need extreme help. Creating Vector outlines

**Firechimp** · 25 March 2007, 12:58 PM

I just dl the trial and am very interested in this program, but...

I'm coming from MS paint after years of use, and this program mystifies me. I'm working to smooth out the pixelation of some drawing and can't blend the two into one.

Help me please

Jay

**gwpriester** · 25 March 2007, 03:09 PM

Xara is a vector drawing program and MS Paint is a bitmap application.

Xara can work with bitmaps as well as vector objects. I am not certain if MS Paint can.

A vector object is defined by its outline. A circle, for example, is defined by 2-4 arcs, each one of a certain size and angle, and the circle may or may not have a visible outline and fill. A vector object can be scaled up or down to infinity almost without losing the sharpness of the shape. For example, in Xara, create some text on the screen and then increase the size of the text up and down. The sharpness of the text will not change because the text is a vector object.

Xara creates vector objects.

A bitmap can only be enlarged a small amount before you start to see the pixels. Because a bitmap image is described by a grid of tiny squares. Each square (pixel) is a single color. So when you make the image larger, you see the pixels.

The attached shows the difference between a vector object (the text) and a bitmap, an image drawn by Zeb, and converted into a bitmap. Both of the enlarged details are 1000% larger than actual size.

One final thought. If your vector objects, type, a circle, a line, etc. are not sharp and smooth but appear ragged, then you probably have your view quality set to Normal instead of Anti-aliased. (Window > Quality > Anti-aliased).

Gary

**Firechimp** · 26 March 2007, 11:21 AM

I understand the difference. I'm looking at xara in order to smooth out pixelations in a number of bmp files. I can't figure out how to do this since xara is so completely different. Can you tell me a quick way to do this?

Also, I'm having difficulty in drawing with xara, as I can't seem to figure out how to cut/paste and replicate.

Thanks
Jay

**Soquili** · 26 March 2007, 11:50 AM

Jay,

Can you post an image showing the pixelation you want to smooth?

It may or may not be possible to do with Xara. But without seeing an example of what is needed, it is difficult to say if or how it can be done.

If the image has been resized to a larger size, it may not be possible.

**masque** · 26 March 2007, 11:51 AM

Hi
Cut/ paste ect can be done either from the shortcuts on the tool bar or from within the edit menu.

If you draw a rectangle for instance and while the rectangle is selected (selected is the important bit) go to the edit menu you can cut, copy, duplicate/clone the rectangle from there, you can also paste an object that has been cut or copied from within the edit menu.
This is more straighforward once you have identified the shortcut buttons on the tool bar that are available to help you do this quickly (or quicker).

As regards pixilated bmp files, then if they are pixilated I don't know how you can smooth them out in Xara or any other application for that matter. A pixilated line or shape could be redrawn or traced using xara which would then give you a vector version of the line or shape which wouldn't have any pixilation regardless of how you enlarged or reduced it.
A crude illustration are the lines attached. The pixilated bitmap line has been redrawn by tracing as vector line; much smoother and therefore capable of being enlarged to your hearts content or edited in other ways.
Not sure if thats your problem. If not try posting an example.
Derek

**Firechimp** · 26 March 2007, 12:51 PM

Ok,

http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b3...x/xarahelp.jpg

This is a typical figure. It is about 5/8" tall. Can it be cleaned up, or must it and 140 others similar be redrawn?

thanks
jay

**masque** · 26 March 2007, 01:00 PM

Originally Posted by Firechimp

Ok,

http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b3...x/xarahelp.jpg

This is a typical figure. It is about 5/8" tall. Can it be cleaned up, or must it and 140 others similar be redrawn?

thanks
jay

I would say it need to be redrawn. I don't know of a way of un-pixilating a pixilated bitmap other than reduce it in size; but then it wouldn't be 5/8" tall.
Derek

**Tallis** · 26 March 2007, 01:09 PM

Since we're black & white, isn't this a good place to bring in the Xara bitmap tracer?

**masque** · 26 March 2007, 01:13 PM

Example of manual trace, Xara trace and original.
Xar. file attached.
The manual trace took about 5 min, but I wouldn't want to do 140 of them.
The Xara trace could be improved but a number of attempts, reducing smoothing, reducing the remove noise and increasing the number of passes etc didn't produce a result I think you would be pleased with though further experimentation might get closer.
Derek

**WolfMoonHP** · 26 March 2007, 01:52 PM

Derek, I think you are right. I had a lot of bitmap graphics I wanted to convert to the superior vector format, and generally found that the manual trace was the easiest way.

For a number of them, I enlarged them substantially, finding that the tracing gets easier on a larger image. My first effort, using the auto-trace function in Xara, caused me to spend more than twon hours deleting unnecessary nodes, smoothing, etc.

After someone in this forum suggested manual tracing, the same image took about 15 minutes, and the results were far superior.
---
Will