how to convert png to shape ?

[avidivx]

hi all , is possible convert png to shape ???

thx

[angelize]

Hello Avidivx, yes this can be done. Are you looking to create a simple silhouette? to do that I would use the shape tool to trace an outline around the image in this case your bananas and when you get to the end (back to the beginning) you will see a little + sign when one end of the line comes over the other at that point release the mouse key and your lines join and become a filled shape. In the bananas image you will need to trace a second shape. Hide the first shape by opening the page and layer gallery and expanding the page items so you can see all the items on your page. next to each item is an eye find your new bananas shape and click the eye next to it to hide it. Now you can trace the little area between the stems and when that's done and you have a filled shape there while this shape is still selected go to the page and layer gallery and unhide the bananas shape and hold down shift and select the bananas shape too. Now in the arrange menu go to combine shapes and select subtract shapes from the sub menu (or the keyboard shortcut for this is Ctrl+2)

[David.P]

I have the exact same problem -- but I can't believe that you actually would have to re-draw the outline by hand(!) in order to get that black shape shown above. Is there no other way to create a shape (or mask) from that perfectly cutout alpha channel of those bananas?

[handrawn]

if you have a high resolution image you could use a bitmap tracer, but the image here is a bit low to get a good clean edge [because of the antialiasing as much as anything]

[mwenz]

No that this isn't an old thread...

Silhouettes are easy. I usually draw them as well. Unless I already have Illy running or take the time to start it or if the image is more involved than this...or I wish (or need to) to fiddle with the result--which at that point it is often easier to draw.



And a color trace ain't too bad either, even with lower res images.



But then again, unless I was actually having to use such a low res image, I would just use a higher res version.

[handrawn]

yes illy is better with low res images than xara

[David.P]

I just found a way. You make the image monochrome (preferably black) by fiddling with contrast and/or brightness. Next you make a bitmap copy of that image, which you then (within like two seconds) can auto-trace to get an exact shape of the outline.

Needed it for this:

https://i.imgur.com/z4METlA.png

[handrawn]

in xara as the image has alpha background you can right click black on the colour line and set both light and dark contone - quicker than messing with contrast in this case

I question whether the outline will be exact - I'd like to see your result and the settings you used in xara - also how many shapes and nodes do you have if you do it in colour...

[David.P]

in xara as the image has alpha background you can right click black on the colour line and set both light and dark contone

True, works very well.

I question whether the outline will be exact - I'd like to see your result and the settings you used in xara - also how many shapes and nodes do you have if you do it in colour...

https://i.imgur.com/SbMcD1Q.png

[handrawn]

thing is - the xara bitmap tracer traces the image without antialiasing - that is quite exact, but it gives a jagged/stepped edge of course - you can add smoothing to the trace but it does not really follow the original outline that well at low res