1,138

    Default Re: Extracing portions of an image

    I apologize if what I am showing you is more complex than you need, I'm just basically taking apart something I did in Xara Designer Pro 9 recently for one of my own projects.

    I needed a realistic looking spider as a map object for a fantasy map I was creating. So I first modeled a spider in 3D, rendered it in light gray color and placing it on a white ground plain so it would cast a realistic shadow - this is my starting image, instead of just a photo (its a photo image rendered from a 3D program).

    Click image for larger version. 

Name:	spiders-3d.jpg 
Views:	135 
Size:	46.6 KB 
ID:	103149

    Next I imported the image to Xara Designer Pro 9 - the graphic showing the 12 steps is as follows:

    Click image for larger version. 

Name:	clipped-spider-tutorial-800.jpg 
Views:	152 
Size:	50.9 KB 
ID:	103150

    1. First image is the photo image imported to Xara.
    2. Next I created an outline shape using the Freehand Drawing Tool and traced the outer edge of all five spiders as shown
    3. Next I select all the drawn shapes and original photo and apply Arrange/Combine/Intersect. I end up with clipped spiders.
    4. Next I draw the shadows of the spider image, as a separate object (this way I can apply transparency to shadow not spiders)
    5. This step I place the shadows beneath the clipped photo of the spider - it looks just like the original, but there is not background now.
    6. Looking at just one spider zoomed in.
    7. I want to create more realistic beady spider eyes, so I create black circles, place feathered edge white highlights and drop shadows.
    8. I rescale the beady eyes to fit and appropriately place on the spiders head.
    9. Now I copy the clipped spider image, then I draw a shape selecting the middle areas of each leg and part of its mandibles, then apply Arrange/Combine/Slice onto the copy..
    10. Now selecting that orange color I apply the color onto the sliced part of the leg, then apply Stain-Glass Transparency so you can see through the color at the shaded leg image beneath it.
    11. Without showing all the steps I select more areas of the spider, applying different colors (brown and dark gray) and end up with this.
    12. Finally, because the shadow and spider are separate objects, I can place the final spider onto a floor surface and the shadow realistically shows the floor beneath.


    Final Image zoomed in.

    Click image for larger version. 

Name:	spider-final.jpg 
Views:	139 
Size:	53.3 KB 
ID:	103151

    This is what you can do with clipping photos with shapes. I never vectorize a photo image, I always keep it in JPG or whatever bitmap format it already is. I work in vector shapes whether circles, rectangles or hand-traced shapes using the Freehand tool and keep the photos intact as photos. You don't need to vectorize an image, you can still do a lot with Xara and clipping actual photos.

    So drawing a circle around the edge of your baseball then applying Arrange/Combine/Intersect and you'll get what you want.

    Did that help - or was this tutorial too much for you? I know its more than you asked, but I thought I'd show you the power of using Xara and clipping photos in complex ways to accomplish what you might need for your projects...

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Apr 2012
    Location
    SW England
    Posts
    18,448

    Default Re: Extracing portions of an image

    Quote Originally Posted by Admiral_Krank View Post
    Hi. this is my very first post in the community So I'm learning the ropes of designer 10, and I can't for the life of me, figure out how to clip one area of an existing graphic, and delete the existing background.

    The use case is this - I'm converting a JPG picure of a baseball to a vector image, and I want the background around the baseball deleted. What's the easiest way to do this? Is there a magic selection tool or something that would recognize the object as round?
    It depends on how complex your image is and if you need to scale it afterwards.
    For the simplest I can imagine, it is a circle.

    If so, drop the image onto your design page.
    Next create a circle (Ellipse Tool L - radius or diameter creation) to a similar size as of the baseball.
    with the circle still selected, switch to Fill tool G - Bitmap) and select, from the fourth dropdown on the toolbar, your image.
    Adjust and scale to fit.
    Finally, you can use the Feather Tool to soften the edges.

    It is a vector, with a bitmap fill, that might cover your need.

    Acorn
    Acorn - installed Xara software: Cloud+/Pro+ and most others back through time (to CC's Artworks). Contact for technical remediation/consultancy for your web designs.
    When we provide assistance, your responses are valuable as they benefit the community. TG Nuggets you might like. Report faults: Xara Cloud+/Pro+/Magix Legacy; Xara KB & Chat

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Aug 2014
    Location
    Toronto Canada
    Posts
    6

    Default Re: Extracing portions of an image

    Thanks everyone, this is very helpful, I'm impressed by how many of you offered useful tips!

  9. #9
    Join Date
    Aug 2000
    Location
    Placitas, New Mexico, USA
    Posts
    41,650

    Default Re: Extracing portions of an image

    To paraphrase an expression, ask two Xara persons a question and get three answers. It loses something in the translation but you get the idea. Xara more often than not offers more than one way of doing a task.

  10. #10
    Join Date
    Oct 2006
    Location
    StPeters, MO USA
    Posts
    10,819

    Default Re: Extracing portions of an image

    Eeeeu, why does it have to be spiders Gamerprinter?
    Larry a.k.a wizard509

    Never give up. You will never fail, but you may find a lot of ways that don't work.

 

 

Bookmarks

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •